Carrier Falcon Princess

Valhayle sent the advance troop in different directions and took around ten men with him to the main road.

He didn’t miss a single person, a single closed door in his search.

But no one knew of the princess. They all shut the doors with a fearful look on their face.

Valhayle patience started running out. Quite some time has passed since she left his tent.

But he still hasn’t found a single clue on her whereabouts.

Valhayle’s impatience became visible through his rough actions.

His horse huffed and puffed, feeling his impatience.

Perhaps it’s the wrong direction. Perhaps she headed opposite of the town…

As Valhayle thought of all the mistakes he could’ve made, he heard a loud noise.

Bang-!! Crush–

“…You…!”

“…@#flj….Sh..!”

“….Will…*&%!!”

Valhayle was on full alert.

It sounded quite serious.

Screams, Things breaking, Swords hitting steel..?

He desperately hoped the princess isn’t involved with that ruckus and rushed towards the sound.

*･ﾟ:༻✦༺･ﾟ:*

Zelle’s face has gone pale, surrounded by mercenaries.

The men trapped inside yelled for help when they saw the scene. The man holding a sword to her neck spoke to her in poor Roymondean. 

“Open the gate.”

There must have been more men. Zelle had no idea they moved in two groups. 

‘What do I do.’

Behind her were trapped mercenaries and in front of her were swords pointing at her. 

She couldn’t think of anything. Even her instinct to survive was nowhere to be found.

Annoyed at her silence, the man threateningly swung his sword. 

“Open. Quick.”

The men surrounding her started breaking the wooden boxes beside her to threaten her. But she only glared at the man speaking, not flinching at all.

The man slowly approached Zelle. He stank. 

He revealed his yellow teeth and spoke agian. 

“I see you the only one that can move the gate.”

Zelle didn’t focus on the man’s words.

‘I have to buy some time.’

She glanced under the stone bridge.

There was a river below the stone bridge they were standing on. The Roheneim army would be here within the next 10 minutes so she thought of jumping off the bridge if anything went wrong.

‘If I jump into the water, I could buy some time.’

Zelle spoke calmly to get some safe distance from them.

“Fine. But only if you all move 15 steps away from me.”

She wasn’t going to really open the door. If she did, there would be more casualties.

The man scowled at her.

“Don’t play tricks with me.”

The man didn’t seem to bulge. Zelle reached for the dagger in her pocket. It was way smaller and weaker than the sword he held but this small dagger could still buy her a few minutes.

Zelle hid her hand under the cloak and calmly ordered again.

“I said back away.”

He met Zelle’s glare in the eyes and thought.

Whether to slay this woman and force the townspeople to open the gate or to back away as she said.

Zelle realized the man’s contemplation and hurried them.

“The Roymonde army will be here any minute. You will need my help if you want to take your men with you and escape.”

The mercenaries started discussing hearing that.

{Look, all our money is with those idiots trapped inside. Let’s get them out and run.}

{Yes, we have no time so let’s do as that girl says.}

The man contemplated shortly and backed away.

“I will count to ten. If you don’t open the gate until then, you are dead.”

Zelle looked into the man’s viper-like eyes.

It was an eye of a man who didn’t hesitate to kill. Her life to him was equal to the life of a fly.

A single mistake could get her killed.

“One.”

The man started counting.

Zelle quickly estimated the distance from where she was standing to the point where she could jump off. If she ran, she would be able to jump off before he finishes counting.

Zelle clenched the dagger in one hand and with the other hand, held her clothes up to run better.

“Five.”

The moment he counted five, Zelle sprinted towards the river.

“You…..!!”

The man immediately chased after her. Chills ran down her back.

She could instinctively feel the murderous intent. 

It wasn’t anything like the ulterior ones she felt in the palace. This was definite and clear. 

She felt sick to the stomach in absolute fear.

‘I don’t wanna die.’

But the man caught up to her faster than she had thought. She felt the man’s filthy breath behind her. Without hesitation, the man raised his longsword.

Zelle ducked instinctively and yelled internally.

‘Valhayle!!’

Clang!

There was a sound of metal breaking. Zelle opened her eyes.

“Your Majesty!!”

