SHE'S ALL I HAVE

Bread on the plate and yesterday's glass of milk still intact in its place. The guard was guarding the prison where the empress was held with new food.

"The woman hasn't eaten or drank all day." The bandit said to his friend.

"Maybe she's sick."

"Then I will speak to the chief."

"Okay. I will take care of it."

When one of the bandits is about to meet the leader, the Empress groaned in pain.

"Oh my stomach hurts."

The bandit heard it and immediately opened the prison door.

"Are ladies all right?" asked one of the bandits.

"Please my stomach hurts so bad."

The Empress rolled over, holding her stomach. The whole body is full of sweat.

"Okay, I'll call the leader right away."

One of the bandits ran out. The Empress smiled faintly, then groaned in pain. In the hidden room, the bandit leader is surprised when an unexpected guest arrives.

"What are you doing now? Why did you kidnap that woman?"

"That woman has thwarted our plans. She has made this region get rain."

"Didn't you know this was going to be a big problem?"

"I know brother. That woman was the empress of the Northern kingdom. But I can't just sit back and watch her ruin the work I've been doing."

"You now dare to go against me. If anything happened to that woman. I will kill you myself."

Fred then left the room. Those words were a warning from Fred to his sister. Alphonse bit his lip. Disappointment and hatred become one.

"I don't care if you hate me. Even though everyone thought we were both devils. But she's all I have. No matter what happens I will kill that woman and protect brother."

After leaving, Fred then walked towards the basement where the prison prisoners were. Kidnapping that woman was cowardly. Fred didn't want anything like this. He had to go immediately to the woman and set her free. Suppose everyone would judge his crimes. Fred will fight them even if he has to sacrifice his life. At least he did it bravely.

In a resting place. The sun was starting to set. The duke, Karol, Emmanuel, and several soldiers went to help the empress. According to the plan. Emmanuel, dressed in black and wearing a cloak covering his body, was standing in front of the house where the bandits were hiding. The two bandits guarding the house walked up to Emmanuel.

"Who are you?" Ask one of the bandits. 

Emmanuel then hit the belly of the bandit, who was asking him loudly. His friend, who knew that the man was an enemy, immediately whistled. Give a signal to a friend. Several bandit friends came out from the hiding place. Emmanuel immediately ran. The bandits then chased after him. Unexpected. Their number was quite large. Emmanuel galloped away with a backwards gaze. He estimated that thirty people were after him—more than the number of palace soldiers he was carrying. Karol and twenty soldiers hid in the bushes. Seeing Emmanuel and the bandits have gone away from the hiding place. Karol then signalled his troops to enter the hideout. The troops ran inside.

In a hiding place. One of the bandit friends ran over to his leader. Fred, who saw the discrepancy, then stepped his feet faster towards the prison.

"Leadership report. The woman in the prison was groaning in pain. He said he had a stomach ache."

"Immediately call a healer to check on his condition. That woman must not die before I kill her myself."

"Ready!"

The bandit immediately went to call the healer. While in prison, there are only two people—Empress and the corrections officer. When the bandits are on their guard, the Empress hit the bandit's genitals with her knee hard. The bandit then fell to the ground and fainted. Immediately the empress ran away from the prison. Moments later, Fred arrived at the prison. He saw the prison door open and the guard who had fallen unconscious. The woman wasn't there. Where is she going? Is she running away? Fred, who realised it, then went to find the empress. The bandit leader who was in his room decided to take a look at the woman's condition. One of the bandit's friends was seeing a healer.

"Quickly come with me. Someone is sick."

The healer nodded his head. The older man who used to be Swift's royal court healer. He was great at curing diseases. The healer has worked at Swift's court since Fred's late grandfather became king. Bandits and healers have arrived at the prison. They were shocked to see the situation there.

"The woman has run away. I have to find her immediately."

The bandit friend immediately went to the leader to inform. The healer is still in prison to examine a patient who has fainted. While running, the bandit accidentally met the leader.

"Leadership report. The woman ran away."

"What did you just say?"

Alphonse was surprised to hear the reports from his subordinates. It would be a problem to let that woman go from this place. Then he thought of his brother. Was it the brother who helped her escape?

"Quickly find that woman. Bring it here immediately!"

Karol and his troops killed some of the bandits who were still in hiding. With a ruthless and unforgiving face. Even though many of the bandits went after Emmanuel but there were still a lot of them inside.

"Kill them all. Don't let any of them live!"

An order from Karol.

The Empress ran over with an exhausted body. The Lion crown prince, who was riding on a horse, saw the figure of the empress from a distance. The horse's speed increases.

"Long time no see, Fred."

Someone called him. Fred then turned around. Duke Magnus stood with the empress bodyguards wearing black robes.

"It is an honor to meet the lord Duke here."

"Where did you hide the empress?"

"Isn't master very clever? Without my help, master would have found her"

Duke Magnus then drew his sword at Fred's forehead. Without fear, Fred then smiled.

"I came here because I was looking for him."

"You are the leader. There's no way you didn't know of his whereabouts."

"I don't care about your opinion of believing me. It is true that I am their leader. But I never gave the order to kidnap that woman."

Duke Magnus then lowered his sword. He knew that the young man in front of him had high self-esteem. That person couldn't possibly act like a coward.

"Who is the one who dares to kidnap the empress?"

"My brother Alphonse has done it. I'm currently looking for that woman. He has escaped from prison."

"Okay, I believe you. But your sister has committed a great crime. He should be punished for his actions."

Duke Magnus, together with Fred, were looking for the empress. Alphonse was furious and held back his anger seeing his subordinates being killed.

"Apparently the palace people have come here."

Within the forest, the bandits numbered around thirty, trying to catch up to Emmanuel.

"Looks like this place is very suitable for hunting."

Emmanuel then stopped running. The bandits quickly surrounded him. Emmanuel looked around.

"Let's kill him."

One of the bandits gave the order. Emmanuel then spread out his hands. The fireball then shot out from the palm. The gentle face instantly turned into a tyrant.

"Die all of you."

Boom!

In a flash, the bandits numbering around thirty people died with their bodies burned.