>>Amber

"A mission? Away from the country?" Hael's suspicion rose, "Why?"

"I would like to brief the high priest and the master on that separately." The king replied.

"Alright," Eldias replied, "But on the saint's matter, doesn't it seem a little silly, don't you think, Your Highness?" Eldias said

The king let out a chuckle, "It is," He answered, "Initially we were going to only let the nobles vote on who they wanted, but my daughter said it would be a better idea to let the saints prove themselves."

Daughter?

The princess? She decided we should have this event? I shook my head.

That sounds like an even worse thing!

"Why hold the events while we aren't here?" Hael asked

"I fear that you two might try and manipulate the results," The king chuckled, "I can't have you two here," He outright spoke his mind, "The two of you are guardians to your respective saints after all."

I felt nervous.

"So," Eldias said, "You plan on making the one who wins the saint for the nobel faction and the other one will work with the commoners?"

!!!

We all glanced at the high priest, then looked back at the King. Right, that's something very typical from nobles. They don't want the same person treating the commoners to treat them too. Before I came, there wasn't a choice, but with two saints here it's possible.

"Exactly," He answered and an idea shot through my head.

"Your Highness," I raised my hand, bringing it up next to my chest, "Is it possible not to participate in this event?"

"Hmm?" The king's gaze sharpened as he looked at me, "Why would you say that?"

I gulped, "Well, it's an event to decide who serves as a healer for who, right? Can't we just come to a decision with mutual understanding?" I looked at Illaris and then the high priest.

"Hmm," The king thought about it.

"I have no objection," Illaris said and Lyal turned to look at her. I didn't think she'd agree so easily. It's not like she knows which side I was going to choose. That must mean she doesn't care if she's assigned to the common folks or the aristocracy. Doesn't that mean that this 'event' is something neither of us wants.

"No," The King said, making my heart drop, "You'll have to participate because the event is being held to see which one of you is stronger,"

!!!

So they want to see which one of us is stronger and covet that person. Typical noble behavior, the common folks are more susceptible to miasma since they live in the outer city while the rich live in the inner city. Yet they want the stronger one.

"Isn't there a simpler way to determine that, Your highness?" Illaris asked, "Is the event necessary?"

"Yes, I did mention the simpler way, didn't I?" He answered, "But that would be boring," The king seems to want some entertainment, "Both of you will start living in the palace from today!"

!!

What?

From today?

I looked at Illaris in confusion and surprisingly, she was looking back. We exchanged a concerned look.

"Lyal," The king called his son

"Yes, Father," He answered calmly. I wonder how much of it he knows.

"Take the ladies to the rooms they'll be staying in. Have the rooms right next to each other." The way that the king smiled made me suspicious, "You'll be incharge of them while they stay here."

What?

Lyal will be incharge of us? That is going to get so awkward. I know they don't know I'm Corvina, but I am Corvina! And I haven't forgotten what Lyal did to me. I balled my fists.

And I haven't forgotten the pain his actions caused me.

"Yes..." Lyal looked at both of us, "Follow me," He began to walk away but I didn't follow behind immediately. I looked at Hael nervously.

"How did it get like this?" I asked, "I don't want to stay here," I frowned, "I'll be under Lyal's supervision and that doesn't sit right with me."

"Should I just kill him?" Hael whispered, making me freeze,

"Hael!" I whispered back to him.

"I'm serious," He glared at the king, "He's annoying me. Killing him won't be much of a deal, anyway."

"Hey," I held his hand, which made him pause, "You can't," I feared he actually might do it, "The whole country will be out for your head."

"And?" He wasn't afraid,

"..." I let out a sigh, "It doesn't matter how much power you have, there are things you aren't supposed to do," I looked straight into his eyes, "If that happens you'll have to leave this place and everything here,"

"..." He thought about it with his eyes set on me, "Fine, I can't leave what I've found after so much trouble."

