"What is it?"

"Should you need to escape, there are things you can use in there.

Pupillam isn't stupid; there's no way she would leave Miley here completely defenseless. The fractions against the Queen are using the Queen's absence to cause chaos. Some are even rallying around town saying the Queen's abandoned them. Sadly, the townspeople can't confirm whether the Queen is in the castle anyway, since she seldom makes appearances in the castle. But with her also leaving, people will grow suspicious - however, Pupillam already has a plan for that. The day the Queen contacted her, she sent her family away on a 'mission' to another town.

"Can I use it now?" Miley asked hopefully.

Pupillan rolled her eyes, "The stuff in there is useless unless you are actually in danger," she trailed off, "Anyhow don't get into too much trouble.

....

Perhaps it was because of Miley's words earlier, but for the rest of the day, Pupillam could not concentrate. The girl just asked her; she didn't have a hidden motive behind those words. Miley would know nothing about the events that transpired before. It's okay.

Back before she met the Princess, she met that person.

The first Prince Of The Mist Kingdom, the man named Andrew.

Back then Pupillam felt like her family was pressuring her. To become like her brothers, she had to discard any desire or feelings of wanting to be like a normal girl. Whether she actually had those feelings, Pupillam isn't sure. But one thing is clear to her. At some point in her life, her world started to revolve around the royal family.

Sometimes when Pupillam does her duty, she feels disconnected from the 'normal' her. But what is the normal her and what isn't? Because of being in service for so long, Pupillam's already forgot how she used to act. That didn't matter too much to her though, the 'her' who does her duty feels more like herself than the former girl who was lost and didn't have a goal. She liked weapons and found them fascinating. But her desire to wield the blade mainly came from the influence of her family.

It wasn't until she met Prince Andrew - did Pupillam find a reason why she wanted to wield the blade. As a young girl, Pupillam was curious about the art of the sword. But until she gained her parents' permission, she could not touch one. However, her growing curiosity only increased and one-day Pupillam snuck a blade out.

It was during that day; she encountered somebody she would never have the chance to meet. Prince Andrew was training in a somewhat secluded location, coincidentally that was an area that wasn't too far nor too close to her house. It was the perfect place for her to train using the blade.

The First Prince was the one who taught her the basics. So when her parents finally taught her to become a knight and the family secrets. Pupillam was already well versed in the arts and picked up everything else quickly. She didn't know whether or not it was a coincidence, but on that same day - Prince Andrew stopped appearing there. The next time she met him was when she served in the castle as Princess Lyn's aide.

Pupillam checked the location on the map and exhaled deeply. It's just her luck, the so-called rest point in the route King Allen made for her is Rose Palace. That's the area where the First Prince resides now. Is King Allen holding another strange grudge against her or something? Honestly, that man gives her a headache.

"Pupillam."

She turned to the voice and spotted Ashley; he recovered completely. No traces of his past wounds remained, "Thank you for your care."

Pupillam smiled, "What are you talking about? Aren't we old friends?"

"That's true, you — the Rose palace..."

"It seems like King Allen is that bored," Pupillam sighed deeply, "Well it's okay, Prince Andrew has a wife you know? Not like I'll be left alone with him at all."

Ashley looked like he wanted to say something but

"When you come back, there's something I want to tell you."

"Huh?" Pupillam said.

"T--that's all, see ya. Have a safe journey."

Pupillam stared at his retreating back puzzled, how unusual.

She quickly turned to her horse. n.o.body was seeing her off since this is a private matter. The story will be she left desperately in a hurry in the middle of the night. It sounds like a far fetched story, but the people will believe it since her family went before her. Even if they don't believe, that didn't matter to her. As long as she didn't leave without an excuse, then no backlash should come out of this. But of course, there will be some petty people who will exploit this matter.

....

Year 4014 Mist Kingdom, Rose Palace

It's well past 1 am in the morning when she finally arrived at the stopping point. Honestly, Pupillam wanted to go on for much longer and just find an old town to rest if she got tired. But sadly her poor horse could no longer take it. Then again, with the way she was riding the horse today, it's only natural that it would eventually break down.

The moment she arrived at the castle though, Pupillam noticed how oddly quiet it was. That's strange? Where are the guards?. As she said this, Pupillam hears the sound of several horses in the background. She turned and spotted a small group of horses and a large carriage. Pupillam immediately recognized it.

The First Prince carriage and the people with him must be his servants. Each second felt like an eternity to her when the doors to the carriage opened revealing a man with shoulder-length blonde hair.

"Prince Andrew," Pupillam murmured. She didn't think she would meet him at the entrance.

The Prince looked the same as ever, except slightly older and taller than when she last saw him. He still wore that haughty look and had a strong presence. Seeing her he walked over and placed his coat around her shoulders, "I heard you were arriving, I didn't want you to meet with an empty castle. So I came."

"Empty?"

"Yes, my wife decided to give birth in another castle. She said she was becoming allergic to this place."

"For—forgive me for intruding then," Pupillam apologized.

Andrew simply nodded, "Your stay will be short?"

"At most three days."

She did want to rush to the Queen's side right away. But Queen Lyn gave her a task and message to pa.s.s on in the town nearby. Pupillam followed the Prince, while the servants took their horses. She removed her bag and carried it herself.

"You seem to be the same as ever," Andrew commented.

"Huh?"

"There's a reason why there are servants. You're no longer a girl without status either."

Pupillam hated it when he spoke this way, if she weren't tired, she would argue back.

"I heard of the present situation. What is my sister doing?"

His tone contained a hint of malice, and her sweat fell. Though they tried to keep the news under wraps, it's natural that word reached the First Prince.

Pupillam took a deep breath before she answered, "Queen Lyn is searching for King Kazuya."

She waited for a negative reaction, but all she got was a nod from him. "I see, that makes sense. But she ought to have come here then. A short while ago, that man came here," Andrew commented.

Pupillam froze, "King Kazuya was here?"

"It was not long, but yes he was here."

This is unbelievable, while she initially believed the King was alive. As the days of his absence grew Pupillam doubted it, accidental deaths aren't uncommon here. With somebody like King Kazuya's nature, he could accidentally fall off a cliff or something...

Pupillam shook her head, that thought is disturbing. What she's referring to is the nature of his powers. n.o.body knows what it is, unlike Queen Lyn's it's shrouded in mystery. Queen Lyn, she has another set of good news to give her. Thank goodness.