It was night and Commander Iria and the others were in a forest. They decided to rest in the forest until dawn as they had already ridden for the whole day.
They set up a fire and decided to take turns on duty. They had no way to know what happened in the capital, so they can't afford to keep their guard down.
Iria Alewine was quietly sitting near the fire though it was already past midnight. Staring at the braided bracelet in her left wrist, she wondered if Arin would know her departure by now.
Will he read her letter by now?
When they left the palace in the morning, they told the guards that they would be travelling around the other cities of the kingdom and that it would take them some days. She also said that she already informed the Crown Prince and advised the guards not to trouble him while he was facing a crucial time.
He might still not know about her departure.
"Commander."
She turned around when she heard Rion's voice. Then she saw him standing a few steps away behind her.
"You don't sleep well last night too. If this goes on, you won't have the energy to reach Jerivia," Rion said when he stood beside her.
"A few sleepless nights are not enough to drain my energy," Iria Alewine simply said to Rion.
"That's during wars and crucial times," Rion argued. "You've stayed indoors for months, being unable to train much. Your body won't adapt well to this."
"Are you saying that I'm not fit enough for this?" Iria asked, forcing a little smile.
"That's not what I mean, Commander. Please have some rest." Rion glanced up at the sky and added, "It will soon be dawn."
He knew what was troubling his Commander but... he decided to feign ignorance. Talking about it will only bother her more.
Now, everything was in the past and for the sake of the kingdom and the upcoming war, the Commander needs to be in her clear mind. If not, Jerivia will be in grave danger.
The Masked Commander blankly stared at the fire before she stood up. "Alright. Wake me up if there is anything unusual."
Rion nodded and Commander Iria went to sleep. For the sake of the journey ahead, she forced herself to fall asleep but still, she only managed to sleep an hour or two. Soon, dawn arrived and they all continued with their journey again.
* * *
"Your Highness, there is another way which will lead us to our border with Jerivia. What if we take the wrong path?"
Antony was quite worried about the Crown Prince who was more than determined to catch up with the Crown Princess who turned out to be a 'fake.'
"If they want to leave without catching much attention, this path is safer as it is mostly jungles. Let's continue to walk this path," the Crown Prince said as they both rode their horses.
A hint of anxiety was on the Crown Prince's face but it was also more than evident that he tried his best to stay calm.
Staying calm. It was always the Crown Prince's specialty but... he too was struggling this time.
Ever since they left the camp yesterday, the two men didn't take a break except for an hour or two rest which they took last night. The Crown Prince knew that the horses might not be able to run with such a high speed without a single rest. So, each time they entered a different city, he would buy horses for both of them and left the horses they rode. He would pay the owners to fed and look after the horses.
Every Qalagons knew the face of their Crown Prince. So, they were more than willing to help him.
"Your Highness, shall I arrange someone to take the other path just in case?"
Arin Helev halted his horse when he heard Antony's suggestion. He thought about it but... when Lady Vienna's words crossed his mind, he shook his head. "No. Things might go out of control if even one thing goes wrong."
He was determined than ever. He won't return without seeing her. He will make sure to catch up with her and once the time comes, he had a question for her.
* * *
Another day passed by with Iria and her troops heading towards Jerivia. They knew that they will be able to get to the border by the next morning and the moment they crossed that, they will be landing their foot in their homeland for the first time in three months. Right now, they were inside the Grenet Forest which served as a border between the two kingdoms.
"There is a small lake ahead of us," Prince Orius said and glanced around. "The sun is setting soon and we should take a rest there. Our horses also need some break."
"Alright," Iria replied. "Even if we rest now, we will still cross the border by tomorrow. We already passed every gate of the Qalagons anyway."
They tried to ride their horses towards the lake which the Prince mentioned but...
"Wait," Iria Alewine suddenly muttered and everyone darted their eyes to her. The Commander remained quiet for a while and concentrated on her hearing.
"It's the sound of horses running," Prince Orius said and Iria nodded. "Someone's coming in our direction."
The Grenet Forest rarely had a passerby due to the conflicts between the two kingdoms in the past. Even now, it was still the case but... who might it be? Now of all times?!
"First, let's hide and know who they are," Prince Orius said and they all nodded. As they still haven't crossed the border, it won't be harmful to be careful. Then they hid and waited as the Prince's suggestion.
Iria Alewine stared at the path, waiting for someone to appear. As the sound became nearer, she raised her guard higher and prepared for anything that might happen, until...
Two men on horses appeared, making her eyes grew wide opened!
It's him!
Was he chasing her all the way to this forest?!
When Prince Orius and two others saw the face of the Qalagon Crown Prince, they darted their eyes to her with stupefied faces!
He came all the way here with just... a single guard?!
When the Crown Prince reached the place where they hid, he suddenly halted his horse and glanced around.
"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Antony promptly asked him.
Crown Prince Arin glanced down at the ground and his eyes trailed to the footprints of the horses. "It stops here," he muttered and quickly observed their surroundings with his keen eyes. "They must be around."
Just when Arin Helev tried to get off his horse, he noticed someone approaching him with a horse.
It's her!
His eyes flickered when he saw her... the person he was chasing for almost three days! He also noticed how her gaze was fixated on him as she slowly rode her horse towards him. Soon, she was followed by three men and... two of them were familiar faces.....
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