Chapter 85 – One Drawback

There was only one person in the carriage when there should have been two. Pel glanced at his hands, lost in thought, and looked up at the voice from the window leading to the horseman’s seat.

“Your Highness.”

“Hectile.”

Hector, aka Hectile Ligon, did not hesitate to call Pel ‘Your Highness’. The same went for Pel. For he was still used to the name Hectile more than Hector.

Hectile said he had been looking for the place at the manor where the items for sale were kept, when he heard a disturbance and waited at the carriage storehouse. The security had been tight, so he hadn’t been able to move around easily.

“I think the information about the two of you came from the rest area.” Hectile said bitterly.

“There was no trace of them following you two before now.. The appearance of the Kraidens at the black market just as the information was leaked doesn’t seem to be mere coincidence.”

Pel sunk his head as he fell deep into his thoughts again. Of course it was no coincidence. Like Hectile had said, the information about him and Levisia had been leaked from somewhere.

“Now that Kraiden knows about the rest area, it’s time to clear it out.” Pel said aloud, not expecting Hectile to respond.

Not everyone was aware of his identity. Some of them only knew Pel as an unusual guest, and others knew him as the prince of the fallen kingdom.

He could have easily moved behind the scenes without anyone uncovering who he really was But now this vital area was about to disappear, all

because he and Levisia had paid a visit.. He knew that it was his fault. There was no way that Hectile didn’t know that his voice was stained with self-pity.

“Don’t blame yourself too much, Your Highness.” Hectile pulled the carriage to a halt and poked his head through the window looking into the carriage. “There was no way you could tell this would happen. Though I guess it was only a matter of time before someone realised that you were more than Miss Levisia’s servant. My advice? I think you got too close to her.”

Pel flinched and glared at his trembling fingertips. He knew that he couldn’t deny nor acknowledge what Hectile had said.

“I think you went too far by giving that necklace left by our forebearer to Miss Levisia, Your Highness. I actually thought that Miss Levisia would not affect our plans. But after what happened today, I changed my mind about that. If you see her again, don’t get any closer to Miss Levisia.” Hectile gave Pel a sad smile.

“I know that.” Pel muttered as he sank further into his seat. The night wind blew fiercely into the small window. Pel took off his wig on impulse and leaned his head on the carriage wall. He had no idea why he suddenly felt so frustrated. He swept his dark red hair out of his face.

“Of course you do, Your Highness. I never doubted that. It’s merely, well…” Hectile sighed. “Worry not, Your Highness. Let’s just put some distance between us and the Kraidens. We’ll worry about our next move once we are somewhere safe.” He settled back down in his seat and nudged the horses on. The carriage began rolling through the countryside, leaving Pel alone again. Hectile was right. The next few days were crucial. He couldn’t mess up the coming days for any reason. Not just for him, but for everyone who had been caught up in the mess.

Except for Levisia.

Levisia was irrelevant to the dusty road he would walk and the road he had walked. She was a royal figure, but Kraiden blood didn’t flow in her veins.

Pel wanted nothing more than to leave her, to let her go. However, when he had seen the Kraidens, he had felt a twisted sense of displeasure. It was the familiar feeling, the sort that made his question if he was going to sit back and let them take advantage of her. Especially as she has essentially given herself up for his sake, and went out of her way to project his identity.

No, she was safe for now. The Kraidens would look after her, at least for a while. Elizabeth would fret over her like a little sister. It was Lidan who gave Pel cause for concern. The way he tried to stop Pel from leaving until Levisia stepped in, and the way he was latching onto her.

“Levisia is strong. She’ll be able to handle herself.” Pel muttered to himself as if to pacify his growing concern; yet he was unsure of his own words.