The yellow tower, as it was called by the people, looked as majestic as always. The tower was among the tallest buildings in the city. It was beautifully constructed and anyone who laid his eyes on it would be certainly awed by the artisanship and the grandness of it. It was a pride of Kylaf City.

The tower had a height of nearly 100 meters and it’s so tall that people could never make out what happened at the top of it, even awakened warriors with their enhanced eyesight struggled to figure out what happened there, who was meeting whom, and such similar questions. And for good reason too, the tower belonged to the third prince of Kylaf Kingdom, Prince Leroy, and common people had no business knowing about royalties’ matters.

A woman was standing alone on the top floor of that tower. The woman had purple hair and a buxom figure. She was tall and had a powerful aura. Her skin was fair and her waist-long hair was flowing in the mild breeze. She was enchanting, she was so beautiful that anyone would find it difficult to even breathe in front of her.

It was Suzanne.

She was peering out of one of the large windows and taking in the view of Kylaf City. Her brows were furrowed and there was a sharpness in her eyes. Every few seconds, however, she would glance at the sundial. She was waiting for somebody, and that somebody was making her wait, the one thing she hated doing.

But such was the fate of the people hailing from small kingdoms out north. People thought of them as barbarians and they were vaunt for respect.

Suzanne sighed at her own situation. She thought that they were supposed to be partners, now though, it seemed that was not the case. She had overestimated her own importance to the other party.

“I hate mind games like this...”

She understood that by making her wait the other party wanted to show their dominance. It was the same when they had met for the first time as well.

That time, Suzanne had been blindsided by the request, or more of an order, of the other party. The thing that she had been asked to do would put them, the Northern Forest Alliance in a very precarious situation. However, she was forced into the decision even if she didn’t want to comply. She had been cornered because of the strategy of the other party.

She was still lost in her own thoughts when she heard the rustling of clothes. “She’s here. Finally.”

Suzanne was mad that she had been made to wait, being the Marshal of Gelodesh, she had been respected everywhere she went, however, that was only within the boundaries of their Northern Forest Alliance. Her status there was different than here down south. There she was a big fish in a small pond but here... she wasn’t the only one with destructive power.

“Greetings, your highness, Princess Maria!” Putting behind her anger and her complaints, Suzanne put on her game face and saluted the woman who had stepped inside the room.

The woman had an average height, yet there wasn’t anything average about her appearance. She was a picturesque beauty, was on the slighter side by body shape but her face was bewitching. Her body was so intense that if anyone looked straight in her eyes, they couldn’t help but be enchanted by it.

She was the wife of the third prince of Kylaf, Princess Maria. This time though, she wasn’t wearing a veil as she did while meeting with Commander Zark in the company of her husband.

“Marshal Suzanne, I have made you wait...” She spoke in a voice that was like stating a fact.

I can’t find any apology in there... Suzanne thought this but she wasn’t foolish enough to point that out. “You are a busy person, I understand.”

Suzanne not only had to forget about the disrespect shown towards her but also flatter the princess. She hated it!

“I hope you’ve been well,” Princess Maria commented with a disinterested expression on her face.

“Of course, the hospitality shown by Kylaf and its people has left me spellbound.”

That was the truth. Suzanne, though had been having troubles and headaches because of Princess Maria, her stay there was mostly pleasant. She couldn’t complain about anything being short of perfect.

“That’s good, that’s good...” Princess Maria paused and then suddenly her whole persona changed. She went from a regal royal to a cunning strategist. It was eerie.

She’s good for a normal person, I haven’t met anyone like her who has such a grip on their personality... Suzanne praised the princess in her mind.

It was evident that the princess was a normal woman, there wasn’t a trace of mana on her and that was the biggest proof. Nonetheless, the princess... she made it impossible for anyone to look down upon her for not being powerful, even someone with the strength of Suzanne.

It wasn’t because she was the princess of Kylaf Kingdom, no, it was something else entirely. It was something of a unique quality of hers. Even if she wasn’t a princess but a beggar, no one could look down on her, such was the personality she radiated at the moment.

“Let’s talk about business shall we,” Maria commented.

“Before that your highness, shouldn’t we invite in Commander Zark, who is loitering outside.”

A shock surfaced on Princess Maria's face. “You know?! But-” She paused and then continued after a soft giggle. “I think I have underestimated you. You are... good!”

“Thanks for the compliment, your Highness,” Suzanne felt as if she had gotten revenge over Maria by exposing her.

“You can come in, Commander Zark!”

...

Zark was perplexed. He couldn’t believe that he had been discovered. Even Hero Mikhail had a hard time seeing through his concealment technique, where he slowed down his mana and controlled it to become one with the wind.

“How?!”

Before he could figure it out, he was called inside. He followed the order and went inside.

