Wistful Destiny

"It would have been better if we were at Amorite. You would have been preened with the best jewels, and the maiden would fall on her knees for you." The commander suggested it, watching Arson tie the aglet of jute shoes.
Arson stood up and walked towards the commander sitting over the window. "I do believe your assumption is wrong."
The commander heard a knock and immediately reached to open the door.
The prime minister stood with guards.
"I wish you good health." The prime minister said this with a slight tilt of the head.
"Where is your friend?" The prime minister added more and stepped forward to enter the room.
"Uh, he's resting." The commander informs a little louder with a forced smile.
"According to the alchemist, he should have woken up by now." Heaving a sigh, the prime minister added, "Please wake your friend and leave the palace."
This stunned both the commander and the fake patient.
"I thought this country was hospitable to everyone." The commander said this, sneaking glances from inside the room in search of Arson.
"I'll return after the sky turns dark." The prime minister said this and gave a fake smile.
The commander turns around to talk about the issue. However, Arson raised his hand.
"I'll find a way to meet her," Arson said, leaving the room immediately.
The commander blinks his eyes. "And, he says that he does not like the maiden."
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Elric, wearing his usual attire as a prince, is walking through the long corridor of the palace. His mind hesitates to reach the dining room.
He paused and glanced over his shoulder, noticing the guard following him. He knows the guard is following the command of his brother.
He sighed while stepping forward. "I told my brother," he huffs, remembering his brother's words.
For strolling in the garden? Wearing a veil and a cloak? Do you see me as a toad?
He couldn't convince his brother more and forcefully changed his attire back to the prince.
What will I say to Aaron now?
He pauses his steps with wide eyes and slams his fist on his palm.
"I shall read some books and not go." Murmuring to himself, Elric turns around. However, he paused his steps when his eyes fell on Aaron walking towards the dining room.
"He is not going to the dining room but rather to the library." Elric narrowed his eyes.
He plans to follow the man. However, he stops and makes a quick run towards the long stairs to the top of the palace. Yet he hides behind the open door, waiting for the guard as soon as he walks in. He pushed the man and escaped from there. He later locked it from the outside.
"Your Highness. Please let me out."
Hearing the plea, Elric whispered. "I'll let you out after a while. Please pardon me."
He gracefully walked towards the library, which is on the eastern wing, below Aaron's room. The guards bowed to him as he gave a polished, trained smile. A smile taught by the Kyufu
Kyufu, someone who trained him and his brother to become good princes of the kingdom. They teach laws, writing, and soft skills. Whereas teaching martial arts is often handled by the retired commander of the army along with the general.
Elric opened the door and said, "A random person should not walk into the library." His firm voice resonates in the silent library. But he didn't see the expected person there.
With wide eyes, he glanced around while standing at the door. Did he see an illusion? There's no presence here.
He turns around to leave the place. However, a warm, soft skin enclosed his mouth, and a hand held his waist while pulling him behind the door.
He choked, elbowing the man with another hand, trying to find his dagger. He was about to pull the dagger out. But he paused when he heard
"Shush, stay still. We'll get caught."
Caught? By who?
Elric's eyes narrowed. Until he saw a shadow behind the curtains.
"Are you sure this is safe?" He heard an unknown voice.
"Yes, this is a terrific place to hide. Nobody will search in the library." Another unknown man's voice
"Should we not change the place now? We have been remaining here for the past two days."
"The guards are probing everywhere. Where can we hide from here? Moreover, nobody will doubt that we're hiding in the palace. And this library is the least doubtful place." The man couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Hush, someone might hear your notorious laugh."
"Nobody visits this place."
Elric noted that these two thieves had taken shelter in the palace. On that, they're right under the crown prince's nose. Yet their point is correct. His brother stays, studies in his room, and works in the garden. The father mostly stays in his room and courtroom. This great Elric is not interested in anything other than painting.
The palms mashing his lips left them. He took his chance to see the guard's face, at least to reward him. However, he was shocked to see that it was Aaron.
Aaron pressed his fingers on his lips and gave a sign for Elric to follow him.
With cautious steps, they walked toward the other side of the bookshelf. There are tons of study materials and books of different kinds. It looked very similar to the modern library, with its array of racks made of wood.
Elric pursued the path with curious eyes, looking around. He should have let the guard follow him. Who knows how many people are taking shelter here? Moreover, how were they able to hide from the serviceperson and go back and forth? These things are not sitting well in his head. Something is erroneous here.
Aaron peeks behind the shelf, and Elric follows the gesture. His hand was holding Aaron's shoulder.
Their eyes locked with the shocked eyes of the intruders.
"Aren't you draftees of our kingdom?" Elric stands straight and walks a step ahead as an interrogating prince.
