As soon as Karel sat down to rest a little, he looked at his granddaughter who was crying and decided to tell her a little of the truth so she could guess and understand the danger that had surrounded her.
He said to her:
"Something happened, my little one, that caused the empire to want to capture us, but don't worry, we will be fine. We just have to hide for a while, and then we will be fine."
Elina looked at him with tear-filled eyes and said:
"Why, grandfather, do they want to capture us?"
Karel looked at her a little and said with some seriousness filled with sarcasm:
"Because we are weak, my little one. Only the strong have the ability to survive."
Elina heard those words and decided within herself that she would become strong so that her grandfather would not be harmed again.
Then she looked at her grandfather and said:
"Grandfather, I will become strong and I will not let anyone hurt you again, I promise you, grandfather."
Her grandfather looked at her in astonishment at what she said, and then burst out laughing despite his pain, saying:
"That's what I expect from my little granddaughter."
But he did not realize that what she promised would be the first decision she would make that would change her life.
After Karel laughed and finished his conversation with his granddaughter, he thought that the Emperor must have already known that he had created the dark heart and had ordered Forne to capture him alive. He would not have ordered Forne to capture him and abandon her mission of hunting vampires and werewolves.
If she had not known what he had done, Forne would have had the chance to finish him off when she ambushed him in the trap.
He thought about that a little, and looked at his son and said to him:
"They will follow the path you will use. You must hide in this cave for a while, and then continue on your way without looking back."
When Karel remembered what had happened several months ago and his warning to his son, he suddenly came out of his memories.
He felt that people had already surrounded him from several directions, so he stopped running and looked around, laughing:
"You are slow, Forne, it took you and your followers a long time to reach me."
As soon as he finished speaking, a lightning bolt shot from behind him at a crazy speed, as if it wanted to end his life with one strike.
But before it reached him, Karel quickly drew his sword and blocked the lightning, though he felt a slight paralysis in his limbs.
He moved his hands while holding the sword and said sarcastically:
"This is your habit, Laurent. You have always been a coward striking from behind. You are a vile magician who knows nothing about honor."
When he said that, Laurent became furious and emerged from the trees, about to respond, but Forne beat him to it, coming out to Karel's right and saying:
"Does the one who fled the battle know anything about honor?"
Karel looked at her a little and said sarcastically:
"I did not make a vile trap to catch someone else, princess."
Forne became angry at what he said, so she drew her sword and pointed it at Karel, saying:
"Do you dare to face me face-to-face?"
Karel mocked her naivety and haste and was about to agree, but another voice stopped her before she could continue, coming from her side:
"You do not have to stain your hands with his blood, Your Highness… leave it to us."
When Karel saw and heard the voice of the man beside her, he froze in place; it was Arman, Duke of the Duchy of Crevon and leader of the imperial knights.
When he saw him, he looked around and felt surrounded by several strong auras, realizing they were the imperial knights.
He said in a serious tone:
"Arman, I did not expect you to come with Laurent, my old friend."
Arman looked at him with an emotionless gaze while drawing his sword:
"We haven't met in a while, Karel."
Arman looked at him a little and continued:
"You are still as you were, sharp-tongued and trying to trap people."
Karel laughed sarcastically at what he said:
"I will never change, Arman, no matter how much time passes, but you have changed, my friend, you no longer have the spirit of knights."
Laurent became angry at their conversation and said:
"Enough wasting time! We have already spent several months searching in the north to capture him, and now you speak of your lost honor and your ridiculous past!"
Arman looked sarcastically at Laurent and said:
"Didn't you fail to catch him and flee quickly when you found him? How dare you speak to me like that?"
Laurent became angry and replied:
"How dare you—"
But before he could finish, Forne interrupted in a commanding tone:
"Enough! The Emperor ordered us to capture him, not to fight among ourselves. Focus on capturing the traitor."
Laurent stopped speaking when he heard Princess Forne, but then he heard Karel's sharp sarcasm saying:
"Yes, she is right! How can you quarrel while trying to capture a dangerous criminal? Where is your wisdom and experience? Are you children? You must control yourselves and leave your disputes and grudges aside while performing your duty, you fools!"
Karel sighed and looked at Forne with pity, saying:
"I pity you, my little one, for you are accompanied by some mentally backward people who do not know when to leave their disputes for serious times."
When he said that, everyone looked at him with anger that almost burned him, but no one advanced, for no one wanted to face the end of the wounded lion. He did not care about their stares and continued speaking in the same tone:
"What do you think, Forne, if we leave them to quarrel and we go far away, just you and I? I heard that at this time of year, the western lands hold great celebrations. What do you think if we go see them?"
As soon as he said that, Forne dashed toward him holding her sword filled with golden aura, aiming to cut his tongue and saying:
"Do not mock me, you vile man!"
Karel blocked her aura-filled sword with his own and stepped back slightly to protect his back from the surprise attacks, saying in a sad tone:
"So you do not want to go with your uncle, Forne?"
Forne shouted angrily, looking around:
"What are you waiting for? Are you watching a play? Move now to capture him!"
She embarrassed the others when they heard her words, and they looked at Karel angrily as they moved to capture him.
When Karel saw the knights, Arman, and Laurent moving cautiously toward him, he said sadly with a hint of sarcasm:
"Fine, if you do not want to go with me, fine, do not go, but why do you order them to hit me? Remember, Forne, I am your uncle."
Forne looked at him, burning with anger, and said:
"When I catch you, we'll see if you continue your mockery."
Karel made a face full of fear and shock, and said:
"No! You cannot be my niece, you are a demon! Yes, a demon! Knights, seize me! Forne, she is not Princess Forne, she is a demon taking her shape!"
Everyone stopped, watching Karel's farce and absurdity.
When Forne heard that and saw that they did not move and were watching the spectacle Karel was making, she shouted:
"Seize that traitor, or I will judge you for betraying the empire!"
When the others heard her tone and threat, they realized she was not joking.
Arman shouted loudly:
"Seize the traitor! Knights!"
All the knights rushed toward Karel as soon as they heard the command, fearing Princess Forne's wrath.
Karel watched the knights rushing toward him, thinking that the battle would be difficult.