Chapter 8 – Dame Irene

Left alone in the room after Kael’s departure, Irene found herself muttering, “What on earth did I just do?”

She halted in the midst of straightening her clothes, covering her mouth to stifle the laughter that threatened to burst forth. It was the kind of awkward laughter that grips you after experiencing something truly absurd.

“And why did he summon me at this hour? It’s only natural that I’d misunderstand him if he calls for me while I’m here as a hostage…”

Irene covered her face with both hands as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. She thought it would be too awkward to leave the room now, so she moved to sit on the bed, wondering if it had all been a dream. However, when she lightly pinched her thighs, a sharp pain shot through her, dispelling any doubts.

Wait, what do I have to be embarrassed about? I was just following orders. But still… curses!

Irene tried to shake off the embarrassment that tinged her cheeks, but the unfamiliar shame clung to her for a while.

“Lady… Hah. Lady. He called me like that,” she muttered to herself.

The title sounded foreign to her ears as she had always been Dame Irene. She repeated the title that Kael had used for her over and over again, pondering,

Did he call me that last time too? Lady Irene.

As her jumbled emotions began to settle, Irene found herself growing increasingly melancholic. The ten years she had spent as a knight had left a deeper mark on her than she had realized. Despite all her struggles, she remained unchanged. She had thought she had left everything behind in Theorin as she endured humiliation, but it seemed that was not the case.

“If it had been any other young lady, he wouldn’t have acted this way. I wonder if he would have unhesitatingly stripped down and rushed in… I can’t believe I’ve become so unmoored just because I have no purpose without orders to follow,” Irene mused, shaking her head.

Was this what it felt like to suffer from withdrawal symptoms? She had found peace when she was given an order once again. However, when the first order she received from the empire was suddenly rescinded, it left her frustrated.

“How long have I been like this? How long?”

Irene knew that her behavior was far from normal. In fact, her entire life had been anything but normal. Yet, she had never been dissatisfied or felt the need to strive for the semblance of normalcy that she lacked. When she truly reflected on it, she realized that she didn’t really know how to do anything except be a knight.

“How do I live like a lady? What’s it like to live just as I am?”

She had never questioned it before and had no answers to her troubles. She felt lost when faced with the reality before her.

“Lady Irene, you can do whatever you want. We didn’t bring you here to keep you captive.” Kael’s words only added to Irene’s confusion.

“Anything he said…”

She was uncertain about what she was supposed to do. Already on the brink of losing her mind from being abruptly removed from the battlefield and placed into the peaceful life she now led, she wasn’t sure what was expected of her. After all, her life had revolved around wielding a sword.

“Why do you look at me… with those eyes?” Irene asked, looking toward the door through which Kael had departed. She knew her question would go unanswered. Somehow, the certainty in Kael’s words and gaze, unlike his heart, irritated her. While Kael’s feelings for her were growing, Irene felt only bothered by him.

* * *

Act 2. From the Clash of Blades’ Tips

As Wellen arrived in front of Ravello the day after Irene was summoned to the crown prince’s bedroom, in another part of Theorin, the frozen kingdom…

“Brother! Why? Why do you refuse to meet with me?” Princess Belle demanded, seeking an audience with her brother and Theorin’s new king, Hayden.

“Princess, such agitation isn’t good for your health…”

“How can I not be agitated? Do you know how much time has passed? When will he finally see me?”

The moment Belle learned of Irene’s fate—to head to the empire as tribute on her behalf—she urgently sought to meet with Hayden to no avail.

“It’s Dame Irene, so she’ll be fine.”

“Of course she’ll be fine!” Belle retorted, grabbing her head. “I was mentally prepared to go to the Empire too…”

Ever since Belle heard the stories of how her kingdom had easily capitulated and raised a white flag in the face of the empire’s imperial troops marching on the capital, she had been prepared to be sent as tribute. It was a surprise to hear that the negotiations had wrapped up quickly, but since the empire always demanded a hostage from the rebelling country, it was only natural for her to prepare for her inevitable fate. She had even started formulating plans on how to counter the various discriminations she would surely face while attending the Imperial Academy as a hostage. Naturally, she had never even considered entering the harem. And yet, she had been allowed to stay in the kingdom. It would be quite some time before she learned the reason.

“Are you trying to run away like father? You’re such a coward! How can you still call yourself a king?”

“Who said I ran away?”

The door, which had remained closed for a long time, suddenly swung open, and Hayden, the brother Belle had longed to meet, appeared.

