Granger is a hunter.
He's looking at what he's looking for right now.
He's seen her speaking to members of the court, nobles, knights, demon hunters. He's also seen her whirling around on the dance floor more than once.
Tonight's meant to be a night to enjoy and let loose. The Moniyan Empire had succeeded in suppressing Dyrroth and the Abyssal demons attack, thanks to the Lightborn Squad under the guidance of Princess Silvanna.
But Granger can't let his guard down. Years of fighting have kept him on edge. He keeps patrolling the sides, watching for any sign of a disturbance.
It has nothing to do with watching the member of the royal family, hoping to see her alone, or so he tells himself.
The Princess cuts a tall radiant figure in her white and blue gown. They had stood together at the front, together with Tigreal, Alucard, Fanny and Harith, as she knighted them with the honour of being her Chevaliers in front of the full court. Members of the Lightborn Squad, she had proclaimed.
Many clamour to speak to her after the ceremony, and she makes sure to mingle with as many people as possible. She doesn't speak to Granger, but they've made eye contact more than once, with a tilt of her head and a smile on her face.
But he doesn't speak to her. Not like this. Not in public with everyone's eyes on them, and they're not able to speak properly.
However, nearer to the later part of the night, Granger notices her disappearing for moments at a time. He knows that the event is stifling for her, and she needs these moments to recompose herself.
He doesn't know where she goes though.
He casually asks the other members of the Lightborn Squad, but they seem to have caught on to his crush. Alucard just chuckles and walks away. Tigreal looks at him with a deep glare (although Granger, for his credit, doesn't show his nervousness and holds his ground).
Fanny and Harith slyly give him wrong directions, and he's stumbled onto people having private conversations in alcoves more than once.
Almost the whole night's passed. Granger's given himself the expectation that he might not get to talk to her tonight. But he won't give up.
He's patrolling the side when he passes by Meldis. One of the matrons of the Moniyan Empire. An old woman, he's heard that she has been with the royal family for ages, helping to manage the day-to-day running of the household, making sure there are enough beds for those who are staying in the Imperial Sanctuary and organizing for food.
Granger opens his mouth to ask, but the old woman already knows his question. The old woman's face is furrowed in suspicion, her lines deepening as she gazes straight at Granger.
For an old woman, she cuts an intimidating figure. Granger tries not to show how sweaty he really is.
Then she huffs as though in defeat, and jerks her head towards the left, where a path led to a balcony. A balcony perfect for hiding.
Granger does a short bow as a gesture of gratitude and walks over to the balcony. There stood a Princess who escaped for a breath of fresh air.
She turned around when she heard his footsteps coming nearer.
She smiled. "Chevalier."
Granger is a hunter. And he's just found what he's looking for.
***