- Forgive me for my audacity, Your Majesty, but why convene the council when it would have been enough for you to come to me? - Dante questioned as soon as the formalities had been completed.

The other council members glanced at her from the corner of their eyes. None of them had the courage to challenge the woman directly, but they despised her attitude. The king usually found that dynamic comical, but on that day, he was not in the mood for jokes.

- Because this is a matter concerning the entire kingdom. I need as many people involved as possible.

Dante nodded, still smiling, waiting for the king to continue.

- As you have been informed, Rosa has been kidnapped - the king paused briefly. - I have gathered you here to devise a plan. Furthermore, I was informed this morning by marchioness Dante that she has news.

Gabriel gestured for the woman to speak, and she nodded and began.

- Your Majesty, I have an infiltrator in the local militia. Although he is new to the group, he was present during the robbery of our sovereign's carriage. He also remained in the stronghold after the Minstrel dismissed some of those involved. He says he heard from the Minstrel himself that the queen is safe and that he will take her to a place where no one knows her, so she can live as a commoner.

- He left us a ransom note! - Iris exclaimed, agitated.

The ex-queen's reaction didn't faze the marchioness, who continued her account.

- Either he lied to his accomplices, or the ransom is a ruse. I believe both options are valid, my lords - she replied, addressing the entire table as if she were the presenter of a play. - However, I lean towards the second option. Lying to his supporters and taking the queen's ransom would undermine his credibility, and based on my analysis of his behavior, he values his image and principles greatly.

- A principled bandit - one of the councilors scoffed.

Dante blinked at him, widening her mocking smile.

- My lord, unless you've been living under a rock, I suspect you've already received news of this man. I'm not referring to rumors, but to serious news from the kingdoms where he has intervened. He wants the downfall of the monarchy, our heads, your little head on a stake. So yes, I believe the Minstrel has principles, strong ones at that, and they are the key to discovering his next moves.

The man turned red, holding his breath and inflating his cheeks, but before he could speak, the military advisor intervened.

- I agree with the marchioness. The Minstrel is cunning, and his performance is impeccable. We cannot treat him like an ordinary criminal. It's no wonder he has been pursued by the Ice Emperor for years and has managed to escape every time. He killed one of the empire's champions, a man whom I myself could never defeat in a tournament.

- But the story is that he was impaled in the process - Gabriel commented.

- He allowed himself to be wounded, Your Majesty, that's what the witnesses say - the man added. - That way, he managed to plunge a dagger into the knight's heart and another into his neck.

- How horrifying! - Iris exclaimed, bringing her hands to her mouth.

- The Minstrel is not an enemy to be trifled with - Dante spoke again - fortunately, we have a history of these kidnappings without ransom, although they are few. The nobles he considers lost, he kills, while those with less power or who are considered good rulers and pose no threat, he returns for ransom. However, there are reports of cases where he opted for "justice by equality," making the sovereign experience what the people have endured, leaving them to their own devices.

- I'm waiting for the "fortunately" part - Gabriel impatiently remarked.

- The Minstrel lives up to his name. He travels from kingdom to kingdom singing freedom and then disappears, leaving the people to face the consequences of his actions. He's a man I would love to meet - she said the last sentence in a lower, dreamy tone. - Of course, despite his best efforts, he leaves traces. In the kingdoms where he overthrew the monarchy, many took care of their own nobles. But in some cases that are still "in progress," the Minstrel himself takes care of the victim, taking them to distant realms.

- Rosa is known throughout the continent - Iris interjected, with a hopeful tone. - If all this is true, as soon as he releases her, she can come back home!

- With all due respect, Your Majesty, that's not what I meant to convey - Dante countered. - When I say distant realms, I mean outside the continent.

Iris started trembling, and Gabriel felt the need to comfort his mother-in-law, but that wasn't the place. He decided to ask:

- So you mean the Minstrel will take her to a port?

- That's my theory, Your Majesty. Of course, I could be mistaken, and the ransom could be real, considering our beloved queen is regarded as a good sovereign.

- There are dozens of ports on the continent, each one farther than the other! - Gabriel spoke irritably.

