The Royal Quest

CHAPTER 45. People Involved

After days of travelling back to the Haru Kingdom, finally Tala and Baron arrive at the castle. The guard untied their wrists and led them to the throne hall where the King and Queen were waiting to see them.

"They have arrived, Your Highness." Prime minister Zafiro announced the arrival of Baron and Tala.

"Let them in." Rainier ordered, and just after a few seconds the double door opened wide, letting the two people enter the hall, welcomed by many judging eyes.

The ministers are all present in the hall as they are also interested in the story of the ranaway royalty, including Zafiro and his son Duncan.

"Tala?" The Queen was surprised to see the servant with Baron.

"What is the meaning of this!? Don't tell me you all planned my daughter's escape and lied to us?" The king hissed at them.

Tala shivers at the king's tone as she keeps her head bent down to avoid the angry king's eyes. While Baron is still trying to think of how he would explain everything, as he also doesn't want to upset the king even more.

No one had spoken up to explain and that's when the minister interrupted.

"Your Majesty, it is clear that their silence is speaking up the truth, that they both let the princess go without your consent." He said and turned to the accused people.

"We may have an agreement with the Princess about going to the north but she could have been more prepared if only you didn't tolerate her misbehaviour." He added.

"Where is my daughter now, Baron? Has she reached the Gorgax yet? Please, tell me, is she just fine?" Queen Olive implored, trying hard to hide her cracking voice.

"Your Majesty," suddenly Baron finally spoke up.

"First of all, I want to apologize for withstanding the Princess's wrong decision, but just like all of you, Tala and I have no idea about Princess Dahlia's plan that day." Baron started and looked up to the queen.

"Second, to answer your question, your highness. The princess was well when I left the Northriver. I swear that’s out of my own will. I wanted to stay but the princess insisted because of my condition.” Baron explained.

“I don’t understand,” the king said with furrowed eyebrows.

“We were attacked while on the road to the north and I got poisoned by one of their arrows.” Baron confessed.

“Attacked!?” Queen Olive abruptly stood up from her throne, shocked by the information.

“You mean my daughter is not safe!?” She hissed, fisting her hands and turned to the King.

“Your Majesty, please. Dahlia is on her own now and she might be in trouble again if those attackers go back after her. You need to demand a decree to follow my daughter to the Northriver, right now.” The Queen ordered her husband dominantly, not minding the people around them watching.

“Your Highness, you need to calm down. I believe there is nothing to worry about, I just received a report from one of the men that your daughter is accompanied by a strong warrior.” Zafiro interrupted again.

“A warrior?” The king was confused.

“Would you like to tell the king, Mister Frigg?” Zafiro asked, while the king and queen turned their attention back to the soldier.

Baron swallows several times as uncertainty overwhelms if he should tell the truth about the vampire or not.

“Your Majesty.” But before Baron could have the courage to tell the truth, Zafiro spoke up again.

“I regret to tell you that the royal princess is currently with a vampire.” He finally burst out.

Everyone gasped and was shocked by the information, including Tala and Duncan. Murmurs and whispers scattered all around the hall.

“What!? A vampire!?” The King harshly reacted while the Queen couldn’t believe what she had just heard and got dumbfounded, staring at the soldier with her cold eyes waiting for his confirmation.

“Is it true, Baron?” She asked.

“Ye-yes, Your Highness,” Baron confirmed with his head bent down.

“What!? Are you out of your mind!? Why did you let my daughter be acquainted with an immortal? You should have killed that bloodsucker right away!"

"I'm sorry, but he wasn't like the other vampires, his ability is extremely far from the other vampires I have fought before. He lived with a human, which is very unusual. He is just different. Also, it was the princess's decision because we were saved by him-" Baron suddenly halted when he was about to spill their other misfortune before the incident where he got poisoned.

"Saved?" The king muttered coldly before he looked around, staring at the ministers present in the hall.

