~Time Skip~
"Minister Woo escaped... Princess Abigail is nowhere to be found." Emperor Ling casually spoke in his usual calm manner, gazing at the wine cup he was holding, while the Empress sat beside his throne.
By the afternoon, the Emperor convened an urgent meeting. Following the earlier incident, the festival was canceled, and security throughout the kingdom intensified.
"Yes, Your Majesty. If I may express my thoughts, I believe they took the Princess hostage on their way to the Jing Kingdom to negotiate an alliance," Alphonse exclaimed with his head bowed in front of everyone in the room.
"Your Majesty, we are willing to assist in finding the Princess if necessary, our kingdom is ready to cooperate." Prince Jerome of the Lotus Kingdom offered, a gentle grin adorning his face.
He contemplated that this might be an opportunity to form an alliance with the Veoral Kingdom, since this was the primary reason for their visit.
Emperor Ling sighed, falling into a thoughtful silence. He absentmindedly played with his fingers, tapping them on the table in front of him, thinking of solutions that can solve this problem.
He took a deep breath and addressed everyone in the room. "For now, our priority is to locate Minister Woo before he reaches the barracks. We must prevent him from carrying out his plan," he paused briefly to choose his words carefully. "With the Princess missing, General Lex will lead the efforts beyond the Veoral Kingdom to trace any signs of Minister Woo. I expect him captured, dead or alive," Emperor Ling declared as he stood up from his seat.
However, Luke chose to voice his concerns, capturing everyone's attention as he called out to the emperor. "What about the Princess? Shouldn't we plan for her rescue? Confronting a hundred enemies is no small feat, and she might be severely wounded," he expressed, stepping forward to address everyone and fixing a penetrating gaze on the Emperor.
"If Princess Abigail is still alive, she'll find her way back. If she's already dead, there's nothing we can do about it" Emperor Ling responded as he walked through the hall with servants trailing behind him.
"How can you say that?" Luke asked, courtesy and concern evident in his tone as he faced the Emperor, who had now come to a stop in front of him.
"There's a reason I gave her the title of the Princess of War, even if she didn't grow up within these walls," the Emperor explained cryptically as he walked past Luke.
"W-what?" Luke murmured as he came with a realization, his eyes widening as he heard those words from the Emperor's mouth himself.
'Every noble is born within their own kingdom, blessed by the Emperor himself. However, if Abigail didn't grow up within these walls, it could go one of two ways,' Luke pondered to himself. He tilted his head and directed his gaze at Alphonse, who stood just a meter away, and they locked eyes. 'Considering that Duke Alphonse once led his army outside, he might have brought his daughter with him, even if she was just an infant. Or... Abigail didn't really belong in this kingdom,' he mused silently before looking away from the Duke.
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[Meanwhile]
~Edward's POV~
A week had passed, however Minister Woo was yet not found. Every soldier was having a hard time finding him since my father had ordered to capture Minister Woo even if his body is already lifeless, afraid that he would use the information he has and make alliance with the Jing Kingdom and to start a war between them.
Meanwhile, the royals from the Lotus Kingdom had been asked to stay a little longer in our kingdom for safety purposes.
Sighing, I surveyed the scene from the third-story balcony in my territory. The sun was nearing the horizon, casting a colder atmosphere over the surroundings.
The place where I currently resided was situated outside the kingdom, a hidden mansion known only to my trusted knights and loyal servants. Not even my father was aware of the existence of this secluded mansion.
Taking a deep breath, I chose to retreat indoors, closing the doors to the balcony behind me.
"Any improvements?" Approaching the trusted physician, I inquired about the situation. However, it became apparent that he was struggling to assess the health of his patient.
"Hmm, her blood rate is stable, and her wounds and burns are gradually healing. I believe she just needs some more rest. I presume she'll likely wake up in two to three days, both of them are safe." he exclaimed, turning to face me with a reassuring smile. With that, he tidied up his things and left promptly after finishing his assessment.
As the door closed, leaving only the two of us in the spacious room, I slowly approached her. Taking a seat in the chair beside her bed, I gently held her hand in mine, being careful not to disturb her wounds to avoid causing any further pain.
If only I got there sooner that night... I could've saved her. She wouldn't have suffered this much.
I sighed with disappointment as I gently kissed the back of her hand.
Could it be the reason she ended our relationship? Is it because she's aware that if I ever find out about her plan, I would get in her way?
I was intensely focused on the possibility that she might have developed feelings for my brother, causing me to feel abandoned. This thoughts have prevented me from considering other potential reasons for her decision to leave.
But now... I understand why, she wanted what's best... she picked to let me go because she doesn't want me to get hurt.
Despite my understanding of her decisions, I can't shake the anger I feel towards her. I perceive her decisions as selfish, driven by what she believes is rational and best for both of us.
Does she truly think I would easily abandon her in tough times? Is she underestimating my ability to protect and stand by her side?
However, the anger I feel, my love for her remains the dominant and unwavering emotion. I cannot deny that my love for her surpasses all other feelings.
I will always choose to forgiving her, standing by her side, and protecting her at any cost.
In the end, I will always choose her.
I just hoped, she would do the same rather than distancing herself to protect me.
"You're safe now, my love," I whispered, hoping for her to hear my voice as I released her hand and rose from my seat.
If only I could change our fate, I would do it without any hesitation, even if it means losing everything. I'd gladly sacrifice everything just for her.
I took a deep breath and looked at her peacefully sleeping form. As I was about to leave to attend to some matters, I halted in my tracks upon hearing a soft whimper which made me turn around and sat back in my seat to check on her.
"Abigail," I called out softly as I held her hand. For the first time, I felt nervous and concerned about her condition. It seemed likely that she was experiencing discomfort or pain due to the medicine the physician gave her.
However, I don't think that's the only reason...
I observed her eyelids slowly opening as she gazed at the ceiling above, seemingly unaware of the current situation she was in.
"My Lady," I called again, capturing her attention as she gradually turned her head toward me slowly and carefully.
Initially, I couldn't discern her thoughts; her face appeared entirely expressionless.
That made me think, does she still recognize me?
"My Lady... You're-"
"W... W-where am I?" She asked directly as soon as she faced me. Her voice and body still carried a sense of shakiness. However, she gently withdrew her hand from mine and looked away which is completely understandable.
"What matters now is that... you're awake. I missed you" I spoke as I gently caressed her cheek, prompting her to face me. Her cold expression softened into a warm one.
Oh, how I missed those stare of hers. This just proves her feelings for me are still the same and it never changed.
"Good thing I got there in time, I would've lost you both if I was a second late" I spoke out of excitement as I held her hand. However, her expression changed when I mentioned something she wasn't expecting to hear.
"Both?... You mean..."
"Yes, you are..." I cut her off with a bright smile, but she quickly sat up, causing evident pain in her wounds and burns.
I just sighed and gently guided her back to the bed as she lay there, still in shock. Glad she didn't fight back, otherwise her wound will open up again.
"No... it can't be"