- Sending scouts is not enough to defeat the Minstrel - the military advisor added. - We would have to deplete the entire army in order for a sufficient number of men to reach each port. And we still run the risk of not reaching them in time; we are already days behind schedule.

- We will have to rely on our allies - the trade counselor said. - We can send messages more quickly with carrier pigeons.

- I have already informed them about the queen's kidnapping, as instructed by Your Majesty - another councilor spoke. - Celegorm should have received yours by now, and the more distant realms will receive the news within a few days.

- We need to organize this search, instruct our allies with ports to reinforce security, and those without ports to assist us in searching neighboring realms - Gabriel said.

- If I may, Your Majesty - Dante spoke again. - It's possible that the Minstrel will head straight for a port, or he may make a detour to No Man's Land to evade pursuit. That's why I suggest requesting that Celegorm and Red Sand send soldiers as quickly as possible to try to intercept the Minstrel at the borders.

- It's a possibility, but he could also be heading directly to a western port, where our only ally is Hyra - the trade counselor said. - And by now, he may have already crossed the border.

- There are many possibilities - Gabriel whispered, leaning on the table, while the others fell silent.

- We will pursue all of them - Iris said with a trembling voice. - Starting with the requests to Red Sand and Celegorm.

***

- So... What happened this time? - Calen asked, stemming the bleeding from Saeya's eyebrow with an old rag he found in the outpost. The half-elf woman moved his hand away, visibly irritated, and he deduced that her pride prevented her from accepting the prince's compassion.

- It doesn't matter, Your Highness - her tone was sarcastic.

Calen looked at her patiently, even if that meant she was being insubordinate. Any other captain would not tolerate such behavior from a "subordinate".

But this was Saeya.

They had known each other since they were young, raised as servant and master, but now they were friends, or at least that's how he liked to think of it.

The prince gazed into her amber eyes that refused to meet his gaze. Saeya was a mix of feline and fire elf blood. Her hair as red as blood horrified the nobility of Celegorm, her coal-colored skin and sharp fangs did little to avoid unwanted attention. Moreover, her impulsive and arrogant personality irritated many people. Everyone except him, apparently.

Calen didn't mind her company. Being with Saeya relieved the weight of the crown, distancing him from the hypocrisy and deceit of the nobles who surrounded him. And luckily, the girl's usually agitated and aggressive mood seemed to calm down whenever he was around.

The elf touched her face again, pushing aside some blood-soaked strands, and continued cleaning the wound. She, now calmer, didn't reject his affection.

- Commander Drahi informed me that you assaulted some soldiers, but it seems you didn't come out unscathed...

- Ha! You should've seen how they looked! 

- Sae... - Calen looked at her reproachfully - You know you shouldn't attack your comrades.

The half-elf continued to avoid eye contact with the prince.

- The other soldiers have been complaining that you've been... irritable these past few weeks - the elf continued.

- Just say what they really said - Saeya finally looked at him, visibly furious. Calen remained silent, meeting her intense gaze, unperturbed.

- "Savage," that's what they call me! Did you know that before all this shit, I was doing fine, training the new apprentice? Did the soft-ass commander tell you that his subordinates tried to humiliate the girl? Just because she's a woman and wants to join the guard? Did you know that? - The redhead exploded, standing abruptly from her chair. - OF COURSE NOT! THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD BARELY SHOWS UP IN THE FUCKING TRAINING GROUNDS, HOW COULD YOU KNOW?

The elf remained calm, watching her vent. He held her hand, still standing, and calmly guided her to sit back down. She, still out of breath, sat with a sulky expression.

- You know why I distanced myself... King Evelon...

- Ah, screw your father! He doesn't give a damn about you!

- Saeya... - he said sternly, just as the king used to. She stared back at him with the same intense gaze, refusing to lower her head even to her master.

- Am I lying?

Seconds that felt like hours passed with both of them silent. Calen finally averted his gaze and, with his hands on his temples, said:

- I need to clean and suture your wound, otherwise, it could get infected.

