Chapter 3 Flower’s White Flames
“Ahem. Earth to Lily.” Maribel snapped her fingers.
“H—huh?”
She grinned and shook her head. “You only ever get that sparkly look in your eyes when you see the knights. At least pick your jaw off the ground when you’re gawking!”
“I wasn’t gawking,” I hissed, ears flushing, then glanced at the knights again. “I wonder what they’ve been up to.”
“None of your concern, Princess.” Maribel shrugged and frowned. “I thought you left those childish dreams behind.”
“I have,” I mumbled. “I was just thinking out loud.”
Maribel followed my gaze and grinned. “Now he’s worth looking at the knights,” she said, staring at the knight with polished yet scraped armor. His black hair was neatly tied back in a bun, hazel eyes hardened and serious, and a thin scruff lined his sharp jawline.
“Captain Jackson?” I exclaimed.
Maribel nodded, biting her lip.
I gaped. “Maribel! He could be married!”
“Oh, he’s not.” Maribel giggled. “Then again you are technically engaged now that you’re 18. Are you excited to meet your fiancé tonight? I heard Prince Henry is quite the charmer~”
My cheeks burned at the reminder. Prince Henry Barren. My next important responsibility: marriage to secure an alliance with the Drakeveil Kingdom… and conceive an heir.
“Um, I—" We jolted when the loud sound of shattering glass tore through the startled crowd followed by an angry scream.
“YOU BASTARD! I KNEW YOU’D STOOP THIS LOW!” a man shouted.
I raced off in that direction, my body driven forward without thinking. Only one thought on my mind: someone could be in trouble.
“Lily?!” Maribel yelled, racing after me.
I almost tripped over my glass heels again in my haste and froze near the front of the crowd. A man wearing a bandana covering his mouth rushed out of the store with a full bag hauled over his shoulder. His eyes were wild as he looked around the crowd and rushed off.
“Daddy!” A little girl gasped and ran toward the shop, getting in the robber’s way. The panicked robber lifted his knife and the child screamed.
“Don’t!” I yelled and ran between the two, throwing my arm up as a shield. The bloody sword in the memory of my nightmare swinging down on me made my body freeze up and blood run cold. I yelped when the robber's knife sliced my arm.
“LILIANA!” Maribel screamed.
Before I could speak, the robber was tackled to the ground by knights. They ripped off his bandana and held a sword to his throat.
“GET OFF!” the robber screamed.
“Princess Liliana,” Captain Jackson approached me. “Are you alright?”
“Y—yes,” I stammered, hiding my cut arm behind me.
He looked me up and down, frowned, then mumbled under his breath.
Huh? Did he just call me a reckless woman??
Before I could question him, the little girl behind me ran to the robbed shopkeeper.
“Daddy!” She cried again as the shopkeeper hugged her, then he glared at the robber.
“Lock him up for the rest of his life!” the shopkeeper yelled.
“YOU!” the robber screamed. “YOU RUINED ME!”
“Quiet!” Captain Jackson snarled, then turned to his knights. “Take him to the dungeons.”
“Yes, sir!” they said, forcing the robber to his feet and pushing him along. The robber didn't fight back. Instead his eyes dulled and fell to the ground, the scowl on his faded into a look of hopelessness. The loud, panicked crowd quieted once the knighthood came to the rescue. A few citizens looked at me in admiration, awed by their princess who flew in without hesitation.
“Oh my god, Lily—I mean, Your Highness—“ Maribel’s hand flew to her mouth when she saw my arm. “Princess, you're hurt!”
Maribel's reaction was the complete opposite of the citizens, it she acted more like my parents. Because I'm the crowned princess, not a knight.
“It’s not that deep. It already stopped bleeding,” I tried to reassure her then glanced at where the knights had gone with the robber. “That man… Did you hear what he said to the shopkeeper?”
“Who cares?? He could’ve killed you! If it wasn’t for you, he would’ve hurt that child!”
“Maribel…” I hesitated. “He looked desperate.”
“Desperate?? Lily, you can’t-"
I ignored Maribel’s protest and ran after the knighthood’s captain, grabbing his arm. “Wait! Let me talk to him.”
Jackson was taken aback by my sudden assertiveness. He searched my silver eyes before pulling away. “Out of question.”
I frowned, squinting up at him. “Are you defying your princess?”
Jackson winced, but his gaze hardened with frustration. I hated pulling out the royalty card. It was embarrassing; a card I didn’t want in my deck, but sometimes push comes to shove.
The captain sighed and shook his head. “Your bravery and fire will get you into a lot of trouble one of these days, Princess.” His tone made it clear those weren’t compliments. “Very well. This way.”
Maribel glanced at me worriedly as we followed the knighthood’s captain to the dungeon where prisoners were kept. The dungeon was empty, as usual, leaving the robber the only one there.
The other knights had already had him bound in chains on his ankles and wrists. His head hung, his lip was busted, and cheek was scraped.
The knights weren't gentle with him, that's for sure, I thought.
I recognized the look in his eyes. Despair. Sometimes, I’d see the same look when I gaze into the mirror.
I can't leave him like this... His side of the story wasn't heard.
Raising my chin, I approached the prisoner. The clack of my heels echoed in the almost empty dungeon.
“Princess…!” Maribel whispered nervously, refusing to follow me any further and hiding behind the knighthood's captain.
Jackson snatched my arm, his grip and strength were as firm as the robber's chains and cuffs. Still I glanced up at him. For once I don't stammer as I said, “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”
His brows furrowed, and I expected him to protest. Instead he released me and silently glanced away.
He’s not happy. I could see the tension flickering in his eyes, but I knew what I needed to do.
I strode up to the chained robber.