Splash!
“Y-Your Highness!”
The knight scrambled to his feet the moment he realized he was alone on the wooden platform.
“Your Highness, can you hear me? Your Highness? Miss Esther?”
Sir Galien was torn between calling the attention of the patrolling city guards and diving into the river himself. He was aware that the Crown Prince knew how to swim, and he should be able to resurface on his own. The knight could not understand what had just happened, and after waiting for several excruciatingly long seconds, he realized there was no change in the dark waters of the river.
‘Perhaps His Highness swam to the riverbank to avoid the invisible attacker?’
However, that part of the river was dark, and it was impossible to see anything clearly beyond what a normal person could see under the soft light offered by the moon.
The knight called for the Crown Prince once more. “Your Highness, please answer me if you’re safe!” But still, there was no response.
Just then, his nose picked up an unwanted familiar scent. The scent of blood. As it was nighttime and he was on a small pier, the lighting was poor. He could not see where the blood was. His heart started to beat crazily as he kneeled on the platform and groped around the damp wooden boards. With his bare hands, he felt something wet and sticky near the area where the Crown Prince was standing, and he was able to verify if it was truly blood when he touched it near his nose.
It worried him to think it belonged to Prince Theron. If he was truly hurt, the Crown Prince would be unable to swim back after falling in the river. It made him wonder if the young miss knew how to swim, but then the knight remembered she received the brunt force of the attack too.
‘I need to inform the city guards and the palace!’
Sir Galien was crazily waving his sword as he walked, warily eyeing both the river and the platform where he was standing, unsure whether the unseen attacker was still standing somewhere. Some of the people nearby even though he was doing a sword dance and were delighted.
However, when they saw his appearance the moment he reached the riverbank, they were terrified. Under the streetlights and the lanterns some of them were carrying, they saw the knight had blood splattered across his clothes. Because of that, he did not even have to look for the city guards; a squad of city guards who were patrolling the riverbank approached him.
Although Sir Galien was wearing the clothes of a commoner, he still kept his token that signified he was a royal knight. The knight informed the city guards about what happened, and then he ordered some of them to report to the royal palace. He brought the rest of the city guards to go on a rescue mission for the Crown Prince.
By this time, the royal ball inside the palace was still in full swing. The King and the Queen were shocked with the news, and it didn’t take much time for it to reach the ears of all the nobles in attendance, who also offered their personal troops to help in the search. The common people of the city were all aghast to see the troops of soldiers deployed towards the river.
Morning came, but there was still no information about the Crown Prince and Esther.
Inside the Queen’s chamber, Queen Theodora could not relax even for a moment as she anxiously waited for news of her son.
She was unable to eat her morning meal, and she kept pacing back and forth inside her chamber. Her ladies-in-waiting were worried for her health, but they were unable to do anything to calm the Queen.
“Is there still no news?”
“No, Your Majesty. But rest assured. Is there not a saying about how no news is good news?” one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting consoled her. “The Crown Prince must have hidden himself somewhere to avoid the attacker. He will surely return safe and sound.”
Afterwards, Lady Tyra arrived at the Queen’s chamber. The Queen looked at her with renewed hope. “Tyra…you…”
Before the Queen could say more, Lady Tyra nodded lightly as if in response to what the Queen wanted to say. She deliberately eyed the ladies-in-waiting and servants inside the room.
“You all wait outside,” Lady Tyra instructed.
Everyone silently left, closing the door behind them to give them privacy. Once the two women were alone, the Queen hurriedly asked, “Tyra, can’t you search for him by using your means?”
“Your Majesty,” Lady Tyra sighed, “the person who is with Prince Theron, she is much more capable than me. Prince Theron will be back safely. Trust me.”
“You mean Esther? She is more capable than you? You are not lying just to comfort me, are you, Tyra?” the Queen asked, though she had already witnessed Esther’s capability. The Queen knew Esther was strong, but her anxiety was growing with each passing moment. “From what Sir Galien reported, it was a sneak attack and he didn’t even see who attacked them or how the attack was made. What if…what if it is done by an unholy creature? What if Esther can’t stand it? If she is truly capable, then they should have been back by now. Why is there still no news?”
“Your Majesty, I understand your worry but I will only say we should trust Esther.” Lady Tyra was silent for a bit, but then she added, as if in hesitation, “She is not someone who can be defeated even by an unholy creature.”
Seeing how sure Lady Tyra was, Queen Theodora looked at her suspiciously. “Are you keeping something important from me, Tyra?”
Lady Tyra let out a wry smile as she opened her hands as if to say there was nothing to be done. “Your Majesty, I cannot tell you everything, but please believe me when I say this is not harmful to you, our royal family and our kingdom. Esther…She is someone who doesn’t deserve to work as a servant here. She is someone that we could not even afford to employ, a person who one could not see or catch if she doesn’t show up on her own. That is how capable she is.”
“What are you withholding? Why can’t you tell me?”
“I am bound, Your Majesty. You know how important promises are to my kind. I have to stay true to my words,” Lady Tyra vaguely replied with a lowered head. “However, I assure you, she is someone who will never harm anyone and will even go lengths to protect strangers around her, what more the Crown Prince who she is personally acquainted with. So, Your Majesty, I wish you to not worry and wait for them to return.”
Knowing there was no point in further pressing the woman, the Queen could only let go of her suspicions and try to believe her words.
