Veder looked at the royal palace.
"How huge... this palace is..."
The palace was reflected in his eyes.
A magnificent royal palace – built entirely from pale stone. Tall towers and spires rose so high that it felt as if they were piercing the sky itself. In front stood an iron gate, delicately carved with intricate patterns. Veder stood before it, staring up at the palace. The sword at his waist and his black attire gave him a strange sense of purpose. His hair swayed gently in the wind.
Two soldiers stood near the gate. They stopped Veder.
"What business do you have here?" one soldier asked.
Veder took out a letter.
"I have to deliver this letter to the king," Veder said, handing it to the soldier.
Why do these soldiers keep stopping me again and again...? Veder thought.
The soldier examined the letter.
Ocean Organization... the soldier thought.
Veder glanced around. The cold wind brushed against his cheeks. The dark circles beneath his eyes spoke of how badly he needed sleep. There were bloodstains on his clothes – but because the outfit was black, they weren't clearly visible. The blood belonged to Lukas. His body was still lying somewhere in the forest. The soldiers were probably still searching for him. His sister, Niya, must still be waiting for him.
What will she do when she finds out her brother is no longer alive...?
"Go," the soldier said.
"Thank you," Veder replied and walked inside.
Inside, he looked around.
"So many paths... where should I go? Where would the king be?" he muttered.
Veder thought for a moment.
There are three paths here... which one should I take first? He spoke inside his mind.
His gaze fell on his sword. He drew it out.
"Whichever direction this sword falls... that's the way I'll go."
Veder released the sword from his hand.
Clang...
"Right... I'll go right," he said, picking it up and turning to the right.
As he walked forward, he looked around.
"How beautiful this carving is..." he said, admiring the designs on the walls.
After some time, he reached a room.
"Food..."
A dining table stood in front of him, covered with food.
At the sight of it, his stomach growled.
"I'm starving..." Veder looked around. "No one's here... I'll eat and leave. Who's going to know?"
Veder quickly walked to the table and sat down.
Fish, deer meat, soup and various other dishes were laid out. Veder glanced around once more and began drinking the soup.
Good thing I turned right... I was really hungry.
Slowly, Veder ate everything.
"That was delicious. If I got food like this every day, life would be great. But... who was this meal prepared for?" Veder said.
He wiped his mouth and placed a hand on his stomach.
"I'm full," Veder said with a deep breath.
"But no one's around... whatever. I benefited from this," he muttered.
Veder stood up from the chair.
"I need to find the king."
He had just started walking when-
"Hey... stop."
A voice came from behind.
"Damn... I'm caught..." Veder slowly turned around.
It was a soldier. The soldier approached him.
"Who are you? And why did you eat that food?" the soldier demanded.
Veder lowered his head and stayed silent.
Today I went... no... if I kill him... but where would I hide the body?
Two conflicting thoughts raced through his mind.
"I'm sorry," Veder said.
"That food was for His Majesty. You will be punished," the soldier said.
Veder's eyes widened in shock.
"Come with me to the king," the soldier ordered.
Veder followed behind him.
I could kill him easily. But this place is wrong... and I don't think the punishment will be too severe, Veder thought.
The soldier brought him before the king.
Veder looked up.
An old king sat on the throne. Several soldiers stood beside him. Around Veder stood the royal court.
He's so old...
Everyone in the court stared at Veder.
"What happened?" the king asked the soldier.
"Your Majesty, this man ate your meal," the soldier said, lowering his head.
The king looked at Veder but said nothing.
"Who are you?" the king asked.
The king was old. His hair was completely white. He had a long beard and wore a crown upon his head. His eyes looked tired. The king had one son and one daughter.
Veder looked at the king and took out the letter.
"Your Majesty. I've come to deliver this letter," Veder said.
This looks like a letter from the Ocean Organisation, the king thought.
"Soldier, bring that letter," the king ordered.
The soldier took the letter and handed it to the king. The king opened it and began reading.
This letter was sent by Sien. It says to give this man a job... What kind of work should I give him? the king thought.
The courtiers standing nearby began whispering among themselves.
"It's a letter from the Ocean Organization... nothing bad should happen, right?" one man said.
"I'm worried about that too," another replied.
These fools keep talking nonsense... Even this old man is taking too long to decide what job to give me, Veder thought.
He doesn't even look capable of doing much... but Sien has recommended him. I'll give him something to do, the king thought.
The king pondered deeply.
"Enough. Silence, everyone," the king said.
The room fell quiet.
"Listen carefully. I have a task for you. You must become my daughter's bodyguard. Whenever the topic of her marriage comes up, she runs away. Your only job is to make sure she doesn't escape."
The king looked straight into Veder's eyes.
What?! That crazy princess's bodyguard? No. Absolutely not. I won't do this job. But if I refuse... it's back to stealing and prison... no. No. Not prison again.
Conflicting thoughts battled in his mind.
Veder scratched his head.
"Uh... alright. I'll do it," Veder said.
I need money anyway, he thought.
For money, people have to do anything. His mind didn't agree, but if he refused this job, he'd have to steal again just to survive. His fingers twitched.
"Very well. Your job starts today. Go and find her," the king said.
Now... where am I supposed to find her? If I didn't need money, I wouldn't have taken this job, Veder thought.
Money is necessary to survive in this world.
Everyone stared at Veder.
"Poor guy... where will he find her?" one courtier said.
"Exactly," another replied.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Veder said and left.
The king watched him go.
"So many soldiers can't find her – how will he?" one man said.
"He'll quit and run away soon," another added.
The entire court burst into laughter.
Whether he could find her or not – only he knew.
The king remained silent.
"When will my daughter ever change..."
Worry was clearly visible on the king's face.
How much longer would his tired body continue to support him?