Tears. - Part2

- Then we'd better get going, or do you think my wonderful teacher will leave you alone? - Samantha stopped walking and turned her body slightly to look directly into Ane's eyes. When Ane heard the question, she was startled, but seeing Samantha's crimson eyes staring at her she remembered what she had just done, she remembered the conversations they had had over the last few years, the promises, and the smile she had when they talked whenever she came back from training, so she was embarrassed and lowered her head.

- Your Highness, isn't it dangerous? - Jane, who had been silent until now, murmured in a hoarse voice.

- Hmm... Yes, it's dangerous. - Samantha nodded as she answered Jane, and just after answering her, she smiled bitterly and spoke. - But so, what? What should I do then? Let your family die? - Samantha said as she looked directly into Jane's eyes, who had raised her head. When Jane saw Samantha's eyes, she regretted it deeply, she wished she had never made that decision, but what had been done could not be changed.

- Let's go? - Samantha turned and started walking again.

Ane, who took a step forward, was stopped by her sister's hand holding her foot, tears streaming down Jane's face, and before Ane had a chance to say anything Jane shouted.

- MAJESTY!!! - Ane's eyes widened, this title could only be used by three people in the whole kingdom, if other people heard what she had just said her whole family would at the very least be exiled, her sister might not be the most knowledgeable person she knew, but there was no way she wouldn't know what she had just done.

Samantha was even more surprised than Ane, for all her life, since her mother died she had never had a reliable supporter, let alone received this title, not receiving veiled insults was already great for her daily life, so she couldn't be indifferent to this title. - Do you know what you just said Jane?

- Yes

- Do you... Do you think that title is appropriate?

- Before I wouldn't have known how to answer, you're intelligent, but that alone isn't enough..., But today, what I've seen today makes me certain, please forgive me, no, accept my oath... - Jane bowed her head and waited for Samantha's answer.

- Why now? Just by force? - Samantha asked, her voice a little shaky.

- In part yes, without force you would be killed by your other brothers, or by the current queen, but that's not all. - Jane answered and waited for consent to continue.

Samantha looked at how Jane was acting and was perplexed, Jane had always been closer to her than Ane, even though she was a servant of the crown she had treated her as a friend, but now, now she was treating her like the knights treated her father. Taking a deep breath Samantha adjusted her mood and walked over to stand in front of Jane, then she asked. - What else have I got that's changed your mind?

- There are two things that make me regret today, the first is that you deserve the loyalty of your servants, even if we've made a mistake, you're going to risk yourself to help us... - Jane's voice became slightly hoarse, but she managed to hold back the tears and after a moment's pause, she continued. - The second is that you're not being fooled as everyone thought, your training... In the palace they say your training is, well... - Jane turned her face away, not knowing how to put it into words.

Seeing that Jane's eloquence had disappeared on this topic, she smiled, even though she spoke like a knight, she was still the same Jane as before, her best friend. Although Samantha was disappointed, knowing that they had done so little to harm her with her family as a bargaining chip, she could understand to a certain extent, and even if they had to be trusted again, she could forgive them.

- Sigh... - Samantha sighed and then said with a self-deprecating smile. - I'm not sure what the nobility or the cavalry say, but the maids... Incompetent is the mildest I've heard this week, I've also heard things like stupid bitch, first threshold highness, retard, um... There are so many nicknames that I can't remember them all...

- So, you knew... - Ane said with a sad smile on her face.

- How could I not know? Practically everyone thinks I'm retarded and I can't raise my magic level thanks to my teacher's incredible reports.

- If you knew, why didn't you do anything? - Jane asked, showing a certain tone of disapproval in her voice.

- What was I supposed to do? - Samantha said with a sad smile on her face as she looked down at Jane.

- You could have told the truth... - Ane said as she hesitantly looked up.

Listening to their conversation Arthur was confused and sad at the same time, he was confused because he had imagined that he would only see their training, so he didn't understand why he was watching their conversation, but even if he didn't understand why he was watching he concentrated on listening to everything, and that made him feel suffocated, he was trying hard to hold back his tears, but that wouldn't last long, seeing Samantha's smile carrying so much sadness and tears running lightly down her cheeks he felt a lump in his throat, the woman who always smiled when they met, the same one who was sarcastic to the point of being annoying, someone he hadn't known for a long time, but who still felt strangely familiar, seeing her like this his eyes filled with tears, which ran down his cheeks too, the lump in his throat almost disappeared when he let the tears out, but listening to the next part the lump not only returned, but his crying intensified.

- Tell the truth? Ane, when I was five my mother died, do you know what happened after that? - Samantha asked as she allowed her tears to fall.

- ... - Ane, who was used to Samantha answering her own questions in situations like these, remained silent and waited for her to continue, Jane also waited for Samantha to continue with her head down.

Samantha cried for several seconds before calming down, although she managed to calm down enough to speak normally, tears were still streaming down her face.

- My teacher entered the room and dragged me to my father's palace, and there, looking at me in the hands of that bastard, he just said it looked like an accident.

They both remained silent, even if Samantha didn't explain what an accident was supposed to look like, it was obvious to them, no, it would be obvious to anyone.

Samantha continued after taking a few deep breaths. - The next day my training started from day one my training was several levels above normal, and the report always said I could barely light a candle. - Samantha said as she clenched her fists, she clenched them so hard that blood oozed from between her fingers, due to some lacerations caused by her nails. Samantha ignored her injury, no, it seemed she hadn't even noticed that she had hurt her hand, so without paying any attention to it he continued in a hoarse, higher voice. - I told my father, and he just read the report, I told several people, and they just told me to try harder, and when my teacher found out that I told...

Samantha stopped talking, she took a deep breath and calmed down before continuing. - He said that everyone knew, my father, the butlers, the finance managers, everyone I could turn to already knew, that day I understood that I was alone. - More tears flowed from her eyes when she said. - That day I understood that the tears of training would be necessary, the stronger I am the greater my chance, so the harder the training, the more I suffer, the more I cry now, the more I will smile in the future, the more I will smile when I am strong enough not to have to hide my power, I understood that only my strength would give me freedom and happiness, that's what I understood that day, and that makes me smile in my current hellish training. - Samantha said with a happy smile on her face.

Ane and Jane raised their heads when they heard Samantha, the image in front of them was imprinted in their minds, they had always seen Samantha smiling, but the smile she was wearing on her face was the kindest they had ever seen, the setting sun behind her literally turning that smile into a bright and cozy scene, and the tears that were still running down her cheeks strangely didn't make the scene sad, it just looked like a smile of joy after winning a challenge, looking at that both them were unable to look away, just imagining how much telling them so little helped the poor girl in front of them, and thinking like that they cried too.

"This is already the second chapter where the last paragraph has disappeared when viewed on cell phones. To avoid this, I've decided to duplicate this message at the end of each chapter, hoping it will resolve the issue. If you're reading this, I apologize if it's intrusive, but it's a better solution than leaving the chapter incomplete."