Chapter 5

Zen wakes up feeling lethargic. His head was still not healed from the hit he received from the hobgoblin's attack. Then all at once, everything came into his memory.

"Prince Aiden!" He rises, trying his best to stand up. Although a bit wobbly, yet he still manages to.

"I suggest you don't do that" a voice calls out inside the room

He looks at the door and standing there was no other than Leon.

"Leon? Why are you here? What about Corhall?"

Leon goes closer to him and pats his shoulder telling him to just lie down, Zen followed as Leon sat beside him. "Don't worry the young Prince is safe, he's currently in his room" he says "We came here as fast as we could when we heard the palace was under attacked when we arrived though, there were still goblins inside so we cleared them out"

"Casualties.." Zen whispered

Leon, "Pardon?"

"What are the casualties? How many were killed?"

Leon paused for a while and finally decided to answer "The main entrance took most of the damage due to the explosions encountered, the inside of the palace was quite a mess considering the situation. The hidden passage behind the throne room is currently under investigation and most probably will be closed down for good..." He stopped

Zen, "How many were killed?"

"53"

Zen looks down for a minute and clenched his hands, he was shaking. "It's my fault if only I was stronger..." He cries "Then those people ...and Prince Aiden, for such a young child to bear witness in all of those..."

"It was never your fault... Don't blame yourself, you did your job protecting the Prince"

Zen looks at Leon, "Leon, there's something I need to tell you about"

Leon immediately stands up making him a bit surprised. "Whatever your planning to say, say it in front of the King"

Zen, "W-what?"

He walks out of the room "Today is the day..."

Zen, "Day?"

Leon, "Of course you must have forgotten about it and you've been asleep for three days" he stared at Zen "The Marchioness of Luwan has arrived and today is the day that girl will be executed. She's also been blamed for causing all of these"

Zen, "W-what? Why would they blame her?"

"Because she's the only prisoner who got out of her cell, I don't know if you remembered but when we arrived she's found together with the young Prince and you who's already unconscious as well as seven dead hobgoblins and three goblins"

Zen got quiet.

"The Prince is locked up in his room because he was begging to the King to pardon Catori in exchange for saving both of you, the Marchioness overheard their conversation and started spouting things, they're currently in the conference room right now" Leon did not speak any longer and just like that he left Zen alone in his room.

---

Three days ago the King of Etilania was surprised to see a lone palace guard collapsed at the entrance of Corhall. When the knights outside tried to grab him and let him inside, he suddenly woke up and shouts to everyone near him.

"Please! Please! Help us! Tell the King the palace is under attacked by Goblins! Please!" With that, he passed out again.

Leon who was present was ordered by the King to go back with him and they traveled back. It takes one full day traveling to the palace from Corhall and as they got nearer smokes can be seen from afar and Leon along with a hundred knights rushes towards the scene. Just as they entered they were attacked by goblins but were no match for[ someone like Leon, with just one swing of his sword a great gush of sharp wind comes forth and instantly cut through their bodies.

The Knights behind him started clearing out the vicinity as he tries to look for the young Prince and Zen. Leon did not bother to look anywhere because he knew where they are, knowing Zen they must have gone to the hidden passage behind the throne room. Killing every goblin he meets he witnessed the dead bodies of servant-maids and knights on the ground, it was gruesome.

As expected of goblins, they are not the most powerful but when they work together they can shake an entire kingdom, Leon thought.

"But why would they attack the palace when there's no goblin areas near? Or perhaps ---"

When Leon finally reached the throne room he was shocked to see a figure of a woman, eyes colored with electric blue stands alone with the prince behind her holding an unconscious Zen as they were surrounded with dead hobgoblins on the ground.

