"It's unlike you to bring just this much guard," Iria Alewine remarked as she briefly glanced at Antony and Rion who were coming with them.
"I don't want you to complain again," Crown Prince Arin said as he laughed. "Besides, I have some trust in you now."
Some trust? The Commander recalled the time when Arin arrived with soldiers that night when she shot down two assassins. Was it because of that?
"Shall we compete someday?" she asked. Though she often wondered that he would make a great competitor, she finds it hard to believe that she was really saying that.
"Archery?" Arin Helev mused and Iria nodded.
"I know that you're a great archer," she remarked.
"Do you think you will be able to beat me?" the Crown Prince asked. An amusing smile never left his face when he added, "I won't go easy on you."
Iria Alewine let out a laughter when she heard him. "I won't need it in the very first place." She made a deliberate paused and continued by saying, "I think you should think twice. If you lose to me, what about your ego? You know, Your Highness. People tend to have a high ego when they are on the top for too long."
"We will know that later," Arin Helev simply said while nodding his head in amusement.
Putting aside all the doubts, he just wanted to have some fun with her when he had the chance.
Like always, he hated the uncertainty of their future and... King Tobias's visit only made him felt more uneasy.
They halted their horses when they reached one place which resembled... a farm?
Iria observed their surroundings and turned to the Crown Prince with a confused face. "Where are we?" she asked.
"This belongs to the royal family," Arin responded and pointed at the right. "Vegetables are grown there and some workers look after it."
"Then what about that side?" Iria asked, pointing her chin at the left.
pαndα noνɐ1,сoМ "Fruits," Arin replied and tilted his head to her. "You are always bored inside the palace. So, why don't we become farmers for today?"
The Commander blinked before she gave the Crown Prince a doubtful look. "You know how to do that?"
"I used to visit this place often since I was a child. I often helped out the workers here," Arin simply replied and gets off his horse. Then he offered his hand to Iria and said, "Let's get changed first."
Change? Iria raised a brow but Arin Helev was already pulling her inside a big house in the middle.
*
Iria Alewine had never once done farm work before. In the past, she used to see farms and farmers working only from a distance and even spending a day on the farm was a first for her. However, it was more enjoyable than she thought.
Along with the Crown Prince, she blended herself with the workers there and communicate with them as they worked. Seeing Arin Helev getting along well with the commoners always put her in a daze.
She realized the night he told her his dream. He wanted to create a world of equality; a world where nobles and commoners live together in harmony. Then the sight she witnessed now made her realized that he wasn't just dreaming about it. He made efforts to create such a world, starting with himself.
He remained approachable to everyone and treated everyone equally, be it a noble or a commoner.
"You doubt me when I asked you to spend a day as a farmer. But it turned out that you're the one who doesn't know how to do farm work."
The Crown Prince's comment snapped Iria out of her stupor and she quickly glanced around only to notice that he was right beside her.
"It's my first time. Do you expect me to master it right away?" she asked him with displeasure.
Arin chuckled at her reaction and fixed the hat which she wore. "The sun is strong," he muttered with a calm smile.
When Iria only smiled in return, he asked, "Do you enjoy farming? I think it will be better than being stuck in your chamber all day."
"It's not like I'm stuck on my own will," Iria replied with a menacing smile on her face.
Arin let out a sigh but his face soon turned pleasant again. "Stop complaining. If you don't hold back yourself all those days, I doubt you would recover by now."
Iria simply nodded. "I like this place. Though it's sunny, the atmosphere is still great and for me, nature is always the best medicine."
"Then let's switch to an easier task," Arin suddenly said and without even waiting for her response, he took the basket from her hand and put it on the ground. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the left of the farm where fruits were grown.
"Plucking fruits is easier than plucking vegetables," Arin remarked and added, "Besides, the trees of the fruits produced a comforting shadow. It will protect us from the strong sun."
Iria Alewine glanced around and noticed many different types of fruits. "There are so many. Which one should we pluck first?" she asked.
The Commander's eyes twinkled with mirth when she saw the ripened fruits of many different types. She spent all her time in the army and fighting wars. As such, she never had time to visit this kind of place.
Who would have thought that a vast orchard was enough to fascinate the infamous Masked Commander?!
The Masked Commander herself also realized it only now.
"Let's collect necessary fruits to make a fruit tart first," Arin Helev replied and it made her raised a brow.
"Fruit tart?" she asked.
"Yes," Arin uttered and glanced around to choose the fruits. "Why don't we pluck strawberries first? We have a lot here."
Iria Alewine shifted her gaze to far away in the front and noticed the ripened strawberries. Before this, she never thought that there would come a day when she would pluck some strawberries on a farm with none other than the Qalagon Crown Prince!
Didn't they fight against each other in a war just a year ago?
Life is so unpredictable.
Then she nodded with an exciting smile. When Crown Prince Arin noticed this, his smile widened and he quickly led her to the front where strawberries were grown.....
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