Retrieve the Kingdom

At the Edge of the Cliff

Bermin looks at the balcony of the master’s bedroom as a lot of guards and other army men was marching in the streets. He called a servant and commanded them something. He looks back at the soldiers who seem going into his mansion. He decided to go down and check them. 

“Where is the archduke!?” One of them asked a poor servant, shouting at her face. “I’m here.” He briefly said as he approached the small army suited up. All of them look at the archduke, “What takes you here?” 

“We are tasked to search your mansion, your honor.” One moved forward, the leader of their small group. “You may know that the captured slaves and one of the suspected persons who have a connection to the mistress got escaped.” The archduke briefly nods, “Go on. Don’t break anything and don’t harass any of my servants or companions in this house.” They all nod as they started searching in the mansion.

It was early in the morning. The sun was still rising and the guards are already ravaging the tired people in their houses. It was like, 5:30 in the morning, but the king was eager to find the people again. 

In Phoebe’s room, the door suddenly opened. It made her suddenly wake up and was shocked that there were armed men in her room. “What are you doing here!?” She suddenly shouted as one of them draws a sword and pointed it at her. “Don’t ask any questions.” The other one searched her closets and even flipped some drawers to make sure no secret passages are leading to something. 

“This is an invasion of privacy, stop looking at my closet!” She shouted again as the blade inch forward. “We got business to do kid, shut up.” Minutes later, both of them left the room when they found nothing. Phoebe decided to just rise from the bed since having guards searching the mansion won’t let her mind at peace. 

She took a bath and changed her clothes to her home ones as she went outside. There were roaming armored men in the halls and it makes her not comfortable. She decided to go downstairs. 

“What’s happening, sir Bermin?” She approached the archduke who is just standing, looking at the people searching the mansion for their objective. “They are finding the slaves and the rescuer.” He looked at Phoebe who seems nervous. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt anyone.” 

Andrei went downstairs too and suited up in his nightwears. “What are they doing here? They disrupted my good night's sleep.” He rubbed his eyes. “Are they after…” The prince looks at his uncle as he nods. Suddenly, his skin went pale and he was nervous. 

Phoebe nudged him with her elbow and whispered. “Don’t make yourself look suspicious.” Andrei nods as the soldiers started to go down and out of the places they went to search for the people they are looking for. Obviously, they found none of them.

“We found none upstairs.” One reported. “In the basement and cellar too.” Added another one. “None on the first floor or even the grounds.” The last one said that made their leader sigh. “Thank you for letting us enter and search in your mansion, your honor. I hope we didn’t cause problems.” Bermin smiles, “I hope not, the best luck in your search once more.” 

The group left them as all of the people in the mansion sigh their relief. “Apparently one of them caused the problem, they pointed a sword at me,” Phoebe said as she crossed her arms. “It’s typical of them, get used to it,” Andrei said as he was already calm and his face turned back to normal. 

“We can’t still show them yet. Let’s let the day pass first, I am sad to say this but they will stay in the basement first. Jayya, let them out of that compartment.” One maid nods as she went to the basement, letting the rescued people out and lead them to the beds in the basement. 

Andrei sat on the couch, relaxing. His heart is still beating fast. “I hope they won’t reinspect this place again.” He said as Phoebe sat beside him and comforts him. “I don’t know, the king seems to be suspicious at me this past few days, I might be being too kind for him, and this incident was brought up, I hope he doesn’t think I might be the one who helps the mistress.”

“I am sorry if I’m the one who saved them,” Andrei said as he sighed. “Why are you regretting something so heroic, Andrei?” His uncle looks at him. “Well, I just made the situation worse.” 

“Yeah, you might make your dad angrier but at least you saved the people whose lives are in the line. Especially that they are under the king’s army.” Phoebe comforted him. “But, I might not recommend doing that again, Andrei. You know your situation and relationship with your father, there’s a possibility to kill you in cold blood.” 

Andrei just sighed, “I couldn’t just… When I heard that, it’s like something that urges me to rescue them. I didn’t know that this will be pulled out well. I thought just right riding on the back of the messenger’s carriage will already fail. I was so nervous, but something, it’s like I just want to save them. It’s the only thing I can do, as a prince… A useless prince.”

“You are not useless, don’t say that to yourself.” Phoebe contradicts him. “That’s right. I am proud of what you did. It could be done in a much safer way, you away from the danger.” Bermin added, ruffling his nephew’s already messed hair.

“Well, I was glad that dad didn’t notice me that I was home. I hope no one ditch and say I was there and they saw me like an i***t riding at the back of a carriage.” He said as he puffs out all of his anxiety and frustration. “But, next time, don’t do that again, okay? I was so nervous last night when you came home.

