Crowned Prince | hendery

37: Never Win Over the Wise

"Tae-" Illia stops talking before taking a deep breath, "Your Highness..." his voice etched with uncertainty.

It has not been long since they've left that cave they have sought shelter in. The sun had risen and it was nearing noon, the unfamiliar weather of Maha'ali was still something she had to get used to.

Behind them were merely two other guards. No other high-ranking noble would be willing to sacrifice herself to simply evaluate the academy. Although the academy is relatively peaceful, it is still uncharted territory for the military protecting Maha'ali, both Hwei's and their own.

There was no assurance that the princess would be safe.

Taeha initially believed that Farox would not touch her, not with the already present tension between her kingdom of origin and Farox. They have already seen and witnessed the absolute chaos that had happened all for her mother. The death counts, the political shift, and the near disappearance of their own royal family.

It would be unwise to kill the daughter of the king who killed his way to position.

"Prince Taeha!" Illia calls out her attention as he takes note of the sudden change in the princess's demeanor. All of a sudden her feet were heavy and stomping and her breathing was uneven. As he was standing behind her catching up to her, he could only imagine the expression on her face as she headed towards the academy head first.

Taeha stops walking.

"You have decided to finally stop walking." Illia places his hands on his waist as he stands a respectful distance away from the princess. "We cannot simply walk into the academy, as you have your suspicions that it is under the hands of Farox." Illia was trying to talk some sense into the fuming princess.

She closed her eyes.

It was a lapse in her judgment.

A lapse in her sight.

A lapse in keeping herself free from emotional bias.

A lapse in the desire to see Hendery.

It was not a way a leader must act.

In such a situation, what would Hendery have done? If it were the opposite and she was the one stuck at the hands of the opposing side, what would he have done? She hopes that he would mourn just as she was for him, but what would he do for the people that are left? What would he do in order to lower the number of casualties, so that more families reunite after the war rather lessened?

"Count." She calls Illia's attention after calming down. "You have my gratitude."

Taeha turns around and faces the two other unharmed soldiers who have followed them deep into the city. They were situated behind an alleyway, where houses towered over them, but gave them ample coverage. Her rage almost brought them into the enemy's zone without thinking. As she scanned the place and empty houses, she knew that the best place to discuss once again was inside one of them, but that would risk the possibility of civilians being present and hiding there.

Instead, she enters the first door that was open and closes it with whatever was left for the door. "Follow," was her simple command as she stood by the entrance.

The four followed as she instructed before she closed what was left of the door.

The house was quaint, but it had been ruined and ransacked by either their side of the military or the other. At the further corner, there was another door that led to a cellar, a staple in houses of Maha'ali, and it was the best place to remain hidden from possible enemy sightings.

"Count," she calls the attention of Illia as soon as the two men that had followed them closed the doors to the cellar, "what is it that makes the academy impenetrable?"