Carrier Falcon Princess

After the 8th princess had woken, Valhayle waited for Granoir’s response. 

It was because he thought there was a possibility Granoir intended the princess to regain consciousness. 

The timing of her waking was too on point, so it was a reasonable suspicion. 

‘Granoir expected me to save the princess and gave her the antidote.’

If this was true, what was the reason? 

There was only one answer to that. 

The princess was part of their tactic. 

Valhayle spent days thinking about that displeasing suspicion and finally came to a conclusion. 

“It certainly doesn’t seem like it.”

Granoir’s current attitude confirmed it. 

After the princess was rescued, Granoir remained their position. They didn’t move or take action; they seemed to be waiting for Valhayle’s message. 

Valhayle purposely didn’t send a messenger bird to make it seem like he was contemplating. 

Granoir previously threatened Valhayle with the princess’s unconsciousness, demanding him to retreat for 30 days. 

The princess being unconscious was their strongest weapon.

So, them remaining their position for this long meant one thing: They didn’t expect or intend the princess to regain consciousness. 

If so, the concern was shifted to the princess. Since now it is unclear how she regained consciousness. 

Valhayle asked the doctor several times if the princess had woken up completely and whether there was a chance for her to lose consciousness again. 

The doctor was hesitant to answer but after Valhayle’s pressuring, he carefully gave his opinion. 

“I don’t think she’ll fall unconscious again.”

Valhayle didn’t express it but he was relieved by it. 

The princess wouldn’t fall unconscious again and the princess would have no relations with Granoir. 

For the first time since the war begun, he felt slight hope.

It was hope he didn’t feel even after multiple victories. 

The princess wasn’t completely free from his suspicion but at least now he could continue recapturing the central region with a lighter heart. 

He looked at the map of the central region spread over his table. 

Flap.

A shadow of a bird drew over the tent. It must be the messenger bird from Lopecce. 

He watched the bird fly around the commander’s tent and felt a hint of despair.

His nameless messenger bird laid lifelessly, with its glowing eyes closed shut.

Would he ever be able to see his messenger bird fly again?.

A sense of loss. 

Valhayle never thought he would ever feel that. 

No before that, he didn’t know he even cherished the bird this much. 

The princess and Granoir, the eastern region and the central region, Lopecce’s defeat in the recent battle. 

Amidst all these new problems, he was constantly thinking about the bird both consciously and unconsciously. 

“Hah.”

Valhayle let out a short sigh and pressed his temples. 

This was not the time. 

He had to plan the next advancements to recapture the central region and had to prevent the eastern region, which was under Lopecce’s protection, from getting involved in any larger battle. 

Valhayle let Lopecce’s messenger bird inside and grabbed a quill. 

*･ﾟ:༻✦༺･ﾟ:*

The opportunity came faster than anticipated. 

Zelle sat in front of the entrance and waited to see if there were any messenger birds entering Valhayle’s tent. 

‘Only those who have been a bird knows the mind of a bird!’

Zelle continued to wait, holding a jerky in one hand which was her favorite snack as a bird. Then, she saw a bird enter Valhayle’s tent. 

“Oh, that’s…”

It was the male cavier falcon from last time. The messenger bird of Lopecce. 

‘Alright, I know that bird.’

Zelle was gladdened by the fact that she met a bird she knew and observed. 

She calculated the time in her mind. 

He would check the message and if it isn’t highly crucial, he would write a reply immediately. Then he would be tying the reply on the bird now so…

‘Now.’

Zelle called the knight guarding outside her tent. 

“Hey, Sir. Do get the doctor for me.”

“Is there anything wrong?”

The knight immediately took precaution.

Zelle shifted in her chair and spoke.

“I think my menstruation has begun.”

“Sorry?”

The knight’s face turned bright red. 

“There’s not many people that know about me so I need your help. I would go look for help myself but it’s difficult to move during menstruation…”

“Ah, yes, of course!!”