"Leon!" the prince noticed him immediately

Leon walks inside "What happened here?" He looks at the woman "You--you're"

"No! Don't hurt her Leon! She saved us!" Prince Aiden ran in front of him

He looks at Catori holding a sharp object, it seems to be a broken glass

Did she really kill all of these hobgoblins with that? He thought

Catori, on the other hand, did not show any emotions towards everything, including the wound she has on her hands due to the broken glass she's holding. Leon comes closer to her and grabs her arm, surprised by him she let's go of the broken glass.

"Catori? Are you okay?" Prince Aiden asked

Catori looks at the young prince and finally, she starts to look lively "Yes, your highness"

"You were amazing Catori!" praises the young Prince

Catori, "Me? In what way your highness?"

"I mean, you defeated those monsters easily! You saved us!"

Catori's smile fades away as she looks at her surrounding once more "Oh, I see" she looks at the prince and pats his head "I'm glad you're safe your highness" forcing a warm smile

Leon stares at her while talking to the prince, he can sense it. It's her -- the same aura he felt that night inside the King's chambers.

"Catori, do you happen to ha----"

"The young prince is here!!!" A knight pops out at the entrance and moments later several knights followed. They already finished clearing the palace, the moment they got inside the throne room they suddenly held Catori by the arms.

"What are you doing!? Let go of her!" Prince Aiden ordered them

The knight got confused and looks at his superior, Leon.

"I'm sorry your highness but Catori has to go back to her cell, we still don't know what causes this massacre and as of now she's the only suspicious person around" Leon explained

"But, she saved me! She saved Zen! Why would you doubt her when she's the one who protected me!?" the young prince angrily shouts at Leon

Leon understood him, he knew that Catori is not to be blamed but in the eyes of others she's most likely to be. Who would ever think a murderer will protect the prince. This is also the only thing he could do to avoid annoying rumors to even spread farther.

"I'm sorry Prince Aiden but she has to go, return her to her cell" he orders the knight

"Yes, sir!"

Prince Aiden, "No! Catori! Let her go!"

The knight constrained Catori and leads the way while holding her chains. She followed for a while when she suddenly stops. The other knights around her suddenly held their sword, threatened by her action. She walks back towards Leon and the young Prince.

"Sir, I don't think I might be able to go back to my cell" she speaks

Leon "Why is that?"

"It got destroyed"

---

Marchioness Silina is currently having tea with the King inside the conference room. Together with her daughter Amber this is the first time they have been granted an audience.

"I heard what happened, we apologize for arriving at such time of despair your majesty," said the marchioness

With no response from the King, Marchioness Silina looks at her daughter asking for help but her daughter has been in a daze since she met the King. She heard rumors about the King being attractive but she did not expect him to be this beautiful. Nevertheless, her daughter's meeting with the King for the first time opens an opportunity for her.

"Ahem, your majesty, if you don't mind, I would like to further discuss with you about the prisoner"

She finally got the King's attention, pleased about it she continued speaking

"I know this may sound rude but I believe your son is being manipulated by that wench, that woman has been in my care for years and she has always been so creepy inside our mansion. Always quiet and very sickly, if it wasn't for the goodness of my late husband she would have starved herself to death"

This time Amber listened to her mother explaining and finally decided to take action as well, she gets a handkerchief and offers it to her mom. The Marchioness smiled and starts to snivel taking her daughter's handkerchief "...but his kindness was repaid by something so gruesome. To do that to him..." her sobs can now be heard while her daughter pats her back and cried as well "...it's unforgivable. I want her executed."

Silence overcomes the entire room as both mother and daughter waited for the King's reply. He took a sip of tea then put down the cup and crosses his legs. Amber looks at him in awe. Everything this person does make her heart flutters, no wonder a lot of women are after him.

"So, you want her executed today?" He asked

"Yes! I don't have evidence but I'm sure she is the one behind the palace ambush as well!"

"You've said that a while ago in front of my son"

"Yes, your majesty! I heard no prisoners got out except her. I'm sure she's the one who summoned those horrible goblins and did this to your people!"

The King just stared at the Marchioness and gives a sigh "...then let's ask her shall we?"

