Meeting the Countess

Christina was now sitting in front of the campfire, thinking. It had been two days since she met Felix, and she was still replaying the encounter in her mind. Although the man was a stranger, he somehow felt familiar. She couldn't get that feeling out of her head. While deep in thought, Maria sat on a rock beside her.

"What are you thinking about?" Maria asked.

The words took her out of her reverie. She sighed before turning to face her.

"I've been thinking of the recent events," she replied.

"The ambush, you mean?"

"Not just that, but... yes." She kept silent for a little while. Maria simply waited for her to continue, staring at the dancing flames before them. Around them, their guards busied themselves, making camp as night fell.

The group had been on edge since the ambush. They had chosen to avoid towns until they reached their destination. Doing so would prevent their enemies from knowing their location. Fortunately, they had enough provisions to last a while and could hunt if needed.

"I've been thinking of the reason for the ambush and who would gain the most from it," Christina said after a while.

"Your conclusions?"

"There are too many possibilities. I find it hard to believe that they found our route so easily. It's not like our security was lax."

"A traitor, you mean?"

"Maybe more than one."

Maria's expression grew darker, and her killing intent unintentionally spilled out. The atmosphere grew colder, and the guards not far away tensed up, holding their swords' hilts tightly. The keenest of them turned to face Maria.

Christina put her hand on her shoulder, calming her down. Maria wasn't one to openly show her emotions, but when it came to her cousin, she couldn't help herself. She calmed down, and the guards relaxed and resumed their preparations as if nothing had happened. Only Claire approached them in a hurry.

"What happened?!" she asked.

"Nothing, I just lost control of myself. My apologies," Maria replied.

Claire sighed in relief and looked towards the princess for confirmation, to which she nodded. As Claire was leaving, they resumed their conversation, this time whispering to each other.

"Any idea who?" Maria asked.

"Too many. Although I don't want to talk about it, some may even be in our group."

Maria frowned and contemplated the implications of that statement. After a moment, she could only shake her head before saying, "There's too little information to go by. The shades were merely mercenaries; without prisoners, we will probably never learn who hired them."

"Indeed," Christina replied before standing up and getting ready for the night. "I feel we won't have to wait long to find out."

As she left, Maria was still seated before the fire, deep in thought.

* * *

The sun rose on a brand new day. The group was already on their way to their destination. Every day since the battle was spent on the road. They should have reached their goal long ago, but they decided to be cautious and took the more isolated roads, thus lengthening the journey. Fortunately, when the sun reached its zenith, their journey came to an end, at least for now.

In front of them stood a castle on a hill overlooking a wide river. In the middle of the river stood a massive city on an island, Redwaters, which stood right on the border between the Kingdom and the Empire.

Surprisingly, even though the two nations were technically at war, the city was bustling. Many caravans and merchants could be seen entering and exiting the city. The city of Redwaters was the biggest trade city on the continent.

It seems not even war is enough to stop people from seeking money, Christina thought.

Another castle with a different architecture stood on the other side of the river. It obviously belonged to the Empire. The two castles were built to watch the city, as Redwaters was essential to both nations.

The two nations had fought over that city multiple times in the past. Each time, the city suffered damage from the fighting. Over a century ago, tired from the never-ending war, influential merchants had petitioned both nations to grant autonomy to the town. Surprisingly, both governments agreed to the terms, and thus, the city ravaged by conflict became a city-state. The agreement's details are still obscure, and not even Christina can find out how it happened.

Due to its newfound peace, trade boomed, and the city expanded, becoming over three times larger in less than 40 years. Unfortunately, its location prevented further growth, so multiple smaller towns sprouted up on each side of the river.

Its current population could rival even that of a nation's capital, making it one of the biggest cities on the continent. Obviously, the two countries would keep a close eye on such a city, thus the existence of both fortresses.

Christina had last been here over seven years ago, just before the war. The castle had changed quite a bit since then. This was expected, as this had been quite the battlefield, and the castle had sustained much damage.

The castle was one of the oldest in the Kingdom, yet it seemed almost new. Because it was strategically located to fend off the Empire, the Kingdom spent a lot of money and manpower restoring it.

They reached the castle's gates and announced their presence. The guards scurried away to inform the lord of the castle. Although the territory belonged to the Eastern Duke, the one in charge of this fortress was Count Burnwood.

The Burnwood family had been in charge of the stronghold for generations. Although they were part of the White Tiger Clan that ruled the eastern region, the Burnwood family reported directly to the royal family. The fort and the surrounding city were much too important to be left in the hands of a Duke. This, however, caused friction in the region, as the city was much too tempting for the Duke to ignore.

The current Count, James Burnwood, had skillfully threaded the fine line between the Duke and the royal family. Christina had chosen to come here for two reasons. First, they needed somewhere to rest and heal, and the stronghold was close by, so it was their best chance to do so. Second, rumours of the Count's son had reached her ears.

Although the Count was a prudent man, his son was anything but. Rumours of his debauchery had spread far and wide, even reaching the royal castle. If that was all it was, it wouldn't be so concerning, but the son had apparently been seen frequenting the young generation of the White Tiger clan.

Since they were part of the same clan, it wouldn't have been weird for them to be acquainted, but his father had made a point of keeping his distance from the clan. If the heir were to take the clan's side, it would spell trouble for the royal family.

Christina's goal for this trip was to determine the authenticity of those rumours. She might need to take drastic measures if they turned out to be true. As she was still thinking, the guard finally returned.

"My apologies, Your Highness!" the guard said. "The Count and Countess were unaware of your visit and need time to prepare. In the meantime, they respectfully ask that you be escorted to the reception hall. They are deeply sorry for not receiving you personally!"

"Understood," she replied. "Where are your stables? Our mounts are weary and in need of care."

"Just around the corner. My associate will lead the way," the guard said while signalling to the others around him.

The group separated, and only a dozen followed the princess as guards. Usually, only the Rothguard siblings would be needed to guard the princess, but after the recent attack, they would not take chances.

The guard led the group to a large hall. Luxurious seats and couches were arranged around a beautiful dark wood table. As Christina took a seat, the rest of the party spread out, investigating the room for dangers while Claire, Richard, and Maria stood behind her.

Christina took the opportunity to observe the room. Although it was exquisitely decorated, upon closer inspection, the materials used were quite common. The objects and furniture were beautifully arranged without being too extravagant. A lot of thought was put into this room.

While enjoying the artwork on the walls, Christina heard footsteps down the hall. Unlike the heavy footsteps of the guards, the steps she heard were light, but the pace was quick. Christina could recognize the sound as if high-heeled shoes were hitting the floor. Clearly, the ones rushing were ladies.

Just as she expected, two women burst into the room in a hurry before both bowed deeply. She recognized one of them as the current Countess Burnwood. In addition to a son, the Count had a much younger daughter, who must be the child next to the Countess.

The Count isn't brash enough to simply send his wife and daughter to receive me. What could be holding him up? Nothing is ever simple, it seems, she thought with a sigh.