330: We’re Surrounded

We’re Surrounded

The carriages of the Grivenian delegation departed from the city of Nefer with flair, the sight of marching armored knights on their handsome steeds a feast to the eyes for the common folks. 

After crossing several towns and villages, they chose to camp near one of the many unnamed rivers on their planned route. The tired horses were allowed to rest, with their owners giving water and food to them, while the servants prepared a simple meal for the people. 

It was midday, and the sun was bright overhead. Arlan was sitting by the riverbank when Imbert approached and informed him, "We have a visitor, Your Highness."

The prince glanced at the man standing behind Imbert and nodded. He directed his gaze at Oriana, "Go arrange my meal."

Oriana understood that he was subtly dismissing her.

As she walked away, Oriana could not help but be curious about the newly arrived man. His face was unfamiliar and he was also wearing casual clothing that bore no crest of any affiliation. Since he was talking directly to the Crown Prince, the man could not have an ordinary identity. 

'He seems to be a native of Othinia though.'

Oriana wondered about that man's identity as well as the content of their conversation. Arlan's grim expression implied it was a serious matter. However, although she was a servant of the prince, she was not a trusted aide who he confided confidential matters with. Other than Imbert and Rafal, no one was allowed to approach them. 

She walked towards the open tent where the servants were preparing their midday meal. She thought the servants were chatting about trivial stuff, but she overheard Damien sharing gossip which piqued her interest.

"...Othinian royalty? Who dared hurt them?"

"And to think it was during the ball!"

"Oh, I heard of this. There were reports that rebels tried to cause a ruckus, right?"

"No one knows exactly what happened, but from the palace servants I befriended, I heard that was just an excuse. There were no rebels. Those two were drunk and chased after a lady and got injured."

The servants began to snicker amongst themselves, discussing how the unlucky royal guards would probably be blamed and punished to cover such a scandal.

"Did you find out who the lady was?" 

"The identity of the lady had not been revealed. Those above ordered to keep a tight lid on this incident, so even if it was revealed, only a handful probably knows the truth. It would be a great shame for the Nefertitis to admit the incident involved royals with indecent intentions towards a guest."

"I guess. They do have a reputation to protect." 

"To think they made it look like it was caused by enemy rebels. Pfft."

'Two drunks chasing after a woman during the ball?' Oriana repeated these words. 'That woman is clearly me, but I didn't harm anyone. How did they get hurt?' 

Oriana joined the crowd, wanting to know more.

"It's said that both of their crippled bodies were found by the royal guards after the ball was over. I heard it was a terrible sight to see, as if the one who attacked them had a deep grudge against them."

"I also heard no one really felt bad for them. Those two are infamous rogues of the capital and they always cause trouble by going after young pretty women. Sadly, their royal background shields them from severe punishment, and they often get away unscathed for disrespecting women."

"Are they fools? The participants of the summit have statuses no lower than theirs. Did they never worry about offending another kingdom?"

"Right? That's exactly my thoughts. Othinian nobles might fear them, but that's not the case for others. Even if they investigate, can they do anything to the attacker when he's already left Othinia and beyond their jurisdiction?" 

"Well, they deserve to be crippled."

"True. Now after this, they won't be able to go after those innocent women."

As Oriana continued to listen to their remarks and sighs, she ended up looking in the direction of the Crown Prince.

'Did he do it?' 

Her intuition was telling her it was definitely him.

She could relate it to the previous event in Griven when she beat up the crooked son of the count forcing himself onto a poor lady. At that time, his family wanted to have her killed. Arlan took her side, and she later heard that both the count and his son were punished badly. 

'Seems like he doesn't like it when someone touches the people on his side. He surely sought them out for trying to hurt Lady Ria.'

But then again, another thought came to her mind. 

'If he can punish others so brutally for trying to harm his people, then what would he do to the person who is directly deceiving him? If he finds out I deceived him by pretending to be a noble lady, the one he even spent such intimate time with, he would no doubt turn me into a cripple as well. 

'Maybe he will just behead me without trial, but what if he orders to have my head hung on the palace wall?' The dark thought made her shiver in cold sweat. 'I will bury this 'Lady Ria' forever, to never show up again. I will never wear a dress ever!'

