Chapter 3:
Meeting after a long time
The princess and her shadow
“You… you bastard! I will not step back now!”
The guardian’s amethyst eyes shimmered with quiet fury, but his expression remained as calm and cold as stone. Kaelith summoned his power to strike—only to falter when one of his soldiers leaned close, whispering something urgent. His face blanched. With a scowl, he spat bitterly,
The silence that followed was heavy. Princess Ninsula, still shaken, pushed herself up from the ground. She looked at the figure standing between her and danger—the boy she remembered, though now no longer a boy. He turned at last, his sharp jawline catching the glow of twilight, long black hair falling to his collarbones with the rest tied in a loose long ponytail. His eyes, deep as the winter dusk, burned with a purple light, reflecting the fading hues of evening. Clad in dark armor robes, his presence carried a weight both melancholy and unwavering.
“Master… forgive me for coming late.”
Her lips parted, but no words came. When she said nothing, he rose silently, ready to leave. Ninsula puffed her cheeks, stomping forward with her hands on her hips.
“You idiot! I told you years ago—I’m not your master! Why do you always appear only when I’m about to die, save me, then vanish like a ghost? You’re really so… annoying!”
She stood before him, the mountain wind tangling her long white hair as the evening glow crowned her pouty face and big wide blue innocent eyes. Yet the man remained unmoved, steel in his bearing. Hand pressed to his chest, he bowed once more.
“Master, I am sorry for upsetting you. But how could I dare to call myself your friend?”
Her grumpy eyes flicked away, cheeks puffed stubbornly. whatever she really grateful if he would have late just one second that might be her end . He watched her in silence, then finally exhaled and turned to go.
“Next time, if you wish to leave the castle,” he said, his voice low but certain, “tell me. I will take you anywhere.”
And with that, he stepped into the shadows. At the peak of the mountain, his figure dissolved into the wind. Ninsula’s eyes widened at his last words, heart stirring with a strange ache.
“You’re safe! Are you hurt?”
Ninsula smiled softly and shook her head. “I’m fine. My guardian came to save me… the others fled.”
The commander, Sir Dareth, dropped to one knee, his face pale with relief.
In the imperial palace, the king stood before his throne, anger carved into his face. Ninsula hid behind a pillar, fidgeting. But his sigh carried across the chamber.
“You troublemaker. Come out now. Why do you always leave, even when I beg you not to?”
Startled, she stepped forward, hands clasped behind her back as she twirled like a guilty child.
“Father, I just wanted a little freedom. You always keep me caged… I can’t help it.”
His piercing blue eyes softened as he gazed at her, seeing shadows of her childhood princess in her. For father she will never grow.Slowly, he rose.
“Come. Let’s walk.”
They wandered into the moonlit imperial gardens, where roses bloomed and fireflies danced like sparks of fallen stars. The king walked slowly, hands folded behind him, while Ninsula trailed behind, brushing petals, chasing fireflies, glowing like the child she still was.
At last, he stopped, gazing up at the moon. His voice was low, steady.
"You’ve grown too quickly. I keep you in the castle not out of cruelty, but because of something precious within you. You are a delicate flower—beautiful, but one the world would pluck and destroy if I let them.”
Her play stilled. Blue eyes shimmered with the firefly light as she looked at him—her father, still handsome, but weary with burdens.
He turned, offering her a soft smile. “Remember this: life is change. One day peace, the next chaos. The world will never be steady. But your heart—always listen to it.”She fell in thoughts looks like she is trying to understand her father views but...
The king blinked with this sudden turn of topics she didn't listen anything with mind, then burst into warm, rolling laughter. He stepped close, pinching her pouty cheeks as she grumbled.
“I can’t, little one. That is something only you can do. Try, and you’ll see—it’s tradition you have to used to it."
She still tried to argue, but he was no longer in the mood to listen. His silence was final.
…..
Later, in the emperor’s throne hall, the vast chamber echoed with the weight of authority. The king sat high upon his throne, his figure draped in heavy robes of state, while the commander knelt respectfully before him, one hand pressed firmly to his chest. His armor gleamed faintly in the shafts of sunlight breaking through the tall windows.
“Your Highness,” the commander began, voice steady, “today while the princess was outside the palace walls, the Hagen tribe launched a secret attack. Their true aim was not a simple raid—their crown prince, Kaelith, himself came with many powerful warriors. Their target was none other than Princess Ninsula. They even had spies tracking her movements.”
He paused, bowing his head deeper before continuing.
“But thankfully, the princess’s Guardian reached her in time.—even against Prince Kaelith he protected her without allowing harm to befall her.”
The king leaned back on his throne, eyes shadowed with weariness. He closed them briefly, as though weighing the gravity of these words, before opening them again. A deep sigh left him.
“It is… troubling,” he murmured. “The Hagen tribe first sought to claim Ninsula through marriage, binding her to Prince Kaelith. Now they dare attempt abduction? It is clear they seek something they should never know of.” His gaze hardened,deep in painful thoughts but his lips curved into a cold smile.
“We must confine her more tightly than ever.”
Then, his expression softened—though only slightly.
“And as for her Guardian… I expected no less. He was forged to do it, after all.”
The night was cloaked in silence, the moon glowing faintly as drifting clouds veiled it in and out of sight. Bats circled above the ancient castle, their wings cutting through the still air.
Upon the rooftop, a lone figure sat. His robe swayed with the wind, one hand resting on his bent knee, the other hanging loosely at his side, as though he had no greater duty in the world than this quiet vigil.
His eyes were closed at first, then slowly opened—deep purple hues gleaming faintly under the moonlight, his long black hair catching its glow. His gaze slipped downward, falling upon the window below, where the princess sat before her mirror, gently combing her hair.
A sigh escaped his lips, soft and weightless. His eyes remained calm, cold, yet strangely serene—like still waters hiding endless depths.
In the hush of the night, his words lingered in the air.
"Friend ? How does it feel to be a friend master"
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