18 The port of Kertin

In the dark and misty night, four soldiers followed a woman through a wheat field. The ripe wheat reached their waist, brushing past them as they made their way deeper into the field.

"This will do." Said the woman directing the soldiers. They cut the wheat around them using their swords and then tossed a man on the floor. The man struggled and struggled, all for nothing. His hands were tightly tied to the back and his mouth was covered with a cloth. He was crying, his face red and convoluted as he was trying to breathe through the cloth.

Violetta courtly nodded her head, signalling to one soldier to take it off. A tall, well-built man stepped forward and ripped the cloth off his face. The man gasped for air; his face slowly regained its natural colour.

"What is going on?" yelled the man while trying to stand up. The soldier pushed him back on the ground, making him kneel.

"Right, let's get this over with." The soldiers sighed and avoided her gaze.

"Wait! Wh-what is happening?" Michael looked frantically left and right.

"Sir. Did you sell a book about the Second Princess?" Violetta asked the man. His eyes widened and began sweating profusely.

Violetta and the knights took his silence as a positive response. One soldier shook his head. He unsheathed his sword, while the other two immobilised him by holding his shoulders. The moon's bright light reflected by the polished sword landed the man. He looked up in terror realising his life was about to end.

"No, no wait!" Michael's eyes were filled with despair. He could not die like this. He had a family. He had a wife. Admittedly he has not been the best husband, he tried as much as possible to offer them a better life. He promised his wife they would spend their lives together. He left home, lying that he was taking care of some work, so he would be late tonight, but he never expected to not be able to go back home.

"I am innocent. I-I did not do anything. You cannot do this." Yelled the cubby man. Droplets of water came out of his mouth, whilst proclaiming his innocence.

"I just carrying out the command. It's not my fault either." The sergeant was also trying to convince herself. It was not her fault, it was Selda's. She only carried the command.

His knees sunk in the wet soil, feeling the cold ground, almost desensitising him. He looked up at the sergeant, this time not with despair, but with hatred. He knew there was no way of escaping, no one to save him…he accepted his fate.

A cool blade soon rested on the back of his neck, taking his breath away. The last tear managed to fall, running down his fat cheeks before the blade detached his head.

Violetta looked away, closing her eyes. The other soldiers let his bloodied body fall on the ground. The fresh red pool surrounding the body was slowly sucked in the dry wheat. The group decided to leave him there as none wanted to dig a hole at this late hour. They needed to rest because tomorrow a new day followed.

One in which they hoped the did not have to kill another person in the name of the 'Crown'.

~

The next day, the sun rose, its rays landing on the wet blades of grass. A white carriage rushed past these glistening fields. Inside three women stood in silence, but no one seemed uncomfortable. The occasional rustling of a page turned over, brought the maids back to reality.

Anna sat in the carriage but could not concentrate on the story she was reading. Her mind wandered far and wide. As she turned ten this year, the present her father gifted was a small holiday resort on the coast of Kertin. She never left the palace until now, so she was excited to see what the port would look like.

The small port was situated on the far east region of the continent and was an important stop for sailors from other small continents but also for the Clemence Family. The island they resided on, was two to three hours away, by sailing across of course. No other route led to the island.

It was a mountainous region, normally uninhabited. Its abrupt slopes and the muddy murky waters of the Eastern sea had little to no life around. Only a few sources of food existed, one being living off trading, whist other ventured into the deep woods the mountains had to offer.

The Kertin forest was perilous. Beside its unwelcoming monsters, one which led to the name of the forest, the wealthy luscious vegetation made it almost impossible to find your way out of it.

The monsters that roamed its territory were not very dangerous, as dragons, three-headed Cerberus or griffons are creatures long dead now. But giant lizards or snakes still existed. Hungry wolves and bears still threatened humans and their animals.

The Lilith river thought to contain sacred waters ran trough the port and formed an estuary at the Eastern sea. A legend tells a story about how many centuries ago, a man was searching for eternity. This was way before this era, in an epoch where dragons and other mystical varmints still existed. He meandered the world far and wide looking for an answer. He reached the port of Kertin and entered the unknown and pathless forest. The story tells about his fascinating adventures, his unbelievable fights with creatures, big and small, friendly or deceiving animals. He followed the path made by the river until it reached its source.

There the man met a nymph, which told him the secret to immortality. A large well stood next to the river's source, its crystal-clear water was tempting. The man drank from it and as promised he received immortality.

At the end of the day, a story remained a story. Regardless of what it told, no matter how small the truth that might be, it was a legend. Nothing more.

Anna put down her book sighing. She wished they would arrive sooner. Her skin itched, the clothes that she was wearing were making her uncomfortable.

Anna parted the two curtains. Through the glass window, which was partly opened at the top, letting some fresh air in, Anna saw the beautiful scenery in front of her. Distance rocky mountains came into view, their bare peaks touching the cloudy sky. They have long passed the fields of ripe crops, and the landscape switched to a more desolate one. The naked hills surrounded them, barren of much vegetation.

Few weeds and mosses peeked through the cracks of the hills. The hills were made of more rock than soil, its rocks looking like rectangular. She could spot some small animals, like rabbits but occasionally she saw a deer.

