I especially don't like the look in the new consultant's eyes. Whenever he put them on the princess, they always had this despicable intention, enough to make her feel uncomfortable. I tried to pierce him with my sister’s spear a few times, but once he gained the king’s trust, meeting him was like touching the king himself. I will not risk being separated from my love, not because of these little things. However, I still know that he is planning something related to the princess, and I will find that it is just too late.
During those years, the land around the castle became fertile again, but the peasants and laborers who took care of them did not return. This will only prolong the food shortage in our entire kingdom. We have had enough. Although it seems reluctant, this situation will not last long. It was then that the king made the worst decision, which ultimately resulted in the loss of his life.
One day, we were summoned by the king to the throne room. I immediately noticed the evil smirk his mentor showed us, which made me realize that something terrible was about to happen. Then the king began to tell us about the tragic situation of his land. There is only one solution. He had to seek help to restore the glory of the kingdom. For this, he needed the help of one of our neighbors. This barbaric country is full of barbarism and depravity, but they are obviously the only ones willing to help. In order to get their favor, the king decided to marry his daughter.
It was a heavy blow to me, but the princess's anger was another matter entirely. She absolutely refuses to be traded like an object, and all I can do is stand silently behind her. The king interrupted her anger and aimed at her weakness: her love for the people. He told her that without this marriage, people would suffer hunger and the land would be destroyed. I know these words came from his mouth, but I still can't knock him down.
I always knew that the king cared very little for his daughter. As long as she has such a talent, he will take care of her in the simplest way. She was rarely allowed to leave the walls of the castle, simply because if something happened to her, he would destroy him and his rule would end. He trapped her in the castle like a foreign animal. I never cared about him, and my anger at his role in the death of my family never disappeared. But I can't cut him down, my beloved father won't. I can't let her suffer that kind of pain.
So, the young king of the neighboring country came to inspect his offerings. At a glance, I knew that man was as despicable as when they came, and even more evil than that evil advisor. There is a bloody atmosphere in his jīngzhi clothes, and the way he speaks is so savage and savage. Once he set his sights on the princess, I could see that his evil intentions had increased tenfold. The only people who can benefit from this combination are two greedy kings, and my hatred of them is growing. If I could do something at the time, maybe my love would not suffer like her. Whenever I recalled the treatment he gave her, my heart would break again and again, and to make matters worse, I could not do anything about it. I begged her again and again to let her elope with me. We can start a new life far away from here, but she always refuses, saying that she must take the people into consideration. She can't abandon them in front of the fate that awaits them.
One month later, the princess was taken to the castle of the fallen king, taking me alone, because she resolutely refused to go anywhere else. We walked through their barren land and passed through these villages, which cannot be repaired. This kind of sight will only cause sadness in my lover's heart. We finally saw the magnificent castle of the little king, which was proof of his selfish hope. Even the nearest village looks dilapidated, but the monsters in the castle look as beautiful and glorious as other villages. Only a ruler who does not care about the people can live in such a place, and this assumption will soon become more real than I feared.
This fallen king welcomes my love with all normal etiquette, but all this is just pretentious. His twisted eyes showed us a lot, and every step closer, my sense of fear grew stronger and stronger. That night, I was relieved of my post. No matter how I challenged this order, my love has been rejecting me. I know the fate that awaits her behind those doors, and she knows it too, but she only thought in her heart that it was for the good of her people. I watched helplessly as she left the room to visit the king, waiting for my arrival until she came back.
The princess came back early in the morning with a dazed face and trembling all over. I called her name, but she did not respond. I stretched my hand to her shoulder and she flinched sharply. Finally I lifted her chin and let her look into my eyes, and then her tears just broke out without warning. She collapsed in my arms, sobbing softly, without saying a word. I took her to the ** and let her lie down. I stayed by her side, her hands prevented me from letting go of my tight hands, listening to her crying and falling asleep. She didn't eat anything that day, she refused to leave the room, begging me not to do it. The day passed in that terrible castle, as if nothing had happened, until a messenger came to the door and told us that the king asked for the presence of his soon-to-be wife. My love trembled violently with fear, but still stood up and left the room, ordered me not to follow her, and said that if I did, she would send me home. The next morning, she returned to the same state as the day before.
A few days passed, and the king would summon my love every night. I can't stand it anymore. What did he do to her that would make her fall into this situation night after night? My duty is to protect the princess from harm, but I failed. No matter what happens in the king's room, it is slowly destroying the soul of the kindest and most loving woman I know, and I will never own it again. On the fifth night we were there, I secretly followed my love to the door of the king’s palace. Two Jǐng guards stood outside, but they were knocked down almost effortlessly. The closer I get to the door, the heavier my heart, the more twisted my stomach, and the stronger my fear.
I could hear her scream, so terrible and painful, I rushed in the door and witnessed the scariest scene I have ever seen. The princess, my love, was hung from the ceiling by a pair of full-bodied shackles, and blood flowed from a wound on her stomach. The king turned to the person who broke in suddenly, with a cheerful smile at the corner of his mouth, and raised the barbed whip above his head. I stood there froze, like the fallen king asking me if I would join, telling me that no matter what I did to her, she would heal as if she was not injured. My lover barely realizes her wrists, and I don't even think she knows that I am with her.
I glanced at my poor, painful love, and then flew into an emotion stronger than anger. When I turned my eyes to look at the fallen king, my anger and hatred were directed to a point, and he was immediately blown against the wall by an invisible force. He was nailed there, still giggling, still laughing, enough to drive a person crazy. I picked up the barbed whip and whipped his dirty body again and again until his internal organs splashed on the floor. No matter how I hit him, I could still hear his evil laughter echoing throughout the room, until at the end he counted too many pieces. I dropped the whip, immediately released my lover's hands, gently held her in my arms, until I put her in the king's arms. During the time I was dressing her, she kept muttering to herself: "I have to do this, for the sake of my people... This is a punishment for me, let them die..." I couldn't help crying. I escaped from the castle that night, took her in my arms, and returned to our own kingdom.
During our short journey, my love regained consciousness at some point. She was still weak, but when she asked where we were, she seemed to have a clear head. I told her that we were going back to her kingdom, and she didn't ask any more questions after that. She just said softly "thank you", she put her arms around my neck tightly, and started crying loudly. I asked her again if she would elope with me.
"I can't, Felix." She wept on my shoulder. "I can't just abandon the people like this"
"You didn't abandon them, Catherine. You have sacrificed so much for them, you don't need to sacrifice any more. You have accomplished more than your responsibilities." When I told her, I told her He hugged tightly in his arms.
"I must be there when my father died. They need someone to lead them."
"Then let them lead each other!"
"I can not."
"Please! I can't stand your suffering anymore." I begged him.
"Felix," she called. "I wish I could elope with you, really, but I can't just give up my duty like this."
"You have to do this! Do you think the past week was just a one-night stand? The world is full of that kind of depraved people!"
"If this helps my people, I will bear it," she said sadly.
"I never want to see you suffer this torture again. Seeing you like this makes my heart broken! I will never let you suffer this torture again"
"Felix," she called. "but-"
""Do not! You are not safe in the castle. If your father sells you again, I will be done!"
I don't know if my words are enough to impress her, it doesn't matter anyway. When we returned to the castle, everyone panicked. The country we just returned from there declared war on us, and it was all my fault. So many lives are about to be lost, but I don't care. If I had the choice, I would do it over and over again; I would never let my love suffer like her. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)