The Princess's Bodyguard

8. REUNION

[LUCA]

I completed my training course a month before it reached the two-year mark.

The first few months away from Ephemere had taken some time to get used to.

My days had been busy, but there was no spunky little princess that kept bothering me to do something about her boredom, or hold me responsible for dealing with the consequences of her misdemeanor. Apart from my training schedule, my time was all to myself, which was something new to me. My life had always revolved around the royal family’s only heir.

It didn’t go as smoothly as planned. Sometime during the middle of my training, we ran into a bit of a problem.

Argente Capital, an allied nation of the Kingdom of Ephemere, was located near the southernmost part of the mainland. However small it was, it could hold its own in terms of military capabilities.

They had a reason for it.

The capital, geographically situated on the fringes of the mainland by the Great South Sea, often had to deal with minor encounters not just from hostile threats within the mainland, but also from foreign nations overseas, and recently, with the Sun Empire.

The Sun Empire, often referred to as the empire beyond the sea, was a force to be reckoned with. They occupied a continent across the Great South Sea, known for their combative nature, possessing a mighty fleet of galleys and warships. They had never attacked the mainland, but we’ve heard dark tales of their conquest.

Lately, the Sun Empire has been harassing the capital by sending out their fleets to patrol the waters just outside the capital’s oceanic territory. They hadn’t engaged in any actual combat, though. The capital treated them like pesky flies. Bothersome, but not threatening.

However, during my stay in the capital, the Sun Empire launched a surprise attack. It wasn’t on a large scale; they only sent two ships worth of soldiers. They landed some leagues away from the capital’s territory and attacked the capital's forces in a land skirmish.

I participated in the skirmish.

It was my first taste of war. I was finally able to put my weapons skills to their full extent. Although I didn’t imagine it to be like that. It wasn’t like those patriotic tales of heroism and courage. It was horrible, bloody, and despairing. The angel of death does not distinguish friend from foe.

I was thrown into the war alongside men who had been my companions for the last one and a half years. Not all of them survived. I was lucky to have survived. I’d like to say that it was my swordsmanship that kept me alive, but no, it wasn’t. Sure, I could take on more than one person at the same time, but it still comes down to luck. Because no matter how skillful you are, if luck favored your enemy, they will land the final blow.

The capitol won the skirmish, but they still suffered losses. The Sun Empire didn’t send additional reinforcements, and it was peaceful for the rest of my training’s duration. They say that the empire was only testing the waters. Trying to gauge the capitol’s military prowess.

The conflict may have passed, but it was best for the kingdoms to unite and remain vigilant. I will pass on this information to the king once I get back home.

Nevertheless, it toughened me up. Hardened me. Scarred me. But I didn’t allow it to break my spirit.

I still have a duty to do.

On my last day, I earned the rank of Captain. On paper, I was now suitable to lead the princess’s guard, but there was still a formal ceremony to be held once I arrived back home. I packed what little belongings I had and left at dawn so I would make it in time for the princess’s birthday. She will be eighteen when I see her again.

I often wondered how she’d been doing. I constantly prayed for her good health and well-being, and that, she hadn’t gotten into too much trouble. Regardless, I couldn’t wait to see her.

It was nighttime when I arrived at Ephemere.

I reported to the commander of the royal guards and quickly freshened up before I headed to the great hall. The princess’s birthday celebration was reaching its peak. The wine was flowing. People were talking, laughing, and dancing.

However, the princess was nowhere in sight. To make things worse, no one had noticed her missing. I asked some of the guards present inside the hall, and it was only after I brought it up that they realized she was gone. Then, a serving maid recognized me and approached me, looking worried. It was about twenty minutes ago that she was made aware of the princess’s disappearance.

She couldn’t have gone far.

I searched for her right away. The maid had already checked the upper floors, so I looked around the first floor and the palace grounds. I checked her hiding spots. I even ran to the tree house, but still no sign of her.

I went back to the palace, seriously considering issuing an order to the guards to search for her. But then I saw a woman standing alone by the entrance to the great hall, and I quickly asked her if the birthday celebrant was back. She looked taken aback that a random guard had suddenly spoken up to her, but she told me that there was nothing to worry about. She just saw the princess, who had gone back to her bedroom to touch up her face.

I rushed up to check, but she wasn’t there either. Whenever the princess went missing in the past, I’ve always had a sense that she was alright. But this time, it was different. My intuition was telling me that I needed to find her. Quick.

There was one place I have yet to check.

I dashed to the tower closest to her sleeping quarters. As I was bounding up the spiral staircase, I heard faint rasping sounds coming from above.

I reached the top and finally saw the princess. Her back was to me, and she was slowly sliding to the floor with her arm clutching at the window ledge. The rasping sounds were coming from her.

