The word that a princess had arrived at the small town had caused the town in an uproar, there were some that said to let them leave, with consequences that the war would be brought on their little town, some decided to let her stay due to their hospitality.

Elena who was currently reading a book at the small library, immediately saw a familiar face.

Isn’t that Leona’s personal guard? Wait what are they even doing here?!

Elena was suddenly shocked seeing familiar faces, she immediately ran outside and took a closer look, they had taken refuge at a small house of a presumed doctor of the town, the knights guarded the door blocking any way to enter.

What happened why are they here? Don’t tell me!

Elena decided to circle the house for another way inside, as most of 3 of the guards were at the front door, she decided to enter through the back.

Please be okay Leona! I’ll be right there

Elena ran as fast as she could without arousing suspicion, by running away from the house and circling to another house so that she wouldn't be seen by the locals and guards and also find the house’s back door.

At the back door there was 1 knight guarding it, the locals still hadn’t noticed the house’s back.

Elena walked up to the knight and looked at him.

“Ms., I’m very sorry but please step away from the door.”

“I’m Leona’s Older sister, Princess Elena Linoire.”

The knight was suddenly shocked as to what the girl said, he barely believed it, but he soon went inside the house, making Elena wait outside.

A few minutes passed, and the commander of Leona’s personal guard went out to greet her.

“Princess, to think we have met here, Princess Leona, is already in a stable condition, she is currently resting, though I don’t think she’ll want to talk to you for the time being.”

Elena got annoyed by her younger sister’s order.

“What do you mean?! Let me talk to her now! What even happened why are you here?!”

The Knight keeping his composure and respect to the princess, replied.

“It would be best if Princess Leona told you in person, I am in no position, to talk about royal family matters.”

“Then Let me In!”

Elena lost her patience and yelled at the knight, to which he wasn’t able to stop anymore and followed her order.

The Knight moved out of the door’s way and entered the small house of the town’s Doctor.

She immediately ran to the bedroom were her younger sister was resting at, the commander of the personal guard immediately followed her up to the bedroom’s door.

Elena Entered the Bedroom and the Commander of the Personal guard stopped right at the door, immediately closing the door for the sister’s private conversation. The room’s curtains were already closed so it was okay for them to start a private conversation.

***

Elena saw her younger sister in such a weak state, to think she was once the great young mage the Kingdom held dearly.

Elena looked at Leona with both an angered and saddened look.

“Hey… Sister Elena, how’ve you’ve been doing?”

She coughed as she finished her sentence, but Elena didn’t respond and kept walking towards her.

“What happened? Why are you escaping?”

Elena gave a glare at Leona, she was expecting a straight answer.

“Older brother… Betrayed us…”

Leona said to her older sister, which shocked Elena, losing her self-control, Elena grabbed Leona at both of her arms.

“What do you mean… Betrayed us?”

“You… heard me.”

Elena then suddenly lost strength and released Leona from her grasp.

“Was he the one leaking the information? Was he the one that leaked our escape routes?”

“Yes, Older sister Elena…”

The two sisters were in despair holding their tears back, but the news was still not enough, a lot had happened when Elena escaped.

Leona started gripping the bed’s blanket with a strong grip, she bit her lips, but her tears had suddenly started dripping from her eyes and onto the bed’s blankets, which took Elena’s attention.

“What… Why are you crying?”

Leona hesitated to answer but she needed to know, she closed her eyes and wiped her tears using her hand.

“Father… Father is gone…”

This news took Elena’s composure and started venting her anger by yelling, but deep down she wanted to cry like Leona, she didn’t want to be seen as a weak older sister.

“What do you mean! Who killed him!”

“… Older Brother…” Leona said in a depressed state, her tears dripping and splattering at the bed’s blankets, she started intaking only shorts amounts of breath.

The King’s dead, the first prince betrayed the kingdom, the princesses have already fled the kingdom.

Elena thought, before immediately asking who replaced their father.

“Who took command?...”

"Second Brother took command and is now the king."

Elena looked at the bed’s blankets tightly gripping it, their own brother betrayed them and even killed his own father.

“He was already crowned as the next king, why did he betray us.”

Leona wasn’t able to answer her question she just continued crying in despair.

Elena too, she wasn’t able to hold her tears, and also started crying, it was almost the end of the Royal Linoire bloodline.

The two sisters then kept crying inside the small bedroom, they cried with both anger and despair.

***

The sun was already starting to set, so Arthur decided to return back to the village. Under the setting sun, finally being shielded and protected behind the strong and tall trees of the forest, Arthur continued his walk.

A few minutes walking, he finally reached the town, the commotion with the princess seems to have died down.

He signaled the town guards to open the gate and finally enter the town, as he entered it, the bright lanterns lit the town up to every part of it.

“Sir Kliest, it seemed that you have returned, don’t worry the commotion has finally died down.”

Arthur nodded at the guard’s sudden report and continued to walk back to the inn to take some rest. Reaching the Inn, He entered the quiet and dark interior of the inn, immediately walking up the stairs to his room at the second floor.

Reaching the Inn’s second floor, he was surprised to see Elena standing at his room’s door, waiting for him.

“Elena, it’s already night, why’re you still awake.”

Elena hearing his voice, immediately looked at Arthur’s direction and started walking towards him.

As she walked closer, Arthur had a clear view of her wet eyes and her depressed expression, Elena stopped at the right distance to Arthur and hesitated to speak.

Both of them knew that Elena’s secret was finally out, Elena couldn’t get out of her mind ‘how will Sir Kliest, react.’

The two of them looked at each other under the light of the moon reaching the inside of the inn’s hallway.

“Sir Kliest, I suppose you already know about my background, yes, I am a princess of an almost fallen kingdom, yes, I lied so I can try and use you to help me win the war.”

Elena said in a depressed voice, her voice was shaking something that Arthur never heard from her before.

 Am I not just lucky.

“Say Elena, are you that desperate?”

Elena hesitated, feeling as she was mocked under Arthur's cold face.

“Yes! Please I’ll do anything! Please help us!”

Arthur took the opportunity to use this to his advantage.

“Desperation, really breaks the human mind, even when you know you’ve already lost, you’re still striving to win.”

Elena kept silent as Arthur mocked her.

“Talk to me about the details, but there has to be something for me.”

“Yes, Sir Kliest, I’ll give you everything our family has.”

Arthur walked pass her and stopped, Elena heard him stop through the sounds of the wooden floor.

“If you still have anything, that is.”

Arthur walked to his room and entered it, leaving Elena on the inn’s second floor, standing.