Vaince walked into Zilant’s office, handing him a paper. Zilant looked at it.

“What is this?”

“Commander, Viscount Degardo had requested that you assist him in entering the palace for what happened last night…” Vaince responded. Zilant sighed.

“Very well. Go and get Enya as well…”

Vaince swallowed hard, staring at Zilant intensely.

“Why? Are you planning to make him run because he has been rude lately?”

Zilant looked up at him, confused.

“Enya had attended his first night duty with me last night. He was the one who would be able to help describe the attacker. Isn’t that what Viscount Degardo wants?” Zilant deducted in the most logical way. Vaince nodded.

“Oh… I thought it was other intentions…” Vaince bowed.

Zilant frowned, leaning his head on his shoulder.

“Other intentions? What could be those other intentions?”

Vaince swallowed hard, realizing that he was wrong.

“Nothing… Commander, I’ll pass your message.”

“Very well. After you finish, run ten miles.”

Vaince’s jaw dropped.

“C-Commander… why?”

“Apparently, you didn’t have much to do earlier. Running will clear your head from thinking about other intentions.”

Vaince dropped his hands, crying.

“Commander, that’s too harsh. Ten miles is too—”

“Fifteen.”

“C-Commander…”

Vaince pouted, raising his puppy eyes. Zilant looked at him.

“Twenty. As a knight, this is an easy task.”

Vaince frowned, running out of the office.

“Cold as ever!” he screamed in the hallway.

Lurth watched as Vaince stormed to the end of the hallway. He shook his head as he entered Zilant’s office.

“Your Grace…” Lurth said. Zilant looked at him.

“Yes.”

“Her Majesty had summoned you… for yesterday night’s duty.”

Zilant froze, taking a deep sigh.

“So it’s that big of a deal, huh? Very well. Respond to her promptly that I will come…” Zilant responded. Lurth bowed and left to send the message. Vaince grabbed onto Enya’s wrist just outside the training ground as Zilant watched closely from his window.

“Yes, Sire Vaince…” Enya wondered. Vaince took a deep breath before he stood straight.

“Commander had summoned you to his office…”

Enya paused, looking up at Zilant from his window. She smiled gently.

“Oh… I see. Thanks, Sire Vaince.”

Vaince frowned.

“Even the new recruit is cold…”

Enya glanced away to turn to Vaince, confused. She shook his hand off, bowing as she walked away. Vaince started whimpering. Cullen walked up to him.

“What’s wrong, Sire Vaince?”

“Commander commanded me to run because of that new recruit!” Vaince pointed at Enya. Enya looked at him and everyone else as they all looked at her.

“What did I do?

“Because you’re a hard-headed recruit that Commander focused on too much!” Vaince shouted. Enya covered her lower lip with her upper lip.

Then she burst into laughter.

“Thanks for the compliment… See yah!” she walked away. Heh… Focusing? He’s definitely keeping an eye on me to see if I’m trustworthy.

Enya stepped in front of Zilant’s door.

“Come in,” he said before Enya raised her hand to knock. She hid her smile as she entered.

“You asked for me, Commander…”

Zilant turned to look at her.

“Why does the word Commander coming from you sound so disrespectful?” Zilant asked curiously. Enya closed the door behind her.

“What do you mean, Commander? If you listened to it with the intent that it was disrespectful, then shouldn’t you also see it the same way when it comes to other people? Like, for example, Viscount Degardo…”

Enya stared into his eyes. Zilant’s cool ocean eyes glimmered against her green eyes. He exhaled sharply.

“Disrespectful or not, from others say is completely different from you. You have more murderous intentions in the tone you speak with me…” Zilant responded coolly.

Enya smirked as she lowered her head.

“Murderous? I’m just young…”

Zilant stared at her, reading her as best as he could. He stood and walked up to her.

“Her Majesty had summoned me. Viscount Degardo had requested my presence as well…”

“Okay… what does this have to do with me?”

“You’re the only witness. You’ll come with me as I go,” Zilant responded. Enya squinted her eyes.

“But what if I don’t want to go?”

Zilant groaned.

“You’ll have to anyway… Her Majesty will summon you the moment I or Viscount Degardo mentions you.”

“Then don’t. I’m just a new recruit… I don’t know if that will benefit you in any way,” Enya argued.

“It doesn’t, but being the only witness does. You were able to detect the aura… Thus, that means you are familiar with the aura user,” Zilant stated coldly.

“Maybe I could be wrong…”

“The fire exploded like a ticking bomb… Now this is an empire safety concern. So, you are to come…”

“No.”

“Get ready to head out.”

“I’m sorry. I got training to do.”

Zilant glared at her, understanding that she was testing him. She shrugged as she turned around. Zilant grabbed her collar, pulling her back.

“Everyone in this Dragon’s Snow Knight is hoping to see you get squashed. Aren’t you afraid?” Zilant asked coldly. Enya leaned to look at him over her shoulder.

“Why should I? You know that I am more capable than others… Why did you really recruit new knights?”

Zilant chuckled nonchalantly as he released her collar.

“You have the mind of a wise man. You know more than you let on… Why hide underneath this facade?”

Enya raised one eyebrow, turning to him with a smile.

“I already explained to you… I want to soar.”

“By hiding?” Zilant wondered.

“By waiting. A prey doesn’t release its claws unless the bait is weakened.”

They stared at each other in silence. Zilant took a deep sigh and patted her head. Enya crouched, freezing as her hands were near her head.