He stood up and walked to a chest where threads, needles, medications, and other first aid supplies were stored. It was common to have such chests in each guard post. As Calen gathered the necessary materials, he pondered a punishment for his subordinate. He didn't usually punish her, that was probably why she defied him fearlessly, but lately she had been causing trouble all the time. He had been too lenient with her, and the guards and servants knew it. It was because of this habit that certain rumors began to circulate.

The second prince wasn't naive. He knew there were rumors that they were sleeping together, and that was how she managed to become his personal guard and a member of the king's guard. He didn't care, after all, even if he were the type to engage in such immorality, everything Saeya had achieved so far was purely her merit. Not to mention that he had known her long enough to know that she would never accept any form of help.

Calen didn't care until those rumors reached his father's ears. He began threatening Saeya with expulsion from the guard, exile, imprisonment, and even death. Not that she knew about it, it was just something the king used to control his son. "He really doesn't give a damn about me," Calen thought, laughing at the accuracy of her comment. Sae looked at him curiously, intrigued by his strange smile, but she made a point of pretending to be distracted when he turned back to her.

- Your mood is unstable - he said, sitting in front of her. - Should I ask if you're mens...

- Don't even think about it, or I'll kill you.

He laughed, this time with a genuine smile. Sae's heart squeezed in her chest.

- I heard you're getting married - she blurted out impulsively, without looking at the prince. - Should I offer my congratulations?

Calen, for the first time in long years, lost his composure. The prince felt his breath falter as he looked at her, incredulous, mouth slightly open, eyebrows raised. Only the royal family was supposed to know about the engagement, but here she was, speaking the news out loud.

Although he knew how to mask his emotions well, he couldn't help but feel them. He replied in a monotone, trying not to show the anguish he felt about her knowing.

- I shouldn't be surprised that you already know.

The young woman felt a pang in her chest but kept a stoic expression. So it was true. She had heard the news from one of Prince Evan's maids. She knew that the nobility often arranged marriages, but she had heard from Prince Calen himself that he wanted to marry someone he loved. If he really didn't want that marriage, all he had to do was speak up, that's what she would do.

The elf applied a numbing ointment to the half-elf's eyebrow, but it wasn't strong enough to prevent Saeya's moans of pain when he began stitching the wound with the thread already on the needle. She silently thanked the pain for being strong enough to mask the other pain she was feeling.

- How did you know?- the prince asked, trying to distract her. - Only the royal family knew about the engagement.

- Do you really think that if your brother knows something, the whole of Celegorm wouldn't find out? - she replied. 

- Fair enough - he answered, finishing the last knot of the thread. He once again touched the half-elf's face, running his fingers around the wound. - It will leave a scar.

- I don't mind, it's a battle wound! Well, sort of a battle wound - the redhead said, looking at him with a self-assured smile. But when their eyes met, the smile faded. - I heard the engagement happened against your will. Why don't you try to convince your father about-

The elf slowly descended his hand along the half-elf's cheek, causing her to lose her voice, her reasoning, and also causing her ashen skin to gain a reddish hue on her cheeks and ears. She felt her heart race, but Sae was unable to look away from the prince, which looked at her with an unfamiliar gaze.

Calen was too respectful to move closer to her. Engaged to another woman, he stood in front of the one he loved, unable to tell her how he truly felt. No one, not even Saeya, could know what he truly felt, lest this unwanted love reached his father's ears...

Still, strangely enough, his body was moving on its own, and in that moment, despite the possible consequences of his actions, his fingers landed on Saeya's lips, and his face strangely drew closer to hers.

- Calen... - Sae whispered softly, only for the prince to hear.

The rustling of leaves and the neighing of horses interrupted the moment, someone was approaching outside the cabin. The half-elf quickly moved away from the prince, just as the door to the outpost swung open, and a servant entered, breathless and distressed.

- Y-Your Highness! - The man paused and looked at Saeya, who was already at a respectful distance from the prince. - M-Miss Saeya!

The servant made an awkward bow. Disappointed, Calen didn't even respond to the young man, he simply gestured for him to speak.

- Forgive my sudden behavior, sir, but I bring urgent news from Sunstone!

- Proceed - the prince replied, feeling a strange but familiar shiver down his spine.

- Queen Rosa has been kidnapped!