197: Danger

Danger

'Witches and warlocks, heavenly realm and mortal realm, supernatural beings and divine beings, magic power… divine power…'  1

Oriana had long returned to her assigned room, lying in bed still in her uniform, her confused thoughts swimming in her head. She was trying to have a grasp of the discoveries she had about herself. 

'What are all these jargons?!' she mentally screamed. 'My life is not simple to begin with, but it's getting even more crazy complicated with every single passing day. 

In the first place, it was unusual for a woman to be unmarried at her age, or at least unpledged to another, much less be independent, working as an herbalist and training to be a physician. Deceiving everyone by pretending to be a man, her life before these new discoveries had enough content to be made into several books. 

Yet now, she learned she was someone more special than that. 

'Having trouble with hiding my gender is not enough, now I have to hide from those wizards and some evil group who run after people with divine powers too?'

More questions flooded her mind, and they had everything to do with her family. Since she was a witch, her parents ought to be witches too, or at least one of them. The reason why Phil and Oriana lived a nomadic life, with her hiding her gender, she felt the reason for it had to be her strange powers.

'I wish Grandpa was here. He should have some answers to the questions Lord Yorian is asking…'

Knock! Knock!

The knocking on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She forced herself out of the bed. Opening the door, she found Damien standing in front of her. 

"His Highness is back," Damien informed, quickly turning around as if he was needed somewhere else. "He's in his bedchamber."

"I will be there in a minute," she replied but Damien had long left the hallway. She could only shake her head. 'He really runs fast.'

Oriana stood in front of the mirror to make sure her appearance was proper, especially securing the headwrap around her hair as she knew she would be spending the night in Arlan's room as usual.

On her way to Arlan's room, she bumped into Neil who was coming downstairs. Seeing her, he gave out a sigh of relief. 

"Thank the spirits, you are here, Orian."

"What happened?"

"His Highness is drunk and he is asking for more alcohol," he replied. "We cannot give him more alcohol."

"Then don't give him," she replied casually. She already had so much in her mind that she didn't wish to think about a drunk man's tantrum. 

"We cannot refuse His Highness' orders. Maybe if it's Mister Roman, he has a chance, but not me. Not Damien either. Please go there and make him not ask for more liquor."

"Me?" she asked in surprise and disbelief. "Why would His Highness listen to me?"

"That I don't know, but before leaving the Palace of Thistle, Mister Roman told me if there is such a situation, the best recourse is to send you to His Highness."

An incredulous "Huh?" was all that escaped her mouth. 

'What do they take me for, his mother? Why would he listen to me when I am just a mere attendant like them?'

"Please, Orian. Please go to His Highness."

"And the liquor?" she asked. 

"Try to distract him so he won't ask for it. Or put him to sleep, I don't know. Sir Imbert told me that His Highness had already drunk about a barrel-worth of alcohol. I'm afraid he'd be poisoned at this rate."

"What the—Are you serious?"

"I'm serious. That's why you have to stop him. If he still insists on liquor, then I'll really have no choice but to bring it." His voice pleading as if he was at the end of his wits.

"Alright." 

Unwillingly, Oriana walked upstairs, where she found Imbert standing outside Arlan's chamber. Not knowing what to think of the situation, Oriana offered him a light nod as greetings, only to find him nodding back before walking away.

'What? Why is he leaving? Was he just waiting for me to arrive? Shouldn't he be here to take care of his master? What kind of knight is he?Argh…' 

She swallowed her frustration. It wasn't like she had a choice in the matter.

'Calm down, Ori. You can handle this.' 

She inhaled and exhaled, taking slow, deep breaths to calm herself, and opened the door of her master's chamber. The room was dimly lit, with only the lampstand on the bedside table the only source of illumination, casting shadows against the handsome profile of the inebriated prince sitting on the chair, his body leaning back with his eyes closed, seemingly dead to the world.

'Did he fall asleep?' she wondered.

However, the sound of the door opening alerted him of her presence. 

"Where is my wine?" Arlan asked in a slurred speech, initially unaware of who had entered his bedchamber. But the next moment, his senses came alive as he smelled that heavenly scent. His deep blue eyes snapped open and his gaze landed on the approaching Oriana. 

"Your Highness, the key to the wine cellar is missing so if you could just wait…" but her words trailed off when she saw him lift his head in her direction. 

Oriana felt pressured under that gaze. His heavy-lidded eyes stared at her without a single word. There was no anger or displeasure in them, but there was something in them that made her feel like she was a small prey being eyed at by a top predator. 

She could not understand why she felt that way.

'Why is he looking at me like this? It feels strange.' 

Alarmed, she decided to follow her intuition. 

Escape! 

"Ah! They should have found the keys by now. I-I will get your wine, Your Highness!" she blurted out, turning around in a hurry to leave that room as fast as she could but—

Bang!

The door in front of her slammed close on its own, even before she could leave, taking her by surprise. 'What did just—' 

Danger. 

Her senses screamed she was in grave danger.

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