The first thing he noticed was that the two women were standing close to each other. And then he noticed their beauty. He was not a person who could be swayed by the beauty of the opposite sex, nevertheless, he had to admit to himself that they were kingdom-shaking beauties.

And to be able to feast his eyes upon them both at the same time, some would say he could die happy.

“Your highness! Marshal Tygrine!”

“Commander Zark!” Suzanne nodded her head slightly in greeting.

“Shall we begin then?” Maria said with some impatience.

Zark frowned at this. He could tell that Princess Maria was a little rattled. It was as if she wanted to get the meeting over with as soon as possible, as if she wanted to be anywhere but in the presence of the other woman. He had never seen her being like this, never ever.

Granted, in all his years, as a spy working for Leroy, he had not met the princess for more than a dozen times. But she had left a deep impression on him and he was quite wary of her and her intellect. And because he was that wary, he decided to pledge his loyalty to the princess, he didn’t want to be just another chess piece in her hand. In his mind, the princess was far worse an enemy than a high level awakened, and definitely worse than that idiotic third prince whose only redeeming quality was that he had married well.

Zark would have liked to meet more with the princess; however, his fear of being deceived kept that thought buried deep inside him. Mostly, all of his orders came from the trusted maid of the princess. And that’s why he hadn’t met the princess much, and he wanted it to be like that too.

So, it was a surprise to him when the princess asked him to accompany her as her guard. Now, though, he realized that the princess was right on the money. The opponent was worthy, worthy for him to put all his efforts in, and maybe even that won’t be enough.

“Troy and Mikhail, they’ve been dealt with by your forces, yes?” The princess asked nonchalantly.

Zark's eyes widened. He had suspected that the princess had a hand at play in the suspicious deaths of the deceased crown prince and his guards, including Hero Mikhail, but to hear it from her mouth still shocked him immensely. After all, it was like playing with fire, to go against Prime Minister Tibal, even if in secret.

What surprised him even more than that was the ability of Suzanne and her people to do something like this while escaping unscathed. He had to commend their strength, his view about the Northern Forest Alliance changed drastically at that moment.

“Yes, your highness, it went swimmingly...”

“No loose ends, right? We can’t afford it; you can’t afford it if the truth ever came out!”

“I know what we agreed to do and its consequences as well. What I am more interested in is your end of the bargain!” Suzanne spoke and gradually closed the distance between herself and Princess Maria.

Intimidation tactic?  Zark prepared to release his mana to shield the princess but the princess held up her hand. Zark frowned at that. It was a known fact that if any high level awakened came too close to a person with no mana; they could intimidate them with just their powerful aura alone.

The princess stepped forward with gritted teeth. She stepped right in front of Suzanne. “I can handle this much on my own!”

“Oh!” Suzanne muttered and tilted her head sideways. She took back her Aura seemingly because of the princess' courage.

Zark on the other hand nearly clapped out in respect to the princess. It wasn’t easy what she was doing and it was something that deserved his respect.

“Yes, we will uphold our end of the deal. You shouldn’t worry about that.” Princess spoke jerkily still seemed rattled.

“Very well. Let’s look forward to a happy cooperation.” Suzanne extended her hand towards the princess as she said this.

Princess Maria did the same and then shook Suzanne’s hand.

Zark had wanted to advise against shaking hands but the princess was too quick for him. All of a sudden, the princess' face started turning red...

Zark wanted to jump right in and rescue the princess but then he saw that she was fine, in fact, she seemed to be sniffing the air.

Zark frowned in confusion. Why is she sniffing the air close to Marshal Tygrine? He thought to himself. Why is the princess being so weird, weirder than her usual self? I know that they have met a few times but ... was she always so taken by Marshal Tygrine? That is so unlike her! What’s going on between these two? I can’t understand any of it!  Zark felt like a third wheel, like he was intruding on some kind of secret game...

Maria and Suzanne remained holding hands and staring in each other’s eyes. Maria's face turned redder by the second.

She’s blushing! But why? Zark was at a loss. He realized that the princess was in no mortal danger but couldn’t figure out the reason behind her weirdness. He found it hard to decide whether he should intervene or not. Because it looked like they were talking in some secret code, staring into each other’s eyes.

All of a sudden, Suzanne pulled the princess close and wrapped her hands around her. She bent down and brought her face close to the left ear of Maria.

“If you ever get bored... bored of your impulsive and idiotic husband, and want to play... you know where to find me...” She said this in a throaty whisper and then placed a soft kiss over the princess' lips and left the room.

Zark’s jaw slacked and his eyes became round as buttons. He couldn’t quite believe what just happened. He glanced at the princess and she was heaving heavily with a blushing face.

Suzanne’s voice was barely above a whisper, but he had heard it, and now seeing the reaction of the princess, he connected the dots.

She wouldn’t, would she? That was the thought going through his head as he intently watched Suzanne’s retreating back.