The Amorous Mate

Chapter 47: A Conversation With General Cedric

Tacked with a beautiful necklace on her neck and a silver plated ring on her ring finger, Chelsea felt invigorated as she walked in the Palace’s Grand Hall. Her bright energy resonated with the beam of the morning sun and the chirps of the bird from the branches of trees. As she walk, she hummed, as if she was a princess acting in a theatrical play.

She was indeed in a bright, benign mood this morning. A lot of things happened yesterday, particularly on the night of the first full moon of spring. She has seen many things, and even learned things which other people might not have the opportunity to discover.

She has celebrated the night of the first full moon of the spring and at the same time, she was also able to learn more about . . . the wolves.

She thought, her yesterday’s night would end bitterly, because for some reason, she felt mad to Lord Matthew. She was disappointed to him for some reason which this morning, surprisingly, she could not remember anymore. Yet, because the lord pulled some trick to make her smile and surprised, it doesn’t matter to her anymore—of what was the reason of her last night’s anger.

She looked at the silver ring on her finger. She raised it towards the blue sky, and smiled even wider. Even with the blinding sunlight, she was still able to read the name etched on the ring.

Chelsea.

This does mean that Lord Matthew was recognizing her not as Princess Demeter, but as Chelsea, doesn’t it?

This does mean, he would remember her as someone different from the real Princess, she assumed.

It was hard for her to say why did the lord gave her a ring with her name carved on it. Yet, at the very least, she was sure that the lord knew and recognizes her as different person than the princess, and that he cares for her too. That simple thought made her happy.

In her walk, she saw the V-maids from her opposite direction walking towards her, along with other servants. With them are other servants who was carrying a tray of food and drinks, perhaps for the morning meal. Yet, she and her sisters already had their meal, so it was possible that the breakfast was for the Queen.

She smiled at them and waved. “Pleasant morning, Venida, Vennett,” she said, acting according to how Beatrix thought her of being like a princess.

“A pleasant morning, indeed, your Highness.” The V-maids bowed at her.

“To where are you heading at, with these food and drinks?” she asked, pointing to the trays being carried by other servants.

“At the Queen’s hall. Your Majesty ordered a royal banquet for the special people who have just come from the successful mission they took.”

“Special people?” she asked, curious.

“I believe you have already met them once, your Highness,” Vennett said.

“Who are they?”

“The Royal Werewolf Hunters,” Vennett said, fascinated over the fancy name that was given to those highly-skilled powerful defenders of the kingdom.

“The Werewolf Hunters, you say?” Chelsea repeated.

“Indeed, your Highness. They were the same people who saved you from the threat of loathsome Miss Kress and the rogue wolves who abducted you.”

If indeed, Vennett and Venida’s news was true, then, she must not be mistaken that the leader of the squad and the general of the Kingdom’s army was also here.

Sir Cedric, the leader of the Royal Werewolf Hunters must be here as well.

The night after being saved from the threat of Miss Kress, Chelsea learned that the squad of Royal Werewolf Hunters set off on another mission to a dangerous place, near the kingdom’s border.

Chelsea wanted to ask Sir Cedric different things regarding the wolves, and his knowledge about their existence. The only one who can answer her was the General.

What was his relation to the wolves?

Yet, as she learned the news of them setting out for another mission, she did not have a chance to talk and ask him about his knowledge, leaving her curious and questioning.

Though yes, through Lord Matthew’s help, some of her curiosity has been fed. Yet, she wanted to learn more. Perhaps, the General could give her more stories and information that would make her satisfied from her cravings with the truth about werewolves.

She let Venida and Vennett together with other maids to pass. She should not stop them longer, for they will be serving the courageous knights of the kingdom.

However, she followed the maids. The Queen’s Hall was a large area wherein it can be enough a place to set another royal ball. However, contrary to the throne room, the place was mostly secluded, mostly not available for people to freely enter and wander.

None could freely do it, because it was the Queen’s special place to accommodate special, highly-ranked people. Just like those specialized knights.

General Cedric being inside the Queen’s Hall meant that he possess power over the kingdom—a special power that the Queen must not lose.

That is what Chelsea was thinking.

Just like others, she could not just went inside without the permission of her mother. Even she was being limited to enter inside the place. Only the maids are allowed to enter, because they will be serving those special knights. She could not even sneak because there were guards sturdily standing near the entrance of the hall.

“Damn it, I really wanted to talk to him,” Chelsea said. She bit her lip as she tried looking on the place while hiding in a corner, hoping she would see where the general was.

Unfortunately, the only thing she could see was the soldiers guarding the door of the Queen’s Hall.

Sighing, she said, “I guess I have to wait for them to finish their meet with the Queen before I could talk to them.” Defeated from the fact that she would not easily meet the General, she turned her back on the Queen’s hall with a frustrated lip pout.

“Why do you look so defeated, your highness?”

Chelsea froze when she heard a voice in her front. The owner of the voice was only a few inch away from her, and had she not stopped walking, she would have knocked her head on the silver-plated armor it was wearing.

