Minime Kingdom: The Brave Princess

MKTBP19: His Punishment

"Narrate us what happened to you and the Princess. Why is she seriously injured while you don't even have a scratch?" Dama Dodo said, he is standing on the right side, which is four steps away from the King.

"I and Pinrcess Tiny were about to visit her friend when a dagger was thrown at her. Luckily, I noticed it and pushed the Princess so she would not be hit. Then, the assassins threw us needles, but the Princess took my sword and blocked all the needles that could possibly hit us. Seeing that their tactics failed, the five assassins showed up and attacked us. I fought against the two who held haladie knives, while she fought against the three who had swords. Those assassins were experts with their weapons and good at martial arts. I don't have any weapons, so that's why I can't easily defeat them. One of them was about to cut my neck when the princess threw a boomerang at him. That time, the princess put herself at risk just to save me. She was hit by the sword in her tummy that time. Your majesty, I admit my fault. You can punish me with anything you wanted," Greg narrated.

"What happened next? Where are the assassin's bodies because the warriors found nothing and no trace to find their location now. Didn't you and the princess kill them?" Dama Dodo asked.

"The princess was made to kill them all before she felt the poison in her body and lost consciousness. I just put this white powder given by my friend on her wounds and carried her back here to the palace."

"See, he saved our child's life. He doesn't deserve to be punished. Besides, the princess risks her life to save him. What is our right to punish him when our child even wanted him to be safe?" The Queen tried to enlighten the mind of the king."

But where is the assassin's body? Who took it?" The king asked and stood up. "There might be a traitor inside the palace." He started to walk here and there, thinking about who might be the traitor who wanted to take his daughter's life and start a mess.

"That, I don't know anymore, your highness." Greg was still kneeling down.

"You are now released but prohibited from going outside the palace until the princess wakes up and proves your innocence. An eye will keep watch on your every move here. Take note of that." The king said. "Any objections?" he asked while looking at his counselors, who were standing in two lines; one on the left and one on the right, where Greg was kneeling in the middle.

Pooja take a single step out of his line position. "The king's judgement is fair and final. Your order must be followed," the most trusted counselor of the King said."

None of the king's twenty counselors disagreed. That's why all has been settled in the case of Greg.

Greg immediately bowed his head, reaching the floor three times before he stood up.

"Thank you, your majesty."

The guards immediately took Greg out of the hall and released him outside.

***

The king sat down on his throne again.

"Pooja, meet your men and find the necessary officials. You must solve this case and know where is the assassins and who plot this crime of killing my beloved daughter. No assassin could get inside the palace's gate if there's no traitor here. And who took the bodies of the assassins if they're all killed by my princess Tiny? The traitor was living inside the palace, he or she must be found."

Pooja is the most clever man in the Minime Kingdom, except for Princess Assy, who can't serve as a counselor or a teacher because she's too young and she's a princess.

He is a handsome man too, at the age of 27. His family has served the king for generations. They were respected, and every member of their family was known to be very clever.

Pooja has a little sister, Samanta, who is excellent in music and art. She's Princess Assy's best friend, someone who made the princess excellent in music and art too.

"Your highness," another counselor, Bunny, said while taking a single step out of his line.

"Speak," the King said.

I don't have any cases to handle now. The attempted assassination of Princess Tiny is such a big crime. I would like to help Pooja solve this matter. I hope you can grant my request," he said.

"What do you think of it, Pooja?" the king asked.

Pooja stepped out of the line and clasped his hands in his chest level. "For now, there's no trace of evidence of who those assassins are. There is no trace of where they are now, or whether they are alive or dead.Bunny is such a meticulous and very observant man. I can surely solve this case faster with his help," Pooja answered.

"Great! Then you two must solve this case within 3 months, or else I'll be disappointed." The King stood up and walked down from the throne. He passed by in the middle of the two line counselors and went out of the hall.

Dama Dodo immediately followed the King.

"You may now leave," the queen said to the counselors.

Everyone bowed to the Queen and started to make their way out of the throne hall.

They stood up and were about to walk when Princess Assy came into the hall. The queen approached her daughter, while Assy bowed down to her mother as she faced her in the middle of the hall.

"Rise, my daughter. So sad, you're already late, we just finished the meeting and we already released Greg," the Queen said.

"I've been here before lately. I just waited for everyone to get out. I intended to see and talk to you, mother."

"Why? What brings you here?" The queen's face was full of curiosity.

"I went to see Elder Rafael lately, as I've asked for permission from you. You know, my father doesn't even like to hear the name of Elder Rafael. That's why I need to talk to you."

"Leave us first," the queen told her two personal servants. The two servants immediately walked away.

"Mother, I borrowed a new book from Elder Rafael. It's about a lot of plants, and you know what, Boronos powder was made from Buloko Tree. How could Elder Rafael vividly know about it and even have the Boronos powder?"

Does he have the Boronos powder? I thought only Greg had it?" The queen's mind was a little bit messy now.

"Rafael is the one who gave it to Greg because he knows that Father will kill Greg if he knows that Greg doesn't do anything to save my sister. Rafael is the one who helped them and gave them a horse to come back here to the palace."

"That mysterious Rafael, I don't know why your father dislikes him so much. I don't know why he knows a lot of things inside the palace too, even though he is restricted from getting in here. He had never been here, except when you and Princess Tiny brought him here."

"I will try to solve this case and find the true identity of Elder Rafael. I respect him too much and don't believe that he is a bad guy. For the time being, I have more good news. I found a plant that could possibly cure my sister."

"What plant is it? How could it cure your sister?" the queen asked.