I glanced at Lyal who stood at the door looking back at both of us. Illaris hadn't left either. She was talking to Eldias. I have no idea what to think of her. I've only met her twice. Once at my engagement, where I knew my fiance fell for her at first sight.

And the second time when she forced me to stay put during the jousting tournament. The aura she was emitting then was dark. And I know she hated how Lyal offered me the rose and not her. Were they fighting then?

What about now?

"Where do you think the king will send you?" I asked

"We'll find out soon enough." He glanced at the king, then looked back at me, "You don't need to be nervous,"

"How could I not be nervous?!" I whispered, "I'm being dragged into a place I despised the most!"

"But you know how things work here, you'll do fine," He said and I let out a sigh and looked away

"Probably... But I'd feel much better if you weren't being sent away."

There was a small pause from his side which made me turn to look at Hael again. He had a smile on his face, "You want me with you?"

!!!

"W-well," I got flustered, but right then I saw Illaris leave, "I'm leaving," I began to walk away again, "Tell me the details when you're done."

He turned his body in the direction I was leaving, "I will," The smile didn't leave his face.

The main door opened and Lyal began to walk again. Illaris and I followed him quietly.

>>Hael

We watched our respective saints leave the throne room, and as the door shut behind them, we turned our attention to the king.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I said, "We're alone now,"

The King smiled, "You seem to hate this idea," He knew I wasn't going to kill him so he chose to be cocky.

"It's an idea to entertain the aristocrats, I don't have any reason to like it." I replied. "Moreover, you're sending us away during the event, it's bound to make me suspicious."

"Heh~" His smile got wider, "You're right, I'm sending you away to keep you away." He chuckled as he leaned towards us, putting his elbow on the armrest and his face on the back of his hand as he stared back at us.

"What do you plan on doing that requires neither me nor the high priest to be here."

"It certainly is suspicious your majesty," Eldias said

"Don't worry, your saints won't be harmed," We both looked at the king intensely, "I just want you two away because both of you are too protective. It won't be fun if you interfere in the games."

"Games?" I raised my brow

"Don't worry, they'll be fine. The events will be like games." He answered and I knew he was upto something. There was either something he was hiding or he was planning on sitting back to watch something unfold.

But as long as it's just petty drama, I shouldn't have anything to worry about.

"Where do you want to send us?" Eldias chose to skip onto the next subject.

"Ah, yes," The King straightened up, "I've received a secret report."

Eldias and I spared each other a subtle glance before giving the King all of our attention.

"What kind of report?" The High Priest asked.

"The miasma is spreading even faster." He had his eyes on me,

"Yes," I answered, "I've noticed the increase of corrupted animals trying to get in the city."

"A report came that it seems to be spreading from the Hollow Woods,"

!

"Hollow Woods?" Eldias was surprised, "The forbidden forest?"

"The report came in secret from the neighboring country, Maximilian. And we need to send our best people to investigate."

"You want us to go into Hollow Woods?" I asked, "There's nothing there. It's a hollow place, full of poisonous fog. Normal people can't even breathe there."

"The reports would have some basis," The king replied, "Living things can't survive there for long, but doesn't that make a perfect place for the miasma to originate?"

I folded my arms and thought about it, "No. If living things don't live there. How did the miasma spread? Let's assume miasma somehow did originate from there? But how did it get to us? It's not like it's traveling on its own. So far, we know that it happens with point of contact."

"You have a point," Edlias said, "Our country, Aurelia, is far from Hollow Woods. It doesn't make sense that the miasma would reach us here. There's a lot of distance and if nothing lives in Hollow Woods, then there was no point of contact. How did miasma get out of there?" He paused, "Assuming that the origin is from there."

"Nobody goes into Hollow Woods," King Matthias said, "And that's why I have a strong feeling that you both will find something there."

Eldias and I spared each other another glance.

It was an order from the king, so we both knew we had no other choice but to go.