A New Life In A New World (Editing)

22. A Royal Mess

Ugh, I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm only nine years old, and my father, the Duke of Eldrida, is making me go to war. I mean, I know he's trying to protect our kingdom and all, but shouldn't he be the one fighting, not me? I'm just a kid, for crying out loud!

And to make matters worse, he's sending me off to inform the king about the impending invasion.

I'm currently on my way to the palace in the carriage my father gave me. It's a nice ride, I'll give him that. But seriously, sometimes I think he's spending too much money on me. I mean, sure, it's great to have a fancy horse and carriage, but wouldn't that money be better spent on, I don't know, armor and weapons for the soldiers or something?

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. I'm supposed to be focusing on the task at hand, which is delivering the message to the king. I just hope he takes me seriously and doesn't think I'm some kind of joke. After all, I'm the son of the Duke of Eldrida, and I have a reputation to uphold.

I'm starting to feel a bit nervous now. What if the king doesn't believe me? What if he thinks I'm just some silly kid playing pranks? I'm not sure I can handle the pressure of this responsibility. Maybe I should just turn around and go home. No, wait, that would be cowardice. I have to see this through.

Deep breaths, Ember. You can do this. Just tell the king what your father told you to say, and everything will be fine. Don't mess this up.

As I approached the palace, I suddenly heard a faint voice crying out for help. It sounded like someone was in distress, and my instincts told me to investigate.

"Ah! Help! Help!" the voice shouted again, growing louder and more urgent.

I quickly turned to Edvin, who was driving the carriage and ordered him to stop.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at me curiously.

"I'm not sure, but I think someone needs help," I replied, already jumping out of the carriage. "Wait here, I'll be back soon."

Without another word, I ran towards the direction of the voice, my heart racing with anticipation. As I rounded a corner, I saw a group of guards surrounding a figure on the ground. They were armed and looked dangerous, and I realized the voice I had heard must have belonged to this person.

"Halt! Who goes there?" one of the guards shouted, pointing his weapon at me.

I stopped dead in my tracks, unsure of what to do next. I didn't want to risk getting hurt, but I also couldn't just stand by and watch while someone was in danger.

"It's okay, I'm here to help," I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is that person injured?"

The guard hesitated for a moment before lowering his weapon. "Yeah, they're unconscious. We found them lying on the ground a few minutes ago."

I breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously approached the group. As I got closer, I saw that the person on the ground was a young woman, dressed in a simple white robe. She had a small cut on her forehead but otherwise seemed unharmed.

"Do you know who she is?" I asked the guards.

They shook their heads. "No idea. We were patrolling the area when we heard a noise and found her lying there."

I knelt beside the woman and gently shook her shoulder. To my surprise, she stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

"Where...where am I?" she asked weakly.

"You're outside the palace," I replied. "Do you remember what happened?"

She struggled to sit up, wincing in pain. "I...I was attacked. A group of men ambushed me while I was walking here."