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AND so, the dreaded day came. Inside the coach was a maidservant, a lady-in-waiting, and me, the cross-dressing knight.
Her debut behind her, Marlena was allowed to begin carrying out her duties as a royal. That day of the tour would take us to the Wurzel demesne. The Wurzels were historically fanatical supporters of the royal family, making their territory perfect for Marlena’s first overnight stop.
Only, a princess embarking on such a tour was unheard of. Coupled with the weird letters she’d apparently been receiving, the circumstances warranted a guard maid. Her protection consisted of me, a few knights, and Kraut, now a second year. Kraut—a Wurzel—had been permitted to accompany us as an exception.
“Weird letters?” I asked.
“Usually, letters addressed to me go through my ladies-in-waiting first, but these didn’t. They were found in my room.” Marlena knitted her brow.
Who wouldn’t be concerned if they were dealing with someone who could sneak past the palace guard, locate the princess’s chambers, and place a letter therein, undiscovered? While multiple maidservants and ladies-in-waiting were in her room at any given time and Marlena had yet to come to any harm, the threat of abduction or assassination was very real.
“They don’t appear to be cursed or anything, but the contents are a little…”
“A little?” I pressed.
“Questionable. Quote, ‘Marlena, hngh,’ unquote.”
“Sorry?” What does that mean?
“‘Marlena, hngh’ is all they wrote!” She blushed.
It did sound embarrassing just hearing her say it. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Marlena confirmed, starting to tear up.
“Sicko.” I couldn’t comprehend why anyone would do such a thing. I could understand love letters, in which an admirer might introduce themselves and wax poetic about their feelings for Marlena, or even an attempt at blackmail. Instead, all the notes contained were “Marlena, hngh”.
What a bad joke. I was disgusted. Why did the writer feel the need to convey those words? To let others know just how sick in the head they were? No one gained anything. Creep.
“Please protect me. I beg of you.”
My heart skipped a beat at her plea, her hands clasped together as though in prayer. Marlena was precious, maybe too precious for her own good. “They won’t be laying so much as a finger on you. I guarantee it.”
“Thank you!”
The maidservant glanced at me with a twinkle in her eye. Dressed as one myself, I couldn’t exactly put on noble airs. She cleared her throat, so I bowed. “Apologies for any inconvenience I’m bound to cause. I hope for your guidance.”
“Me, guide you? The Lunar Ice Knight?”
“I wouldn’t want to bring shame to the palace maidservants. I am to guard Princess Marlena as her maid, after all.”
“I-I see.” The servant hung her head, her cheeks turning pink.
✦ ✦ ✦
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WE arrived at our destination. The Wurzels’ land teemed with fields of flowers and medicinal herbs. Their country manor was massive, standing solemnly atop a hill and overlooking the surrounding region.
We exited the coach and took a short break. As I was preparing Marlena’s table, an envelope materialized seemingly out of thin air, causing her to shriek in alarm.
“If I may,” I said as I took it in hand. Nothing appeared suspicious about the letter, nor did it seem like it was hexed. I walked away from the table and opened the seal.
“Marlena and the maid sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”
Gross! No way they’re above a two IQ.
I was still reeling from what I had just read when Kraut came up to me. “Is something the matter?” he asked.
“I-I think my head hurts.” Kraut appeared to puke a little in his mouth as he scanned the message. “Keep your eyes peeled,” I warned.
“Understood. I won’t let them have their way, not in my domain!” Kraut tapped his chest proudly before returning to his assigned position.
Reliable as always, I thought, making my way back to Marlena.
“Wh-What was in there?” she asked tremulously.
“Same filth as always. What’s more concerning is that they know we’re here.”
Marlena’s face froze. I know you’re scared. I took her shaky hand in mine, squeezing it.
“Bernstein?”
“Let’s get you some tea. It’ll help take your mind off things.”
“Very well.”
