Witch Princess: Part 1: Chapter 27
Witch Princess by Verlie
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Chapter 27
 
Yanafir had made it back to the knight guard. She shifted her weight anxiously from foot to foot, waiting for the clock tower to chime at the awaited time. Cinna stared off in the direction his master was in, but he obediently stayed by Yanafir’s side. The moment the bell started to ring, she grabbed the knight and shook him. 
 
“Wake up!” she yelled.
 
He gurgled, and his eyes moved behind his lids but did not wake. Yanafir slapped him. His eyes snapped open this time and he slurred his words, nothing audible coming out.
 
“The princess was taken!” she yelled. “What do you remember? I remember nothing, just falling asleep… Hurry, call the master of security, the head academy knight.”
 
The man blinked a few times before collecting himself. He shook his head. The basket laid on the ground, contents strewn about, and the maid was in a panic.
 
“No, no,” he denied, “no, it’s fine. She does this lately, right? It’s fine. We’ll just search on our own…”
 
“I’ll tell the king you said that,” Yanafir said in a low, accusing voice. “Someone obviously did something to us and took her, and you’re saying we take our time on reporting it? Is a royal life so insignificant to you?”
 
He paled and stuttered, “No, but…”
 
“I’ll tell them myself,” Yanafir grabbed her skirt and whistled for Cinna to follow as she jogged away.
 
“Wait!” He yelled and ran after her.
 
They ran to the security post where the other Academy knights were located as well as the security master. Yanafir ran into the same problem. She frowned as she listened to them talk about how they needed to keep it quiet and contained. Slipping away from them, she was determined to run around and scream it if she needed. The campus had to be on alert or it would raise questions later about how the palace could have possibly known so quickly. As she sneaked away, the knight who was with them grabbed her arm.
 
“Where do you think-,” he said in an unpleasant tone.
 
Cinna jumped and bit his hand, a menacing growl accompanying it. He yelped and physically recoiled while he held his bleeding hand. There was visible hate in his eyes, but he wouldn’t dare harm the princess’s beast with witnesses. Yanafir took the chance and bolted, headed for the headmaster’s office and calling out that the princess was missing every time she came across students.
 
 
…
 
Sephine sat in a garden outside of the Sun Palace. This was not a place she was allowed to go without the princess, but her mother must have picked up on her anxiety and hovered around her when she was in the Flower Palace. Her eyes never left the palace’s clock tower; she specifically picked her spot to watch it. The hand still needed to click one more time before she was to alert the king himself.
 
“Damn it, close enough!” Sephine leapt from the bench and ran inside the palace. 
 
The guards gave her an odd look but did not comment on the princess’s lady’s actions. Thanks to Raven, she knew exactly where to go. As she came to an elaborate door, a knight stepped forward to halt her.
 
“It’s urgent,” Seph said, breathless, “About the princess. I must see His Majesty right away. It cannot wait.”
 
The knight looked uncomfortable and unsure. But, to Sephine’s relief, he knocked on the door and called in that it was the princess’s lady and that it was urgent. The door opened from inside by one of the king’s loyal servants. 
 
Inside, Galien sat at a table filled with food with the prince Cassivan, and one of his retainers, Baron Luciun Clodius. Cassivan was not supposed to attend the meeting between the port master and Galien, but ships were an ever-pressing concern of the southern duchy, so it would not have been a surprise if the queen pushed Cassivan into this meeting.
 
“Lady Sephine,” Galien said simply. 
 
Sephine stepped in and bowed deeply, “I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty. It could not wait a moment. I just received word from the princess’s lady, Yanafir; they and the knight at the academy were attacked. Princess Amirya has been kidnapped. Please, Your Majesty, I beg you, please save her at once. It hasn’t been long; they say the beast has Amirya’s scent at the academy.”
 
Seph was sure her heart had never pounded so hard as she lied in front of the monarch.
 
There was not a single place in the kingdom that the direct royal guard could not go, with or without notice or sanction. But some places - like the Royal Academy - no one the king himself would order knights in. If only the knights or knight guard - even the golden guard - were alerted, it was not enough.
 