Time slowly passed and the distant mountains became larger and larger until they were swallowed by mountains. This road, although unsafe, was the primary road that led to the port of Kertin. The road lay next to a small river that has eroded through this mountain.

Anna looked up and saw that the mountains extended for at least five hundred meters in the air. They looked so domineering and yet so fragile, giving Anna anxiety, that in an unforeseen moment a rock will fall onto the carriage.

The carriage soon came to a halt. Anna peeked her head out and saw a massive wall obscuring their way. It lay right between the two rocks. An arch portcullis wide enough to fit two carriages easily was made of oak and reinforced with metal. A bell suddenly rang followed by the mellower sound of the trumpets, and they reverberated through the valley.

They began moving again and entered what looked like a fortress. The thick walls were made from cut fieldstone and cliff stones stacked on top of each other and filled with cement. They portcullis closed behind them with a loud bang while they entered the city.

Marine birds flew above them. Their shrills, rasping squawks or hoarse sounds echoed through the port. They danced in circles or with complex choreography as if welcoming them to the port.

Men, women and kids filled the streets, rushing about. Merchants were loudly advertising their products, attracting people of all ages. The road was wide, like a boulevard, decorated with flowers and small trees where children, lovers and old people took shelter from the burning sun.

The plaza extended as far as the boulevard ran, until a point where the road bifurcated. One stoned road led to the port, descending slowly down the abrupt hill. Houses were made of stone, some pained white while some were left in their beautiful calcite colour. They were relatively small, squished together, with small benches in front of their houses. Horses, carriages, people bustling about, everything in this port was dynamic, not a second left for rest.

On the road that ascended, the houses were larger, lots which had grand entrances. This street was calmer, with lesser people walking on it. They took this road, and the carriage's pace slowed down significantly. The slopes were abrupt, with the road becoming tighter and tighter the further they ascended. The road had heaps of twists and turns and with every turn, they took Anna could see the lower levels. She could see inside their courtyards, where women and men rested under the shade of umbrellas. The vibrant colour of the multitude of umbrellas, combined with the picturesque landscape that surrounded them, made Anna gasp in awe.

She adored every piece of this city. Kertin was placed in a valley formed by the river poured its freshwaters in the Eastern Sea. The city was relatively small, but looking at its busy streets, it meant that many people lived here. The city did not have a proper beach, but a small shore made of rocks unsuitable for visiting. Still, people liked to adventure there, after a tiring day at work or to cool themselves in the deep waters of the Sea.

They soon reached their destination. A cherry wooden gate adorned with climbing roses stood proudly in front of them. The door was surrounded by calamite walls weighed down by ivy and some other climbing flowers. Behind the door, Anna soon found a large mansion. It consisted of two houses, glued together, the one behind being rectangular and touched the mountain. The one in front was beautifully decorated with a large craved balcony, painted white. The windows were large, and similar in colour to the balcony, but the house was painted a peachy rose.

"It is beautiful." Exclaimed Anna. With the help of the coachman, Anna got off the carriage and admired everything around her. She inspired the fresh salty air. It instantly reinvigorated her and she made her way inside the house. The mansion was spacious, and a group of servants awaited her inside with their heads bowed. Anna told them to continue with their duties and they did just that.

She was told by Pedro, the butler that all the servants here were temporary and if she was unsatisfied with their service, she should let him know. Pedro, unlike Rufen the palace butler was less gallant, but Anna did not mind him.

"What did you do before you started working here?" asked Anna out of curiosity. Pedro was very robust; Anna could see a part of his tattoo on his neck. No matter how much he tried to cover it with his uniform it still did not hide the entire piece of art.

"I own a restaurant in the city, Your highness." Pedro's deep voice surprised Anna. He sounded like he was a sailor, that spends his time carelessly smoking from his pipe. Anna looked at him in confusion, not understanding how a restaurant owner as himself was even considered for this job post. Pedro understood her gaze and continued his explanation.

"A noble, the mayor of the city recommended my service. He says I know how to entertain nobles the best."

Anna's face still showed confusion. Why would she need to be entertained? Did they think that by sending a restaurant owner and not an actual noble from the port she is going to overlook their rude behaviour? That mayor has a lot of guts to not show his face in front of the second Princess. As for the other nobles, Anna had a way to deal with them.

'It seems I have fun wherever I go.'

A sly smile soon adorned her beautiful face. Her mind was already planning things out. Vanessa, who was carrying one of Anna's luggage, saw her reaction. Petrified, she dropped the luggage on the floor, attracting some attention. People's gazes landed on three people, Pedro, Vanessa and Anna. Those who knew Anna, instantly realised that something was wrong, while the unaware staff including Pedro were left in the dark.

"Your Highness, do you feel all right?" asked Mielda rushing towards Anna. In response, Anna's smile deepened, showing a hint of ridicule.

"Yes. Ecstatic in fact." Replied Anna and continued walking towards her new bedroom.

A woman outside, dressed in a red tunic gulped loudly and raised her eyes to the sky, wondering what she has done wrong in her life to deserve this. Her mind slowly prepared for what was to come. She and her subordinates send fervent prays to the Gods and hoped. Hoped that no one would suffer too much. That was all.

There seemed to be a trend around people who surrounded Anna for some time. They became more religious. Only those could save them from Anna. Themselves and her victims.