A Tale of The Sun and The Moon [ENGLISH]

2.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss, Your Majesty; everyone in the Royal Palace is deeply disturbed by the unfortunate event. However, you also know that the news spreading across the country is not naive at all. It's only a matter of time before someone strikes again. I'm afraid you'll have much bigger losses then. His army will not stop and run for a few flashes of light.''

"That won't happen."

"Not if we take the princess with us."

Ines Alekseyeva began to breathe shallowly, watching Popov with burning eyes.

"She's all I have," she said softly, feeling a slight sting in the corners of her eyes. "I don't want her to become a moving target because of rumors."

"I am aware of your concerns, Queen Alekseyeva," his voice was soft. "But you know what the consequences are if you disobey the order of the general and the king himself. If you are right and your daughter is not what everyone thinks she is, she will be returned faster than she left. And no one will chase her or try to kill her. Otherwise, it will be safest in Evermore Palace.''

The queen tried to control her emotional side that played with her judgment. She watched him for a long time without blinking, her eyes slightly wide. She feared for the safety of her heiress. She knew she had to weigh both possibilities, both very scary possibilities. But she also knew that she would have to choose the lesser of two evils.

"Marcus", she addressed her faithful protector, still not taking her eyes off the colonel. "Take Marjorie with you and bring Katerina."

At her words, the corners of Andrej's lips curved in satisfaction. She let out a soft breath and sat down on her throne, again feeling the emptiness of missing her husband. She knew that he would never agree with her decision. Ilia Alekseyev would fight to the death for his Windfalls heiress. He would never let her be taken away – especially not by High King.

But did she have any choice at all? High King Augustine was not someone who would let anything stop him from achieving what he set his mind to, and she increasingly thought that General Bogdanov was similar in that respect.

Andrej briefly turned to his soldiers with stony expressions and determined looks, signaling them to follow the queen's servant. The uncomfortable silence between them was creating more tension that could be cut with a knife, but it didn't seem to affect Andrej. On his face, which was sculpted like the face of a Greek god - from full lips, straight nose to thick eyebrows - not a single bit of emotion or thought could be read. Ines could not fathom whether it was from some kind of training or simply carrying the burden of a cold warrior for whom emotions were an unknown topic.

Hearing the murmur and thump of footsteps that were getting closer to them, Andrej turned briefly and saw a slender brunette in an ivory-colored dress resenting and breaking away from the guards who grabbed her by the arms. Ines watched him closely, seeing a slight change in his look - something like the realization that she was not going to make this easy for him.

"I can walk on my own, thank you very much," her heiress exclaimed. She looked directly at Andrej and poison darts were shooting from her eyes. "May I know what it is about? Mother?''

"General Bogdanov requires your presence," the colonel jumped in.

"Well, tell your general I'm not interested."

"That was not a request," he retorted. "It was an order."

"Mother, tell the gentleman that he can't do it like this-" she fell silent when she saw her mother's expression. Pure defeat. She balled her hands into fists and bit the inside of her cheek. She felt her hands tingle again as they had that evening.