Collecting the Pieces of the Shandhi Sword (Book 2 of Mark Series)

Chapter 35

I bit back an annoyed growl and pursed my lips in annoyance, gritting my teeth together. I didn't say a word and moved a hand across my skirt while I narrowed my eyes and stared at Samuel from the corner of my eye before I turned to look ahead.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Samuel said and bowed his head ever so slightly. He cleared his throat and placed his hand on my back to guide me in a different direction before he took his hand off my back and placed it behind his, clasping one hand with the other one. "It is the only way to keep you safe."

I grunted and didn't say a word about it when I suddenly got this feeling that we were going the wrong way to get the other piece of the sword. "Do you know where the other part of the sword is?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper while I changed the subject and voiced my thoughts out loud. "Is that where you are leading me?"

"Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation, "Your Highness."

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line, and I couldn't help but feel very annoyed with the title that he was using but knowing that he did not have a choice in using it, since I was supposed to be a princess. "Then we are going the wrong way," I said and shook my head. "This is not the way to my sword."

"It is," Samuel pushed. "I know that this is where you had last placed it. Why are you trying to tell me something different?"

"Because I know that it is not this way, Raphael," I said with a small growl in my voice. I narrowed my eyes and bit back another small growl of annoyance while I turned my gaze to look at him. "I can feel it, and I can feel that we are going the wrong way."

"Bu-"

"Your Highness?" someone, a male, asked, interrupting Samuel from arguing with me, and both of us turned that way with Samuel, pushing me behind him so that he could protect me from the man who had called for me.

A man with dark brown eyes and black hair was walking toward us with something in his eyes that I didn't like but didn't know why. He bowed his head in greeting before he submitted, clearing his throat.

Samuel relaxed just a little when he saw who had called for me and took a small step back until he was at my side. "Gregor," he said in greeting, tucking his head closer to his chest in respect while he looked at him. "What is it? Is everything ok?"

The male, Gregor, stopped in front of us and bowed, submitting fully while he looked away from us. "Everything is fine, Raphael," Gregor said and looked at us again. "However, I am wondering if there is something wrong with you, Your Highness." He looked at me with lips pressed into a thin line.

I slowly blinked and pressed my lips into a thin line while I shook my head. "Everything is fine, Gregor," I said coldly and rubbed my skirt, feeling very nervous and defensive for some reason. "What can I do for you? What is it?"

Gregor looked around before he looked at us again, and there was a small look of annoyance and worry in his eyes. "Why are you here, Your Highness?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and I raised an eyebrow in question. "What's going on?"

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, making sure to keep my voice the same level as his. I stood taller and placed my hands behind my back, grabbing my hands together to keep them from shaking because I was nervous about being caught. "What do you mean asking me why I am here, my Lord? I live here."

Gregor frowned and slowly blinked, and for some reason, it looked as if he did not believe me. He didn't say a word and tucked his head closer to his chest while he stared at me, silently urging me to tell him the truth, even though I didn't know what that truth was and why he was trying to get it from me.