Hale especially would not prioritize Amirya. They would all drag their feet, especially when it came to the Academy - an entity almost as strong as the temple in influence and power with the connections it had to all nobility and the prestige it carried even for commoners. The king, though, nothing would stop the king. And the potentiality of a cover-up depending on who found the princess was too high.
 
It was the same reason they did it all on their one, in the first place. They had to catch those who’d sweep this away off guard.
 
A heavy pause brought tension into the room. Cassivan dropped his fork and glanced at his father. Galien stood, and Cassivan and Luciun followed.
 
Galien turned to his servant, “Call the Commander to mobilize the gold guard immediately. Luciun, another time.”
 
Luciun bowed and expressed his understanding. Sephine felt like her body vibrated with apprehension.
 
“Father,” Cassivan stated.
 
Galien shook his head, “Do not test any of my patience, Cassivan.”
 
“It’s not that,” he said, “allow me to go as well.”
 
Sephine whipped her head towards him with an incredulous look on her face. Cassivan shifted and touched his face, where a light bruise still faded. Corentine must have told him whoever attacked Amirya last time was the same as who attacked him, and now that this has happened, perhaps he thought it was the same group. 
 
“It’s an insult to the entire royal family to touch any of us,” Cassivan defended himself.
 
“Fine,” Galien stated. He nodded to Sephine as he passed her. 
 
She followed on his heels, and though she could tell he was surprised, he did not tell her to cease. She waited patiently outside his room, but it only took minutes for the servants to change him into appropriate clothing. She and the servant matched step for step behind the king to the front of the palace, where a small guard stood with Hale.
 
“Your Majesty,” Hale greeted with a small bow.
 
“Where’s the rest?” Galien asked with an agitated tone.
 
“It seems many knights were mobilized earlier and have not returned,” Hale replied, still bowed.
 
“Seemed? Do you not know?” Galien scolded.
 
Knight apprentices appeared, riding and herding the horses that the stable workers must have dressed at an impressive speed. Not long after, Cassivan also appeared on his horse, and Sephine scrunched her nose up, slightly surprised that he did not take long.
 
“Where’s Raven Overyn?” Galien observed as he mounted his horse.
 
“...presumed to be a part of the mobilized knights,” Hale said through clenched teeth. Before the king could respond, Hale continued in a low tone as to make the conversation as private as possible, “Your Majesty - several times the princess has messed around. The academy is secure. This is probably an intentional–”
 
“My son was beaten at a city pub, and then my daughter’s carriage was jacked.” Galien glared down at Hale. “No matter what this ends up as, someone in the city is moving as though they can touch my children. I will remind them of the palace’s strength. Mobilize the available Blue and Red Guard, and send them to follow us.”
 
Sephine stuck out her tongue at Hale, though he did not see. His nose was twitching and he breathed heavy, his anger tangible to those nearby. But he acquiesced, and ordered a knight to carry out the command, then whistled for his horse to come. Cassivan led his horse beside his father. They did not have mass teleportation devices nor any wizard capable of such a spell. The academy was not far on a fast horse.
 
Sephine grabbed a random knight’s calf, “Me too.”
 
“Uh,” he replied dumbly, glancing at the king, poised to move.
 
“Sir Ray,” Galien said simply and nodded. He took off, Hale and Cassivan at his sides. 
 
 Sephine grabbed his arm and pulled. He mumbled again, confused, before he assisted in pulling her up on the horse and kicking off, muttering behind her in wonder, “The king knows my name…”
 
 
…
 
When they arrived at the academy, there was a panic across the campus. An academy knight spotted the king and rushed off - an incredibly rude and disrespectful act. Within no time, the security master and the headmaster approached their steeds.
 
“Your Majesty,” the headmaster bowed properly, “we are doing everything-”
 
“Where’s the beast?” He asked simply. 
 
The security and headmaster looked at each other, panic in their eyes.
 
“That spirit beast attached to my daughter. A beast that could track its master through a desert. Where is it? I was informed it had her scent already. Why haven’t you moved?” Galien raised his voice.
 
The security master knelt and began to uselessly pander, and before he got more than a few words out, Galien interrupted, stating, “You are testing my mercy.”
 
