The Bleeding Heart
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Chapter 27
“Riza!” Trisha pulled the queen from her kneeling position. “We need to get out of here! Now!”
“But she’s – ” Riza protested, motioning to Richelle’s still form.
“We don’t have time!” Trisha told her. “You need to go! He’s going to kill you!”
“What…?” Riza turned her head just in time to see an arrow whizzing in the hair, headed in her direction.
“Look out,” Trisha suddenly put Riza behind her, the arrow barely hitting her shoulder.
“Trisha!” Riza’s eyes widened.
“Your Highness,” a voice then called out.
“Arden!” Riza gasped in surprise as Arden Levi, Elysia Scott and Keith Raleigh ran towards her and Trisha.
“What happened?” he asked. Then, he looked around, seeing the arrow and Richelle’s unconscious body. “Shit.”
“Up there!” Lis snapped her head up, loading her arrow already. She liked carrying her bow and arrows with her all the time, especially with what’s happening.
“Arden!” Keith ordered.
“On it!” Arden shouted, running for the guy in the tree already. The man, who was in the middle of shooting another arrow, panicked and threw the arrows down on the ground. Arden had already jumped onto the garden wall ready to attack.
Elysia fired her arrow but the assailant was able to dodge it. “Damn.”
Arden took a dagger from its hilt which was hanging on his belt and raced to subdue him. But he was too fast. He was able to scratch the man’s skin a few times but that was it. The unknown man jumped from branch to branch, not caring that the bark might collapse under his weight. Arden chased after him but when he unintentionally stepped onto a rather weak branch; he fell to the ground on his bottom.
“Arden!” Elysia gasped. “You alright?”
“Yeah,” Arden groaned.
“Your Highness, are you alright?” Keith asked, helping her up.
“Yes, I think…” Riza rubbed her head. “We need to get Lady Chalot to the infirmary immediately.”
“Of course,” Keith nodded.
“Lis and I will check the perimeter,” Arden said.
“Go with the queen,” Lis nodded.
“Yeah,” Keith nodded, carrying Richelle bridal style with Riza and Trisha following closely behind.
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“Can’t believe that the king didn’t let us take part in the latest council meeting!”
“I know, he trusts those idiotic and naïve scholars of his! Bah! Just because one measly scholar died, he doesn’t trust us anymore!”
“You know what I think? I think it’s the scholars who are the spies! I tell you, you can’t trust those nosy people…even the general!”
“I say that they’re trying to get rid of us, you know? Climb up the ranks? Be more influential than us!”
“Those ungrateful bastards – we’re advisers! The noblest of all Orion!”
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The Bleeding Heart
FantasyFive years ago, war had suffocated the citizens of Orion, leaving them scarred for a very long time. And when they all thought that it was over, they were wrong. When Queen Rosaria of the kingdom of Aria was murdered, all eyes turned to accuse Ori...