Andrei thinks and tries to remember everything that happened just last night. After they successfully escaped and crossed the Lebeau River without taking the bridge which was full of guards, Andrei decided to go to his uncle’s home, it was the only place he can think. 

In the middle of the night, the horse runs like a wind through the streets and corners. Andrei was dropped in the mansion as he opened the gates and let the archduke’s personal guards shut. They parked the carriage in the small courtyard of the mansion. 

The archduke was still awake, Andrei went into the mansion, all sweaty and messy. “Andrei! What are you doing here?” He asked as he approached the poor teenager. “Let them in…” He said as he waves to the man. He assisted the women out of the carriage, even the archduke’s night guards helped them. 

“What's going on? Who are these people?” His uncle asked. “They are the captured people, just let them in.” The prince kept panting. Bermin was all nervous, shocked, and panicking. In an impulse, he assisted the people and closed the doors shut as they all went in.

“Maids, take them some clothes.” He said as the maids nod and get some spare clothes they have for guests. He then looks at Andrei, whose school uniform is stained with dirt and some coal, hair is full of leaves and some more dirt, and most of all, tired and panting. “Can you now tell me what’s going on?” He looked at the people who were standing, the archduke can’t believe what is happening. Even Andrei’s appearance and going in his mansion at night were questionable. “Let me explain…” 

And that’s what brought them to this situation. The archduke made the breakfast since the cook was not yet in the mansion. Phoebe was no surprise that Bermin can cook, in her past life, she saw her uncle a lot of times cooking if the cook was gone or even if he feels like it, and she already missed those. 

“Breakfast is served.” He served some flat sweet cake that looks similar to a pancake, a large bowl of soup that has some pork strips and some vegetables, and some pieces of bread to eat. “I am sorry if these are the only ones I made, the stock is out and these are the only ones left.”

“It’s fine, sir,” Phoebe said as Andrei grabbed some of the bread and eat his anxiety out. “Food might make me calm.” The archduke just laughs and shook his head as he served them some soup in their own bowls. “I know it’s a bad combination of food but…”

Phoebe giggled as Andrei contradicts his uncle, “This is great! You are really great at inventing foods, uncle.” He said as he gobbles up the soup he got and ate the pork strips. 

They had their nice little breakfast as Phoebe and Andrei decided to go really early to school. “It’s been a while since I came to school early, without even a reason.” He said as they board the carriage. “I always go to school like this range of time if there’s an event or anything about my student council job.” 

“At least you can use any facilities without many people. And I can use this time to study for my politics quiz.” They talked as they reached the school. When they entered, it was so quiet and only a few students are there. 

They had their day with Andrei worrying a lot about the incident. They even went to the most isolated part of the school to talk about it before lunch finished. Andrei went home to the castle and pretended that he wasn’t there yesterday. 

After changing clothes, he went to the dining table where his family is already eating, it’s been days that they are eerily quiet, but this time, Andrei doesn’t feel right about this. He sat on his recent most used chair away from his family. The king looks at him, it was awkward for him, but he ignores his stares. 

Eventually, the king gave up and asked him, “Have you been in your uncle again?” He tried not to be suspicious and gave his dad a nod. “I forgot to say about this like yesterday’s yesterday, but bring your two lovely friends.” 

Andrei looks at him, all confused, but he remained to be pissed off and not in the mood. “I need to talk to them about something, and I will be glad if you let me. I am your father after all and all I want is your safety and I don’t want you to go with people who have no… Let’s just say… Future at what you are aiming for anyway.” 

It was the worst asking of permission that has been done in history, Andrei was pissed again. “Are you insulting my friends?” He looked at his dad. “No, I am not, I am jus—” He dropped his spoon on his plate, “You are, don’t lie to me.” “But, I am not, my so—” 

“If you are gonna just insult my friends, I won’t fulfill any of your requests.” He said as he continues eating. “Then, I’ll force them then.” His dad’s smirk makes him really pissed. He sighed, “Fine, but I’ll be there and uncle Bermin to watch you do whatever you want to do to them.” 

In a surprise, his dad agrees, which is a bit concerning. The next day, he said it to Phoebe and Belle who seems concerned too. But Phoebe decided to agree since they have protection if blood drops on the floor. 

After school, the two girls dressed up, and Belle was fetched from her house and they went into the castle. Belle was a bit shocked that she will be going to the castle that has been standing for decades, but a little bit dismayed and pissed that she will be meeting the evil mastermind in his own lair. 

The four of them went into the throne room. “Ah… Thank you for coming.” He welcomed them which is awkward for the teenagers. The king decided to make the conversation in the lounge. 

Without any segues, as they sat, the king asked them, “How was your vacation in Lalonde?”