Chapter 113 - What the Day Brings

Early in the morning, Redivo received an intel report that the King was preparing a Royal Decree to be sent to the Palace of the Crown Prince. They were still trying to gather additional information regarding the content of the Royal Decree. Redivo hoped that it was nothing serious, but they already prepared themselves for the worst.

He wanted Vaughn to enjoy his  honeymoon  with his beloved wife and decided not to report anything yet. He did not want to be the bearer of bad news that would spoil the vacation of the Crown Prince and Princess.

Back in the villa, Ruvin and Zekiah had decided not to cause alarm to Redivo and the others in the Palace of the Crown Prince. Zekiah wanted to hide the fact that Vaughn and Zenia failed to return on the designated time. The guards that came along with them kept mum about it.

"Crown Princess, do you really want to go out now?" The weather was turning gloomy and Ruvin would rather stay inside the villa.

"We talked about this yesterday. Don't tell me you're backing out?" Zekiah was getting annoyed at Ruvin's indecisiveness. 

"I can't see the point of visiting the shops and testing the Ninth Prince's spy. We can do that some other day. Just look outside, it looks like it will rain heavily today."

If he was sure that Zenia was truly safe, Zekiah would not insist to go out in such weather. He felt that he could only be reassured if he would do the investigation himself. The information that he gathered within the villa was not enough. 

Zekiah murmured, 'Why would I entrust the safety of my sister in the hands of the incompetent people of the Crown Prince?'

"Let me re-phrase what I said yesterday, I need to go out to investigate it myself. I just can't simply sit here and wait. You can stay here if you want, and I will just take a guard with me." Zekiah was no longer polite when he spoke to Ruvin.

Even if it was the true Crown Prince of Tissuria, Zekiah would still speak in the same tone and manner. For him, Zenia's safety had always been his utmost concern.

Ruvin thought for a while and agreed to accompany Zekiah in the end. It was his duty to protect the Crown Princess in the absence of the real Crown Prince.

Zekiah prepared himself and did not forget Zenia's instructions. He put on his makeup and wore his face veil. He chose a dress that was comfortable to wear and could give him the maneuverability that he sought. He knew that he should always be prepared. The danger was lurking everywhere. It was like a beast waiting for a perfect chance to pounce on its prey.

They were about to board the carriage when the maid suddenly asked, "Your Highness, it looks like it will rain soon, don't you want to postpone it?"

Zekiah was shocked at the maid's audacity to question his decision. He looked at the maid and found out that she was nothing ordinary. In Zekiah's assessment, the maid knew martial arts. He smirked.

'The enemy is well-prepared. He even put someone who knows martial arts to pose as a maid. What are they planning to do with Zenzen?'

"It's not yet raining, is it? In my estimate, it takes about two hours before the rain begins to pour. I won't stay out for that long. I may even need only half an hour to stroll around. I'm already bored to death, and I already set this trip for today. I promised myself not to let anything gets in my way." Zekiah's tone seemed friendly, but the maid detected the hidden meaning in the message.

The maid no longer spoke and joined the coachman in front. She knew that the Crown Princess was a spoiled daughter of the Anisens. The maid also knew that the Crown Princess was a good-for-nothing, how come she sounded like she was uttering a threat? The maid shook her head and took it as a misunderstanding on her part. She should not report it or she might turn into a laughing stock for feeling threatened by the Crown Princess' words.

When they reached their destination, Zekiah visited numerous shops while asking for certain information that could help him find some clues regarding Zenia's situation. None gave him any negative feedback. No news meant good news for the time being. He believed that Zenia was fine, but he still wanted to be one hundred percent certain.

The maid did not find anything suspicious in Zekiah's actions. She gave a signal to the secret guard of the Ninth Prince that everything was fine. Ruvin and some shadow guards of the Crown Prince saw the little exchange between the maid and the Ninth Prince's shadow guard. They now had a good guess regarding the location and appearance of the secret guards in the villa and nearby areas.

Zekiah and Ruvin had already returned to the villa when the heavy rain began to pour. They stayed in their bedchamber and exchanged notes.

"So far, I did not gather any news about recovered dead bodies or kidnappings in the region. All of the people I talked to said that everything had been peaceful for a while now. We can be certain that the Crown Prince is safe… for now." It was Zekiah who stated his piece first.

"It was really a good thing that we went out earlier, Crown Princess. We now have a good guess where the secret guards are and how they communicate. The shadow guards that came with us earlier are already checking it." Ruvin sounded arrogant, but Zekiah did not mind.

* * * * *

Zenia hated herself for going as far as checking Vaughn first thing in the morning. She felt that he already woke up and decided to check on him. She saw that her mother was already taking care of things, and she immediately concealed herself behind the corner wall in the garden that was further covered by the shadows of the trees. The sun had yet to show itself.

Zenia heard everything that her mother and Vaughn had talked about. It warmed her heart when she saw him humbling himself before her mother. She did not see the arrogance that he usually had in Tissuria. She wanted to know how far he could go to prove himself. She decided to wait for a bit before making her final decision.

"What do you think? I know you were listening earlier." Renaria's voice was calm and soothing.

Zenia was looking out her bedroom's window and saw Ovid showing Vaughn around. They looked like a pair of real father and son. Zander already left to train the men. She could see the occasional nodding of Vaughn's head whenever Ovid looked at him.

"I still don't know, mother. Give me a bit more time." Zenia answered back without taking her eyes off her husband.

"You know, he is really trying his best to fit in and convince you that he can do anything for you." Renaria swept Zenia's hair strands away from her face and tucked them behind her ear.

"I know he is trying his best, but I still don't think that his best is good enough."

Renaria sighed, "Consider this as your first trial as husband and wife. Expect that there will be more. If you want to give up this early, your relationship is doomed to fail. It is up to you if you want to make things work for both of you."

Renaria planted a kiss on Zenia's forehead and walked out of the room. 

Zenia continued watching Vaughn and sighed, 'Are you truly worth it? Are we truly worth the fight?'