When the dawn broke, Emery stood in front of the king who was already wearing his gold-plated armor. He exuded the aura of a man who could dominate hundreds of men but the queen was still worried about what was to happen in the future. Being unable to accompany the king on his trip was already enough to make her think twice if their plan was a good one. But then again, leaving the palace with a foreign royalty residing inside was just too risky to leave the capital. Trying to hide the worries brewing inside her, she let out a sigh and met the gaze of the king. “If ever the situation is not in our favor, do not hesitate to summon me,” she told him. King Lawson simply nodded in response. Just by looking at the queen, he could tell that she was trying to put up some façade to hide her fear. Even though he did not want her to feel that way, he had no other choice but to trust that she could manage the palace in his absence. With the brewing danger just outside their kingdom, he could no

The next morning, Emery woke up earlier than usual to prepare for her visit to the construction site of the aqueducts. From the reports she read the other night, there were several problems going on which hindered them from continuing with the construction. While preparing to depart, she noticed the princess walking in her direction. “You are quite early, Princess Natalia,” she greeted. “Have you come up with a better story to tell me this time?” Instead of being offended, the princess simply giggled at the words of the queen. “Queen Emery, that is the best story I can come up with. But there is a small gift I wanted to give you for sparing some time to humor me,” she responded and handed her a small scroll. After telling her to have a safe trip, the princess left without telling the queen about whatever was inside the scroll. Emery had no time to look at what it was so she simply kept it before heading to the palace gates where several royal guards were waiting for her. However, s

Everything looked too dull and lifeless as Emery gazed at the small garden near the North Pavilion. The fiery orange shades of color that the lamps should have exuded were black and white, and the same goes with the several flowers blooming beside the pathways. She saw herself fighting the guards of Princess Natalia in slow motion. Her every swing of her sword was an effort gone to waste when she looked at the side and saw the woman she trusted showing up. She once thought that Lady Mica was a person she could also turn to whenever she wanted to talk about her mother but it seemed like she trusted the wrong person. She saw herself get knocked down by a mere soldier with just one jab on her gut just because she let down her guard. She regretted it so badly that she wanted to slap her past self for being too naïve. Just because she fell for the king, she seemed to have forgotten the fact that the palace was another bloody battlefield she must face because traitors were just around the c

Not wanting to be recognized, Emery immediately turned away, swinging her sword towards an enemy. She did not dare look back because she just saw a glint of shock in the general’s eyes despite the few seconds of looking into his very eyes. With a grunt escaping her mouth, she lunged towards another enemy and swung her weapon down to injure his leg. Her enemy fell to his knees, giving Emery the chance to slit his throat and end his life. She kept chanting in her mind not to pay much attention to what she just saw but her anxious heart was unsettled. The thought of her getting arrested at that very moment was not just the best idea. Just then, she felt someone behind her but before she could turn on her heels to see who it was, the general spoke. “What did you come here for?” he asked just loud enough for her to hear. Emery was able to feel a bit relieved when she heard his voice without even a hint of threat. She simply hoped that he would not turn her into the king, at least, not f

When the night embraced the land, Emery briefed the soldiers first on what they should do upon arriving at the site of their ambush. Though, she started to feel a bit uncomfortable as she felt their stares at her as if they were becoming more and more suspicious of who she was. Her heart almost skipped a beat when one of them took the courage to ask about her identity since it seemed like it was their first time to see her. And to avoid that topic, she simply stated that it was not the right time to know her since they were about to do something important that could either give their side an advantage or not. She even almost got busted when a few of them claimed that she looked familiar. If she were to be too defensive, it would make them more suspicious. “Captain, the general of the enemies had arrived in their camp,” the scout came to report, helping Emery get out of the tight situation. She stood from her seat and grabbed her spear. “Everyone, in your positions. At exact midnight