You know?

Slowly, Galen's gaze slid to Rasvien and he lifted his chin ever so slightly. It was as if he had only registered Ras' presence. "And you are?"

Ras made a show of being offended, but that smug expression of his returned immediately after. "Ouch. Aside from not noticing me until now, I am quite hurt that you don't recognize me, Grand General. Or should I say, Lord Galen Gillard."

My body instantly whipped toward Ras. How did he know him?

I saw how Galen's golden pupils gradually cleared with recognition, which was then followed by contempt and hostility. "You."

So they knew each other. But it didn't seem as though they were friends.

"Yes, me." Ras shrugged, looking as if he was the sole person who was happy to see Galen. "How have you been, Grand General? How long had it been since our last encounter? Ever since you were assigned to the borders, I hadn't caught a glimpse of your pretty face at all."

Galen clicked his tongue, annoyance radiating from him. "Spare me the pleasantries, Captain of the Ravens. Will you be able to provide me a good reason as to why you are with the first princess of Orion? Any wrong answer or misstep can land you for jail for sure this time."

Wait… "this time"? What in the goddess' name went on between these two? And why didn't Galen tell me that he had met someone from Cygnus?

Ras' chuckle was dry and empty, and I was certain that it sent Galen fuming even more deep inside. He might put up a calm and cool outward appearance, but for the long time we've known each other, I'd learnt to figure out what went on in that mind of his. He could deceive everyone else in the room about his true emotions, but not me.

"Must I really give you an answer?" Ras told him. "Either way, I'm still going to get in trouble, aren't I?"

Galen huffed. It was as though he had already known that there was no going through Ras. As though he was used to this kind of attitude from him. "Fine then." He went back to me, saying. "I will ask you instead, Rosie. Why are you with this man?"

I opened my mouth, ready to refute any grand things his imagination had come up with. But Ras beat me to it.

"She doesn't have to answer you, either," said the captain. "Rosie doesn't owe you anything, Grand General."

Galen clenched his jaw, letting loose a breath as he closed his eyes. When he opened them he said, "This is a matter concerning the eldest daughter of Orion, Rasvien. This not something so small that you can just take easily. This is not one of those trivial things you present to the knights with regards to the beasts of Evernight as some kind of half-assed attempt to play a prank on us."

It did not escape me how Ras nearly laughed and covered it up quickly by coughing. "I know, I know. Forgive me for that."

I almost laughed myself, had I not realized something. I turned to him, faster than lightning itself. "Wait, you've known?"

Ras' brows went up, perhaps surprised that I was surprised. "That you're the princess? From the very first moment, yes."