The door opens and still chained Catori was being dragged inside by a knight, at the same time Leon arrives.

"Your Majesty" he bows

The King, "Ah, Leon, how's Zen?"

"He's finally awake but still a bit weak, he'll be okay with a few days of rest"

The King, "I see, it's too bad he could not be here" he looks at Catori, she's no longer pale unlike the first time he saw her "Besides my son, he is the only person to witness what happened the night of the pillage"

Catori doesn't seem to care about what was happening, even seeing the Marchioness who looks at her with rage and her daughter with disgust did not make her a bit uncomfortable. She may have looked better than before but she still has the same lifeless eyes. Leon stands behind the King and glances at her, "Do you know why your here?" he asked her

She nodded.

The King was pleased to see her answering and is the one to continue asking. "Is it true that you're the one who summoned those goblins?"

"No" she answered

"Liar! She's lying Your Majesty!" The Marchioness stood up and pointed at her

Catori, "I did not lie"

"Why you little--- Is that the way you talk to me? After all we did to you!?" She walks out of the table and grabs Catori's arms "If it wasn't for you my husband would still be alive! You killed him!"

Catori looks at the Marchioness hands on her arms then looks at her "He deserved to die"

The moment the Marchioness held her, Catori emitted an ominous aura, an aura so intense that the royal guards lifted their swords and Leon clutches his own ready to attack. Amber sits back on her chair eyes shocked and Marchioness Silina looks at Catori.

"H-how?"

Electric blue eyes can be seen through Catori's. She holds Marchioness Silina's hands and pulled it out of her arms "Do not touch me, I can smell it."

Marchioness "Smell?"

"His filth, your husbands'"

The Marchioness could no longer hold it and actions to slap her but the moment their eyes met the Marchioness kneels on the ground.

"Mother!" Amber supported her

"You're a witch!" Amber shouted and looks at the King unaffected by the aura Catori releases "Your Majesty, help us!" She stretches her arms to him.

The King stands up and walks towards them, she smiled thinking the King cares only to be walked pass-through. She hides her embarrassment and looks behind to see him going near Catori.

When the King finally appears in front of Catori her aura starts to fade a little. "You're not scared of me?" He asked her, Catori's eyes returns to her original color and bows in front of him "Blessed to the Sun of Etilania"

The King smiled at her "You might not be aware but you are letting out some intense aura, as you can see my Knights are ready to kill you any moment now if I had not approached you" Catori keeps staring at him then little by little her aura slowly degenerates.

"That's better" the King complimented her

Leon and the other knights put down their swords and become at ease.

"Thank you for saving us your majesty" the Marchioness happily approaches the King, she looks at Catori who is now behind him

"To think I've raised you! You're a monster!" She said

"I'll push through the execution today Your Majesty since this woman deserves to die, to have the audacity to do something like that in front of you is unforgivable," said the Marchioness as Amber reaches for her arms

The King faces Catori "Do you have anything to say?"

No response.

"Hmm, I can't help you if there's no witness" he goes closer to her "I would love to keep you if I could"

Catori directed her gaze to the King that both of them are now facing each other.

"Not planning on answering?" Disappointed, the King turns his back and sits on his chair "Do whatever you want with her, the execution grounds are yours"

"Thank you, your majesty!" delighted, the Marchioness replied "Knights! Please take her there"

As the guards were taking Catori out Leon speaks to the King "Are you sure about this?"

The King with his boredom gesture keeps looking at the Knights guiding Catori outside "How boring" he uttered

"Amber, listen to me" the Marchioness called her

"This is your chance to get closer to the King, so don't fail me"

"Yes, mother" Amber nods

Just when they were to open the door outside, Zen rushes in. Both the Marchioness and her daughter were surprised including Leon who is now enlightened to see Zen.

"Your Majesty, please pardon this woman" he said

A smirk came out from the King of

Etilania "...and why should I?"

Zen stares at Catori.

"She saved us"

----end.