A sudden voice called out from behind.
"Your Highness!"
Anastasia turned around and smiled. A short man in a white chef's uniform ran toward her. He had long, deep-red hair with a matching, thick braided beard, bushy eyebrows, and a bright set of shining blue eyes.
As he got closer, he slowed down, placing a hand on his chest as he leaned forward, letting the exhaustion escape from his lungs. Anastasia began walking toward him.
"Well, well, if it isn't my great friend and chef, Carl," Anastasia said, her words laced with giggles.
"Your... Highness... Ahh..." he managed to mutter, barely able to speak.
Anastasia chuckled softly and kneeled down to his level.
"Take it easy, Carl. I'm right here."
Carl nodded, and after a moment, he caught his breath and finally spoke.
"Your Highness... We just received news that Othid arrived in the city of Albille yesterday."
Anastasia's expression shifted to one of surprise.
"Othid...? Of all people, why him?"
"If Othid went to Albille, then my brother's escape must have been taken more seriously than I imagined."
A sense of unease began to settle within her.
"I thought the same, Your Highness. The generals are rarely involved in such matters. This is... truly frightening."
Anastasia nodded.
"Yes, you're right. If Othid is here, then it's likely that my father is going to do everything in his power to get Kajin back, dead or alive..."
She paused.
"I may need to convince Kajin to stay in the castle for a while. But knowing him, he'll be on his way as soon as possible. Inform the others about this, and make sure they don't wander too far from the castle."
Carl nodded.
"Immediately, Your Highness!"
He hurried away.
"Don't overdo it!" Anastasia called after him, a small smile forming on her face.
Turning back toward the balcony, she looked up at the sky and smiled.
"Well, it seems life just got a little more interesting..." she murmured before heading back inside.
Kajin's Room:
The room was quiet as Kajin lay asleep on his bed, its softness unlike anything his body had known in years. For so long, sleep had meant stone floors, wooden planks, packed earth, anything that gave him a place to lie until morning.
His body had grown accustomed to hard surfaces, to the pressure against his back, shoulders, and hips. He barely noticed the discomfort anymore.
Now, the mattress gave beneath his weight, supporting him instead of resisting him.
His shoulders and hips sank into its softness, while the smooth sheets rested against his skin and the thick blanket kept him warm. Beneath his head, the pillow cradled his neck comfortably.
There was no cold stone beneath him. No wood pressing against his ribs. No hard surface digging into his shoulder whenever he moved.
His body slowly relaxed, muscles that had spent years bracing against unforgiving ground finally releasing their tension.
For years, sleep had been something endured until morning.
Tonight, the bed asked nothing of him.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Kajin immediately jumped out of bed. His hands rose and his body shifted into a fighting stance, prepared for whatever had come.
On the ground lay a young man wearing a long black cloak over a leather tunic, a quiver of arrows slung over his back alongside his bow. His long blond hair was scattered across the floor, with his pointed ears sticking upward.
"Ugh... damn... that hurt..." the boy whimpered, his face still pressed against the ground.
"What the hell...?" Kajin stared at the stranger who had interrupted his sleep, slowly lowering his guard before stepping away from the bed.
"Whoever you are, I would appreciate it if you didn't interrupt my sleep, especially in this way."
"Y-Yeah, I'm toootally sorry for my unprofessional entrance! I was just very excited to hear that I would be meeting you, sooo I thought I'd pay you a quick visit!" said the young man.
He still layed on the ground, raising his forearm as he pointed with his index finger. He spoke extremely quickly and loudly, which Kajin didn't exactly like.
Kajin placed one hand over his face. Slowly, he slid it downward, dragging his eyelids with it.
"Look, buddy, I would really like to... have a chat with you right now, bu-"
Before he could say anything else, the boy jumped from the ground and, in a split second, stood face-to-face with Kajin.
His bright blue eyes locked onto Kajin's white eyes, shining like the morning sun on a cold winter's day.
"That sounds... AMAZIIIIING! Okay! Before that, man... I love your physique!"
Kajin took a step backward, his hands rising slightly.
"No! No! Stay awa-!"
Using his momentum, the boy grabbed Kajin's arm and stretched it upward.
"OH, COME ON! Look at this thing! The definition! The shape! This is ridiculous!"
His eyes narrowed as he observed every detail.
"Alright, stop. It's just an arm."
"IT'S A MASTERPIECE!"
He moved toward the shoulder.
"And the deltoids! Perfectly rounded!"
"Please stop."
"Chest."
"I told you."
"Back."
"I'm not going to say it again."
"ABS!"
"Alright."
"Oh, and by the way, my name is Ru-!"
Without warning, Kajin threw a powerful punch toward his face. The punch connected, sending the boy flying into the wall and leaving a body-shaped hole in it.
Slowly, he detached himself from the hole and fell flat onto the ground like a lizard.
"-ya..."