The next morning, the princess and her bodyguard set off for Lemgan city. The latter was four hours away from the capital on horseback.

They had opted for very sober and discreet clothing to avoid attracting attention, but also warm to protect themselves from the cold and snow.

The girl wore black pants with a woolen sweater of the same color, a pair of black boots and a long burgundy colored, hooded fur cape over it. She had styled her hair into a pretty braid.

As for the captain, he wore a dark blue sweater, black pants, boots of the same color, and on top, a long dark blue fur cape, also with a hood.

The two young people were sitting on their horses, walking side by side while talking.

said Luana.

A brief moment of silence settled in.

Luana said.

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A few hours later, the two young people saw, in the distance, a tall large wall and the big gate of the city of Lemgan.

Lucas whispered.

They dismounted from the backs of their horses, put their hoods on their heads and advanced towards the entrance while leading their horses by the reins.

Once inside, they saw, on the left, a large stable for horses. A young man was standing nearby, bringing large baskets of apples and carrots for the animals.

Lucas suggested.

The young knight took the reins of the mare from the hands of Luana.

he demanded before leading the two horses to the stables.

Luana remained standing there. She took the opportunity to explore the city with her eyes.

In front of her was a very large market. There were stalls of all types : fruits and vegetables, meats, wheat, clothing, accessories, souvenirs...

It must have been the most popular place in town judging by the density of people there.

The young girl was so dazzled by the sight in front of her that she didn't notice the return of the knight next to her.

Lucas asked.

she replied, slightly taken by surprise.

she replied, smiling.

They walked straight ahead while carrying their bags that contained their belongings.

the young knight suggested.

Lucas scanned the market. Then, he fixed his gaze on the fruit and vegetable stand that belonged to an elderly merchant.

The princess and her bodyguard walked towards the old man. Seeing them coming his way, the latter displayed a big friendly smile.

the young knight replied.

The merchant took a small cloth bag and filled it with the fruits ordered.

asked the old man.

the man said with a comforting expression.

Luana wondered.

the girl added in horror.

The merchant handed the bag filled with fruits to Lucas.

Lucas answered while giving him the money.

Once away from the stand, the knight turned to Luana.

idea."

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After twenty minutes of walking, they saw, a few meters away, a small, 3 floored wooden building decorated with pretty black stones on the outside.

At the entrance was a small plaque displaying the name of the inn.

Luana said.

The two young people opened the large wooden door and went inside.

They found themselves in front of a large hall where there was a small wooden desk at the back where a young man was sitting, reading documents. Behind him was a large number of keys hanged on the wall.

Lucas walked towards him.

The receptionist looked up and gave a small smile.

he asked.

replied the young captain, handing him the money.

The receptionist turned around to take two keys and handed them to Lucas.

Lucas replied.

The princess and her bodyguard went upstairs where there were a huge number of doors. Their rooms were adjoining.

asked Luana.

she replied, turning to open her room's door with the key.

Lucas said, handing her the bag of fruits.

the girl answered, chuckling slightly.

the young man muttered, scratching the back of his head, his cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment.

After having lunch, they went back to their respective rooms to rest.

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Just before dark, Lucas and Luana left their rooms to go down to the hall.

Seeing them approaching the front door, the receptionist jumped in surprise.

he asked, very confused.

he said worriedly.

With these words, the two young people left the inn.

Outside, the street was empty. As if the city were uninhabited.

Luana remarked.

replied Lucas.

The princess and her bodyguard walked slowly through the deserted and snowy streets.

Luana remarked.

asked Lucas, worried.

With these words, they heard a small whistle in the distance.

asked Luana, surprised.

Lucas nodded as the whistling intensified.

he says.

They ran for a few minutes until they reached the market place.

said Luana, breathless.

Again, the whistle echoed through the square. He was close, then, he started to slowly move away.

exclaimed the princess.

Lucas said.

Lucas made his way to the stables where Piper and Evan were to free them before galloping towards the large city gate.

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They spent hours in the forest looking for the source of the sound, without any result. The snowstorm was a very big disadvantage for them because it made it difficult for them to see and hear.

the young princess asked desperately.

Lucas didn't answer her. He put his hand on his sword and pulled it out of its scabbard.

she asked, confused.

he ordered.

Hastily, Luana did as he told her.

At that moment, they heard the whistle right in front of them.

Lucas whispered.

the princess said, her eyes widening in shock.

A huge snake with purple skin and eyes slowly advanced towards them while still whistling and sticking out its tongue.

Luana said.

Lucas dismounted from his horse and advanced towards the monster, sword in hand.

The snake continued to whistle. It put on a confused expression. Then, it began to whistle louder.

The animal paused for a moment, backed away a few meters before charging at Lucas with its venomous teeth.

The young knight raised his sword calmly and swung it towards the animal's mouth and cut it sideways in half.

Luana let out a small gasp of surprise as she saw the horrible scene in front of her.

The animal fell on the ground, lifeless, immersed in its own blood.

The young princess got off her horse and approached Lucas who was deep in thought.

she asked worriedly.

whispered the princess.

Lucas sighed deeply.

he said.

Lucas turned to mount his horse, when he felt someone grip his cloak tightly from behind. He turned around to see that it's the princess.

he asked, confused.

she whispered.

The young princess collapsed in front of him, unconscious.

he exclaimed in choc.

He knelt on the ground, supporting the girl's head and back so that she won't touch the cold snow.

Tilting the girl's head slightly to the right, he noticed a small needle stuck in her neck.

he muttered, his eyes widening in shock.

He gently removed the needle from the princess's neck and looked at it. Then, he held it up to his nose to smell it.

The captain carried Luana in his arms and stood up. He walked over to Piper, asked her to bow a little so he could put her on it.

He took off his cloak and put it on the young girl to cover her from the cold.

he whispered.

The young man mounted his horse and guided Piper by the reins as he headed towards the direction of the village, not knowing that from the top of a tree, stood a person who was watching them.

the stranger muttered, smirking.