"You don't look fine, Arin."
It was morning and Hanson Lorin was observing his friend who seemed to be quite tired. Though he knew that they were very busy these days due to the preparation for the annual tournament, it's unlikely of the Crown Prince to appear this way.
Didn't he sleep well last night?
"I'm fine. Everything's going well with the participants from our Royal Army, right?" Arin Helev asked.
"Yes, I think we will be able to do even better than last year," Hanson replied and observed his friend once again. "Are you sure that you're fine?"
Crown Prince Arin recalled how he completely lost his sleep last night. However, he ended up chatting almost the whole night with Iria and he learned many things about her which he never knew before. So, he thought that it was worth it. Thinking of this, there was a subtle smile on his face much to Hanson's surprise.
"Arin, what has gotten into you?" the General asked, dumbfounded.
Crown Prince Arin shifted his gaze to his friend and sighed. "I'm really fine. You should go and check on the soldiers." Before his friend could say any other thing, the Crown Prince walked away and put General Hanson in a daze.
What was the Crown Prince thinking?!
*
Iria was also chatting with Vienna Mareyi in her tent. The latter was also among the nobles who will sleep in the camp and she came to visit Iria as soon as she finds the right time.
"You look tired today, Your Highness. Did you struggled to sleep as we are out near the woods?" the Prime Minister's daughter asked Iria. She naturally thought that the 'Princess' was having a hard time as they were outdoors.
Iria only nodded though she knew that Lady Vienna completely gets it wrong. Should she tell her that she slept in the same bed with the Crown Prince for the first time and she failed to get even a single sleep?
She better not.
Lady Vienna let out a light chuckle. "When I first spent the night in this camp, I was 14. I also struggled to adapt but now, I always look forward to it. I don't have any other chance to sleep outdoors apart from this annual tournament."
"You never travel?" Iria asked. Was her life that guarded?
"I once visit Zoris. That's all," Vienna Mareyi said. "What about you, Your Highness?"
Iria recalled how she spent almost all her life outdoors and... fighting wars. "Not much," she replied. She rarely got the chance to travel around unless it's for official purposes.
"I think it would be great to travel together at least once. It's clear that we both hate to be locked up." Vienna Mareyi laughed at her own words. She was really grateful that she now had someone to talk with about these things.
All the other nobles and acquaintances she knew were all the same. Rather than exploring new things, they want to live a well-sheltered life. However, despite the only daughter of the Prime Minister, she didn't feel the same.
Rather than being a flower in a vase, she wanted to be a flower that bloomed in the wild. She wanted that kind of life but... she never gets one. While letting others think that she was the most beautiful flower in a vase, she hid a wild and carefree nature beneath it.
"What kind of life do you want, Lady Vienna?" Iria asked when she noticed that the lady was lost in her thoughts.
Vienna Mareyi slightly raised a brow as she was surprised by the Crown Princess question but she quickly smiled again. "You're from Jerivia, Your Highness. So, I'm sure that you have seen the masked Commander before."
Masked Commander. It's her again.
"I'm not saying that I want to be a warrior but... I wish I can be someone like her. She showed the world that women can also fight just like men and live the kind of life they want. She proved that we, women aren't just like flowers to be displayed or admired. We can also achieve many things if given the chance and she proved that," Vienna Mareyi added.
Iria Alewine was surprised by what Vienna Mareyi said. Ever since she became the Commander of the Alewine Army, she had crossed paths with many people who admired her and their reason was the same - how she lead the soldiers and won many wars.
But now, this seemingly gentle and fragile made her look back at herself in a new light. Vienna Mareyi was right. In the era and society they lived in, women were rarely given the chance to prove themselves.
If she wasn't born into a military family or if she had a brother, Iria knew that her life won't be much different from the ladies in other noble families.
pαndα noνɐ1,сoМ "What kind of person is the masked Commander? I have heard many rumours about her and some say that she is a ruthless person. Now that our two kingdoms have peace, do you think I will get the chance to meet her?" Vienna Mareyi asked her when she maintained her silence for a while.
Iria was reminded of the time when Arin Helev asked her the same question. 'What kind of person is the masked Commander?' What kind of person was she?
"She is just an average woman who wants to give her all for the kingdom and the people," she replied. "About a chance to meet her... I'm not sure." She thought of the time when this lady would realize that she was the masked Commander. Then she said, "You might get one but maybe you won't realize it."
Vienna Mareyi raised a brow. "Why, Your Highness?" she asked, confused.
"Because she always wears a mask and only a few know her real face. You won't know her even if you cross paths with her."
Lady Vienna finally nodded in understanding. "That's a pity but I'll still be grateful even if I met her that way." She paused and asked, "Then, is she ruthless as they said?"
Commander Iria repeatedly pressed her nails against one another as she thought of the question. Was she ruthless? She recalled all her actions in the past.
"Yes," she muttered. "Especially towards her enemies."
It seemed like Vienna Mareyi didn't expect such a response. There was a hint of disappointment in her face before she forced a smile. "Still, I don't think she is to blame. Maybe she didn't have another choice or maybe she considered it her duty. Who knows, many people might suffer if she didn't choose to be ruthless."
*
Vienna Mareyi left without even knowing how much she troubled the mind of the exact 'Masked Commander.' However, she crossed paths with General Hanson as soon as she left the tent.
Hanson Lorin's lips immediately curled into a smile when he saw the woman he loved. "Did you visit the Crown Princess?" he asked as he stood opposite her.
"Yes. Her Highness doesn't look well today, so I decided to let her rest. That's why I don't spend much time with her," Vienna Mareyi promptly replied with a little smile.
The Crown Princess didn't look well? Didn't the Crown Prince appear that way too?! Hanson Lorin shifted his gaze to the tent and blinked. What happened between them?!
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