My blood froze. Something was off.

“Lena!” I yelled as I crouched beside her, shaking her shoulders frantically. “What’s wrong?!”

Her face was pale and her skin was cold. She was convulsing. No, she was gasping for air.

I thumped her back, thinking she had choked on something. But she reached behind her and struggled to grasp the laces dangling on her back.

On closer inspection, I noticed that they were connected to a separate garment over her dress, like a wide belt that was held together tightly on her waist by crisscrossing laces on the back.

I instantly figured out that it was the cause of her distress.

I tried loosening it, but I couldn’t even separate one lace from the other because of how tightly they were secured. I was running out of time. The princess was losing consciousness.

“Sorry, Lena,” I muttered as I unsheathed a dagger from my boot. I jammed the tip of the blade on the inner side of the topmost lace with the sharp side facing away from her body, and then slashed downwards.

The sharp blade shredded the laces, and the garment broke apart.

Lena drew in a deep breath. Like she’d just surfaced from underwater.

She fell on her hands and knees on the floor and immediately started coughing. But at least she was breathing.

“Breathe,” I muttered, trying to sound reassuring to hide my panic. “Come on. Breathe, Lena.”

Time felt agonizingly long as I waited for her to catch her breath. Had it only been seconds? Minutes? I wasn’t sure. I kept my eyes on her, ready for anything. Finally, her breathing began to normalize. She was recovering. Thank heavens!

She turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw me. Her voice was strangled when she spoke. “Luca?”

A huge wave of relief washed over me. I smiled weakly.

“Hi,” I said.

And then she cried.

She threw herself at me and wrapped her feeble arms around my neck, making me fall back on the floor. She cried some more while she kept repeating my name.

“Shh… don’t cry… it’s okay… you’re okay…” I murmured as I cradled her in my arms, grateful to feel the warmth on her skin returning.

“You’re here. You’re back,” she cried.

“Yes, I came back as fast as I could,” I said soothingly.

She started punching my chest as she half-cried, half-blamed me for leaving her. Her words were garbled with emotion, and her pathetic punches felt like nothing. I was just happy to see her and that she was okay. If I hadn’t gotten to her in time… I hate to think what would’ve happened. I would never be able to forgive myself. It was unfortunate that our reunion had to turn out like this.

When her crying subsided, I gently pulled back and lifted her face. Her sapphire eyes still glistened with tears, but they weren’t falling anymore. I swept back the hair that the tears had glued to her face.

“You’re okay,” I whispered.

She stared at me. And then at my arms that were still around her. Her eyes widened, and she pulled away, scrambling to stand up.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, quickly getting up as well, ready to catch her in case she falls.

She looked away, almost awkwardly. “Nothing!”

I frowned, but I let it go. She must still be a little disoriented.

“I’m sorry about your dress,” I said, motioning at the clump of torn garment on the floor. “I had to cut it off you.”

“Good,” she said, looking scornfully at it. “I’d rather you burn it as well.”

I grunted. “What on earth possessed you to wear that thing? It was suffocating you.”

She looked hesitant. “I… wanted to look beautiful… appealing,” she mumbled.

“Since when do you care about those sorts of things?”

“I don’t know! I… I grew up, I guess.” She sounded embarrassed. “Well, what about you? You’ve changed as well.”

“I did?” I didn’t think I changed that much.

“Yes! Your hair is long and you’ve gotten bigger… and taller.”

I agree with the first two. My hair had grown out, and I had tied it on the back of my head in a low bun. I’ve also bulked up a bit in the last two years. But…

“Taller?” I said incredulously. “I stopped growing years ago, Lena.” I laughed. “You, on the other hand,” I reached out and ruffled the top of her head which leveled with my chest. “Haven’t grown at all.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I’m five-foot-one and a half!” she said haughtily, like it was something to be proud of.

“What, only three inches from the last time I saw you?” I teased.

“Shut up,” she muttered.

I smiled. “But you did grow up,” I said, seriously this time.

She flushed again and looked away.

Regardless of the unnoticeable change in her height, the princess had significantly matured. She was still the same, but she also wasn’t. She still carried the innocence of someone who hadn’t experienced hardship, but she had also blossomed into a graceful woman. And she’d grown more beautiful than ever.

Now it was my turn to look away, feeling like I’d overstepped on unknown boundaries. I cleared my throat uneasily.

“You should get back to your party,” I said. “Before your father sends a search party for you.”

“Oh! The party. Right,” she said, sighing.

“Did something happen?” I asked.

“Nothing! Come on.”

“Lena?”

She paused in the stairwell. “Yes?”

“Happy birthday.”

She gave me a warm smile. “Welcome back, Luca.”