"Arm's up!" Sylvester roared and clenched the spear in his hand.
He continued to look around himself and noticed the many wizards and knights on the various incoming boats, large and small. These boats were completely different from what others looked like. An abundance of green paint was on them. That was the infamous mark of the Gracia family--previously called Green Tribe, a fact known by a few.
"Felix! When I give a sign, start steering the boat ahead. I will break the blockade!" He instructed as he put his palm by his chest, facing the front.
Lady Aurora also appeared beside Sylvester, this time having donned her armour again and her sword in hand. "They likely know I am with you, and they still dare to come and attack us. So they are either foolish, or they have brought someone they know can harm me."
Sylvester was unsure of it, however. "That would be suicide for the entire Gracia Royal family. The Lord Inquisitor and the Church would shower their wrath on this land if you were harmed by these supposed 'allies'. Don't you think so?"
She nodded in agreement. "You can be right--you are most likely right. But, after being alive for so long and having seen so much, life has taught me never to underestimate someone's ability to do something stupid."
"I can understand that. But I don't wish to spend time here in a fight. If Sir Dolorem dies..." Sylvester didn't even know what to say. What did he see the man as? As far as he knew, Sir Dolorem saw him as his son. But Sylvester, a mentally old man, could never do the opposite to him.
For the most part, he saw Sir Dolorem as a good friend, loyal believer and his first and most critical teacher.
"I will be extremely disappointed." He finished his words, albeit a dozen emotions were hidden behind them.
"Me too... He's a good man with morals." She said and held her sword in a striking pose. "Get ready now. They're arriving."
It was just Sylvester, Felix and Lady Aurora who were going to fight since they needed someone by Sir Dolorem's side for his injuries. Gabriel was not much help in large-scale battles either. The man was more of a philosopher than a warrior.
"Felix, be prepared!"
Sylvester silently waited for the oncoming boats. There were five of them, surrounding them in a semicircle. They varied in size, with at least a dozen men on each. Sylvester was trying to let them come close so he could sense the scent--if they were completely, unreasonably hostile.
"Hold! Hold!"
A loud call came from the largest boat in the middle as a man waved at them in shining, semi-golden and silver armour. "Don't engage--we come here with no intention of causing hurt!"
However, Sylvester didn't put his guards down and kept himself prepared to send out a large beam of Wrath of Heavens to make way for himself. The beam was strong enough to melt rocks and make a deep cave, so melting some wooden ships and a few metal chains would not be difficult.
"Identify yourself," Sylvester shouted back.
"I am Sir Morphus, sworn to the faith and protection of Princess Isabella with my life. I come here to ask you to wait a little longer. The Princess wishes to speak to you."
Sylvester saw the rank plate on the man's chest up close now. The man was a Diamond Knight, not a threat to him, as he had Lady Aurora at his side. Not to mention, he didn't take the man's words at face value.
"What does the Princess want from us lowly clergy folks?" Sylvester asked back, a little bit of mocking in disguise.
"Please... Lord Bard, Lady Tenth! We know what has transpired, and we wish to right the wrongs--the Princess is coming to explain everything herself." Sir Morphus replied.
'He's not lying! But why would the Gracia Princess come here? Could it be that even he does not know what the Princess or his masters are planning?' Sylvester wondered and didn't put his guard down.
"If that's the case, then we decline to meet her. Move aside and free our path--for that is the desire of Lady Tenth." Sylvester replied, invoking the big lady beside him, to which she just nodded.
"Please! Wait!"
Just then, another boat rushed close to them, this being the smallest and right away approached Sylvester.
The only reason Sylvester didn't strike was that a woman was standing at the front of the approaching boat, and since her blonde hair was visible, he reckoned this was the Princess. He knew it was foolish to be the first attacker in this case.
"Do not come closer!" He still warned.
But the boat didn't stop, and the woman kept shouting. "It was not my brother! Please let me speak to you once!"
Her face was not visible under the brown hooded robes, but her voice was charming as if she had been singing her entire life and could not sound normal anymore. Every time she even shouted, it felt melodious.
Sylvester glanced at Lady Aurora. "Didn't they say she was a student of healing magic? So why does she sound like a singer?"
Lady Aurora shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she was a part of their monastery's singing group. Anyway, what's your plan? We can't waste time here."
Sylvester looked back at the oncoming woman. He had no idea what she looked like or her personality. He did, however, remember the previous Queen of Gracia Kingdom, Queen Rexina--from when he was a baby.
'If I remember right, didn't that queen get her palm stepped on by Lord Inquisitor as punishment? And she held jealous and lustful thoughts about me--a baby. Are her kids like her?' He wondered in silence and let the woman approach her.
Thud!
The Princess jumped onto Sylvester's boat and clumsily landed in front of him. She then quickly removed her hood and revealed her striking face to all.
