Talia looked into the bag and found a pair of shoes along with a small box.
Curiously, she reached for the box and opened it, revealing the items inside. All three pieces complemented each other perfectly. The hairpin, with its delicate design, shared the same shade as her eyes, adding a touch of elegance. The earrings and necklace, a blend of blue and yellow hues, shimmered in the light, catching her eye with their beauty.
A smile formed on her face as she admired the gifts. "Thank you," she said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude. She looked up to meet Aegon's gaze, expecting to see a smile in return, but his face remained stern, his eyes still searching hers.
Then she realized. He knew her name, but she didn't know his. She looked at Aegon's stern face and then looked away.
After a few seconds, she mustered up the courage to look at him again. "You know my name, but I don't know yours. What's your name?"
"Oh, it's Aegon," he replied. "Nice to meet you." As Aegon introduced himself to Talia, something about him changed. His presence felt heavier, and he seemed more... bold.
He approached her, taking the only other seat close to her. "Go ahead and try them on. They won't do it themselves, will they?" he persuaded her, pointing to the items that rested on the table between them.
She nodded and took the hairpin first. Rolling her blonde hair into a bun, she placed the hairpin to hold the shape in place. Then, she proceeded to wear the earrings before moving to the necklace. It had a gold chain and a crystal blue pendant that matched her eyes perfectly.
Moving to the shoes next, she finally wore them, stepping away from the chair and asking, "How do I look?" She seemed to have asked reflexively, as her hands went to cover her mouth almost immediately.
"You look amazing. Enough to keep me glued," Aegon commented, though he had only taken one glimpse at her before returning his gaze to the box on the table.
"Besides, we have some talk about last night," Aegon continued, tapping on the table repeatedly as he spoke.
Talia paused her smile and sighed. She then returned to her seat, and without being asked, she began. She narrated everything that transpired between her and the others who had tried to have their way with her the previous night.
She obviously wasn't comfortable with the events that took place, but telling it to Aegon was the least she could do to repay his kindness. She knew it. He wasn't going to demand anything else. His eyes seemed to be aimed at something beyond her.
Aegon got the gist of things from her explanation. The men were members of a bandit group that liked to take advantage of individuals who roamed the streets late at night.
She had sneaked out of her house to go celebrate becoming an adult, as her eighteenth birthday was yesterday. She wanted to feel like an adult. She was on her way back home when they attacked, looking to prey on a new adult.
Her way of speaking also felt familiar. Aegon felt like he'd heard something similar too. He stared at her, and she stared back at him, her blue eyes searching his.
He wasn't aware. He simply tried to figure out something using her face to jumpstart his memories.
Blue eyes, blonde hair, and most of all, that polite yet brave way of speaking.
"You've been staring at my face for almost a minute now, are you sure…" Talia's voice trailed off as she noticed Aegon's intense gaze.
When he realized what he felt, she was still speaking. "Pardon, are you the daughter of Luke Rowen?" Aegon's question interrupted hers.
She froze. She had made sure not to reveal her identity, but somehow, Aegon had guessed it right. "Yes. I am the first daughter of Luke Rowen, the current Lord of this town."
Aegon's eyes widened, not at the entire revelation, but at her last sentence.
He smiled and simply nodded. "He's become a Lord, huh? That's nice."
Talia was taken aback. "Do you know my father?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Aegon nodded again, then seeing Talia's interest, he elaborated, "From my early years as a mercenary."
Talia was shocked. His early years? He didn't even look to be in his mid-twenties, and yet, he spoke as though he was mates with her father.
"Where is he now?" Aegon asked.
Before she knew it, she had already answered his question. "He left the town a few days back with his special team of mercenaries."
Aegon sighed heavily. "No wonder those beasts were brave enough to attack this morning."
"There was an attack?" Talia was genuinely surprised. She hadn't noticed a thing.
Had she really slept that deeply? Or was the attack far enough away that she couldn't hear it?
"It has been taken care of," Aegon assured her, his tone calm but firm. There was no use panicking over something that was already over. His gaze softened as he looked at her, silently reassuring her that she was safe now.
"I'm sorry, but if an attack really happened, even if it's taken care of, my mother would be worried about my safety. I need to return home," Talia said, her voice tinged with concern as she rose from her seat. It was only now that she fully realized how foolish it had been to sneak out.
Aegon nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. As much as he was interested in talking more about her father, he couldn't hold her down. He also had to prepare to leave soon.
"Well, it's relatively safe now. But do be careful," he said, rising from the chair and extending a hand in a gesture of farewell. "I should get ready to leave as well. Tell Luke I said congratulations."
She was surprised that he would call her father by his first name so informally, but she didn't dwell on it, unaware of his relationship to her father.
"I will do that when he returns. Thank you for everything," Talia said warmly, bowing before turning and walking out of the room.
Aegon waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps before sighing. "Inventory," he called out.
The gray panel appeared, displaying dozens of small boxes containing a variety of items.
Aegon's eyes remained fixed on just a single item: a seemingly ordinary box at the left side.
He was supposed to be on a mission, and this was the item he needed to deliver according to the mission.
He needed to speed things up. This wasn't an ordinary mission, after all. This was the King's Mission.