A Princess's Whim
He glanced between his superior’s chilly retreating back and the citizens’ reproachful stares, then heaved a heavy sigh and spurred his horse forward.
The Second Princess, who had remained shut inside the carriage like a silent protest, did not emerge until the procession had left the capital and paused for rest along the riverbank. The servants, busy pitching tents and preparing the campsite, turned tense glances toward Thalia.
It seemed her earlier remark about changing outfits several times a day had not been an idle boast. She appeared in a fresh silk gown embroidered with golden thread instead of the dress she had worn when leaving the palace. A costly necklace that could easily purchase an entire estate encircled her slender, pale neck, and glittering diamond bracelets adorned her delicate wrists like birch branches.
Spotting her from a distance, Edric’s face twisted in disbelief. They were about to eat dinner and settle in for the night—why on earth had she dressed so extravagantly? Her incomprehensible behavior already left him feeling drained.
Swallowing a sigh, he handed the reins to a junior knight and approached the princess. She had been surveying the surroundings and now fixed him with a fierce glare.
For a moment, Edric felt his throat tighten. Bathed in the fading sunlight, Thalia looked as though she had been forged from fire and gold. The river wind whipped her honey-colored hair into rich golden waves around her face, while her flawless alabaster skin glowed with a pale radiance even amid the fiery sunset. He instinctively took a step back. Everything about her was so exquisitely delicate that she seemed ready to shatter at any moment, scattering razor-sharp fragments in every direction.
Swallowing dryly at the inexplicable chill of foreboding, he heard a sharp voice slip between her blood-red lips.
“I don’t like this place. Move the campsite.”
The absurd command snapped him back to his senses. He straightened his spine, reminding himself that this woman was a beautiful poison mushroom. One moment of distraction at her loveliness and he would pay dearly.
Adopting a strictly professional tone, he replied curtly, “This site was chosen by the Royal Guard for safety. We cannot search for another location now.”
“Who asked for your opinion?”
She shot him a gaze sharp as frost.
“I ordered the campsite moved. All you have to do is obey.”
He drew a steadying breath. “All decisions for this expedition rest with Sir Sheerkan. Once again, we cannot break formation on a whim.”
“So Barcas’s permission is all that’s needed?”
She cut him off and turned on her heel at once. It seemed she had been looking for an excuse to pick a fight with Sir Sheerkan from the very beginning. Edric hurried after her, unable to comprehend why the woman was so eager to cause trouble on the first day of the journey. With long strides he overtook her.
“What exactly about this place displeases you so much?”
“I just hate everything.”
She marched forward, her voice clipped. “I hate being near the water, and I hate being near the forest. The place is crawling with bugs.”
“Where are we supposed to camp without water? Besides, griffins and harpies have been sighted in this area. The forest serves as a natural barrier against large magical beasts—”
“Safety? What safety! I’ve already been bitten twice by insects! If we spend the night here, those vermin will devour my skin. And those noises coming from the forest! I can’t stand the rustling leaves, let alone the birds chirping all night. How am I supposed to sleep?”
Edric stared down at her, aghast. Even a spoiled five-year-old would not throw such a tantrum. He fought to suppress the irritation rising within him.
“We will be camping for several days. If you don’t start adapting now—”
“Just move the campsite! Why should I have to endure something I hate?”
She shouted in a shrill voice and strode across the camp like a racehorse charging forward. He clenched his fists to keep from physically stopping her.
“Everyone is exhausted from a full day of marching. We cannot dismantle the tents and search for a new site over such ridiculous reasons. Stop acting like a child and return to the carriage to rest.”
Blocking her path with deliberate sternness, he watched her strikingly beautiful face twist faintly. The next instant, a sharp crack rang out and a stinging pain bloomed across his right cheek.
He glared at her with a dangerous look. From the moment he had been assigned as her escort knight, he had braced himself for the occasional slap. Yet the reality felt far more sordid than he had imagined.
“How dare you give me orders.”
She seized him by the collar and hissed venomously into his face. “I am the Emperor’s daughter, and you exist for my convenience. If I tell you to walk all night, you walk until dawn—that is your fate. So shut your insolent mouth and get out of my sight.”
She shoved him away and resumed walking along the riverbank.
Edric stood rigid, staring after her small retreating figure. He longed to throw the ill-mannered woman over his shoulder and toss her back into the carriage the way his superior had done. But he lacked the backing that would allow him to lay hands on royalty without consequence.
Watching her figure shrink into the distance, he exhaled a bitter sigh. Would he truly be able to endure this wicked woman’s tyranny until the journey ended? Already a dull ache throbbed at the back of his head.
As she walked along the river, she felt a prickling gaze on her back. Thalia shot a sharp glance over her shoulder. Several people who had been watching her quickly looked away and pretended to be busy with other things.
It was no different from usual. People had always treated her like a powder keg ready to explode. Yet today those wary, furtive stares felt strangely suspicious.
Clearly, Senebier has planted spies among them.
She scrutinized every face among the attendants. Perhaps they were all spies. Her mother was certainly capable of it.
Her thoughts spiraled further. Senebier had spent years undermining Garese’s support base. This might be her chance to eliminate every obstacle standing in her son’s path to the throne.
Her heart beat uneasily. If Senebier’s targets were Garese or Aila, she would not mind. She might even join the scheme if necessary. But if Barcas was the one Senebier intended to strike…
Thalia’s anxious gaze swept over the rows of military tents. They had to separate the campsites. Physical distance would make it harder for Senebier’s spies to cause trouble overnight.
She quickened her steps. Before long she spotted Barcas’s beloved warhorse, Torque, tethered in front of a large tent. Passing the gray stallion that snorted loudly upon recognizing her, she stepped into the dim interior.
The tent was as neatly arranged as a temple. After glancing over the faintly glowing candelabra, the elegant storage cabinets, and the armor stands, Thalia noticed a deep shadow behind the partition and walked straight toward it.
“I want to move my campsite elsewhere. My oh-so-capable knight informed me that I cannot go anywhere without Sir Sheerkan’s permission. It seems your subordinates believe the commander of the Roem Knights outranks royalty. How did the Imperial Guard become such a pathetic group that doesn’t even understand hierarchy…?”
She pulled the partition aside and continued her tirade, only to freeze stiffly the next moment. Barcas stood there shirtless, wiping water from his face with a towel.