"Yes, this is my wife," Arin said to the Captain. "You might not know her as General Hanson told me that you were on leave during the wedding."

Captain Klaus still seemed to be confused. However, he quickly gets hold of himself and bowed before Iria. "I apologize for my behaviour, Your Highness. It was due to my ignorance. Please forgive me."

Iria couldn't say anything as Arin beat her at that. "What happened? Have you met before?" the Crown Prince asked. He was quite flustered as he couldn't think of any possibility where the two would have met. The nature of how the two met... didn't even cross his mind!

"Yes," Klaus Ermias replied to the Crown Prince. "Just once outside the palace."

Arin was about to speak up again but...

"Is the meeting done?" Iria quickly asked, hoping to change the topic. She indeed shifted Arin's attention from the Captain to her.

"Almost. We have a short break," Arin said. Then he just noticed her face which turned a bit paler due to the pressure. "Are you alright?"

Iria briefly glanced at Klaus Ermias before she looked at Arin. She only had one thing in mind - to end this conversation so that she could think of how to deal with this disaster.

Yes, she called it a disaster. She was on the verge of getting exposed!

"I think I should go back to my chamber. I already spent almost a day walking around." Such a simple walk wasn't enough to tire her out yet she had to lie. This was her only option.

"Alright. I will take you back," Arin quickly said and hold her. Then he briefly looked at the Captain and said, "We will start the meeting soon. You should go there."

"I understand," Klaus Ermias said and bowed. Then the Crown Prince and Iria turned around and walked away while the Captain stood still and stared at them with a troubled face until they were out of his sight.

* * *

"This is bad," Iria said to Rion who was standing a few steps away. They were in her chamber and she was just explaining what happened a while ago. "Now, he knows my identity and he is not an average soldier but a Captain. What if he said something about that day to General Hanson or the Crown Prince?"

"It's my fault, Commander. I should have check all the details that day," Rion quickly said with his head lowered. "I will kill him. Please allow me to mend my mistake."

"He is a soldier and he will return to the camp. How will you enter there?" Iria said and shook her head. "This is too dangerous."

"What do you want me to do?" Rion asked.

Iria thought for a while before she rose from her seat. "I will meet with him. He is still in the palace, right? Go and secretly inform him that I want to meet him on the Garetth Forest where we met before."

"Isn't that a risky move?"

Iria nodded. "It is, but we don't have a better choice. He can't die in the palace or the crowded streets. Meeting alone is the only option here and I will do that myself."

"That's also dangerous for you, Commander. I will meet him in your place," Rion suggested.

Iria looked at Rion with an amused face. "You also worry for my safety now? You should know the best that I will be fine alone."

"I never doubt you, Commander. If you're not capable of doing something, then no one else will but... this is not Jerivia. I don't want you to be in danger. The Alewine Army is still waiting for you," Rion earnestly said.

He knows very well that if something happened to his Commander, not only the Alewine Army but also Jerivia will be in danger. The same thing happened when the former Commander who was Iria's father died.

As Jerivia lost its most capable warrior, the kingdom instantly faced pressure from enemies. However, it was Iria Alewine who stepped up and take her father's place. She protected both the Alewine Army and Jerivia. She held the respect and admiration of the people and the soldiers since then.

"You should trust me, Rion. No matter where I am, I'm still Iria Alewine. So, trust me and do as I said. I won't fail the soldiers who risk their lives because they trust in me," Iria firmly said. Though she often felt the pressure, it was her soldiers trust in her that always keep her going.

Rion finally nodded in agreement. "I understand, Commander," he responded and walked out of the chamber to comply with what she said.

* * *

Iria had sneaked out again. This time, it was alone with no Rion or Prince Orius. As she rode her horse inside the Garetth Forest, she wondered how both Arin Helev and Prince Orius would be angry when they find out that she was missing. The Crown Prince's palace will surely be thrown upside down again!

Her purpose of sneaking out this time wasn't practising but to take a life. She already made up her mind to end that Captain and put everything back to normal. If this got out of hand, the price for hesitating will be too high!

She keeps on riding the horse with this mindset but when she glanced around, she was distracted by how late it seemed. The sun will surely set soon and she must return to the palace before that. She didn't want to make the Crown Prince worry too much.

When she arrived on the plains where she met Klaus Ermias just a few days ago, she noticed that the soldier was already waiting for her. Then she gets off her horse and approached him with her sword hanging on her waist.

"Your Highness," Klaus Ermias greeted her and bowed. Though he wasn't as friendly as before, there was still that smile on his face which he always wore. "I want to apologize again if I offend you in any way," he said in a formal tone.

"Did you tell anyone about what you see here that day?" Iria asked. She only had to know that before making a move.

"No," the Captain responded. "I don't tell anyone."

He saw what he shouldn't see and he must pay the price. That's what Iria thought. Her hands were already reaching for the handle of her sword, cautiously. One strike and everything will be over.

She thought that way until...

"Be careful, Your Highness!" Klaus Ermias shouted and quickly moved to stand before her. He caught an arrow that was flying in Commander Iria's direction but... before he could even react, another arrow flew towards him and pierced the flesh just above his right shoulder!

It's an assassination attack!