A Hundred and Eighty Degree Change.

**@ManniP and @subhuuuuu, Thank you for the power stones! I really appreciate it**

Raziah knew she had seen her somewhere before, and the warrior uniform the woman was putting on explained everything else. Fertiti was a brown-haired warrior with pretty medium-sized eyes and a round face. She was dark-skinned, and a little shorter than average - and just like Felix she has been Aragon's close warrior and guard for as long as she could remember, together with Indah and Taj.

"You're not alone," Raziah added.

If Fertiti wasn't surprised before, then she definitely is now. Behind her, Taj walked out too with almost the same expression as Fertiti. There was an awkward grin on his scarred lips, but he didn't say anything. When Raziah didn't speak either, Taj and Fertiti made sharp eye contact before turning back to her cold and assessing eyes.

"His Majesty instructed us to look after you." Taj finally broke the Heavy silence. Felix hadn't broken the news to them about who Raziah truly was to the King, so they were still trying to wrap their head around why he would...

Raziah's eyes grew a little colder, freezing both guards on their feet. Her uninteresting eyes finally grew out of their assession and asked, "Have you seen a maid? She's small, walks like a scared kitten, cries at every little thing, big baby eyes, she was with me,"

"Her name?"

"Maria,"

"We will help you find her,"

"The one from yesterday. I'll search the cells," Were the only words that left fertiti's lips before she turned around, pulled out something from her clothing, and walked away.

Raziah's eyes dimmed. What do they mean by 'the one from yesterday?' "What happened to Maria? Was she arrested for what happened?"

Taj's eyes flew away from hers the second she made eye contact with his, a chilling sensation running down his back. No one had told him the woman could... Intimidate without even trying! Like what the hell? Is she really just ordinary? Raziah watched as he guiltily scratched the back of his head, "Not exactly, but she was questioned,"

Engraved on the right shoulder of his shirt was the falcon emblem of the kingdom of Erandell, and he had short and dirty dark hair.

"Where is she now?"

"If she was not kept in the cells for not speaking, then she is most probably in the quarters. I'll escort you... " His voice died off, and he groaned throatily, realizing he had just spilled again. Relief shone in the princess's globes - but she knew she had caused problems for Maria here, just like she did for Uariel.

"Thank you for telling me," She said sincerely, "Was she... tortured?"

"Not at all."

"She's not in the cell," Fertiti spoke as she walked back to them. Once again, it baffled Raziah how fast the warrior had left and returned. Was she able to superspeed or something? Or was it that the cells were very close? Whatever it was, it didn't concern her.

"The quarters it is,"

The three of them walked towards the maid's quarters, with Taj stopping outside for the both of them to go inside. It was like another smaller part of the palace itself with several small rooms which didn't look anything as beautiful as the main palace itself. Only the higher-ups in the palace knew about what happened, so the only gossips directed at Raziah were the ones she was used to hearing.

"My Prin...Lady!"

And there was Maria running towards them. She was a sobbing mess as she hauled herself onto the princess, who caught her in the firm and warming embrace, "They wouldn't let me see you! No one told me you got shot...! Oh, God!" She bawled hard, her body shaking with the power of her tears.

"I had no idea too. I'm sorry, crybaby,"

Maria sniffed as she pulled back with big red baby eyes, shaking her head profusely, "You didn't do anything, don't apologize, you hear me?" She sounded a bit commanding with the last part, finally smiling a little.

"Who stopped you from seeing me?" Raziah inquired.

Maria narrowed her eyes as she frighteningly made small eye contact with Fertiti, whose left hand had been running across the sheath of her sword ever since she saw Maria jump on Raziah.

"She's kind of scary," Maria whispered.

"Is she?"

Maria nodded, murmuring again, "She and her partner wouldn't let me..."Maria's voice trailed off when fertiti's eyes narrowed back at hers suspiciously, and the crybaby squirmed under her breath, "I feel like she can hear me too."

"She won't hurt you," Raziah assured her, before the women stepped out of the quarters. The second Maria saw Taj too, she leaned closer to her princess, seeking as much protection as she could get. Maria couldn't stop staring between Fertiti and Taj, then she whispered again, "Are they here to..?"

"They were assigned to me. Don't worry." Just as she said so, Raziah spontaneously whirled around to face the warriors who relentlessly kept following them everywhere, "I need some time alone with Maria. Do you mind?"

That was when Raziah saw Fertiti licking something out of her armor suit right around her waist. There was a small metal pocket, and her fingers were buried in there...with a few red patches over her lips which she quickly licked off. The scent was faint, and it had been there too the first time she stepped out - but Raziah had ignored it thinking it might have been coming from the royal kitchen, but...

