Princess Thief [✔]

30. The Crusaders

My heels clicked on the marbled floor as Reid followed behind me.

"What happened there, your highness?" he prodded when we were far from earshot.

He was escorting me back to my chamber. He wasn't there earlier since he had something to do and sent me another knight when I was going to the greenhouse but he came right away when he was called.

"Why are you disqualified, Princess? I thought you like doing tests," he kept on prompting which I planned to ignore if not for the last sentence.

"How come you know that?"

"I wouldn't be sending you back if that was not the case."

"No. I meant how did you know what I like?"

Nobody in the palace was aware I had gotten an education from Cindra and Night. They were the only people who knew that I loved to memorize things and challenge my knowledge.

Besides, it was even weirder that he knew a princess could be studious when in fact we, women, were perceived as unintelligent and just need to give birth to an heir.

"Your tutor told me so. We were tasked by the king to interview the people around the candidates to know them further."

He was definitely lying. I had no private tutor. Unless he knew Cindra. I didn't reply anymore and he didn't push the conversation either.

We arrived at my door and he relieved himself. As soon as I entered, the sigh of relief escaped me.

Fancy that. At least I had skipped the second trial, now there was even a lower chance I would be picked.

I propped myself in the bed, thinking about what should I do at the moment. In the end, I fell into slumber.

***

I jolted awake when I felt a strange warmth in my face. A floating will-o-wisp was in front of me. It glowed purple with brightness flickering every second.

My surprise was palpable seeing it the first time. It was only then I recovered when a voice came out of it.

"Ace? Ace?"

The voice was quite distorted and I had no way of identifying who it was just on voice alone.

"Who are you?"

"It's me, Blaze."

So it was Crown Prince Lander.

"What is this? Why is there something hovering in front of me?"

"Ah, that? It's the portier. Whenever you used it, a portal lantern appears on the other side," he explicated. "Anyway, I have to make it brief. Can we meet?"

"I don't think I can leave the palace."

"Of course you can. There is an emergency route at the farthest part of your wing. A landscape painting on the end of the hallway is hanging there. You just need to press the lower right hilt of the frame and an entrance will open."

My brows wrinkled as he spoke.

"Are you sure about that? How come you know that? What if it's a trick? Does it even work?" I bombarded him with questions.

"Without a doubt! We used it a couple of times. Anyhow, since you are free, it is best to leave now. I'll wait for you at the exit at noon."

The portal lantern died out and it was then I ascertained his words. From what I grasped with the use of portier, you really could not control who would hear you and it appeared randomly. Maybe that was why Cindra always reminded me not to use it in public.