The knight was clearly embarrassed. He saluted and went to look for a doctor, 

Zelle smirked. 

‘Sir Valhayle. You made a big mistake telling me that not many people know about me.’

The fewer the people that know about me, the fewer the people that can help me. 

See. There’s no one else that can replace him for this so he went himself. 

Zelle peeked outside the tent. 

She didn’t plan to wander around the camp since if she gets caught, that knight would be punished and she wasn’t that guiltless to let that happen. 

Zelle popped her head outside the tent and waited until the bird exited Valhayle’s tent. 

“Gorrrr.”

Zelle imitated a bird’s cry. The bird was about to soar but stopped briefly hearing that and with a confused expression, looked around. 

Zelle then whistled. 

The bird found Zelle. 

Zelle hid her face inside the tent and cried again. 

“Grooo.”

She was honestly embarrassed for doing this. 

I had to act like a human when I was a bird, and now that I am human again I have to imitate a bird?!

But there was no other choice.

The bird was the only one that could help right now.

The male cavier falcon entered Zelle’s tent. 

It looked around and tilted its head. 

Zelle gently held the male cavier falcon.

“Hello.”

The bird widened its eyes.

“Groooo.”

It cried softly as if it recognized her. 

It looked at her the way it first looked at her when they first met so for a second, Zelle thought it actually recognized her. 

“I’m sorry for grabbing you.”

Zelle petted the male cavier falcon to calm it down. It rubbed its head against her, letting its guard down completely.

Zelle gave the jerky to the bird and while it ate…

Zelle quickly untied the confidential message from it.

She made sure the bird couldn’t leave the tent and opened the message. 

There was a short code inside. 

[¶◉ζ⊿]

She wouldn’t have been able to decode it before but while she lived in Valhayle’s tent, she memorized some military codes. 

 [Delay — for ten days.]

She couldn’t decode the main word but she could assume what it was about. There was only one thing they would delay currently.

The day of the advancement.

They’re going to delay it for 10 more days? But they wasted more than enough time? 

Zelle was shocked to the point she forgot to put the message back.

The male cavier falcon cried after finishing the jerky.

“Groo.”

Zelle got back to her senses.

She tied the message back to the bird and…

Flung.

The entrance of the door opened. 

Zelle shut her eyes. 

‘Ah, did he get the doctor already?’

Zelle forced a calm expression and slowly opened her eyes.

“…..!”

And froze at the sight. 

The person standing in front of her wasn’t a doctor or that knight.

“SIr Valhayle?”

Zelle looked up at Valhayle. She didn’t even remotely think she would be caught by Valhayle himself so her legs gave out.

Valhayle grabbed her still. 

“What is going…”

Valhayle looked around.

“Where is the guard?”

Zelle couldn’t give an immediate answer. Valhayle grabbed her a little more tightly.

“I came out to see no one outside your tent. Please tell me what happened.”

That was when she was struck by the fact that the knight could be punished. 

“…I requested him to bring in a doctor.”

Valhayle studied her.

“Are you unwell?”

Zelle escaped Valhayle’s hands and answered.

“My menstruation is about to begin.”

As expected, Valhayle stepped away from her.

“Please excuse my actions.”

Zelle held onto the chair beside her. It was to hide her hands shaking. 

Valhayle’s eyes fell to the bird.

“…..”

Zelle gulped.

Valhayle started interrogating.

“This bird is not supposed to be here. What were you doing with it?”

Seeing Zelle remain silent, Valhayle spoke again. 

“We are in a war right now. I have to suspect all incertainties and I am obliged to resolve them.”

Zelle quickly wore a naive expression.

“I just saw a bird…And wanted to feed it.”

Her lips dried up but she spoke in a calm voice.

“I knew there would be a bird here but it was my first time seeing one so I held it back in curiousity.”

Valhayle looked into Zelle’s eyes. 

Zelle could immediately tell he didn’t believe a single word she was saying.

Valhayle spoke.

“You read the confidential message.”