Noticing that Raziah had seen it, Taj glared at Fertiti who only shrugged without a word.

"Let's go!" Taj growled lowly at Fertiti, both of them turning around to give the women the desired space. Raziah and Maria walked away, and once they were out of sight, Taj growled at Fertiti angrily, "Can't you hold yourself?! Did you go to the kitchen and steal it? Why on Earth can't you hold yourself from licking pepper?"

"Addicted," Fertiti replied as she dipped her fingers again, and licked the sweet spice off it. The spiciness was all over her tongue, plus the mixture of other sweet flavors made the pepper even more enticing to her tongue.

"Yeah, we know that!"

"If you do, then stop asking."

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Raziah was in a small garden with Maria, who had spotted the white clothing over Raziah's palm and had burst into a new round of tears. Maria was talking about Fabia when it started, and now Raziah's shoulder was getting soaked. Pretty sure her cries were the reason Fabia didn't tell her before she left.

"There there," Raziah patted her softly with her good hand.

After a short while, Maria cleaned her tears and got her emotions under control again, after blaming herself for what happened, "Did anyone ask you what happened?" They were back to whispering again.

"The princess. I told her I don't remember yet, do you think they're keeping an eye on me?"

Maria nodded softly, "After they saw that kitchen knife from Erandell, the culprits that shot us confirmed that you threw it to save her highness, and that was why he decided to get rid of you too, but he was distracted and missed you. Luckily, he wasn't watching to confirm whether the arrow actually hit me because he was already trying to escape,"

Raziah sighed inwardly, placing a hand on Maria's leg, "I heard you were questioned too. Did they hurt you?" Raziah's palm subconsciously turned into fists, not caring if the Injured palm was hurting in the process.

"Apart from the screams and the whole spitting on my face, I'm good." She smiled with a little sniff.

Raziah only nodded. Now she knew exactly what to tell Gwenore the next time they cross paths, but for now, everything seem... alright, right?

They spent some more time with each other, but half of the time was complete silence.

"I dread the day he finally decides to touch you." Maria unintentionally blurted out, her eyes broadening as she became aware of what she had just said.

Raziah was somewhat caught unprepared about what Maria just said, but she didn't show it much, "It's fine. I'll just have to kick him over and over again then,"

"Huh?" Maria blinked.

"Nothing,"

Alone with her new guards, Raziah was on her way back when she noticed Felix standing in front of her room. As she approached him, the warrior bowed respectfully at her, "He is inside, he has been waiting for you to get back,"

Behind her, Taj and Fertiti's eyes brewed with questions, wondering why their leader was bowing to a guest. It was already weird enough that his Majesty had ordered them to stay close to her without her noticing - even though they had failed woefully in that because oddly, the woman's senses seem sharper than that of an ordinary human.

He stepped aside so she could walk inside.

And there was her husband crouching close to the drawer. He had bent down to pick up a piece of paper sitting right there.

"Your Majesty?" She had just taken two steps closer to him when that familiar sense of danger spiked down her nerves uncontrollably, and everything flipped upside down within her as goosebumps appeared on her skin. Every hair stood on her back, and the true shock came when she saw that the dark and overweighting ominous vibe was coming from her husband.

Aragon looked at the handwriting on the paper, and his demeanor switched instantly as if the light bulb that was supposed to keep him under control had been switched back off. He pulled himself up to his full height, his unfathomable gaze scanning through the paper.

There was absolutely no mistake about it.

"Where...did this come from?" A rough and emotionless tone left his lips gravelly, dark eyes staring into hers like a swirling and unending portal leading to only misery and pain.

Recognizing the paper, her dried lips forced themselves to part and reply because she had this strong feeling he might tear her apart if she wasted another second. Holy hell...what was this powerful and excessive sombre air that was liberating from him? It was very hard to breathe, and right now she badly wished she had that knife with her. What sort of monstrous hundred-and-eighty-degree change was this?!

"Back at the palace," she took a step back, "someone gave me, but I don't know who."

He took a threatening step towards her, and Raziah's legs trembled, "And why am I hearing about this now...?" He drawled dangerously, eyes spitting fire.

"I didn't..."

His eyes grew harder, and before she could take her next breath...he moved past her like he couldn't see her anymore, so fast that even without touching her she had impulsively taken a step backwards, her hair blown back as if he had actually pushed her aside. He was out of the room, slamming the door behind her without a care. Silence reigned for few minutes, a sort of ticking and crackling silence, before she managed to get a hold of herself again.

What... just happened?!