The World Of Sally

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Captain’s Story

THE NEXT day, Sally was busy due to secretarial work and for the preparation for going back to the academy. It isn’t the exact day to go back however the crown prince wished to leave as soon as possible so she’s doing it. She finished summarizing her report and put it on the crown prince’s desk. The crown prince isn’t in the office at the moment due to personal matters but he said to her that he’ll return before he meets with the other nobles.

‘I should prepare for that too.’ She thought.

She immediately started the preparation for the meeting and studied the topics in advance. After reading the topics, she decided to take a walk outside for a while. She was walking in the garden when she saw a familiar person walking ahead of her. She stopped and was about to walk in the other direction when he called him.

“Ms. Esther,” The captain called. She stopped and look at him.

“Good morning, captain.” She greeted and bowed down in curtsy. She doesn’t want to talk with other people right now but it seems like fate didn’t like the idea. She sighed.

“It seems like the lady doesn’t like meeting other people today.”

“Me? Of course not. Is it your break time right now, Sir?”

“No. I came here because the king summoned me.”

“Ah, I see. I’m afraid I’m taking your time, Sir. I’ll leave now.”

“Not at all. My business here is done and I am about to go home now.”

“Then, be careful on your way back, captain.”

“I can sense that milady doesn’t like to talk to me.”

“Not at all, Sir. Have I not told you I’m afraid to waste your time?”

Capt. Locksworth laughed at her obvious lie. Her desperation in hiding it is adorable for him. Sally stared at him with confusion. He cleared his throat and smiled at her.

“And I told milady that you aren’t wasting my time.” He said. “Am I wasting your time, milady?” He asked. Sally shook her head and answered.

“No.”

“I’m glad. Are you here to see the flowers again?”

“No.”

“No?”

“Yes, no. Some people don’t walk in the garden because they want to see the flowers.”

“Then?”

“There’s no particular reason, Sir.” She answered truthfully. “I’m just bored.” She added.

“Ah, it’s understandable. The palace, sometimes, is a monotonous place.” He agreed. He was silent for a while. He glances at Sally who was staring at the flowers with an odd look in her eyes. “Are you sad?” He asked.

The wind blew gently at them, lifting her black hair. She smiled brightly without looking at him.

“Who knows?” She chuckled. The captain remains looking at her.

“It would be nice to feel nothing at all…” She mumbled however the captain didn’t hear it. She looked at him still smiling.

“So, you’re here.”

Both of them looked at the person who suddenly speaks behind them. It was the crown prince. Both of them bowed down.

“We greet the future sun of the kingdom.” They both said.

“I came looking for you, Ms. Esther. I was surprised no one greeted me when I arrived.” He muttered in a displeasing tone.

“I apologize, your highness.” She said.

‘Why is he in a bad mood? I even asked permission to take a walk outside.’ She wondered and stared at the crown prince. His golden irises went to the captain beside her.

“You’re here as well, captain. I never thought that you and my secretary are friends.”

“Lady Esther is a nice and respectful lady. Anyone can be friends with her, your highness.”

“That is true.” The crown prince agreed coldly. “How about we drink tea together here in the garden?”

“Your highness, I,”

“Captain, I rarely invited people to drink with me. It would be nice to not refuse my invitation.” He said grinning, though his eyes were not happy at all. Sally observed him.

‘I knew it. Something bad must have happened to him. I wonder what it is.’ She thought feeling nervous.

“You too, Ms. Esther.” The crown prince glanced at her. She flinched and forced a smile.

“…Yes, your highness.”

---

They were drinking tea in a gazebo near a lake. Sally didn’t know that there’s a lake near the crown prince’s palace. The wind is cool and refreshing. Sally felt relaxed, or not. She drank her tea, trying to be calm as possible while receiving the crown prince’s deathly stares.

‘What the hell did I just do? Did I commit a grave mistake in work?’ She thought.

“How is your wife, captain?” The crown prince asked.

“Thank you for your concern, your highness. My wife is recuperating and doing fine.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s been a while since I saw the captain’s wife. I think I saw her when I was still a child?”

“Yes, your highness. My wife was very fond of you. Sadly, she’s unable to visit the crown prince nowadays.”

“Oh please, that is not necessary. What matters most is her recovery.”

Sally listened to their conversation. She never saw the captain’s wife once in her life. Not even the people of the kingdom.

‘Is the captain’s wife gravely ill? I feel sorry for him…’

“I hope she will recover soon.”

“Thank you, your highness.”

“Ms. Esther, are you aware of the captain’s wife?” The crown prince asked.

“I heard about the captain’s wife but I never saw her once.” She answered.

“I see.”

“You see,” The captain started speaking. Both of them looked at him. “Long time ago, my wife and I met a child, a little girl about ten or nine years old. She was a good girl and my wife was very fond of her.”

“I never heard of that before.” The crown prince said.

“Yes. Your highness knew my wife, she was a shy person and she rarely attends banquets. I just remembered her when I saw Lady Esther because both of them had beautiful silver eyes.”

“Where’s that girl now?” Sally asked. She’s curious who it was especially when she heard that the girl had silver eyes like her.

“We don’t know. She stopped visiting us one day.” He laughed shortly and lean on the chair. “She’s quite brave for her age, she said she can even make a devil her slave.”

“Hah. Such words of a child. She’s unique for saying that she can make a devil her slave.” The crown prince muttered full of mockery.

“You think so too, your highness? However, I admired her for that… It is because there’s not a single trace of fear in her eyes.” He said as his eyes twinkled with enthusiasm and longing.

