“Those are just pretty words I used, but I know reality can be quite different…” Adrian said quickly. To his dismay, he saw the princess grab the pieces again to start a new game, and he could only follow suit.
“But do you?” the princess asked, playing with her queen piece.
“Do I what, Your Grace?”
“Have someone you care for?”
Adrian thought of Ela and her child, no, their child. He cared about them deeply. “I do. I even… have… a mistress.” Adrian said, suddenly feeling a wave of shame about it, even though he knew Lord Oscar, the princess's father, had more than one wife and several children by them.
Princess Skyla chuckled. “A mistress? But not enough to marry her, then?”
“Our circumstances… weren’t normal.” Adrian said, a little embarrassed that he had spoken the words aloud. “How about you, Your Grace? Do you have someone you care for?”
He instantly realized the question might have been too personal. “Of course, I am only asking, Your Grace. You don’t need to answer, I don’t have the right to know…” Adrian bowed his head slightly.
His words were ignored as Princess Skyla spoke. “Hmm. What defines someone you care about?”
Adrian raised his head and eyed the princess, who was looking out the window, her gaze lost in the distance. He pondered the question, only to realize he didn’t actually know the answer.
‘What does it mean to have someone you care about? He cares deeply about Ela and their child but probably not the way the princess means.
Seeing Adrian ponder the thought longer than he should have, the princess let out a soft laugh. “You truly don’t know? Yet you speak so grandly of it.”
Adrian could only smile wryly. “I guess it just means I haven’t truly found someone I… care about.” he said, placing emphasis on the word. He knew they weren’t talking about simple "caring."
“Some people say that when you meet someone, you just know…” Adrian said, tilting his head.
“You just know…” Princess Skyla mumbled, her gaze briefly drifting before she focused again.
A question came to Adrian's mind, but of course, he didn’t dare utter it. Instead, he simply gestured to the board. “Shall we start again?”
“Of course.”
--
“So, 5,000 pounds, plus 800 pounds from the earl, and then a surprise 1,000 pounds from the princess…” Adrian mumbled as he sat up in bed.
Light hadn’t even broken through the curtains yet, but he knew dawn was close. He had only slept briefly, his meeting with the princess had taken longer than expected, but he still woke up feeling fine.
“6,800 pounds. I really need to start thinking about where to use it.” Adrian muttered. Last night, before he left the princess's room, she had shocked him by giving him 1,000 pounds as thanks for escorting the prince, and part of it had come from Lord Jayson as well.
To easily give out 1,000 pounds… “Damn rich people.” Adrian muttered.
Just as his feet touched the floor, there was a knock on the door. Adrian took a deep breath, putting the money out of his mind for now. Today was the day to hunt that predator monster.
To Dexton's relief, he was allowed to come along, alongside the elves and some elite knights and soldiers.
It was only when Dexton and Adrian arrived at the yard, where the group was now conducting their final checks, that Adrian realized there were about sixteen people in the hunting party.
They couldn’t bring any more because the monster had already proven to be intelligent, it might not attack them if their numbers were too grand. Then again, they might not even encounter it at all.
While Adrian was brushing his horse, Furley, his eyes fleeted toward five cloaked figures among the group.
One of the biggest reasons he had initially thought about agreeing was them.
The comments made by the elf, Sylwen, were honestly still on his mind.
Full of life… what does that mean exactly? If he could get some kind of response from them, it would be worth it.
“So, those are the elves…” Dexton whispered behind him, also brushing his horse.
“Don’t whisper. They can hear you, they have super hearing…” Adrian said.
“Really?” Dexton was surprised.
“No, not really. I think …”
Adrian chuckled, sensing Dexton flatly staring at the back of his head. It was then that an armored figure, clad entirely in black, approached. Adrian tried his best not to sigh.
‘Why does a lord of his position even need to participate in this?’ He thought.
“Lord Harrow, good to know you’ve accepted.” Lord Corvus lifted his visor. His armor seemed far too heavy for a mere hunting trip, but the man wore it effortlessly.
“How could I deny such an honor? Especially alongside our elven friends.” Adrian turned to face the earl’s heir.
Lord Corvus chuckled. “Pity I’ve never encountered this monster… My team was on its way to hunt our fifth monster when we noticed the irregular horn blasts.”
‘Fifth? His team would have probably won without any incident.’ Adrian thought.
“You’ll have your chance, Lord Corvus, provided it is still in the area.” Adrian said.