A sharp knife almost sliced through his throat. If it wasn't for Aaron to pull him back.
"Is your brain dry?" Aaron spat with sharp eyes, locking with Elric's surprised eyes. "Or the top floor is empty."
Aaron holds the man's wrist as he attempts to attack again. He pushed Elric to the right and wrenched the soldier's wrist, who tried to tone down his pain with gritted teeth.
His other hand held a dagger that slit through the other man's cheek and landed on the floor with a strong kick from Aaron.
Elric quickly patted his back and the sides of his clothes. For sure, that dagger is his. When did Aaron take it?
"Treacherous plebe." Aaron slams the first man on a table filled with books and kicks the other man's guts. He was pushing the man back onto the floor again.
Hearing the commotion, all the patrols of the hallway from the window side ran towards the library. They saw the prince standing in the corner and a man beating their trooper.
Before they move forward to hold Aarson. Elric spoke, "The bandits you were looking for—" eyes casting at the two groaning men. "-are them."
The wide eyes of the guards showed that they were shocked. They tackled those males on the floor and forcefully knocked their senses out after hitting their nape.
Aaron, noticing this, was stunned. He never knew there was something like one hit that could knock someone out. This country has many resources of its own.
"Elric!" The elder shrieks, holding the door edge and panting. "They have not harmed you, right?" The prince spoke while stepping inside, followed by the guards. Elric bobbed, watching the guards tug two males out.
"Bring them to the courtroom in this instance. Also, appeal to all the ministers to attend it." The crown prince uttered it, motioning his personal guard to go.
"Something would have occurred if I was not here," Aaron said, and he walked away from there.
"You cannot leave without an ethical answer to the prince. Do not forget, you are talking with and about the princes of this realm."
Aaron closed his eyes. He completely forgot about his disguise. He is not the prince of Amorite now. He is a mere merchant who is here for trade and will leave soon.
Aaron turns around and says, "I seek pardon, Your Highness. I shall not repeat it."
The elder prince looked at Aaron and nodded. "Explain the incident to me."
Aaron's eyebrows twitched with annoyance. He is getting late to meet the maiden. It has been a long time since the first star shone in the sky. Now, it must have had compatriots too. It could signify that she might have left the niche.
"I asked you something." The stern voice made Aaron sigh to himself.
"Your Highness. Pardon me for my behavior and the utterances I'll make directly." Aaron said, glimpsing at Elric, who stood serene for unknown reasons.
"Being a prince, why doesn't he know how to combat? He could have gotten his neck slit at this juncture. Why is the security of the nation so fragile? So—"
"Mind your tongue, merchant. Do not forget, you're talking about my brother, who is Prince of the Kingdom."
"At any moment, your rivals might strike and accumulate domination. How will your soldiers protect their prince? Will you defend your kingdom or stay with your brother?"
The crown prince blinks his eyes. "Now, an unknown merchant is giving me advice."
"What is happening here?" The king's voice resonates in the silent atmosphere, followed by the shuffling of feet.
Aaron joined his hands together and bowed slightly. A tradition he noticed from staying here is that everybody makes this gesture to anybody holding power or in a higher hierarchy.
The king nodded, looking back at his elder son, expecting a proper insight into the incident.
"Your Highness, I do understand that every guest is welcomed and respected in our kingdom." The crown prince spoke, glancing at Aaron.
Elric narrowed his eyes while taking a step forward.
"They're counted similarly to the gods. I would suggest that we should help this man—" Zeroing eyes to Aaron. "—to reach his kingdom by morning." Quickly wearing a fake smile. "This way, he would reach his home safe and sound."
The king looks at Aaron and back at his elder while heaving a sigh.
"We'll discuss this in the morning court. For now, let this young man stay for the night."
The Crown Prince grits his teeth. Yet he nodded along with the king.
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"Your Highness—" the commander quickly shuts his mouth after receiving a glare from Aaron.
The commander looks around the room, trying to frame his worry in better words. "Aaron. You went overboard. We should not have been involved with this incident."
Aaron looks at the crescent moon while his hair sways with the wind. He drops his left foot out of the window while pulling his right knee to his chest.
"In all this situation, I could not meet." The deep sigh brought sorrow to the commander's heart too.
"Aaron, did you take a liking to the servant?"
Aaron gave his attention with furrowed eyebrows. The commander looks away.
"For a moment, I got too happy that you have taken a liking to someone to the point that..." The hesitation was clear in his voice, which made Aaron even more curious. "You should marry a princess of your status, crown prince. You cannot hold such feelings for a servant."
The commander turns around not to meet the eyes. "Your Highness, it will be better if we leave this place before dawn. Before you do anything that would bring trouble to our kingdom and sorrow to your life,"
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