Their journey continued for another week, and with no strict deadline looming over their heads, the delegation was in no rush to return. Their pace was rather leisurely. During this week-long journey, they often stopped at various cities and estates of nobles to rest. 

Unlike before, Arlan didn't allow Oriana to be in the same room as him during the night. She was allotted a separate sleeping arrangement. She was in her fertile days and Arlan didn't wish things to turn difficult for the two of them. It was a necessary measure to protect her from him. 

An hour after they entered the jungle marking the boundary between the territories of Othinia and Abetha, an issue arose. 

Their entourage stopped midway. A puzzled Oriana looked outside the window, while Arlan did not show any interest, as if whatever was happening outside didn't bother him. 

Imbert was talking to the group of men. They seemed to be travelers who were camping at the outer edge of the jungle. 

She opened the window and overheard what they were talking about. 

"...you people cannot pass through this road," the man spoke in the common language. "The entire way has been blocked due to the landslide last night. The barony nearest here will probably take several days to remove the huge trees and rocks in the way. You should go back the way you came from and wait till then."

Their schedule could afford a delay of a day or two, but staying in Othinia for an indeterminate span of time would mean they would enter Abethan territory during early spring. They would probably be stranded in Abetha for another week due to the annual flooding of the Great River. They could not waste two weeks.

"We will take another route," Imbert decided after checking the map Rafal was holding. 

The leader of the travelers warned him, "Sir Knight, there is a reason why there is only one official road through this jungle. All the other routes are dangerous, not only because of the wild animals and the tribes but also because there are plenty of bandits as well. The merchants who cross other paths, they never come back. The few who survived were those sold as slaves to other kingdoms."

His concern was echoed by his companions.

The leader continued, "I suggest you go back to the barony like we are planning to do and wait for this road to be cleared. More than half a day has passed, and if you try other routes, by the sundown, you will likely be camping in the territory of bandits. I suggest that you not travel through this jungle at night."

Imbert approached Arlan for his decision. "Your Highness, this path is blocked due to a landslide. We don't know when it will be cleared. If we go back to the previous town, we will have to stay there for a few days. If we take this bandit-infested route, we will arrive at our next destination in half a day."

"Let's take the another route," Arlan spoke, having  already heard the conversation between his knights and the travelers. 

Oriana looked at him in shock. 'Didn't that man just say it's dangerous?'

Imbert, ever loyal and trusting as a knight,nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

'Crazy! Even his knights are the same. Do they have to follow everything His Highness says? Can't they suggest a less dangerous alternative? Their job is to protect the Crown Prince, not to blindly obey his whims that would put his life and the lives of the people around him at stake.'

She looked at Rafal whose expression showed the same blind trust as Imbert. She sighed inwardly. 'Do these knights trust themselves so much? Facing the danger of bandits, they don't look worried about the casualty that can be avoided.'

The carriages began to move. Oriana pursed her lips in frustration upon noticing the calm Arlan who had his eyes closed, as if he was about to have a nap. 

'How can he remain unbothered? Does he think we're in Griven, trusting no bandit is fearless enough to target a royal carriage? I wonder how many people will be injured by his choice…' 

She could only let out a helpless sigh. Fortunately, she had several stashes of medicinal herbs and bandages in her luggage. It should be enough treatment for about a dozen men.

Traveling through the new route was surprisingly smooth even after the sun descended to the west. However, Oriana found herself growing nervous in the darkness. 

It was a dark night, the moonlight obscured by the clouds, and the only source of illumination were the lamps and torches held by the troop. 

"We will reach the designated campsite in about half an hour," Oriana heard Rafal telling Imbert as they passed closer their carriage. 

Arlan, who she thought was napping, suddenly opened his eyes and yelled, "Halt!"

The next moment, she caught the sounds of frightened horses neighing and the entire group grew tense and alert. 

The carriages stopped, and Arlan looked at Oriana. "Do not step out of the carriage. Close the windows and wait for me to return."0

Oriana nodded, but she had no plans to obey his orders if things went out of hand. Through the open window, she watched him step out of the carriage and approach his knights.

The royal knights were well-trained enough to arrange themselves in a formation protecting the officials and servants who had no combat prowess. Some of the knights held swords and shields, others spears, while the rest held bows and arrows.

'We're surrounded.' 

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