Ironhaven

Two days later...

Amidst the industrious landscape, the air resonated with the rhythmic symphony of swinging hammers and the clashing sounds of weaponry being meticulously crafted. The unmistakable scent of molten metal and iron wafted through the atmosphere, saturating the surroundings. Indeed it is the City of Ironhaven, the home of the most skilled blacksmiths in the Kingdom of Liberta. As the hunter and the concealed prince ventured into the city, their arrival did not go unnoticed. From a distance, a poised young woman stood in anticipation. The ambient clamor of craftsmanship seemed to part around her like a flowing river as she patiently awaited the approaching duo. "Welcome to Ironhaven, dear visitors!" she delightedly greets the two as they arrived.

"Dragonfly, keep it down." the hunter immediately shushed her.

"Huh? Why? It's not like we're hiding anything." the young woman insisted. But then, she looks at the prince awkwardly waving at her. "Oh... Right, nobody knows him yet."

"We are to keep him hidden from the public." says the hunter as she guides the prince towards a fairly large establishment.

"Yeah yeah, got it." the young woman replied.

The three of them set foot in the building, closing the doors behind them. "Anyway, I'm Golden Dragonfly, Leader of the Pugilist Manor, nice to meet you!" says the woman as she carelessly sat on the sofa. The hunter and the prince followed and sat on the couch in front of her.

"Leader...?" the prince was confused.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Well, I thought... The Superior leader would be sending one of her servants, I really don't want to bother the Cardinal leaders. You must be very busy with your duties."

"Are you kidding me? You got two leaders behind your back, you ain't a bother, you're the VIP of the Cardinal Manors!"

"Two? You mean..." The prince looks at the hunter.

"Wait, you-" the amused Golden Dragonfly breaks out laughing. "Don't tell me you didn't know you she's also a bigshot?!" she says as she wipes the tear escaping her eye.

The prince felt embarassed. "I... I thought she was the leader's servant. I'm... I deeply apologize."

"Do not do so." The hunter immediately assured the prince. "I simply forgot to introduce myself."

"Then, may I know who you are?"

"I am Fauna, Leader of the Assassin Manor."

By just hearing what manor she leads, the prince finally understood why she had her face hidden all throughout their journey. Even inside the building, she refused to take off her large hat and her black cloak, even her mask, which covered half her face except the eyes.

"Our real names aren't revealed to anybody, so, just stick to calling us by our code names." says Golden Dragonfly.

"I understand."

"Since we're calling each other by the names that the leader uses to address us, surely she's got a nickname for you too."

"Oh, I'm afraid they only call me by my royal titles so far."

"Alright, we'll stick to calling you Carlos for now. Sounds good?"

"Yes, but it'll take some time for me to get used to it."

"Now that it's all set, what's our next move? Are we going back to the manors, or?"

Fauna asserts, "No, not yet. We have to find Triumvirate Fiend, we'll be bringing them to the leader for interrogation."

Carlos then follows nervously. "But!" He exclaims almost immediately after Fauna spoke. "But I have to talk to her first before taking her to the leader."

"Oh, that fiend?" Dragonfly said. "Seems like a hard mission, yesterday, me and my disciples had to clean up her mess. She left a pile of bodies back in Priya, all of them were impaled by rapiers, clearly her doing."

"You mean, all of her agents died?"

"Yep, they could've been saved if not for the poison she puts in all of the attacks she inflicts, it's deadly and can kill anybody with just a scratch. She's hard to beat by just looking, but if we take away her powers and decrease her wielding ability, she's easy to kill."

Baffled and discomforted with her words, the prince stressed: "Wait, no, we're not going to fight or kill her!" He swung his hand left and right in disagreement.

Dragonfly's brows met and her eyes squinted, with her face unsure whether to smile or not. "We're not? What's the point of all this then?"

"I just want to talk to her and convince her to come with us." Carlos stated, wary of Dragonfly's reaction.

"Convince her?" Dragonfly's face became unreadable, as the prince was unsure if she was mocking, genuinely curious, or confused with what he'd just said. "How exactly are you going to do that? Ain't nobody in the Asperity Palace are pacifists. They either die trying to kill us or end up killing themselves."

Carlos could only flash a confident smile, eager to persuade the the Pugilist Leader. "Then I would have to ask you to have faith in me, after all, I am still the prince of this kingdom, and the Asperities, whether evil or not, are still my subjects. That's why I believe that I can change her heart, I am sure that she will listen to me."

Elizia awkwardly claps, still confused at what he'd just said. "Wow... Okay then. But... Like... You do know that they're extremely evil people, right?" she said in a seemingly sarcastic tone despite it being the truth.

"Yes." Carlos responds bluntly.

"And they kill people and destroy shit."

"Y...yes." Carlos loses a bit of confidence.

"And they destroyed families and massacred the kingdom."

"...yes?" Carlos lost half of his confidence.

"And they won't hesitate to kill you too if it benefitted them."

"...no?" Carlos lost all of his confidence. Maybe there is a little bit left.

But Golden Dragonfly didn't mean to make fun of him or purposefully make him feel down, so she could only sigh and force feed herself what he'd just said, processing it in her confused mind. "Okay, okay, I believe in you." she calmly said.

Carlos' confidence is back.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Dragonfly.

"I... Honestly, I do not know where to find her."

Fauna interrupts. "I'll have my disciples investigate her whereabouts."

As the trio engaged in discourse about their next course of action, a sleek, raven-black dog walked through the door ushered open by a disciple of the Assassin Manor. In its jaws, the dog bore a regal purple box adorned with intricate gold embellishments. With deliberate elegance, the enigmatic dog settled before Fauna, presenting the ornate box with an air of purpose. Fauna, her curiosity piqued, seized the box and delicately unfastened its closure. As the lid opened, a clandestine letter emerged. Fauna unfolded the parchment, her eyes scanning the written words in silent contemplation.

I apologize if I cannot be with the Prince at all times, there are matters I must finish before I can get back to the Cardinal Manors. But while I'm gone, please present these to His Majesty. It is a gift I crafted myself.

Along with the letter was an exquisite pair of beautiful gold and red earrings. Seeing how it was obviously crafted for the prince, Fauna hands over the box. "It is for you, Carlos. A gift from the leader."

"Really?" asks Carlos as he receives the box and gazes at the earrings carefully placed in the small red pillow. One by one, he carefully wears the earrings. Golden Dragonfly saw the blissful look on his face that she couldn't stop herself from feeling as joyful as him. He looked lovely with those earrings and thought it would be a waste if he does not see himself while he's in his happy moment. "It looks gorgeous on you, here, have a look!" She offers him a small pocket mirror.

"Thank you" he gratefully took the mirror. Whilst he looks at the mirror to admire the earrings dangling from his ears, he suddenly hears a voice. "My Prince."