After dinner concluded, the rest of the group retired to their guest quarters for the night. Solomon and Elizabeth bypassed the residential wing entirely and walked straight to the illuminated dirt rings.
Solomon grabbed two wooden practice swords from the weapon rack, tossing one gently toward the white-haired royal to fulfill his promise of a private lesson.
The floating bronze owl hovered nearby, broadcasting the quiet moonlit session to the audience.
[1Fizzy: late night private lessons!]
[James_hayes: bro might regret this.]
[Fatal_Beauty: training under the moonlight is so romantic.]
[Mezz_3863: Solo Man working overtime for his star.]
[Stephen-Wood: Elizabeth looks like she is expecting something.]
[Foodball: the dedication is real.]
Meanwhile, inside the premium guest wing, Princess Lune sat alone on the edge of her silk mattress.
Shadows shifted unnaturally along the branches of the cherry blossom tree outside her window. A figure vaulted through the open frame and landed soundlessly on the wooden floorboards. The intruder wore eastern gothic black garments and a dark mask obscuring her entire face.
She immediately dropped to one knee.
This female operative was the master of the Shadow Assassin Pavilion, a secretive faction located back in the Lumiere Dynasty that Lune had personally established. The elite team had arrived at the palace undetected right after Lune sustained her arm injury during the sparring accident. No one, not even Yue or Princess Syra, knew they were hiding on the royal grounds.
"Give me your report," Lune instructed.
"Solomon and Princess Elizabeth are not in their assigned rooms," the assassin stated, keeping her head bowed. "They were spotted heading directly toward the royal training grounds."
Lune narrowed her emerald eyes. "What exactly are they doing there at this hour?"
"I am yet to receive that information, Your Highness," the female assassin replied.
Lune pointed her good hand toward a communication crystal resting on a nearby table. "Then open his live stream so we can find out."
"We have run out of stones," the operative reported. "We spent our entire monthly allowance of stones in a single week."
Lune frowned and tapped her boot against the floor. "Give me some parchment. I will draft another letter so we can request more stones from the Lumiere treasury."
"You already sent two urgent letters this week," the assassin reminded her. "The treasury has yet to respond to either of them."
Frustration washed over Lune’s features. She pushed herself off the mattress. "Take me to the training ground right now."
"I must refuse," the assassin answered, rising to her feet. "The palace healers explicitly instructed you to rest your body."
"I will go there myself whether you take me or not," Lune declared, marching toward the chamber door.
The female assassin swiftly stepped into her path to block the exit. "I understand you fancy the boy, Your Highness, but this is becoming too much. While I admit Solomon is a strong warrior and I acknowledge his combat skills, I still think he is not the right choice for you."
Lune puffed her cheeks out. "You are only saying that because you have never actually seen him in a real fight."
The operative gave the golden-haired princess a completely blank stare. "Your Highness, I am the one who compiles the best and most epic moments from his live streams and gives them to you so you can watch."
Lune’s face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. She jumped forward and clamped her hand directly over the assassin’s mouth. Frantically glancing around the quiet chamber, the princess silently prayed no one was walking past the hallway.
"Keep your mouth shut!" Lune hissed in a panicked whisper. "Do not say that out loud! And also, I was talking about watching him fight in person."
The female assassin gently peeled the princess’s hand away. "You do not need to worry. I have made sure no one is around us. If anyone approached this wing, I would know it immediately thanks to my talent."
The operative adjusted her dark mask and offered a subtle observation. "Your ’SilverKnight_Chronicles’ channel featuring Solomon’s clips is doing exceptionally well on the network. The viewers are asking for more edits and demanding to know when the next compilation video will be uploaded."
Lune hissed once again, her face burning with embarrassment. "I am not doing this for them! I do not care what the viewers demand or ask for! We just have to find a way to get more stones soon!"
The assassin looked at her with a deadpan, serious expression. "Would you like me to rob the Azure Moon Kingdom’s treasury?"
"No!" Lune shouted, instantly shutting the ridiculous suggestion down.
Lune stomped her boot against the floorboards, throwing a minor royal tantrum.
"I want to go to the training grounds,Vera." She pointed toward the window leading out to the courtyards. She demanded her subordinate take her to the training rings immediately, needing to know exactly what Solomon and Elizabeth were doing alone in the dark.
Vera finally let out a defeated sigh. She stepped forward and offered a respectful bow. "Pardon my intrusion, Your Highness. Please relax your muscles and hold on tightly."
Vera picked Lune up in a smooth bridal carry. The princess wrapped her good arm around the assassin’s neck. Vaulting through the open window, Vera leaped into the moonlit night. Several other dark figures materialized from the foliage and followed her trajectory.
They traversed the palace rooftops in absolute silence and reached the training grounds in just a few minutes. Vera landed softly on an elevated observation tower, providing a completely unobstructed view of the dirt rings below.
Lune looked down and gasped. Her eyes widened in pure shock at the scene unfolding on the ground.
Elizabeth leaned comfortably against Solomon’s chest. He held her securely from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist while their bodies pressed closely together.
"Just what is going on...?" She asked with a baffled look on her face. She couldn’t believe what she was watching.
"They are hugging?!" Lune hissed, digging her fingers into the stone railing.