"Your Highness, Tom has returned from the camp," said a guard reporting someone about to deliver the results of his mission. A smile bloomed on King Finn's face. Good news regarding his mission was almost within reach. Tom had successfully gotten rid of the people he wanted gone from the start—Darren and Luna.
He sat with his third wife on his lap. The woman was feeding the old man purple grapes while his hand rested comfortably on her waist. He touched her possessively, despite an underling being about to report in.
"Let him in, I want to hear the good news," Finn said before turning to his wife. "Unfortunately, I have to work now, my wife. Return to your room—I'll stay there tonight."
As the guard left, Finn's wife stood and prepared to exit this room. She couldn't disturb her husband who was about to work. "What a shame, but I know this is the news you've been waiting for, right?" the beautiful woman asked, to which Finn nodded in satisfaction. "Alright then, either way, I'll be waiting in my room tonight."
Her exit coincided with Tom entering the study. Richard stood and walked over to Tom. "Tell me everything, Tom. I want to hear how you completed the task I gave you."
When Finn looked into Tom's eyes, the much younger man didn't return the gaze. There was no pride or joy on Tom's face, even though he had completed his task.
"I failed to kill Luna and Darren, Your Highness." Tom didn't resist as Finn's hand struck his face with a blow. Though he fell, Tom immediately stood back up—he didn't want to appear weak.
"Even dozens of bandits couldn't kill the two of them?" Finn asked, eyeing Tom standing before him.
"I nearly succeeded in killing Luna—until Prince Harry came to the camp," Tom reported. "Prince Harry disrupted the operation, Your Highness."
"Harry? The eldest son of Emperor Alric?" Tom nodded several times. "Traitor."
"Luna's weakness is fighting in the dark. We had the perfect moment, but then Prince Harry shot several bandits until I was the only one left," Tom continued.
"So all the bandits are dead now?" asked King Finn as he turned back toward his desk.
"Yes, Your Highness. But the good news is, we've surrounded Narima Beach and are ready to launch a rebellion during the annual summit." Applause erupted from Finn—he hadn't wasted his money hiring those martial arts experts. They managed to please him without him ever leaving his grand chair in the palace.
"Also, we need tighter security, Your Highness. I'm certain Luna will come because I returned with her youngest sister, Rhea." The clapping grew louder in Tom's ears.
"Why didn't you say that from the start, Tom? I'm sorry I struck you. Let's just say your job isn't a failure yet. Luna will surely come to rescue her sister," he said with a laugh at the end. He was thrilled to hear that Tom had brought his enemies into the palace. It would be much easier for him to kill Luna now. "I still don't know whether Luna entered the city with Prince Darren or not. If Prince Harry and Prince Darren have reconciled, they may come to the annual summit with several kings and queens from the island."
"We can kill Darren another time. What's important is that we kill Luna first. Do you know where she's staying?" asked King Finn.
"Not yet, Your Highness. I haven't found out where Luna is staying in Mierre-Park. She definitely wouldn't be staying at her own house. I'm sure she rented a place to plan her infiltration into the palace," Tom said, giving a bit of his opinion.
"Find out where Luna is staying in the city. And if anyone is sheltering her, make sure they don't live comfortably on this land again." Finn ordered before Tom nodded and left the study.
****
"I know where Rhea is now."
Luna froze upon hearing what Rich had just said. She didn't want to trust the man easily—she needed to find out more. Even looking at Rich made Luna question whether he was being honest.
"Where?" Luna asked.
"Inside the palace, a place heavily guarded by soldiers," he said quietly, but Luna didn't fully believe him. "Listen, it's too risky to force your way in right now."
"Then I'll go get Rhea myself," she said without a hint of fear. Rich sighed softly, tired of dealing with Luna's stubbornness.
"Tell me quickly, where exactly is Rhea now?"
"I won't let you go for another two days. Once you've recovered, I'll contact someone who can get you into the palace." Luna left the living room and turned right to follow some of her friends who hadn't gone too far.
Her mind buzzed with noise. He was right—she needed rest. With her body this exhausted, the only way to save Rhea was by resting. The same went for her friends, who surely needed rest too.
If not, maybe it wouldn't just be Rhea who didn't come back. Her friends might end up trapped in the palace and never make it out.
Luna tried to think logically in this chaotic situation. She shouldn't just think about herself, but also her two younger siblings and her friends. Luna was trained—she'd learned martial arts since childhood and was familiar with weapons, though she wasn't especially good at fighting in the dark.
But her friends were different from her. She could die at any time, and maybe coming back was a shortcut for her. But Darren and Evan might not have any other friends besides the ones they had now.
"Luna!" Thalia called out to her from a room where she was with Mia. Luna's steps halted, and she entered the room with a large bed for two. "Have you seen your room yet?"
"No," Luna replied, observing four of her friends coming and going from the room across from them.
"On the right, we've got rooms directly across from theirs," Thalia added. Luna turned to look at Thalia and Mia before her eyes shifted toward a man around twenty-five years old standing on the street outside. The man stood there, observing Luna, who was slightly hidden behind Mia and Thalia, who were talking to her.
Noticing her older sister acting strangely, Thalia frowned in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Just as Thalia was about to turn around, Luna immediately stopped her, making sure Thalia only looked at her. Whoever was outside had recognized Luna—whatever it was, they couldn't be allowed to see her sisters' faces.
"Don't open this window. We're being watched."