When Arin Helev reached the capital, the sun already set. He wasn''t supposed to arrive before midnight but he rushed the journey with a minimum rest as those missing cases upied his mind.


    The King entered the pce and finds his wife sitting alone in the room he used as his office. Reading some scrolls, she seemed to be very absorbed in her work. Watching her, he ended up standing at the door for a while.


    "You''re back?" Iria slightly smiled when she finally realized his presence. She tried to rise from her seat but he rushed to her and in no time, he was standing beside the chair where she was sitting.


    "I think you work too hard," he pointed out and crouched down beside her.


    "I don''t think I work hard as you said," she retorted yet there was a little smile on her face.


    "It''s already dinner time, My Queen.. If you don''t work hard, then why are you still here instead of the dining hall?"


    Before she could even respond, he reached up to her and captured her lips. With a little smile, he pulled back. "I miss you a lot. I hope we can always travel together and not alone."


    "But I think it''s a good thing that I''m here to handle the matters," she simply said.


    "But I can''t concentrate when you''re so far away," he pointed out. "I''m always worried."


    "I''m in the pce. That means I''m safer than you who is outside."


    "Pce is the most dangerous ce, My Queen. It''s where all the decisions are made, be it good or bad. It''s a ce where power-hungry people gather."


    Iria realized that he had a point. However, she still forced a smile. "I''m always careful. Don''t worry."


    Arin tried to speak up but he was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door. Iria responded and a servant walked inside.


    "Your Majesty, dinner is ready now."


    The Queen looked at her husband and said, "You don''t give me time to say this. I used to eat dinner in the chamber when you''re out." With a little smile, she added, "It''s better than dining alone in a big hall."


    "Prepare some more for His Majesty. We''ll eat in the chamber," she said to the servant who quickly left toply with the order.


    "Let''s go," Iria said as she rose from her seat. She grabbed Arin''s arm but when she attempted to pull him up, the pain in her shoulder was back again. Though she refrained from touching her shoulder, she ended up wincing.


    "What''s wrong?" Arin asked as he quickly stood up. He observed her, trying to figure out the problem. "Did something happen while I was gone?" he asked.


    "No. All I did was overseeing the investigation of the missing cases," Iria promptly replied.


    Before Arin could say anything, she grabbed his arm. "Let''s go. I''m hungry."


    Though Arin finds her behaviour strange, he still nodded with a little smile. "Alright. Let''s go."


    *


    Once they finished dinner, Arin stayed by Iria''s side until she fell asleep. After that, he returned to the chamber which he used as his office. He was pretty tired himself but he wanted to read the reports and study the missing cases.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Soon, he heard the knocking on the door and Elian walked inside. The King was expecting him as he told Antony to find Elian when he left for his office. He had some questions for him.


    Elian made his way to the King who was sitting behind the desk and got down on one knee. "Your Majesty."


    "You heard that I return before dinner, right? How are things here?" the King promptly asked the young guard.


    "Apart from the missing cases, everything is fine," Elian responded.


    "Then what about the Queen?" Arin Helev inquired. "Did something happen while I was gone?"


    He never interrogated Elian before because he knew that Iria valued her privacy. She always tells him herself if necessary but... the way she behaved before dinner, he couldn''t brush it off his mind.


    Something was wrong. He could sense that.


    "No, Your Majesty," was Elian''s response.


    Arin nced at the guard for a while before he rose from his seat and sat on the front of the desk. "I''m well aware of your loyalty and skills, Elian. That''s why I trust you with the job which I deem as the most important to me. I also know that you did your job well and I''m happy about it."


    He paused and continued, "I don''t expect you to tell me everything because that''s not included in your job. It''s to protect the Queen and assist her, not to spy on her. However, if there is anything which I should know but she keeps from me, it''s your job to help her make the right decision.


    "And if that information is something that could keep her in danger, you should know what will happen. I won''t tolerate any mistake when ites to her. It''s not something which I could make a bet on. Remember that."


    As someone who had served the King for years now, Elian was well aware of what the King meant.


    It''s a warning.


    Still kneeling, his gaze met the floor the whole time. He knew what''s the best but... that''s not important. He can only do or say something with the Queen''s permission. That''s what the King said when he appointed him to be the personal guard of the Queen.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," he finally replied. "I will keep that in mind."


    The King nodded. "You may leave."


    With that said, Elian get back on his feet and bowed before he walked out of the chamber.


    Once he was alone, Arin Helev shut his eyes and rubbed his temples.


    He wanted to not think too much about it but... he couldn''t brush it off his mind.


    It seemed like Iria wasn''t the only one who was haunted by that incident in the Serene Valley.


    He was still haunted by it too.


    The sight of those arrows nted in her body and how she copsed in his arms after losing too much blood... those were the sight which he never wished to witness again. Ever.....