1 Mission

"STOP."

Freya's steps halted upon hearing the guard's order. Her heart hammered inside her chest. She went in and out of the palace many times, and no one had stopped her before. Thinking that the guards might have discovered her disguise sent a chill to her heart.

She turned around slowly and faced the well-armed guard. "Do you need something?" she asked. Her voice was firm while she kept an expressionless gaze on her face, completely the opposite of her true stressful feelings.

"You forgot to say your name and show me your leave permission," he said and Freya's stiff body relaxed.

"Felma… It's Felma Raynder," she stated.

The guard nodded after seeing the parchment. Freya then turned to leave. 'There must be something going on in the palace.'

The previous times, she left the palace without having to show the leave permission. As Felma was a maid in the palace, she could go out to visit her sick brother. The guards were used to seeing her leaving many times.

Freya walked with the bright full moon as a companion despite the burning sensation in her legs. The cool breeze, signing the beginning of the spring, caressed her cheeks, wiping her tiredness. Striding from the well-built, calm and seemingly well-lit area; she ventured deeper to arrive at the dark streets.

The Frowshire kingdom, the largest kingdom in the continent, had a faceless side—as the nobles preferred to call it—at the centre of the capital. The faceless side was a place where the commoners lived. Nobles expressed their desire to move them out of the capital, but the king refused.

Such a heroic gesture from some unkind man.

As the thought drifted to the king, Freya bit her lips. 

As she strolled through the bustling streets, she noticed numerous stalls selling different types of food and goods. Individuals dressed in shabby attire walked alongside their loved ones, while children scurried around, playing and having fun. The sounds of laughter, murmurs, and vendors' voices, as well as the thudding of boots on the pavement, blended together to create a one-of-a-kind symphony.

Stopping in the middle of the crowd, she closed her eyes. She had not felt this freedom for a long time. With no responsibility or burden, she left everything behind and wanted to enjoy this rare moment by herself.

The time for relaxation was cut short as someone pushed her to move forward. Freya frowned and continued her path to find her eternal freedom.

Marching for two steps, the scent of grilled meat caused her stomach to growl loudly. Freya looked at the delicious meat, and her mouth watered. She hurried to the stall and bought two skews, munching them happily as she got into a deserted road.

Standing by an unfamiliar secluded store, Freya wiped the sweat on her forehead. Her chest heaved up and down, and her feet tingled from the long period she walked.

The crumpled iron door whizzed, the moment she pushed it open. She stepped on and stood by the counter.

"I came to request a mission," she said. Her voice was low yet firm.

"Welcome, young lady," a scar-faced man greeted with a curt nod. 

"I want you to look for someone," she revealed, tilting her head to open the bag. 

"Young lady, our guild only searches for information, not lost people. We are not doing charity," he responded.

Freya's hand stopped, hearing the man's mockery. However, she opened the bag and grabbed a parchment with a detailed description. Her movements were fast and graceful.

"No, I am not looking for someone lost. I am looking for a person with this definition," she explained, handing him a parchment.

The man observed the parchment and then sent her a strange stare. "I don't think I can help you."

"I Will give you as much as you want of gold," she announced, trying to convince the man.

"I am sorry."

Freya gulped and clutched her bag tightly. She somehow guessed this, but she had to do this. Her entire life depended on this deal. Time ticked as her anxiousness rose. She tried convincing the man, but he was adamant not to accept her mission.

Having no other choice, she took something from her shoulder bag and showed it to the man reluctantly. "And now?"

"H- How! The dragon's tear—" he stuttered in bewilderment, stretching his hand to take it, but Freya hid it in her hand.

The Dragon's Tear was a rare piece of jewellery, shaped like a tear. Its colour changed from ruby red to orange, and it was worth over fifty thousand pieces of gold. It had special healing properties that could cure one's essence, and it was often used in a time when magic existed. However, nowadays, it held no meaning as magic no longer existed. Despite not knowing how it got its name, one thing was certain - it was a valuable and highly sought-after item.

She got it from her brother as a present for her marriage. She didn't expect that man would be so nice to give her a priceless gift, but she knew he would get something in return.

Freya stuffed it in her palm and said, "So, we have a deal? If you don't accept, I will look for another guild—"

"NO! I will accept the mission," he said, interrupting her.

Freya's lips curled upward. Her threat worked as the man nodded to her words. 

"But I had to say that looking for a woman with this description is not an easy task," the man murmured as he scratched his forehead.

He gazed at her as if he was waiting for something. Freya forced a smile and coughed, pretending not to know.

"Let's make the contract, and this will be yours," she said, showing him the jewel.

The man sighed and nodded. After a heated debate, she convinced him to look for the person without using violence, blackmailing, kidnapping, and killing. She put in other terms, and finally, they signed the agreement, after that, Freya handed him the dragon's tear.

Gazing at the jewel resting in the man's hands, Freya's heart ached.

Although the jewel's value was high, her freedom was priceless. She turned around and shuffled to the door.

"Do you perhaps know the queen?"

Freya stopped and turned to look at the man. For sure, he got suspicious when she portrayed someone similar to the queen. Almost all the citizens knew the queen had silver hair and purple eyes.

"I choose the Hawk Guild for its credibility and its respect for her client's privacy, so don't let me take a bad review on you," she remarked, opening the door and going out.

Taking a deep breath, she took the same path to return to the palace, jumping and humming a song. 'My escape plan starts from now on.' Her lips curled up instantly.

Soon, she will return to her beautiful small town. The mountains, the sea, the kind people, her warm house… she missed everything there… sailing, hunting, watching the endless blue sea, eating seafood, shrimp, grilled fish… and most importantly… her mother. Remembering this, her happiness rose to the sky.

Passing by a dimly lighted alley, she heard a groan. Freya frowned and stepped closer slowly, the sound disappeared. She peeked into the deserted street. Her eyes widened when she witnessed four men surrounding a person who lay on the ground.

"He's dead," a man voiced out.

Her heart thumped, and her body froze. 'What's happening? A murder?'

"What should we do? He didn't tell us who's working for?" The men continued to talk.

Freya gulped the lump, rising in her throat and turned slowly. She had to notify the safety guards to catch the criminals. As she took a step ahead, a black shadow appeared in front of her, grabbing her arm.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

Freya struggled to push the man away, but he dragged her easily and threw her on the hard, stony ground. Her knees and hands stung.

"I catch her eavesdropping on us," the man said, walking to the others.

"A woman?"

Freya panicked, seeing four burly men. She checked the surroundings to find an escape while the men were busy chatting. 'Where is my bag?' she swept her gaze on the ground to find it far away from her. She crawled a little.

"Where do you think you are going?" one of them said, grabbing her hair.

Freya groaned, feeling the pain. She elbowed his neck, making him unable to breathe. He freed her and clutched his neck. Freya took her bag and opened it to find it empty. Her heart rose to her mouth as the only chance to save herself disappeared.

"Are you looking for this?"

Hearing the voice, she gasped. Looking up, she confirmed the man's identity from his ruby eyes. The king of the Frowshire kingdom, her husband.

..

If you liked the opening chapter, add the story to your library. Thank you for reading.