Crown Prince Zaro finally shifted his gaze to the Nathanian Princess for the first time since she entered the room. His gaze hinted at confusion but Princess Athena Valen seemed to be pretty serious despite her calm appearance.
"Why are you asking me that?" the Crown Prince asked her back.
"Because it's obvious," Athena said as she sat beside him. "Besides, I'm curious," she added.
"You don't seem to be that type, Princess," Zaro Aventine muttered.
"I know. It's strange, right?" the Princess asked. "Strangely, I'm curious about why you used to smile so sadly whenever she's around and now... you look like a man who fell to despair after losing his lover."
Starting to become more invested in the conversation, Crown Prince Zaro almost smiled at her words. "Is that so?" He glanced at Iria and continued, "You're right, Your Highness. I indeed love her but... not every feeling are welcomed."
Thinking of what he said, Princess Athena nodded. "I understand what you mean."
"Really?" Zaro Aventine asked. A subtle smile was formed in his lips out of amusement. "You talked like you have experienced such a feeling."
"I do," Athena Valen simply said and added, "When I first saw you looking at her during the feast." When Zaro Aventine lifted his brows, she continued by saying, "That made me realized that I don't stand a chance."
Finally, the Crown Prince understood what the Nathanian Princess was saying. For a split second, it even made him speechless.
"Are you always this straightforward?" he asked, still feeling perplexed.
Princess Athena Valen simply nodded as if it was casual talk. "Life is too short, Your Highness. Why used it to refrain from doing things we wanted to do or say? Won't that only cause a regret worth a lifetime?"
Zaro Aventine felt like the Nathanian Princess saw through him and he even felt like she was talking about him. Narrowing his eyes, he rubbed his fingers against each other.
"You're right," he muttered.
It seemed like he already gained a regret that will worth a lifetime. It was too late.
"This is bad, Crown Prince," the Princess muttered. "When I first met you, I thought that we will make a good match."
Zaro Aventine didn't know why he felt the urged to chuckle at her words. However, he holds back and only smiled. "I don't think I deserve someone like you, Princess," he frankly replied.
"Who knows?" Athena Valen shrugged. "Life often plays a trick on humans. We never know what will happen, Your Highness."
Her words put the Crown Prince in a daze. Slowly, he glanced at Iria who still hasn't regained consciousness. Then she realized that the Nathanian Princess was right.
Life is too unpredictable.
* * *
On the huge training ground in the royal palace of Qalagon, Arin Helev was having a chat with Commander Nico while practicing archery together.
Sadly, his friend, Hanson Lorin was too busy preparing for his wedding and it seemed like he won't have time for him soon. So, while he was free from official duties, the young King often spent time with Nico Petrus.
It had been a few weeks since he took over the throne and as things started to become slowly stable, he wasn't as busy as he was before.
"It has been a while since we compete, Commander Nico. You never participate in the annual tournament and I rarely get to see your performance," Arin Helev pointed out with a little smile on his face.
"I don't think we will get to compete again, Your Majesty," Nico Petrus said and jokingly added, "I don't want to be a soldier who fights his King."
At his words, the King let out a light chuckle. "Seems like you find a good excuse this time." Stretching the string of his arrow, the young King added, "It also seems like I won't get to participate in the tournament again."
Releasing the arrow, the King turned to the Commander. "How is your investigation?" When he noticed Nico Petrus's confused face, he explained, "I know that you're investigating the case of Princess Iria Aventine."
Though Nico Petrus never talked about the investigation to the King, he wasn't surprised that the latter knew. After all, Arin Helev was pretty intelligent.
"May I ask what your thought on this matter is?" Commander Nico asked. Lowering his bow, his attention was fully shifted to the King from the archery.
"What I think is not important, Commander Nico," Arin Helev promptly said. "Apart from being the Commander of the Petrus Army, you also have a life as Nico Petrus. As long as you don't put the kingdom in danger, I don't think I should interfere."
Nico Petrus never once thought that he would hear such kind of words from a king! Any ruler would already question his loyalty by the time they heard that he had fallen for the Princess of an enemy kingdom and now, he also knew that he was investigating the matter yet... it didn't bother Arin Helev.
Maybe because the young King understood his situation but... he knew it won't be easy to trust him. As always, Arin Helev always did something which was beyond his imagination.
"I'm struggling a bit," he finally responded to the question that the King asked him before. "I'm surprised by how perfect the plan was, Your Majesty. I think I'm up to someone highly intelligent and capable."
Arin Helev paused a moment when Aryan Tripas crossed his mind. However, he soon maintained his composure again. "I bet King Tobias won't give up that soon," he remarked to which the Commander nodded.
"That's right, Your Majesty," Commander Nico said. "That's why... I want to ask your permission for one thing."
"Go ahead."
"Allow me to be out of the kingdom for two weeks."
Arin Helev was a bit surprised but when he realized what the Commander's intention might be, he asked, "To Jerivia?"
Nico Petrus nodded with a bit of reluctance. "I have to meet King Tobias. I know that you just took over the throne and you work hard to stabilize it. That's why I have been postponing the journey. And now, I realized that it's the best for me to go there with your permission."
If a Commander meets the King of a rival kingdom in secret and got caught, people will only think of one thing - that the Commander was planning to join hands with the enemy and rebel with his soldiers.
"Things are pretty fine here now. I won't delay you anymore," Arin Helev responded without even thinking much.
"Your Majesty, are you sure? Why don't you think more -"
"I trust in you," the King promptly said, glancing at the Commander. "So, go there and return after two weeks as you asked. You always love to travel around, so there won't be suspicion."
Nico Petrus quietly stared at the King for a while. He was amazed by the amount of trust he placed in him. Then he finally nodded again. "I understand, Your Majesty. I won't let you down."
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