A Kingdom In Peril

Chapter 3

When they entered Norfolk Village, the sun had already set. This was the first time Princess Elara had left the castle, finally getting a chance to see the world beyond the palace walls. She had expected a warm and cozy scene, but what she found was far from what she had imagined.

Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at the surroundings and the people on the streets. They were all miserable, smeared with dirt. A child cried from hunger, another ran after stealing, and the villagers' pain was so evident that it pierced her heart. It was a harsh slap of reality, forcing her to confront the fact that not everything is always lovely. Life is not always a fantasy; they were suffering.

Princess Elara stood there, dumbfounded, as tears welled up in her eyes. Kael, who had expected this, let out a heavy sigh. Without a second thought, he stepped in front of Princess Elara, shielding her with his cloak. He then gently pulled her into a secluded area where she wouldn't have to witness the heart-wrenching sight any longer.

"H-How come..." she muttered, as tears began streaming down her cheeks. She was both displeased and confused.

How could this happen? She had always heard that her father quickly assisted their subjects in times of difficulty and need. How could Norfolk Village look so miserable? What exactly had happened in this place?

Kael remained silent, unsure of how to comfort the Princess. Yet he, too, was displeased. Even though he had experienced such hardships in the past, it pained him to see people suffering because of the schemes of others.

He was certain that everything happening in Norfolk Village had nothing to do with the King. He had once been sent by King William to investigate this matter and help the people of Norfolk Village. At that time, they had successfully assisted the villagers. But how had things come to this? What had changed in Norfolk Village?

Could it be...?

Kael shook his head, then put down their belongings and sat beside Princess Elara.

Not long after, when Princess Elara noticed her belongings, she wiped away her tears. She then turned to Kael with determination in her eyes, as if she had just made a firm decision.

"I want to help them."

Kael looked at the Princess's face and sighed, knowing he could never change her mind. He then smirked, finding the situation somewhat interesting.

"I'd be glad to help," he replied, which made the Princess's eyes light up—only for the light to fade as Kael continued, "But..."

"Come on," Princess Elara frowned.

"Uh uh uh, let me finish, Princess," Kael said, but the Princess only snorted at him.

"C'mon! To help them, we need to understand what exactly happened here," Kael explained. This made the Princess smile and, to his surprise, she hugged him.

"Okay! Okay! Let's do it!" Princess Elara exclaimed after hugging Kael. He chuckled, stood up, and extended his hand to help the Princess to get up.

"Shall we?"

Princess Elara smiled and took Kael's hand. He then gathered their belongings and held the Princess's hand as they began walking, but soon stopped when he felt her grip tighten, catching his attention.

"What's wrong?"

Princess Elara looked down and pursed her lips. "Stop calling me Princess or Your Highness," she said, summoning enough courage to look up and meet Kael's gaze. "Instead, call me by my name."

Kael was taken aback but sighed. "I see... I'll think about it," he replied, and they continued walking.

As they walked through the streets, Kael and Princess Elara noticed how ruthless the guards treated the villagers. The guards resorted to violence and demanded higher taxes from the vendors. Their cruelty was evident.