“Is it truly as menacing and smart as they say?” Lord Corvus asked, his tone more casually curious than genuinely concerned.
“I can say I’ve never seen anything like it. But then again, I haven’t seen much of the world, and apparently, even the people here haven't seen anything similar…” Adrian said, causing Lord Corvus to chuckle.
Then, Adrian’s expression turned serious. “But it is better to be more prepared than you think, Lord Corvus. Better to overestimate the enemy than to underestimate them. At least, that is one of my beliefs.”
Lord Corvus only huffed. “Of course.” he said, though he didn’t seem to actually believe it.
Adrian had almost forgotten that the man was an earl’s heir, inherently prideful and arrogant.
“I’d ask for a spar with you, Lord Harrow, but it seems our elven friends are eager to set out now.”
They looked toward the elves. One of them stepped forward, with Lord Winthrope beside him. Not far off, by the keep’s doors, Prince Oscar and his family stood watching them.
“Lords and sirs, I thank you for accepting this task. We will not forget it!” Lord Winthrope spoke out.
The men who had joined the hunt straightened up; some nodded, while others placed a hand over their chest plates. It was only just then that Adrian noticed Lord Tuckstone and someone he hadn’t seen in a while, Sir Harold was also part of the group.
Then Lord Winthrope gestured for the elf beside him to step forward. The elf removed the cloak covering his face, revealing his distinct elven features, it was Sylwen.
“This is Sir Sylwen, the leader of the elven delegation. He will also be the co-captain of this hunting party.” Lord Winthrope announced.
Sir Sylwen scanned their faces before speaking. “Greetings. I will not be commanding you. Instead, I simply hope we capture this beast in the most efficient way possible. If that proves impossible, then killing it will pose no issue. I pray to the natural life of the forest that we will succeed.”
The group exchanged glances as he finished speaking. Lord Winthrope then gestured to another man beside him, who appeared to be a knight.
“And this is Sir Duante. He holds the title of Monster Hunter in these lands. He will be your other co-captain.” Lord Winthrope introduced.
Sir Duante was a tall man with a square face and a shaved head. Otherwise, he looked quite ordinary, save for a prominent scar slicing across his neck.
“He is the one I dispatch whenever a monster terrorizes a village or when a stray beast needs hunting. I vouch for his skill.” the Earl added.
Sir Duante simply nodded. “Preparation is paramount, as is keeping your panic in check. When we are out there, I won't give orders lightly, but I hope everyone remembers that your life ultimately depends on yourself.”
With the introductions of the two co-captains finished, everyone got back to work. Sir Duante ensured that everyone carried basic herbs for injuries and poison, as well as adequate water and ropes.
He even tested some of the horses to see if they were easily spooked, especially since the monster they were hunting was known to terrify mounts.
Some questioned the practicality of bringing horses against such a beast, but Sir Duante countered that the animals were essential, they would alert the group if the predator was nearby, and if they encountered too many monsters at once, they would need the horses to outrun them.
He also berated a few knights whose armor was far too heavy, while Sir Sylwen quietly tended to his own mount.
Very soon, everyone was ready and mounted up. Adrian released a steady breath and exchanged a look with Dexton. Sir Duante signaled the group, and they followed, their horses surging forward into the unknown.
--
A monstrous bird screeched and dived toward them, only to be brought down mid-air by an arrow, crashing into the brush. Garold, the archer, was with them.
“Any signs?” Sir Duante turned his attention away from the fallen beast to ask his scout.
“Some strange tracks and traces, but I'm not entirely sure if it belongs to the monster we're hunting.”
“Hmm…” Sir Duante looked up at the sky before making a decision. “We'll make camp here, fill our bellies, and rest.”
Immediately, everyone dismounted, leading their horses to an area where they could tie them up after planting wooden tethering poles. Adrian handed his reins to Dexton, excusing himself to answer the call of nature.
Making sure he was a fair distance from the camp, but not far enough to be completely isolated, he let it out. He was incredibly thankful he had only worn light armor, otherwise, the sheer number of straps and buckles he'd have to undo just to pee would be ridiculous.
Just as he wrung out the last drop and sheathed his other weapon back into place, he jumped in fright. Unbeknownst to him, a cloaked figure had been standing at his side, watching.
“Shit!”
Adrian nearly drew his sword before recognizing that the cloaked figure was one of the elves.