“Too young and maybe too naive… let’s head out,” Zilant said. Then he stepped out of the office and to the gate entrance. Enya didn’t realize that he had already left.

For a minute, her face flushed. She angrily turned to the door.

“That bastard touched my head?!” she screamed.

Zilant casually sat on the horse, waiting.

A few minutes later, Enya came out, glaring at him. He glanced at her.

“Let’s head out.”

Enya inhaled, stomping toward him. She clenched onto his horse’s strap.

“I am not walking my butt there or anywhere for free…” She tightened her jaw. Zilant smirked.

“Then go find a horse that will listen to you since you don’t listen to your commander.”

Enya forced a smile out.

“You’re welcome to go alone… I’ll be the first to deny your request to come along… ‘Commander.’”

Cullen and the other knights heard this and watched.

“Wow… this new recruit loves to argue with Commander…” one said, eating popcorn.

“The Snow Knight will have fun days ahead…”

Cullen took a deep breath, staring at Zilant’s facial expression. The icy face lightened a little.

“It seems to me that Commander wants to protect this boy because maybe…” Cullen turned to look at Enya. Her eyes. “Because his eyes resembled his… The Phoenix heir.”

“See you at the palace,” Zilant said, hurdling ahead of her. Enya frowned.

“I said that I am not going!” she shouted.

And just like that— the next moment, Enya stood before the palace gates, her hair slightly mussed, cheeks flushed, glaring at the guards as if she’d magically appeared there.

“Your identity card?” the palace guard asked. Vaince, who had somehow materialized beside her, handed over her card.

“Here’s his. Commander had asked us to send him here…” Vaince smiled, clearly enjoying the moment. The palace guards looked at the identity card and nodded as they looked at Enya.

“Okay. Everything’s cleared.”

The palace guards moved out of the way for Enya to enter, but she refused. Vaince chuckled nervously, taking her card back and dragging her forward. Zilant was waiting by the driveway. He saw them and frowned upon seeing Vaince.

“Hi, Commander! I brought Enya here!” Vaince waved. Enya groaned as she looked at Zilant.

His chin held up above with a stern face.

“You should be running…”

“I ran to bring Enya here. Come on, Commander…” Vaince said.

Zilant stared at Enya, who refused to look at him.

“The Dragon Royal Family will hate you for coming so late…”

“I didn’t want to come. They will probably hate me more if I have never appeared at the summon,” Enya argued.

Zilant faced the entrance of the palace doors, entering through them. Enya blew a raspberry at the hair that covered her eyes.

“Good luck!” Vaince cheered, patting her back and pushing her forward.

Enya glared at him.

“Why don’t you follow Commander instead?”

“I didn’t attend the night duty. You did!” Vaince smiled. Enya grabbed his finger that he held between them. Vaince looked at her grip. “What are—. AH!”

Enya entered the palace doors, smiling. Vaince held his hand closely, crying.

“My poor finger…” he sobbed. Vaince’s finger was snapped backward.

Enya followed Zilant from a mile away. Zilant entered the guest room, where Viscount Degardo was sitting, waiting. Zilant bowed.

“Your Grace!” Lumerin lightened up, standing. He walked and hugged Zilant.

“Viscount… I’m here by summoned…” Zilant humbly said. Lumerin gasped.

“Did Her Majesty summon you, too? Am I wrong to assume it was His Highness?” Lumerin realized. Zilant bowed and sat down. Enya stood behind Zilant.

“Let’s wait and see what Her Majesty has to say. It’s better to wait than assume.”

Lumerin then sat down, tapping his foot anxiously. Enya frowned as she observed the room.

They had arrived early, but no one had entered. Not even on time. Zilant waited patiently, understanding that this was an intentional waiting period. Lumerin started trembling more and more. Enya groaned silently.

The Empress seems to hate Zilant… A typical mother who hates seeing an illegitimate child. Enya looked at the ceiling.

Thirty minutes had passed.

Close to an hour now.

The door finally opened. The head butler entered. He bowed to Zilant and Lumerin.

“Your Grace… Viscount. Her Majesty had sent me to request the truth behind last night’s event. Rumors spread throughout the empire that His Highness was the one who was there. What proof do you have?” the head butler asked. Lumerin fiddled with his fingers. He glanced at Zilant.

“Enya…” Zilant called.

Enya stepped forward. The head butler looked at Enya. She shrugged.

“And you are…?”

“Just a new recruit.” Enya smiled.

Lumerin was shocked, looking at Enya, who had no respect or boundaries. Is he asking for execution? How dare he speak so informally?!

Zilant groaned.

“This is one of the new recruits that I assigned as my knights. He helped with the night duty at Viscount Degardo’s estate, and he was the only witness who encountered the aura user,” Zilant informed. The head butler nodded slowly.

“I see…” the head butler faced Enya. Enya raised an eyebrow at him, startling him. “Sire… Ahem… What was your name?”

“Enya Fraye.”

“Sire Fraye… were you able to recognize the aura user if you were to see the face again?”

Enya looked down, smiling.

“No. The area was too dark for me to see anything. That’s why I stumbled into the bush on the side. Viscount Degardo needs to add some light in that area.”

Lumerin’s jaw dropped.

“B-But there was the fire… The fire could have been the light to see the face of the person…”

“The fire was there when I got there, but heading there was difficult. Even Commander couldn’t find me when I was in the bush. He depended on the sound,” Enya responded.

Zilant took a deep breath.

“I did indeed…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🪶 🔥 Princess, Don’t Waver ❄️ 🐉 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~