Chapter 7 06

Ivy Calleya

I felt my body tense up when I heard those words.

"An enemy? From the Kingdom of Oracalia?" I asked, looking at the Knight with fear.

I knew that Helena Calleya didn't have good relations with the neighboring kingdoms, and knowing there was an enemy on board could only mean one thing: someone wanted the Empress's daughter dead, and it was probably someone close, since only a few knew about the trip to the ball in Lyra.

I moved quickly and clumsily jumped into the small boat, and the knight followed suit. I watched as the other men who had come to escort me formed a protective wall, preventing the ship's desperate, out-of-control crew from boarding the lifeboat.

"If more people get in, the boat will sink..." I heard another knight say as he restrained one of the frenzied men. "Go now... We won't be able to hold them off much longer." He shouted, exhausted, and the knight who accompanied me detached us from the ship. As we drifted away, we saw how the deck had turned into utter chaos. I could hear some men screaming and pleading to the goddess for mercy, hoping for a miracle, but nothing changed, and slowly the ship continued to sink.

I could hear the clashing of swords; some of the crew were fighting among themselves, battling for a spot on the few remaining lifeboats. I found myself paralyzed, watching all the madness unfold.

"Princess..." The old knight, whose name I barely knew, called my attention, placing his hand on my shoulder. Startled, I turned to face him.

"It's all right now... Whoever they are, they won't do anything to harm you now," he tried to console me, seeing how much my hands were trembling, but I couldn't relax-not when I realized this whole damned situation was going to ruin all my plans.

"The ball... I won't make it in time," I thought anxiously, feeling my heart tighten and tears well up in my eyes.

"It's okay, Princess. I'm sure help will arrive soon," he said.

"What's your name, Sir?" I asked, turning to him. The body I was in now might seem like that of a naive and foolish girl, but that was the old Ivy. The Ivy of now knew exactly how things worked.

The old knight looked at me, puzzled, and while adjusting my belongings in the boat, he answered, "I'm Sir Leroy Manson, Princess. I've served Her Majesty, Helena Calleya, for many years, and I promised her I would take care of you, giving my life if necessary to protect you." He finished introducing himself, bowing slightly in the small boat, causing it to sway with his movement, and I saw that, at least for the moment, he seemed trustworthy.

"Thank you for your dedication, Sir Leroy..." I thanked him, continuing to look at him seriously. "Since you're such an experienced knight, you must know the truth... No one is coming to save us. Whoever planned this incident knew that if we didn't die in the explosion, we'd perish adrift."

He grunted, clearly frustrated with the situation, and as he grabbed an oar from among the boat's emergency supplies, he replied, "Yes, Princess... but don't worry. Even if I have to row until I die, I will get you out of here." I felt the resolve in his words.

It was night, and the only thing illuminating the sea was the light of the moon. Moving carefully, I walked over to where the knight was and crouched down to pick up the other oar.

"Princess... What are you doing?" He turned to me, confused, unable to believe that I was going to help him.

"We're not going to die here, Sir Leroy. I have a ball to attend..." I joked, and he smiled, easing the tense atmosphere. Together, we began to row.

Fortunately, we had left Oracalia a few days early so I could familiarize myself with where I would be staying in Lyra. I didn't know if this was a blessing from the goddess or if she was just playing with me like a cat does with its prey before killing it, but I couldn't stay still.

"Alexandre..."

My son's name wouldn't leave my mind, and it was what gave me the strength to keep rowing as we continued in that small boat.

It was two days under the sun, without water or food, feeling the salty sea breeze hit our faces. When the sun became unbearably hot, I covered myself with some clothing to avoid burning or dehydrating.

I felt my hands hurting, and when I looked at them, they were raw, covered in calluses, and bleeding. But I didn't stop. Together with Sir Leroy, I continued to row to my limit.

We thought we wouldn't make it-our mouths were dry, and our vision was blurred. But when we spotted the mountains in the distance, everything changed. We used the last of our energy to push forward more quickly.

No one believed us when they saw us reach the beach. The Princess of Oracalia and her loyal knight had survived the "shipwreck." We were hurriedly taken to the estate of Marquis Anderson, my mother's friend. There, he tended to our wounds, fed us, and wrote a letter informing Empress Helena Calleya of everything that had happened.

"I need to take a bath. Maybe if I'm quick, I can get to the ball before the first dance starts..." I told the Marquis, who looked incredulous, taking a step back, unable to believe what I was saying.

"Princess... I don't think you fully understand the situation you're in. Your hands are damaged, you're weak, and you need to rest. I'm sure His Majesty Adiel Viegas will understand if you don't attend the ceremony. Also, if the ship explosion was orchestrated by someone, as Sir Leroy suspects, it's too dangerous to let you go to the palace without an escort," he said indignantly, standing beside me while his maids bandaged my hands and cleaned some of the severe sunburns on my arms.

I let out a sarcastic laugh.

If all those obstacles appearing in front of me were meant to keep me from being with my son, it meant there was something very important behind it all. I knew the goddess didn't test wolves without a purpose.

I stood up from the chair, finishing wrapping the bandage around my arm. Walking over to the belongings I had managed to save from the shipwreck, I grabbed the dress Helena had given me.

"I only need two experienced knights, that's all and enough," I said, preparing my items for the bath. Marquis Tully ran a hand through his hair, looking worried.

"Princess... your mother will never forgive me if something happens to you," he said, trying to stop me from going to the palace. "I know how fragile your health is, and overexerting yourself could cause you to faint or something even worse."

I sighed, feeling a vein throb in my forehead from the stress.

"I think you're the one who hasn't understood yet, Marquis. I'm not asking for your permission," I looked at him seriously, still feeling weak but determined to attend that ceremony. He averted his gaze, allowing his maids to come to me and help me prepare to leave.

I took a bath with the help of the maids, and when I was finally ready, I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before heading to the carriage.