13 The Prince's Request

The rain was pouring hard that night in Eriden. By the time dinner was ready, we heard loud thunder accompanied by the sound of strong winds. Any conversation at our regular volume would have been barely audible.

I looked out the foggy glass windows to see the streets, which were completely deserted and dim. Most oil lamps had been put out by the heavy rain. I hoped that Sina managed to find shelter from the inhospitable rain.

Adrian looked up at the ceiling and noticed a small leak. He was about to get tools to fix it, when Iris stopped him.

"You can fix it after dinner, Adrian," Iris said as she served a thick potato soup with some bread. It was still steaming hot. "Come and eat. I'm starving."

The twins sat down at the dinner table and filled their empty stomachs. Adrian began narrating to his sister about the thief and my new clothes. Iris expressed her worry about her brother's tendency to throw himself into dangerous situations.

I moved to the couches where a newspaper was left open. The headlines were filled with news about the civil war and the execution that was supposed to take place this morning. The battlegrounds were gradually drawing closer to Eriden.

A white envelope on the floor by the door caught my attention. It wasn't there ten minutes ago. I picked it up and showed it to Adrian.

"Adrian, there was a white envelope on the floor," I said.

My words drew out a strong reaction from him. He immediately left his bread on the plate and ran out of the house like a madman. Iris stood up from her seat.

"Adrian! Come back here! There's a storm outside," Iris shouted.

"I'll bring him back." I followed Adrian out of the house.

"Aliciel! Not you too!"

Navigating was difficult with the heavy rain and strong winds. From a distance, I could make out two figures running. One of them was definitely Adrian. The other one was a stranger. I did my best to follow them both through the dimly lit street.

Adrian accidentally slipped and fell on the pavement, allowing the stranger to escape. I helped him stand up.

"Aliciel, what are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I should ask you the same question," I replied.

"I wanted to meet the man behind the mysterious envelopes. The same person who requested me to board that same train you were on and sabotage their plan. This would have been my best chance to find out who he is. I have too many questions. Why did he know so much about the terrorists? Why is he giving the job to me instead of the police?"

"Adrian, let's head back. Iris is worried."

"You're right. Let's go back."

By the time we reached home, we were soaked from head to toe. My boots were filled to the brim with water, which I emptied before stepping inside the house. We were both greeted with towels thrown on our faces by an angry lady mechanic.

"Will both of you please behave yourselves? Running around in the middle of a thunderstorm is dangerous!" Iris gave us a lecture.

"Forgive me, Iris. I acted on the spur of the moment. I wanted to meet the anonymous client."

"You best not delve deep into that client, Adrian. If he is in any way connected with those terrorists, you could get yourself in trouble."

"Worry not. My name is already blacklisted by them. It shouldn't get any worse whether or not I investigate the anonymous client," the detective said positively.

Iris grew even more upset. "Adrian! You're the only family I have left. We've already lost our parents and our home. The war is drawing nearer each day to Eriden. I beg of you to please stop putting yourself in danger. I don't want to lose you as well."

Adrian was silent. He probably realized how much he made his sister worry. "I understand. I will do my best to stay out of danger."

The twins went back to the dinner table to finish their meal. The rain continued pouring as I changed out of my soaking wet clothes. I had to borrow one of Iris' nightgowns while my dress dried.

When I stepped into the second floor hallway where Adrian was standing, Iris suddenly entered looking as if she just saw a ghost. She was filled with enough bewilderment to hamper her speech that she resorted to using hand gestures.

"What is it?" Adrian asked after failing to guess the cause.

Iris swallowed hard. "We have a guest."

Adrian and I followed her to the main room.

It was the prince dressed in commoner clothes drenched in rainwater. His golden hair was peeking out from under the brown cloak. There was no sign of any escort. He probably came alone secretly.

Adrian knew it was really the prince himself, having just seen him the other day. Iris quickly offered their unexpected guest a towel and served him tea.

"Good evening, Detective Latrell and Miss Latrell," he greeted both of them. "I came here in secret to ask for a request. You will be paid handsomely."

"Your Highness! This is quite an unexpected visit. By all means, make yourself comfortable and have a seat. What sort of request is it?" asked Adrian.

"By the end of this month, I wish to fake my death and escape this kingdom along with a lady. I need your assistance in arranging it." He went straight to the point.

"An elopement?"

"That is correct. Will you accept my request?"

The twins looked at each other in bewilderment. Neither of them could utter a word for a few seconds.

"Do you mind if my sister and I discuss this for a moment?" Adrian finally spoke.

"Take your time."

The Latrell twins left the room, leaving me alone with the prince. We both sat silently on the couch for a moment, indulging ourselves in the dominating sound of rainfall. It wasn't long before the prince finally raised a question:

"You are the girl from the train incident, am I correct?"

"Yes, Your Highness," I replied.

He said nothing more afterwards. The silence between us continued until the twins returned.

"Your Highness, we would like to clarify a few things. Should my sister and I aid you, the king would have our heads if our involvement was proven, am I correct?" Adrian asked.

"Yes. You will be putting your lives on the line for my sake. I only have monetary reward to compensate for this risk. The sum should be enough to sustain you for the rest of your lifetime," replied the prince.

Adrian glanced at his sister who was hesitant about accepting.

The prince continued, "My father, the king, had me engaged to a princess from a western kingdom. I only wish to be with one person, but the difference in our social status is too high. I would taint the royal family name and ruin this kingdom's diplomatic efforts. We are left with no choice but to run away. Faking death appears to be the soundest reason for a royal engagement to be cancelled without harming the relationship between our two kingdoms."

He paused. "Perhaps you need more time to consider this. I will summon you to the palace in three days." He returned the towel to Iris. "Thank you for your hospitality. I hope you will accept my request."

"Will you not wait until the rain gets lighter?" Iris asked out of concern.

"I fear that if I do not return to the palace soon, my secret visit here will be discovered. I have to leave immediately. I will see you in three days. Have a good evening!" He left quickly before anyone was able to bid him a good evening as well.

"Adrian, what should we do?" Iris was burdened by the choice. "I would certainly love to help the prince, but the risk is too high for us."

"We have three days to come to a decision. For now, let's get some rest," replied Adrian before returning back upstairs.