It was Valhayle.

She quickly recognized the figure in front of her.

The advance troop soldiers started killing the mercenaries surrounding her.

Swords came flying. Valhayle blocked the falling sword away from Zelle, broke it into two, and slew the mercenary. 

Another soon rushed to him bu Valhayle ended his life too, in two moves. Despite the chaotic situation, Zelle was in awe for a moment.

She had never seen Valhayle fighting in real-time.

She only thought of swordsmanship as a combination of defense and attack moves. But Valhayle’s movements were…

Beyond just moves.

It wasn’t appropriate to think this amidst the flying swords and heads but it was beautiful.

He slew, turned and stabbed.

She never realized how these simple moves could hold such elegance. 

His every movement was as controlled and sharp as his sword.

Valhayle and his advance troop soldiers slew away the mercenaries. 

Whenever he moved, Zelle was covered in warm liquid. 

He slew the mercenaries near her and ordered. 

“Take care of the rest.”

And as soon as he finished, he held Zelle, carried her up the horse and left the scene.

*･ﾟ:༻✦༺･ﾟ:*

He brought Zelle to a small inn.

He held her in his arms and hastily opened the door. The owner lady rushed outside.

Valhayle spoke to the owner.

“Bring some water, oil, and cloth upstairs.”

Seeing the Roheneim sign on him and the aura he emitted, the owner immediately bowed.

Valhayle entered an empty room and placed her down on the bed. He observed her covered in blood carefully. 

His eyes seemed to be fuming. 

“Were you harmed?”

Zelle tried to calm her trembling self and answered.

“I’m alright.”

He held her arms a little tighter.

“Why did you leave the camp alone? Do you know how dangerous it was just now!! Do you know how much I…!!”

He couldn’t finish.

Zelle was surprised to see Valhayle this agitated. She was the one who was threatened to her life but he seemed more upset. 

He spoke grittily.

“…If I was just a little late, you could have been slain.”

The owner and a maid entered with a basin of water and a basin of oil.

Valhayle barely suppressed his emotions and ordered.

“Do not come near this room until you are summoned.”

The owner and the main left the room without a sound.

Valhayle washed his bloody hands in the water. 

After, he took the basin of oil and knelt on one knee in  front of Zelle.

Zelle looked down at the clean oil swirling in the basin. It was fragrant.

Valhayle dipped the white cloth in the oil and wiped Zelle’s forehead.

“Ah.”

Zelle frowned at the sharp pain. She didn’t even realize she was injured.

Zelle then realized why Valhayle was wiping her with oil.

The blood of a royal heir is never to be washed away with water. There was a law on it about how their noble blood shouldn’t be diluted and mixed into sewage water. 

So, if a royal member bled, their blood was wiped away with oil. And the cloth and oil used were burned.

When the bird attacked the princess’s neck, Valhayle burned the cloth used to wipe her blood.

The oil-soaked cloth brushed against the wound on Zelle’s forehead.

Valhayle clenched his jaw.

He was extremely cautious of his smallest movements but his hands kept shaking. It was a small wound but it looked terrifyingly severe on the princess.

“……”

Zelle softened her breathing. Valhayle’s face as right in front of her.

His hand was just a few inches away from her knee. She could feel the heat coming from them.

‘He must be infuriated.’

After all, she left without notice and even got injured and could have even gotten killed. It was all more than enough for him to be mad at her. Zelle studied Valhayle’s face.

HIs eyes fell from her wound, to her cheeks, nose, and below the chin.

Zelle felt out of breath looking at him.

She gulped and stared into Valhayle eyes silently.

Valhayle was cleaning the blood smeared on her cheeks. He raised his gaze and met hers.

“……”

Valhayle stopped briefly and along that, Zelle stopped breathing. The air felt thicker than ever.

“I’ll do it.”

Zelle barely whispered.

Valhayle’s eyes trembled for a moment.

The emotions it reflected were quickly hidden inside. 

Valhayle spoke in a deep, soft voice.

“I was already doing it so I’ll do it.”

Zelle couldn’t understand him.

But his gentle touches and his serene eyes were too sincere that she had to let him do as he wished.

Her beating heart didn’t seem to slow down.