The Princess Royal Guard (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 2 (DANGER)

Eynsworth Castle, 1910

Cucrium City, Estregas

I winced when I woke up and checked the clock hanging on the wall. It was still seven in the morning, but I have to get up because Aunt Gisella is waiting right now at the stable. We will take a walk around the palace today because that is what Rohesia wants. Rohesia was the one who likes it, so I don't know why I have to be with them too. I have no intention of making friends with Atarah's cousin as if she’s conceived out of resentment.

“Good morning, Princess!” Lena greeted me as she entered my room. 

She quickly arranged what I needed as well as the dress that I would wear. I glanced at the door as it opened again, and Eda entered. She also just greeted me and helped me take off my clothes before helping me take a bath. 

They were both quiet and serious about what they were doing. Since that accident happened to me, the King and Lady Sunnifa have become more strict with everyone. I don't know what happened, but when I woke up, I was surrounded by some Doctors. And they were all busy giving remedy for what happened to me.

I don't know if it's another attempt on Atarah's life or just a coincidence. But as I linger here in the palace, I can’t help but be afraid for myself. I’m so scared that something terrible might happen to me here, and I can't go back to the present time again. 

“Princess, are you okay? Is anything wrong with you?” Eda quickly asks me. 

I smiled at him. "I'm fine, Eda. I just thought about what happened in the garden. Did Lady Sunnifa hurt you? Or did she do something to you?” I worriedly asked them. 

“Lady Sunnifa will do us no harm, Princess Atarah. Everything we do here in the palace is for you. We serve you and make you safe because it's our job,” Eda replied sparingly.

When I looked at Lena, she was just bent over and busy fixing my clothes. I let them go if they didn't want to tell me. I’ll be the one who’ll discover the secret of the people inside the palace.

I’ll discover the best-kept secrets of all that they are afraid to be revealed. 

Leaving the castle, I was greeted by one of the King's horsemen. Bentley handed me a white horse with almost fine fur. If you put a horn on its forehead, this horse will pass as a unicorn. I smiled as I caressed his head and he seemed very happy with what I did because he brought his head even closer to me. 

If only people were just like this, maybe this place would be peaceful. Just show them your sincerity and kindness, and everything will be okay. 

But who did I fool? Not everyone is like this, especially here in a place where power and greed prevail. You do not know who your ally and enemy are.

“Hurry up, Atarah. We have been waiting for you since earlier,” Rohesia growled when she saw me.

She complains as if she’s been waiting here for an hour. I was just behind her when we were going down. She might have taken more time, even longer than I did when dressing up. 

I rolled my eyes on her and climbed up to Feline, my horse. I adjusted the dress I was wearing because it was too heavy for an everyday dress. This kind of dress is worn only on occasion. Here in the palace, it is equivalent to their daily attire. Even I get tired of its weight when I wear it. I feel exhausted every day just because of this gown and more the corset inside me. 

“Princess Atarah, only Lena will come with you because I will fix your room and other things that you need when you return,” Eda said as she bowed in front of me.

There were only three of us who wanted to go horseback riding in the forest. But the guards and attendants who were with us were probably ten or more. Rohesia and I were the only ones riding the horse because Aunt Gisella was in the carriage and enjoying doing her crochet. 

“What's going on?” I asked when the horse curls suddenly stopped. 

I was frightened by the sudden roar of the horses. A guard almost fell on the sudden commotion of the horses, and even Feline suddenly jumped. Good thing I was able to hold the horse bridle, and even Rohesia's horse seemed surprised by the mess.

“Protect the royal family!” Our chief guard shouted.

“What's happening?” Aunt Gisella shouted from the carriage.

“There was just an animal passing by, so the horses got into a commotion,” a man in red uniform answered. 

The Chief guard repeatedly apologized to her for allegedly interrupting our tour. Aunt Gisella didn't have to shout at the guard just because of that. Nor should they blame them for such incidents.

In a few minutes, we reached the vast plain as Aunt Gisella was saying. Our fellow servants acted quickly to prepare our resting place. My aunt kept on complaining because of the extreme heat. While she’s the one who invited us to come here just to take me for a walk, I was never happy, to begin with. I prefer Lena and Eda to be with me because I can do what I want. 

Earlier, on the way here, Aunt Gisella was relentless in what I was doing or acting that no longer fit her eyes. 

“Princess, here you sit,” Lena called to me and handed me a seat.

“Lena, get me a seat too!” Rohesia shouted at Lena.

She commands Lena as if she is her handmaiden. Even this woman's temperament is coarse. I always wonder how she became Atarah’s cousin, while these two have very different habits and attitudes. If Atarah and I just looked alike, I might even think of her as my ancestor back then. 

