"What will happen to us?"
Iria Alewine narrowed her eyes when she heard Vienna Mareyi's question. She shifted her gaze back to the empty door where Prince Orius and Rion left a while ago.
"It's up to the Second Prince," she replied. "However, I will limit his choice." She made a deliberate paused and added, "We'll live together or die together."
Vienna Mareyi remained quiet for a while, thinking of something. When one thing crossed her mind, she quickly said, "Then what if I said I will keep your secret until you return?"
Commander Iria darted her eyes to Iria Alewine when she heard her question. "Do you know the consequences of helping an enemy? At worst, you will lose your life."
Much to the Commander's surprise, the Prime Minister's daughter was very calm. She wondered what was going on in her mind.
"You know that the Crown Prince always follows his conscience, not the rules. He won't kill me," Lady Vienna simply said. "But your case is different. If you're exposed while you are here, you won't be able to leave alive and even His Highness might not be able to defend you."
If Iria was just an average woman, the case might be different but... she was the Masked Commander. If the officials and the King heard about her, they won't spare her. Letting her return to Jerivia would be the same as releasing the lion back to the forest!
Iria Alewine tried to speak up but... she was interrupted by the sound of the door to the chamber being opened. When she shifted her gaze to it, she saw Prince Orius walking inside and she quickly stood up.
"Your Highness -"
"I heard that you are the Second Prince of Jerivia," Vienna Mareyi suddenly said, interrupting Iria. "I have something to say to you."
Iria Alewine turned around and looked at Lady Vienna with a confused face. What was she up to?! Much to her surprise...
"Go ahead," Orius Aventine responded.
The Commander was more than surprised when she heard the Second Prince's response. He was willing to hear her out now?
"I will keep the Masked Commander's secret until she returns to Jerivia. I won't tell anyone about you and the other guard too," Vienna Mareyi said.
The woman who shed tears in fear a while ago was completely replaced by a bold one who dared to met the Prince's cold gaze! However, it only troubled the Masked Commander more.
"That's not a good idea -"
"You already create enough trouble for today," Prince Orius said to Iria, rendering her silent before she could finish her words. Then the Prince shifted his gaze back to Vienna Mareyi. "Why would you do that?" he asked.
"If the Masked Commander is exposed, she won't be able to return alive and... I don't want that to happen." Lady Vienna made a deliberate pause and continued by saying, "She is my only friend. Besides, I think someone admirable like the Masked Commander shouldn't die in an enemy kingdom."
There was a subtle smile on Prince Orius's lips when he heard her. "I'm sure that you will want something in return. What is it?"
"Don't hold her responsible for what she did to defend me," Vienna Mareyi quickly said and met Iria's surprised gaze. "It's not every day that she could decide to follow her heart. So, I hope you can forgive her."
"That's all?" the Second Prince's asked.
"I don't want to die too early either. I don't want to fail the ones who love me."
"If news gets out that you help us, you might not be spared," Orius Aventine stated. "I think it's too risky to trust you."
Vienna Mareyi gave a quick thought before she shifted her gaze back to the Jerivian Prince. "The next three days, I will stay here under your supervision. I won't communicate with anyone else. You can watch over me all the time. Will that be enough to make you trust me?"
Orius Aventine narrowed his eyes at the woman on the floor. She appeared fragile but she was quite daring and bold.
Wasn't she afraid of being branded as a traitor?!
"The Prime Minister's daughter is more tenacious and daring than I thought," he mused. Then he turned to Iria who was standing a few steps beside him. "Will she be trustworthy?" he asked.
"Your Highness, this is -"
"Answer my question," Prince Orius firmly said. "If you want her to live, this is the only way. You begged me to spare her life and I'm giving you the chance to make that happen."
When Iria Alewine didn't say anything, the Prince continued by saying, "If you worry for her life thinking what might happen if the Qalagons learned the truth, let me tell you this. Even if that didn't happen, she will still die in my hands.
"So, answer me. Is she trustworthy?"
Iria Alewine slowly shifted her gaze to Vienna Mareyi who nodded at her. Still, she hesitated to answer for a while.
"She is trustworthy," she finally responded, clenching her fist as she talked. She knew that she only put her friend in more danger.
"Fine, then I'll trust you," Prince Orius promptly said. "However, if she isn't trustworthy like you say, you will be held responsible for it." He turned his back at the two and walked towards the door but... he halted when the door was just a step away.
"Be careful, Commander Iria. If my father heard any of this, both you and I will have to answer for it."
Prince Orius left the moment he finished talking but... his last sentence repeatedly echoed in the Commander's ears. It lingered in her mind and she can't stop thinking about it.
With her mind still occupied by the Prince's words, she sat back down on the floor and pressed her back against the wall. She shut her eyes and covered them with her hands.
Vienna Mareyi quietly stared at Iria who seemed to be quite affected by the mentioning of the King.
Was King Tobias that important to her to the point where she was this affected at the mere mention of him?
She wondered how tough the life of the Masked Commander must be despite being so young.....
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