"See what you have done to my daughter? You all brought her to her doom because of your unreasonable beliefs. She is risking her life outside of the palace just to prove she is worthy while you are keeping yourself comfortable under the roof of this kingdom." He scolded them as he tried hard to keep up his emotions.

"All due respect, Your Majesty. However, we all agreed to the quest, the princess swore in front of the throne to bring the vampire king's head." One of the ministers spoke up.

"Besides, we have given other options so she would still be able to acquire the throne," The other interrupted.

The King steps down from the elevated throne and walks closer to the minister who has spoken the last words.

"What option? Forcing her to marry?" He roamed, catching every eye of the ministers.

"You are all killing my daughter. Is this what you want, to murder my only child just because she was born female!?" The King hissed angrily and suddenly gripped his chest as his face winced in pain while he also lost his balance. Luckily, Baron immediately caught the royalty before he fell.

"Rainer!" Queen Olive immediately ran to attend her husband.

"Call the physician! Quick!" Duncan quickly ordered one of the guards as he also tried to help the King.

The king slowly took a deep breath.

"I'm fine." He muttered and tried to walk back to his throne while Baron and the Queen were helping him.

"I need my daughter back safely in Haru." He calmly muttered,

"Your Majesty, aside from Baron and Tala, there is another person who is also involved with the issue of the heiress. She is also the one who helped her to send the letters and healed Baron."

"Who is it?"

"Lady Savanna." He let out, which made Duncan dumbfounded after hearing his father.

"She needs to be punished as well as these two for tolerating the princess and for lying to the throne." He insisted, while Duncan stared at his father fiercely.

"I apologize, Prime Minister. But I don't want to discuss penalizing as I don't see the significance of it right now. Besides, I believe Savanna has her reason for hiding the truth. I want the princess back safely and that's my priority for now." The King said and turned to the accused soldier.

"And I need your help, Baron. I hope you don't let me down this time."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Baron said and bowed in respect in front of the King.

"I disagree." Zafiro interrupted again.

"Your Majesty, I don't think Mr. Frigg is suitable to lead the pursuit as he certainly disagrees with the princess's betrothal. Didn't you, Baron?"

Baron just looked down but no words came out of his mouth ,feeling hesitant and anxious to speak out the truth about his true feelings towards Dahlia.

"No offence, Zafiro. However, it's been months since you and Duncan handled the mission, but you still failed to return my daughter. I don't need any statements from your men, but my daughter. I want her back in the palace as soon as possible." The King countered, and faced the soldier again.

"You are dismissed, prepare yourself for another long journey to the north.

Just a few moments after Baron left the hall, the royal physician arrived to examine the King.

"I hope you are planning to embarrass me in front of my people, doctor?" The king and the Queen nodded to Zafiro to let everyone out in the hall and look at Tala, who stayed silent the whole time.

"Tala, would you bring us tea in our chamber?" She asked the servant.

"Of course, Your Highness," Tala said and bowed in respect before turning away.

*****

"You should have told the King that I am involved too, that I helped Tala to bring the ingredient for the antidote to cure Baron." Duncan told his father while they were walking along the corridor.

"Come on, son. We both know that it wasn't about helping Tala or Baron, nor the princess, because your real intention was to see Savanna, right?" Zafiro retorted with a sly smirk.

"Right, I was just making an excuse. However, I don't understand why the guards who are after the princess still didn't get the chance to successfully take her back when they already knew where she was." Duncan also countered.

"Are you not listening, young man? The Princess is accompanied by a vampire. If Baron couldn't defeat him, how do you expect they could?"

"And why would they need to fight the vampire by the way? Based on Baron's story, the vampire didn't seem to be carelessly fatal." Suddenly Duncan halted and asked as he became suspicious.

"You are really smart, son. But you know what? There are still a lot of things that you don't know which you will do when the right time comes." Zafiro said as he tapped his son's shoulder.

"Patience." He added, before leaving the man dumbfounded by what he meant.