“Rohesia, don't yell at Lena. Don't you have your own servant? Ask them for your whims, not the people under me,” I scowled at her, making her face frown. 

“They're all just the same servants. Do we still need a basis for that?" she shouted back. 

I clenched my hand at what I heard. “You don’t need a basis, but you need to be polite and be a better person for people to like you,” I explained to her, but she just chuckled. 

“Polite? Better person? I may not be a crown Princess, Atarah. But I am also from the royal family. So, I don't need someone’s permission or their approval for them to like me,” she snorted spitefully as she walked away. 

Even when Rohesia was far away, I could still hear her complaints and quarrels with other servants. You are a Princess, and from the royal family, if you do not have good manners and love for your people, you do not deserve that title. 

When everyone was busy arranging tables and pavilions for us, I also had the opportunity to leave. I slowly walked into the woods without everyone noticing. I roamed my eyes around in amazement at the tall trees I passed. Even the beautiful flowers I pass by grab my attention.

I was so amazed by what I saw that I didn't even notice where I was going. I turned my back when I heard crackles from there. My eye quickly searched for a stick because it might be a wild animal. I slowly walked closer to it and prepared the branch of stick I had found to strike him when my witch cousin suddenly appeared in the bushes. 

“Rohesia? What are you doing there?” 

She frowns when she sees the branch I was holding. “Are you planning to hit me with that stick?” she scowled at me. I just winced at her question and immediately lowered my hand.

“Of course not. Why would I do that?” I lied. “What are you doing here? Aunt Gisella will go berserk if she realizes that you are missing.” 

“She will only know when you say so! Tsk!” she snorted. 

The stubbornness of this woman doesn't make me wonder if she got it from Aunt Gisella.

I rolled my eyes when Rohesia suddenly disappeared. I walked quickly to look for her. "Rohesia! Rohesia!" I shouted as I walked but I got no answer from her.

As I was walking, I didn't realize that the precipice was the end of the road I was walking on, so I slipped straight down. "f**k! When I see that woman, I'll really tweak her until she's bald," I couldn't help but mutter as I slowly got up.

When I got up I was just surprised an arrow flew close to my face. Fortunately, my knee suddenly softened so it didn't hit me directly. As I sat I roamed my eyes and looked for where that bow came from. I couldn't see anything and the pain in my foot was adding up due to its twisting when I fell.

I started to crawl away from the place where I was sitting. I’m afraid that an arrow would suddenly fly at me again. And maybe not like the one before I will be hit now. Each day I stay here I am even more enveloped in fear. More and more people are trying to take Atarah's life. I'm afraid that one day I'll just wake up with the criminal in front of me.

“Rohesia! Rohesia!” I called my cousin's name trying to tell that killer that I am with someone. 

I climbed a steep road and leaned against a large tree just to hide myself. When the pain in my foot subsided a little, I picked up a piece of wood to support me while walking. I don’t know when I will be able to return to my own world. But I also have to keep my own life until I get back.

But as I was walking I heard a crack on the road I was going to walk so I quickly stopped. I stiffened when a man came out of there holding a knife and grinned at me. 

"Found you, Princess," he said before taking a step closer to me. 

"Don't come any closer!" I cried even though my chest was full of fear.

"You're alone Princess, as planned. To mislead you inside this forest and kill you like what we planned," he grinned.

My grip tightened on the wood I was holding. Right now I have nothing else to rely on but myself and this wood so I need to overcome my fears.

I was pushed back when he suddenly pointed the knife he was holding on me so I fell to the ground. I closed my eyes when he tried to stab me again, I closed my eyes in great fear.

“Until when are you going to lay down here?” a voice said. 

When I looked up a man was standing in front of me and pointing his hand at me. "Who are you?" I asked before peeking at his back.

"Is that what you would say to the person who saved your life?"

I got up quickly even though my leg still hurt because the man might suddenly come back. "Thanks for the help," I said before I passed by.

"Where are you going?"

"I’m leaving," I replied. 

But before I could get past him he quickly pulled me and a knife flew in our direction. But it was too late when he pulled me because I already felt the pain in my shoulder. And when I touched it with my hand there were blood stains.

Just as he was about to touch me, I suddenly felt dizzy as if I was falling like the night I fell into the Ruins. I even heard him call my name but I was slowly losing my consciousness.

“Sasa is awake!” a voice shouted. 

When I roamed my eyes at the room I was exactly in my room. And the person sitting next to me was Quilan who didn’t know what to do when he saw me wake up.

I am back to the present.