CHAPTER 10
ENTERING BELRAC, while waiting on the line to enter the gate of the town, Sollel, Hakken, and Cira found out from Len that identification was needed to enter the town. It was not a problem to Hakken and Cira, but to Sollel, it was a big dilemma. She had no identification to show; she was basically a suspicious individual.
Cira sat beside Sollel in the front of the wagon. Hakken walked beside it while holding the horse's rein, giving Cira an ample space to sit on. He whispered to Sollel's ear, "Your Highness, what are we going to do with your identification?"
"I have no idea," Sollel whispered back.
Cira thought of ideas, and after a minute or so, she suggested, "Let's bribe them, Your Highness! I have lots of money."
Hakken, who was listening without the two realizing, interjected. "That will make you look even more suspicious. How about you just leave it to me, my lady?"
Cira and Sollel glanced down at Hakken at the same time.
"What are you planning to do, hmm?" Cira looked at Hakken with doubt. "If you endanger her highness, I will shoot you with my bow and arrow. I have a perfect aim, just saying."
Hakken just smiled at Cira's seemingly harmless threat before looking up at Sollel, who was sitting on the wagon's front. "How's your acting skills, my lady?"
"Horrible," Sollel answered.
Hakken grinned. "Perfect."
Sollel didn't know what Hakken was planning until they arrived at the town's gate. And in front of the two guards, Hakken suddenly offered his hand at Sollel like a gentleman offering his hand at a ball. "My lady, please."
Sollel stilled for a split second before she remembered Hakken asking about her acting skills. Maybe this is it, Sollel assumed in her head. She was not sure what was happening and what was Hakken planning, but she accepted his hand anyway.
A hand of a warrior. It was Sollel's first impression of Hakken's hand. It had no callous, but it was hard, firm, and strong.
Sollel just played along with Hakken as he guided her to face the guards. She was silent, just watching and waiting how Hakken could help her pass.
"Identification?" one of the guards asked.
Sollel jumped a little when she felt Hakken's arm wrapping around her waist, his expression was somewhat in pain while facing the guards. "Gentlemen, this is my wife and beloved, El."
Good thing Sollel was wearing her hood and her face was hidden; if not, the guards would've seen how her eyes widened in shock at what she just heard.
Hakken continued his acting even though he felt Sollel stiffen. "We wanted nothing but to comply with the rules, but she didn't have her identification with her right now. After we eloped, we ran away and had to leave everything behind so we could be together." Hakken handed his identification pass and continued, "I can only show you mine. I'm so sorry. Please have mercy on my wife. We have been travelling to escape her parents. She is so terrified that she hasn't taken off her cloak and hood, and we don't know what we'll do if we can't enter Belrac to rest and stock up our supply before we start running again."
Sollel didn't know if it was because of Hakken's acting skills or the foolishness of the guards that they were let through. The guards patted Hakken's shoulder, saying, "You're very brave, young man. Treasure your wife."
Hakken nodded and smiled. "Of course. I fell in love with her at first sight after all."
The guards seemed pleased at Hakken's answer. Sollel, on the other hand, was starting to feel weird because Hakken's arm was still around her waist.
"Hey! Don't take advantage on Her Highness!" Cira hissed at Hakken and slapped his arm away from her waist. The two started bickering about Sollel, but still, Sollel hadn't said a word and was still feeling uneasy because she couldn't shake off that weird feeling.
Surely, she could push Hakken's arm away from her after they passed the gate, but why didn't she?
Usually, if it was a question about herself, Sollel had an immediate answer, but not this time—not that question. She had no answer.
Taking a deep breath, she controlled herself and went back to sit on the wagon.
Cira hissed and glared at Hakken, seeing Sollel being silent. "How could you use a lie like that?" Cira wanted to bash Hakken's head on the pavement. "Her highness is a very delicate woman! How dare you say that you two are married?!"
Hakken scratched the back of his head and glanced at Sollel. "I'm sorry, my lady. That's the only way I know how to enter the town without being suspicious."
Sollel didn't reply and remained silent until they reached the biggest tavern in town. Cira was still scowling at Hakken, while Hakken kept on glancing apologetically at Sollel.
Sollel, Cira, Hakken, and Len entered the tavern and occupied the table in the corner to avoid being seen. But before they could order, a young man, maybe the same age as Hakken, accompanied by two guards wearing a full mail and plate armor, walked toward Sollel's table. The man had his eyes on Sollel—the woman wearing the dark red cloak.
Sollel's hands resting on the table were graceful, her fingers delicate and beautiful. Since the young man had a hand fetish, he was practically salivating seeing Sollel's hand. He immediately grabbed it and kissed it without asking for consent.
"My lady, how much do I have to pay for you to touch my erect rod with your beautiful hands?" the young man asked conceitedly, certain that Sollel would say yes.
Hakken's blood boiled in anger when he saw what the man did to Sollel's hand that he got up, ready to kill, ready to defend and save his lady, but Sollel beat him to it.
Before Hakken could even draw his sword, Sollel pulled her hand back and used it to slap the man who kissed it without her consent. And when Sollel's rage was still not appeased, Sollel turned to Hakken, drew one of his swords, and used the flat part of the sword to smack the man out of her sight.
The people inside the tavern all grimaced when they saw the young man, Lord Tyon Duves, pathetically dropped on the floor, unconscious.
Seeing what happened to their lord, the two guards behind Lord Tyon Duves drew their swords to teach Sollel a lesson, but Sollel smacked their faces and necks with the flat part of the sword until they, too, lost consciousness like their lord.