“You can’t bring the army into the Academy,” the headmaster said instead, twisting his hands. “We will accept fault; however, it is known how the princess-”
 
He shut up when he saw the look in the King’s eyes.
 
“How dare you,” Cassivan spoke up. Sephine, again, was bewildered. Cassivan continued, “This is the Aureliun kingdom, is it not? And what is your king’s name?”
 
She rolled her eyes. It was a power thing, not concern for his sister. 
 
The headmaster stumbled over his words, not wanting to give a straight answer.
 
“Aurelius,” Cassivan glared down as well. “We received a report that your measly security was incapable of tracking royalty, even after a direct order to ensure she was escorted. Your excuses can come later, after you fulfill what your king orders.”
 
“We did,” the security master said, “but the knight escort was… knocked out. The maid and the beast too, we-”
 
“To the scene to start with, then.” Galien said through his teeth. 
 
The whole time, Hale grew stiffer in posture, glancing off into the distance frequently. They escorted the King and his guard towards the back garden when Yanafir and Cinna ran out and towards them. 
 
Sephine smiled, a huge breath of relief leaving her. She quickly covered her mouth to hide it.
 
As soon as Yanafir saw the King, she ran straight for him. The headmaster tried to intercept her, and when Cinna maliciously snapped at him, he backed off with his hands up. Yanafir yelled that Cinna had Amirya’s trail. 
 
She crouched and turned to Cinna, in a whisper, she told him, “Okay, my Lady said you would understand this… it’s time. Go to her.”
 
Cinna did not sniff the ground. He closed his eyes, as though sensing, and a second later turned and ran. His speed was not something a regular human on foot could keep up with. To her shock and horror, the king himself stopped by her and leaned down, scooping her up with great ease and into the space in front of him, kicking off again.
 
If Yanafir thought her heart wasn’t going to survive this before, she was sure now she’d die from her heart stopping in discomfort. The closer they approached the alchemy building, the more Hale panicked. He was covered in sweat.
 
They arrived at the tower.
 
“Your Majesty,” Hale called, his voice thick, “we ought to go through proper channels. This beast…”
 
Galien held his hand up. Hale bit his lip, so distracted he did not catch Cassivan’s confused glance. Cinna stopped in front of the tower but dug at the ground and started to yip. Yanafir looked back to Sephine and gave the most inconspicuous nod she could manage. 
 
“Get ready to search it,” Galien said and swung from his horse. Hale quickly followed, already heading toward the tower.
 
“Your Majesty, if it is truly a kidnapping, it could be dangerous. Allow me and a few of the more elite knights go first.” Hale felt sick and also pissed. “Your Majesty, we should gather our bearings first. Going in too fast may endanger the princess.”
 
With all the commotion, none of them heard another horse approach until it was right up on them. The horse skidded to a stop near the king, and a girl with a high ponytail of long, straight red hair fluidly jumped off. Most knew from the rumors that this was Finri.
“Sir Raven will be here soon with some shit,” Finri said bluntly.
 
“Lady Finri!” Sephine hissed.
 
Finri did not pay any of them attention and approached Cinna directly.
 
“You,” Hale yelled. “What the hell-”
 
Finri quickly examined the tower. There were no sources of heat in the upper tower. She held her hands in front of her chest, a ball of energy appearing.
 
Hale drew his sword, “In the presence of his Majesty-!”
 
Finri blew up the door, and most of the wall next to it, too. Heaps of stone fell off, unstable. She jumped up the steps and disappeared inside with Cinna running after her.
 
The commander, and quite a few others, were speechless.
 
“Search it,” Galien ordered. “Report the very second anything is found.”
 
“I’ll lead the entry group, father,” Cassivan said. “You don’t need to worry.” 
 
He waltzed up to Hale, who still hadn’t gotten his breathing under control. Cassivan looked at Hale from the corner of his eye, one eyebrow drawn down a bit in confusion. 
 
“Yes,” Hale said, nodding. He quickly called out three names - names of his most trusted knights. 
 
Finri, already inside, quickly went through a door and past a wall where the knights would not see her immediately. She didn’t need them to slow her down. Cinna whined and pawed the floor again, turning his begging eyes to Finri. Her yellow eyes turned to the floor and she lifted her leg, fire circling her foot.
 
 
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