To say she was beautiful was an understatement. She had a different charm of cuteness and innocence written all over her. With long silky blonde hair, a curvy fit body, big grey eyes, a round face and full red lips, she was worthy of being called one of the prettiest Sylvester had ever seen in this world since his birth.
Bam!
Sylvester tapped Felix's shoulder, telling him to shut his drooling mouth as he expected the guy to react this way at one glance.
'Hmm... I can smell anxiety, fear, worship and hope mixed all together, with fear overpowering everything else slowly. What can she possibly say to defend her family? She does not appear much older than me--maybe eighteen or twenty? Let's see how smart she is.'
"Please leave, your highness. We do not wish to speak to any member of your family." Sylvester antagonised her.
But instead of showing tearful eyes, she showed a resolve that she had indeed come with the goal of clearing her brother's name. "Please, call me Isabella, Lord Bard... and I can prove that my elder brother did not try to harm Sir Dolorem."
"Prove it then. I'm listening."
Sylvester folded his arms while she stared at his face, finally revealing what he was used to by now from most women he meets--desire. However, it was worth noting that there was no lust here, just attraction towards his face.
Sylvester often believed that god had played a joke on him by giving him the worst luck, a fabulous face and strength while ensuring he must remain celibate for his goals. Not that he wished to mingle with women anyway.
Princess Isabella fiddled with her hands nervously and asked with her head held low. "I-I need a little time to prove it, but I assure you I can. My brother is a just king--maybe a little spoiled and easy to anger, but he's not foolish. The attack on Sir Dolorem was done by some foreign powers trying to create problems for my family."
Lady Aurora scoffed. "You're saying your own family Knights, under the duty of the crown, are not under your control? Princess, I can see you're not too old, so I can understand, but please don't think we're as naive as you."
Lady Isabella shrank her neck, obviously scared of the powerful exertive woman. Lady Aurora was like a big sister one admires but also fears. "I-I know, Lady Tenth... but believe me, if my brother wanted to harm Sir Dolorem, it would not have occurred inside the Green City."
Sylvester stared at her face while shaking his head. He could see she knew about the noble world's internal politics but lacked experience.
"Please leave!" Sylvester firmly ordered this time. "Your highness, the investigation is not a personal matter anymore. Sir Dolorem was here to investigate something that has terrorised the entire Northern Gracia--so the webs of lies and schemes go deeper than you can imagine. Let the Church investigate and don't interfere--lest you fall out of the grace of some senior clergyperson."
This time she pleaded with wet eyes, knowing that if the matter went into the hands of someone more radical, then her family was over. Her mother had already tarnished everything by waging war on Riveria a few years back, and now this. The Church only tolerates the Gracia Family because removing them is too much of a hassle--but that does not mean they can't remove them.
"Please, just give me one chance to prove my family's inno–"
Bam!
Gabriel appeared behind Sylvester, angry and anxious. "Why in this tarnished world are you waiting here? Sir Dolorem is dying! We need to get him to the Holy Land fast!"
"You have Sir Dolorem here?" Princess Isabella exclaimed. "Where? I thought I had healed him already! I was told he had left!"
'So she doesn't know what occurred outside the city?' Sylvester realised.
"What do you mean healed him?" He interrogated.
Princess Isabella didn't reply instantly. Instead, she walked forward, pushed Sylvester aside and proceeded towards the shed on the boat. "He was attacked with a brain-paralysing arrow inside the City, and I healed him to save him. He's a very kind man and told me stories about you... please, let me help him! I think the poison didn't leave his body entirely."
"Poison?" Felix was irked. "You heathens poisoned that man too? No wonder he's dying now!"
Sylvester completed. "He's dying because your knights were seen trying to kill him outside the City, your highness. If not for me, he'd have died. Now, bloodied, broken and in pain--he's battling to breathe. I repeat--your family knights did it!"
"No, t-that can't...!" She gasped and ran towards the shed. "Let me see him."
Sylvester stepped in front of her. "Do not push me now. Please leave and let us go too. Whatever you can do, folks in the Holy Land can do better."
"Let me help him, at least! They call me a once-in-a-century prodigy in healing magic! I can help him." She requested him, her eyes bawling.
Sylvester, not moving, looked into her eyes and kept glaring until she stopped crying and focused on him too. He was absolutely serious and even murderous to some extent, something he didn't hide. "If you wish to help, tell your men to move aside and let us proceed."
"I will!" She was quick to turn around until Sylvester further added.
"You shall remain on this boat and live in the Holy Land until the verdict. Then, if--the guilt is proven, the first head to roll shall be yours."
"Archpriest, that's going too f–" Lady Aurora tried to stop him.
But Princess Isabella remained in front of Sylvester, glaring back, then finally replying. "Lord Bard, If it means I can heal Sir Dolorem and it calms your mind--I do not mind being confined."
[Check this para comment to see Princess Isabella]