Everyone in the tavern was in awe at what they just witnessed. Some even laughed and silently thanked the woman who taught Lord Tyon Duves a lesson. Everyone in Belrac was afraid to cross or offend Lord Tyon Duves, even though he was a well-known, wealthy gentleman who defiled women whenever he wanted to, without asking for consent, and the women couldn't do anything about it because he had a powerful background.
"Could you please give us some warm water?" Cira asked the waiter who immediately provided what Cira requested.
The people inside the tavern were curious why the companion of the lady who smacked the three men unconscious wanted warm water. A few seconds later, they understood what it was for.
Cira used the warm water to wash Queen Sollel's hand thoroughly, as if she was trying to get rid of some dirt left by trash. Everyone who saw it couldn't help snickering and taunting the men who were still unconscious on the tavern's floor.
After washing Sollel's hand, Cira handed back the bowl to the waiter, and Hakken offered his hand at his lady.
"May I?"
Sollel accepted and placed her hand on Hakken's palm. She just watched as Hakken took out a handkerchief and carefully dried her hand.
"Should we look for another tavern?" Hakken asked Sollel.
"Good idea."
Hakken finished drying Sollel's hand and returned his handkerchief to his drawstring pouch. "Then"—Hakken motioned her hand at the tavern's door and slightly bowed his head like a gentleman—"my lady first."
Sollel didn't heed any attention to Hakken's attempt to flirt again and left the tavern. Cira followed with Hakken behind. The last one to leave was Len, and he was scared for his life!
"What did you do?!" Len panicked and trembled, just like the first time they met the halfling. "Do you know who that man was? It was Lord Tyon Duves! He's a very powerful man here in Belrac. One word from him and you'll die!"
Hakken was neither scared nor impressed as he replied to Len's panic, "I like to see him try."
"But he's Lord Tyon Duves!" Len exclaimed as if that name should carry weight and fear everyone who heard it. "He will surely make our lives a living hell here in Belrac after what Lady El did." Len was too terrified to think clearly.
But Sollel didn't really care and just continued walking toward their wagon, together with Cira who had a pleased smile on her lips because she saw how amazing Queen Sollel was again. It's been a long time since Cira last saw her fight.
Roaming around the streets of Belrac, they finally found a tavern with a good atmosphere.
"So," Cira said to Len after they ordered food, "how much money do you need to get your sister back?"
Len looked down at the table. "A lot."
"Slaves usually cost one hundred to two hundred gold coins," Hakken chimed in. "Depends on a slave's value." Hakken looked at Len.
"Depends on the value?" Sollel frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Hakken answered with a shrug, "Halflings and demi-human slaves, especially the strong ones, are pretty expensive because of their fighting ability, while the weak and beautiful ones are sold for other reasons."
"Such as?"
Hakken didn't hold back his words and answered Sollel, "Prostitution."
Sollel's lips parted in shock. "Th-they're being forced?"
Hakken shrugged. "My lady, remember what I told you about the Duves family?"
"Yes, you said they're the nastiest—" Sollel didn't continue her words when she realized what Hakken meant. Her fists clenched. "And Len's sister might be..."
"That's why I'm asking him." Hakken glanced at Len who was trembling and crying because he, too, knew that there's a big possibility that his sister was being forced to use her body for money and profit.
Sollel wanted to act immediately. She wanted to save as many as she could, but she didn't know a thing about Belrac and the Duves family. If she wanted to destroy them, she needed information. She couldn't act hastily or prematurely.
"Yey! Food!" Cira gleefully announced to lighten up the mood of the whole table. "Here, Your Highness, eat this. This is very delicious."
Sollel just nodded and silently ate, while Hakken observed his lady's movement. He knew that after what his lady learned, she'd do something about it—that's just who she was. They hadn't been together for long, but Hakken could already grasp his lady's attitude and temperament.
Hakken would bet that behind his lady's calm demeanor now, he was certain that she was angry.
And Hakken was right. Sollel was angry at these humans who thought highly of themselves. Her plans to burn them hadn't changed.
After an early dinner, the four went to look for an inn. When they found one, they rented two rooms as usual. After a while, Cira went to see Len in his and Hakken's room to talk about her sister, while Hakken went to Sollel and Cira's room.
Sollel got up from lying on the bed and put on her cloak when she heard a knock .
"It's Hakken, my lady."
Sollel put on the hood of her cloak before opening the door. "You need anything?" Sollel asked reservedly.
Hakken smiled at Sollel, the kind of smile that says I'm planning something wicked. "Fancy visiting the red-light district with me?"
Sollel stared at Hakken for a long time without blinking before she finally pulled herself together and asked calmly, "Do you want to die by my hands?"
Hakken bit his lower lip, trying to suppress a smile, but his whole expression said it all. He looked amused at Sollel. "My lady, how could you threaten me like that? I'm hurt."
Sollel narrowed her eyes at Hakken. "You just asked me to visit the red-light district with you," Sollel said as if those words were enough to sentence Hakken to death with her flames.
"Yes, the red-light district is the best place to gather information about the Duves family." Hakken couldn't stop his teasing smile from showing this time. "My lady, you're not thinking about obscene things, are you?"
Sollel was speechless.
"I would never do such a thing, my lady," Hakken said with a smile, which Sollel found charming but impudent. "I'm a gentleman after all."
"Why am I not buying it?" Sollel stepped out from her room and walked past Hakken. "Come on, let's go to the red-light district."
Hakken's smile widened and instantly followed his lady.
The red-light district...what could go wrong?
CECELIB | C.C.