Slowly, she look from the ground, up to the man’s face. She paled.

“G-General Cedric,” she said, stuttering.

“Pleasant morning, your Highness.” The general took a few step back from the princess in order to give her one respectful bow.

“I thought, you were on the Queen’s banquet?” Chelsea asked.

“I was about to enter, but when I saw you hiding in the corner, looking at the Queen’s Hall, I immediately realized you are looking for me,” General Cedric said.

Chelsea blinked, embarrassed from what the General said. The General has seen her acting weirdly as she hid in the palace's corner, all for the sake of looking for him, and, disappointingly, would just be asking about the whereabouts of the werewolves.

“I-I’m sorry, I was just . . . intrigued with your arrival. I wasn’t planning to interrupt your feast. It’s just that . . . I only wanted to ask you some things, after you finish your meal,” Chelsea defended.

“And I am sure you would ask me about werewolves, I dare say.”

Chelsea’s body froze. Biting her lips, she nodded. “B-But if you don’t want to tell me about them, it is okay,” she quickly said.

General Cedric Valhaullster’s presence was terrifying. The moment Chelsea realized that the general was in her front, the atmosphere in the surrounding turned heavy and hazy. She found herself fighting over a decent breath all because of the tremendous presence that the general possesses.

Perhaps, it was because of adrenaline and shock that made her not notice his constricting presence back when he saved her from the abduction of Miss Kress and the rogue wolves.

However, now that she was not worrying about anything anymore, now that her adrenaline wasn’t protecting her senses, she could easily feel the spine-chilling presence of the mysterious general.

She was not entirely sure, but she could feel his presence as something that is sinister. She just hoped that he wasn’t into something bad for the kingdom. She prayed.

“The Queen would be a bit late for the banquet. She was doing something important for the kingdom. That is why our meal would be a bit late too,” General Cedric said.

“Huh? Does that mean, you will not be eating until Mama came?” she asked.

General Cedric nodded.

“That is cruel. You must be hungry from the fights and travels you’ve done for the kingdom. Then Mama was making you wait? That is cruel.”

General Cedric’s eyes smiled, along with a chuckle which made Chelsea surprised. She looked at him with fluster while he was laughing.

“That is a generous thought of you, your Highness. Thank you for that,” he said.

Chelsea smiled and nodded—awkwardly—even though she does not know what the general was thanking for.

“Yet, hunger is nothing for us, the Royal Werewolf Hunters. Despite the lack of food, we can survive a month of engaging fights and wars. We can fight while famished. That is one of the things we trained hard for.”

“I-Is it? Wow,” she does not know how to react to the General’s words. She could not think of what was the proper way to react, making her awkward. Realizing what came off from her mouth, she felt wanting the ground to open and eat her because of embarrassment.

“Indeed, your Highness.”

“Th-Then,” she hesitated, “If that is so, can I ask you for a minute of walk? I have . . . a lot of question to ask. That is if you want to answer it,” she said.

“As long as it is with your concern, your Highness, I would be willing to answer everything—even if that means revealing my real self,” General Cedric said. With his smile, somehow, Chelsea felt that his terrifying presence was subsiding. She is starting to feel comfortable with him.

They decided to start walking, taking their distance away from the Queen’s Hall and going to the Palace’s garden.

As they walk, silence was dominating their spaces. Yes, Chelsea might be feeling a little bit more comfortable to the General’s presence, but still, it was not enough for her to start a good and decent conversation. She was having an internal dilemma what to say first so that their flow of conversation would start—and so that she could start asking about the whereabouts of werewolves too, and of more truth about Lord Matthew’s existence.

As she internally wander of what she would speak of first while they were walking, General Cedric felt her uneasiness.

Knowing that the princess was hopeless in starting their conversation, he sighed, disappointed. He decided to initiate it instead.

“Your Highness, I know you wanted to ask me a lot of things about me and the werewolves,” he started.

Chelsea once again froze. She stopped walking, causing the General to stop his steps as well.

He heard her sigh, and saw her closing her oceanic-colored eyes.

“I—I am. However, I do not know how nor what to start with,” she answered.

It was a good thing that the Royal Garden was isolated this morning. There were no people walking around who were giving glimpses on the beautiful floral species cultivated in the place.

This place was usually filled with different people, of elites and noblemen and women, for aside from Chesterfield square, this was a good place to meet with others too.

However, the place at the very hour was silent; isolated.

Somehow, it was in favor for Chelsea and the General, for they will be talking about a very suspicious topic. They both hoped that no one would hear them.

“Then,” General Cedric, though standing firm, stood even more confident. His dire height made Chelsea feel as if she was a mere-midget. “Let me start our conversation with this: I have sworn my name and soul to the kingdom of Nightingale. To the Queen, to the people, and even to you. Thus, the moment that Lord Matthew or anyone in the Silver Feather Pack hurt you and your welfare . . . I would not hesitate . . . to kill them.”

Chelsea felt even more stiff.

“Wh-Why?” she asked.