One of the Wurzel maidservants filled Marlena’s teacup. To everyone’s surprise, the liquid was a deep blue color, and she calmly explained, “It’s mallow tea, made from the flower of the same name. It starts out blue, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, and slowly turns purple.”
“Looks just like your hair,” Marlena said to me, giggling.
“Now watch what happens when we add in some yellow.” The maid plopped in a slice of lemon, turning the tea from a blueish purple to pink.
“Amazing!” Marlena exclaimed, clapping.
Like magic.
I gently intercepted Marlena’s hand and lifted the cup. “Pardon me,” I said, taking the first sip just in case the cup or tea itself had been poisoned. Given their track record, I had every reason to believe Marlena’s stalker was capable of slipping something into her beverage right under our noses, and I had received permission to test Marlena’s food and drink for poison before our departure.
“Please forgive me for that. It’s the best way to protect you while we’re out and about,” I explained.
“B-Bernstein…” Marlena had blushed bright pink.
Is she not feeling well?
“You should’ve let us handle it,” the ladies-in-waiting rebuked me.
“And let you risk death? We knights train our bodies to withstand poison. Please, save your worry.” I smiled to put them at ease.
The maidservants and ladies-in-waiting fell quiet, their faces turning pink much like Marlena’s.
“Thank you. It’s delicious,” Marlena said after taking a sip. Her rosy cheeks were adorable.
Once our tea break was over, we were shown around the fields. I stuck close to Marlena’s side, while the rest of the knights stayed a bit further back. A colorful carpet of flowers, organized in rows, stretched from the top of the hill to the foot. The blooms’ petals were moist with the previous day’s rain, each drop reflecting light like a prism.
Marlena gasped in awe, prompting some enthusiastic exposition from the lead field hand. He was the one who managed the fields, although Kraut’s father owned the land. A wholesome atmosphere suffused the scene. Servants picked blossoms, some of which were apparently unsuitable for use in flower arrangements and thus unsellable. The laborers’ children threw those into a communal basket.
“What is this one used for?”
“Drying, pressing, and potpourri. Other flowers are edible and used for tea or candied. Sometimes these’re used in wedding ceremonies as well, which are especially common this time of year, to shower the newly wedded couple in petals.”
“How dreamy,” Marlena said, her eyes glimmering.
A small boy approached us and offered Marlena a modest posy of flowers. I examined the bouquet to make sure it was safe. Sure enough, it was, and I lifted the boy up so he could hand his gift to Marlena directly.
“Fow you, Pwincess,” he said, extending his arms.
“What are you—?” The boy’s mother, or at least who I assumed was his mother, came sprinting toward us. I gave her a stern stare.
“Thanks.” Marlena smiled, taking the bouquet.
The boy seemed satisfied, if a bit red in the face. I put him down, and he scampered back to his mother, who was apologizing profusely.
“Cute, isn’t he?” I remarked after she left.
Marlena blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing. “D-Do you like children?”
“I think they’re cute, yes.”
“M-Me too! I love children!”
Though the enthusiasm in her voice startled me, I found it endearing nonetheless. “I’m sure children love you too. They can tell a kind heart when they see one.”
“O-Oh my…” Marlena had just looked away, avoiding my gaze, when a shower of petals rained down from above. The ground underneath her swelled abruptly, and she screamed in horror.
A shadowy black form popped out of the dirt. The knights readied their swords only to be blocked off by a wall of earth. I jumped in front of Marlena and her attendants, shielding them.
“Lovey-dovey happy wedding!” spat the masked, dark figure. I instinctively roundhouse-kicked his chin and froze the soil beneath him to ensure he couldn’t escape. “Briefs? Really? Wimp! Coward!”
“Shut your mouth!” I pulled several magic-suppressing knives out from under my skirt and pinned his cloak to the ground. I tackled him, ripping off his mask just as the knights broke through the wall.
“Is that…”
“Grand Mage Zanto?”