“Now you’ll see me? I’ve heard about Uncle, and there’s a high possibility that he was kidnapped by the Duke of Groin.”

“If you’re aware, then stop spouting nonsense and return. Even without your added shrieking, my head hurts enough.”

Seeing Hayden turn his back on her, Belle shouted, “Bring Irene back!”

Hayden froze in place, his fists clenched tightly. With a heavy sigh, he spoke, “I don’t intend to keep her in the Empire for long. I’m actively working on it.”

“Working on what?” Belle inquired.

“Belle…”

“When our mother passed away suddenly, Irene swore to protect me. At the time, I asked her, ‘Irene, you’re a woman too. How can you be this strong?’ And do you know what she said?” Hayden pursed his lips and stared at Belle in silence. She continued, “She said, ‘I never cared about being a woman. It’s been a long time since I discarded my gender. Above all, I’m a Theorin knight.’ A knight—she was the greatest knight ever! She’s an incredible person who sacrificed ordinary happiness for duty! How does it make sense to hand over someone like that…?”

Belle huffed, trying to catch her breath, and bit her lip. Tears welled up in her eyes as the memories of that day rushed back to her. She couldn’t forget Irene’s smile as she held Belle’s hands.

“I received our mother’s last wish to protect you at all costs! That was her only request before she passed away. It’s a promise that can’t be broken, especially not after all the turmoil that befell the royal family. To protect you, I…” Hayden shouted, grabbing Belle by the shoulders.

He appealed to Belle’s sense of their mother’s wishes, who had left them soon after the deaths of their two elder princes. Hayden conveniently omitted the fact that giving up Irene had reduced the tribute they had to pay for their failed war.

“Yes, I understand. But Irene is our cousin and the daughter of Count Voltern, a family that contributed to Theorin’s founding and was the first queen’s family. Furthermore…”

“Belle, stop. I don’t want to hear it,” Hayden warned.

“She was also your fiancée. Of course, that’s why she was the only one who could replace the princess.”

“I told you to stop!” Hayden sighed and turned away to avoid seeing Belle’s tears. “Yes, as you said, Irene was the only suitable replacement. So, what was I supposed to do? Ignore our mother’s wish?”

“So what? Is that promise so important that you had to sacrifice someone who was a pillar of this country?”

“Excuse me?” Hayden furrowed his brow and turned back to Belle.

“Irene is far more valuable than someone like me who spends her time reading books, embroidering, and enjoying tea!”

“You…”

“We needed Irene more than anything to rebuild our kingdom’s shaken foundations.”

“That’s why Uncle has been summoned to the capital.”

“Then, who will protect the South, which borders other kingdoms? Our seven-year-old first cousins?”

“Stop being sarcastic,” Hayden sighed, nervously running his hand through his hair. He couldn’t deny that Belle’s words stung.

“Even a girl who’s considered useless knows about these things. What about the men who are praised as great and mighty? Didn’t they know? Are they that incompetent?” Belle continued to press on, and Hayden grew increasingly perplexed. She hoped that if she persisted, he might eventually listen to her. “Irene only ever had one goal in mind. Who can guarantee she won’t break down? What if she makes an irreversible decision?”

“I told you to stop. Irene is someone who wouldn’t even consider this an ordeal. She’ll be waiting for her next orders, just as she always does,” Hayden insisted.

He believed Irene would remain steadfast no matter what happened to her. He was confident she would have made the same decision if given the choice, which is why he had no regrets about his decision. She would surely return to him without any problems. He had received the request for the annulment of their engagement, but…

“Do you think she doesn’t have a heart? That she has no feelings? How can you think like that?”

“Belle, stop it! If you say one more word, I’ll get angry.”

“Get angry! As much as you want! But before that, bring Irene back! Bring her back!”

Hayden realized that his younger sister wouldn’t easily let go of this matter, and he expected their tug-of-war to continue for some time. However, everything changed abruptly the very next day.

“Brother! Brother!” Belle yelled, chasing after him down the hallway.

“Belle, please!” Hayden sighed as he unfurled the freshly delivered scroll. Suddenly, he came to a halt.

“Brother?”

“I will go. I’ll personally bring Irene back. Just stay here and don’t get into trouble.”

“Does that even make sense? Going there yourself is the same as abandoning the kingdom…”

“Don’t I need to show sincerity for them to release Irene?”

Hayden’s thoughts drifted to the words on the scroll: “New gold mine discovered in the Kerman region.”