Day 20 of the Third Month, Year 1016

Naveland Public Cemetery, Nave Province, Forewood Kingdom

“Run, Victa, run!”

The young girl woke up with a gasp.

The graveyard in the afternoon was silent, with the sun shining from above. The young girl who looked no older than fifteen sat up from her place under the tree. She actually fell asleep in the middle of the graves.

She held her head and shook it lightly. She couldn’t sleep well last night…

Slowly getting up, her gaze fell upon the graves beside her, on the red carnation flowers that she had put upon them. Small sky-blue butterfly flew from one flower to the other on the grave next to it.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to the butterfly, or the flowers, or maybe the graves.

There was no one else in the graveyard—the Winterfell, where most people had enough free time to visit the dead, was a few months ago. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to visit them during Winterfell holiday. But during those times, the graveyard would be crowded with hundreds of different families visiting their dead, and she couldn’t go out as freely, with million diverse obligations waiting for her.

The afternoon sun stung her skin like a bee. She tidied her leather outfit that was dirtied by the ground—the tree bark she was leaning on left some mark on her back. Some of it even got into her brown hair, dirtying it. Sighing, she brushed them all off.

The winter was coming on its end, in the next few weeks—the only reason she didn’t die freezing. She fastened her leather jacket and made sure it was now clean. There was no need to be scolded later.

What else? Ah, yes, her weapon… Ever since the Lirsk Uprising happened a decade ago, the monarch decided to reestablish the ancient martial law. Said law stated that everyone, no matter the status or gender, had to learn at least basic martial arts and weaponry. Therefore, it wasn’t weird seeing a young girl with a sword on her waist. She preferred bow and arrows, but it wasn’t convenient to fend off attacker at close combat, so a sword would do.

After making sure her sword was still by her waist, she started her trek out of the graveyard. Naveland Public Cemetery was located just outside the City, a place where commoners rested their loved ones. As a result, it was rather huge.

Thankfully, her white horse stood guard in a crossroads between graves. “Snowflakes,” she greeted it with a rub on its mane. “Thank Goddess you’re here to accompany me.”

The horse replied with a whine.

Laughing, she mounted it with ease that came from years of practice. She had always mastered things easily when she put her mind into it. Perhaps it was because she was trained from a young age for a position in the military—one she finally succeeded last year, when she came of age.

Snowflakes trekked upon the snowy ground carefully, and after they were out of the cemetery, it finally sped up. The girl laughed and let it ran as it liked. They were still outside of the city, after all. There were barely any people here.

Although, once she entered the Capital City of Naveland, she pulled the horse’s rein. Snowflakes understood and slowed down its pace, entering the gate of Naveland easily. In the afternoon, there weren’t many people on the street, after all. Many of them were resting and eating in restaurants, or better yet, staying home.

The Capital Guards who were guarding the gate that time happened to recognize her, and let her in with surprise on his face. After she led her horse trotting in, she noticed he went into the guard tower—to report, most likely. Her lips twitched with the beginning of a smile.

Her destination was the Central District of Naveland, also known as the Palace of Kings. She passed through the Southern District easily. As she got nearer, the streets also got more deserted, with the exception of a few pedestrians and the patrolling Capital Guards.

The Royal Palace stood in the middle of it all, looking grand with its white walls, peaking upon a central ivory tower. The whole complex occupied a hexagonal area of the Central District, with a big garden at the front and high, thorny walls around, guarding it. She passed by the golden gilded gate without stopping, her horse galloping on the nearly empty street, startling the palace guards.

“Hey, slow down!” Someone yelled.

She ignored it and went to a small, side entrance, instead. It was meant for the services, such as the servants and the deliveries for daily necessities. A palace guard was standing there, nodding off under the canopy of the tree.

“Wake up,” she said, startling the palace guard into a state of alert. “Who… Your Highness!”

“Shush,” she warned, with a finger in front of her lips. The palace guard was frightened into obedience and let her in without speaking, taking care of her horse in the process.

She slipped into the palace and walked righteously afterwards, towards the left wing, where her study was located. The area was silent. Occasionally, the light from the window flashed, impacted by the rustling leaves outside. The occasional passing palace maids gave her a slight bow before scurrying off.

