Runaway Princess

CHAPTER 37

I WALKED through the path in the forest leading to the village. I came back here to ask the chief what happened to their talk about the issue.

When I got there it was so quiet. The village looks deserted and has a quiet but uncomfortable ambience.

I walked around and went to the chief's office. Where is everybody?

I knocked on the door. It opened soon after and I saw the chief standing there. He widened the gap of the door and let me in.

I stepped inside and he closed the door behind me. "What happened? Where is everybody?" I asked him. He looked at me and gave me an exhausted sigh.

"After you left all of us immediately had a meeting. We talked about each other's opinion about the king's proposition, but they didn't really entertain it. Some families are now disagreeing with each other because of their different perspectives," I shook my head and looked down on the floor. This is not good. If we don't find a way to work this out then this community might come apart.

"They didn't hear you guys out?" I asked and he shook his head at me.

"You can't blame them, Demian. They lost their loved ones too," he said.

"I understand that," I said. Looking back at it now, it's really ironic that when I went to the palace as an undercover the only thing I had in mind is that I want to destroy the king and make him pay for what he's done. I was also as angry as them and I wanted vengeance for what happened to my grandparents. I never thought or even expected that a day will come and I will wake up telling myself that I love Isla more than anything in this world. Love is really twisted sometimes.

"What did the king say about it?" The chief asked.

"He said that if that's the case then he has no choice but to respect their decision," I said. He placed his right hand on his hip and rubbed his forehead with his left hand.

"I'm worried that those who are opposing might decide to go off on their own and separate from us," he said. "I don't want that to happen, we're like a big family here."

"But if that's what they want..." I trailed off. "We can't do anything about it."

The chief looked up at me and patted my shoulder. "By the way, I'm happy for you, kid," he said and I smiled like a lovesick fool I really am. "Take care of her, alright?"

I nodded. "Yes, I will."

I said goodbye to him and went outside his office. I went to Garrett's house and knocked on his door.

He opened it and let me in. I sat down in front of a small table in his kitchen. He sat down in front of me.

"How're things going?" He asked me.

"It's going good," I said. "I'm really happy right now... With Isla... I hope it doesn't end."

Garrett chuckled. "You really fell hard for her, didn't you? You're so whipped, bud. Never seen you like this before."

I laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I don't even think I've ever been this happy in my life."

"How about the king? Is he nicer to you now?" He asked.

"We're a lot more okay with each other now," I said. "And his relationship with Isla seems to be going back to the way it was before, and that's really good."

Garrett tsked and blew some air out of his mouth. "Whew, I never thought that my best friend would be the king someday," he said and I laughed. "Congrats, I'm happy for you.'

"Thank you," I said and jerked my lips at him. "How about you? Have you already found someone?" I asked him and he just smiled nervously at me.

He looked away and furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't know... I mean, I haven't really met much girls..." He said. "I don't even know what my ideal type is like."

"You'll find her soon enough," I assured him. "She's just somewhere, probably getting ready to meet you."

"So you're a love expert now?" He arched his left eyebrow and we laughed together.

We talked for a few more minutes after that. It was almost sunset already when I decided to leave. I left Garrett's house and went to the chief to say my goodbyes but I saw overheard him talking to Marcelo, one of the people who were opposing on the king's offer. His daughter and wife were one of the people who went with us as an undercover and got killed.

"I do not agree of this, chief! I just can't let that bastard go away with what he did to my wife! He must die!"

"Marcelo, please, let us talk about this."

"No. Why are you even agreeing to the king? And that Demian, that ungrateful child. How dare he fall in love with the daughter of that devil! At the beginning he was with us and was so determined to make the king suffer, but now he just fell in love with that bitch and he completely forgot about us!"

I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. How dare he. Nobody talks about Isla like that.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside. I made eye contact with him and he stared back at me, his eyes dark and raging with anger.

"You," he walked to me and pushed me backwards. "What are you doing here? You're not welcome here!"

"You're not the chief so shut up," I said and pushed him back. He swung his fist at me but I caught it in midair and punched his stomach.

He groaned and doubled over. The chief went in between us.

"Stop it. Don't fight —"

I wasn't able to defend myself when Marcelo launched at me and punched my face. I stumbled backwards and wiped the blood coming out from my lip. He grabbed me by the collar and pushed me against the wall and I swung my fist at his face.

"Stop it, both of you!" The chief said and grabbed Marcelo away from me. He clenched his jaw in anger and tried to get me but the chief held him in place.

"Marcelo, calm down!" The chief said in a strict voice and pulled him away from me.

He turned to him. "Calm down? You want me to calm down? Well what if you ban that man from here—" he said and pointed at me with his index finger, "—and try to wake yourself up. The king is using us! He's saying that he'll forgive us and all that shit if he proves to him that he loves the princess, but he is just doing that because he thinks we'll agree to that crap and then he would be free! And you're actually agreeing to that?!"

"Marcelo, the king made mistakes and we also did. We affected his family and he also did the same to us but it didn't help the situation, it only made it worse when he retaliated. Revenge won't bring us anywhere, this war will just keep going on and on for eternity. Do you want your grandchildren to grow up in a warzone? Please, I think it'll be better if we all just forgive each other —"

"You just don't give a damn about others do you?" Marcelo balled his hands into fists. "My daughter wife died! My friends also died because of him! And now you're telling me to just shut up and be grateful that he's gonna give us back what he took from us? No!"

I intervened. "When we first started this thing, we all pledged that we would sacrifice our lives to bring justice to what happened to us. We all promised that we are doing this for the sole purpose of bringing justice, and not for revenge," I reminded him and he looked at me.

He punched me again on my jaw and I growled when I heard something crack. Fuck.

"Marcelo!"

"You shut up! Your grandparents died because of him, right?! And now you're taking their side just because of that petty little bitch —"

I grabbed him by the collar and strangled his neck. "Don't. You. Dare. Call her like that," I said and tightened my grip. He started choking and clawing on my arm.

"Demian, let go of him," the chief said and held my arm and tried to push it down. I let go of his neck and he scratched his skin that was reddening.

I glared at him one last time before I stormed out of the office. I held my jaw and massaged it. Fuck. I think I broke something.