When she finally closed her study’s door behind her, she gave a relived sigh.

“Where were you?”

It was now her turn to be startled. She didn’t notice when she entered, there were already two girls waiting in the room. One of them, the one who spoke earlier, had her arms crossed in front of her chest, staring at her.

She gave a sheepish smile. “Hello, Luz, I didn’t know you come to the palace today,” she said. “Lisa, quick, serve some tea for Luz here.”

The other girl had her head bowed down, with a palace maid’s uniform, and obeyed her right away.

Luz snorted. “Don’t bother to pretend. Lisa was also searching for you earlier, along with Captain Lewis and Lieutenant Nile. Victa, did you or did you now, sneak out again?”

She cringed. Seemed like she was discovered. “It was just for a short while…”

“Alone, without any guards? Victa!”

“You didn’t tell my mother, did you?” Victoria asked quickly.

Luz sighed. “No, I didn’t. Neither did anyone else. But you have to understand that you cannot keep doing this! You are aware that you now have the title of Grand General, right?”

Ah, yes, the title that she succeeded last year, after turning fifteen, because according to tradition, it was a position of the Crown’s heir. Before her military ceremony, the title was void without anyone holding it.

She accepted the cup of tea from Elisa. “Thank you, Lisa, you’re a dear,” she said with a smile and drank her tea in one gulp—and somehow still seemed ladylike while doing it. “Yes, yes, I understand, Luz.”

“Your Highness!” Luz held her hand in front of her eyes, seemingly quite exasperated. “I really wonder why people keep saying you are the perfect princess that is beautiful, kind, humble, and talented in many fields! They never see you, that’s why! Rumors really cannot be trusted!”

There was some noise that suspiciously sounded like laughter from the corner of the room, but when they looked, Elisa was standing with a proper smile.

Luz went back to scolding. “And look at your outfit! Where in the Goddess name have you been? If people know the legendary perfect princess was playing in the mud, they would retract all those praises!”

“Ah, you know that it is all rumors,” she said, waving her hand. “Now, my aide, why have you come into the palace in this fine day?”

“Because I thought you were supposed to work in your study, Victa,” Luz replied, more calmly. “Do you know how panicked Lisa was when she couldn’t find you?”

Victoria glanced at her maid in the corner of the room, who still looked respectful. “No way. Lisa had to be used to it by now.”

Elisa bit down her lips, but a giggle escaped. She coughed into her hand. “Your Highness, Captain Lewis is still searching for you,” she said.

“She should also be used to it by now.”

“The Captain of your personal guards shouldn’t be used to you running off on your own!” Luz’s anger flared up again. “I’ve heard Her Majesty said you’ve grown up, that ever since you came of age you never escape your duties anymore…”

“No,” Victoria smiled, “They just never caught me, or if they did, they didn’t report it.”

“Your Highness, Grand General, please, don’t do it again.” Luz heaved a deep sigh, her shoulder slumped and she sat down. Elisa quickly served some tea to her, which she drank quickly. Seemed like scolding wasted her breath, and she realized that. “Never mind. I come here because I noticed something off.”

“Ah, now we get back to business.” Victoria smiled at Elisa. “Lisa, can you go and notify the Captain and the Lieutenant to not search for me anymore?”

Elisa nodded and went out of the room.

Victoria sat down before her desk, tidying up the parchments upon it. Luz took something out of her bag and put it on the desk. “Here, I noticed something weird on last month’s Grizzle’s military’s report…”

She took the parchment and read it carefully. “Ah, this one…”

“Do you notice something? Dustor’s barracks didn’t report any equipment upgrade. Logically something would always break down, right?”

“Ah, you notice it too,” Victoria replied, nodding. “It’s okay. I’ve checked it with General Gale up at Dustor City. They really haven’t broken any weapons for training this past month. Gale estimated that they just take care of them well.”

Luz raised an eyebrow. “And you believe that?”

“Of course not,” Victoria laughed. “It’s okay. I’ll handle it.”

“If you say so,” Luz replied, narrowing her eyes. “You are not planning something tricky, are you?”

“Me?” Her eyes twinkled. “No, of course not. Never!” []