“Did you search for that girl?” The crown prince asked again.

“Yes. We searched for her and we learned that that little girl was an orphan. If we knew it earlier we would have adopted her and make her our daughter, but, she just disappeared one day. No one knew where she is now, even the private investigators whom I asked to search for her. Later we stopped the search.”

“Oh, that’s quite sad.” The crown prince said and sips his tea.

“It is.” The captain drank his tea as well. Sally stared at the captain and wondered about the story he told in front of them. She’s too curious about what happened to the girl he mentioned. She snapped and drank her tea.

‘What’s the point of knowing it anyway?’ She shrugged.

“Pardon me, your highness, but I must leave now. My wife is waiting for me.” Capt. Locksworth said and stood up.

“Ah, yes.”

“Blessing for the future sun of the kingdom.” He said and bowed down before he left.

Sally stared at his back. There was a déjà vu feeling in her chest but she can’t understand why she’s having this kind of feeling in her. She thought she must have been stressed at work.

“Is there something wrong?” The crown prince asked her. She smiled at him and shook her head.

“Nothing, your highness. I was just moved by the captain’s story.”

“You thought so too?” He asked and smirked.

“Yes, are you not curious, your highness? What do you think happened to that little girl?”

“Who knows? Perhaps she became an adult who had to struggle life?” He answered.

“That is possible.”

“How about you? What do you think happened to her?” The crown prince asked.

“That girl, just like what your highness said, grew up as an adult, struggled yet became happy at the end. She had her own family and a loving husband.”

“Hah! Yeah, that would be nice. You’re very positive, Ms. Esther.” He said in mockery but she only smiled and calmly look at him.

“It is a possibility, your highness. A wonderful possibility that perhaps happened to her.”

“Well, of course, Ms. Ray-of-sunshine.” He scoffed.

“Anyway, your highness, did you already choose your partner for the banquet soon?” She asked.

“Do I have to?”

“Of course! I have already listed every well-known woman in the kingdom. I also included Lady Robia since you knew her too.”

“You shouldn’t have wasted your effort on that matter. I’m fine going alone.”

“Please don’t do that, your highness. At least take a look at that papers I submitted.” She felt like crying. It’s hard to find a good partner for him.

“You look disappointed. Are you worried that I’ll go to the banquet alone?”

“Honestly speaking, yes.” She sighed.

“Then, come with me to the banquet.”

“Huh?” Her mouth hanged open. She was astounded at what he said.

‘Did I hear it right? Me? To the crown prince?’ She exclaimed inwardly. ‘Is he blind?’

“And you’re insulting me again? You’re quite full of yourself these days.”

“Of course not, your highness, however, me going with you is a bit,”

Sally stopped talking when she saw him grinning.

“I’m saying that you come with me as my secretary and not my partner.”

Her face reddened in embarrassment. The crown prince chuckled.

“Well, it isn’t that bad that you become my partner. I won’t mind.” He smirked.

“I apologize for thinking like that, your highness. I will assure you that this won’t happen again.” She uttered in regret.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Ms. Esther. You’re not that bad.”

“I am not thinking I’m bad, your highness.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, then come with me to the banquet.”

She agreed since the crown prince said that she’ll attend as his secretary and not his partner. However, she can feel a little bit nervous about that event.

‘Or maybe I’m just being paranoid?’ She shook her head.

She removes the idea from her head.

---

Tomorrow came, she thought she will have a smooth day like every other day but it turns not. Other than paper works and adjusting the crown prince’s schedule, she was also busy preparing for the banquet! She felt like crying. She had to meet the tailor the crown prince mentioned earlier for her dress. How can she make time for the tailor when she had so much work to do!?

‘I feel like dying!’

She sat on her chair and massage her head. She felt dizzy.

“Can I not meet the tailor and just wear one of the dresses in my closet?”

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Anthony entered with a tray of tea. He put it on her desk and served her a cup.

“Thank you, Mr. Anthony.”

“Are you alright, Lady Esther? You look pale.” The butler asked seeing her face.

“Yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking to give my measurement to the tailor to save some time.”

“I think you can, milady. I can see you had a lot of things in your hands.”

“Yes, but I can handle all of them.” She uttered in confidence. Anthony smiled at her.

“As expected from Lady Esther.”

She leans on her chair while drinking the tea. Thankfully, her head became a little lighter. Anthony left the room to do something downstairs while she checks the documents on her desk. She just finished meeting the tailor who was disappointed when she handed a paper. She wrote in the paper the measurement she needed for the dress. She can’t help it since she’s very busy. She still needs to attend the meetings with the crown prince.

She returned to the office and saw the crown prince sitting on his chair, reading the papers on the table one by one.

“Hello, your highness.”

“You’re fast.”

“I just handed the tailor a paper with my measurement in it.”

“Hah! I can imagine the tailor’s disappointed face.”

“She was indeed disappointed and I was sorry for that but I have things to take care of.” She explained. “I will finish all of these before dinner then sleep early.”

“Well, I’m afraid you can’t do that.”

She gazed at the crown prince in confusion.

“What do you mean, your highness?”

“We have to attend dinner at the main palace.”

Her mouth hangs open and her eyes widen in shock.

“T-The main palace you say!? B-But why would I be there too?” She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

“Well, the king and the queen want to see your face. I suggest you should be at your best image tonight.”

“I, I still don’t understand.”

“You know, they’re curious about my personal life.” He said.

‘And why would I be involved in your highness’s personal life!?’ She exclaimed in both fury and anxiety.

“Any thoughts?” The crown prince asked. She sighed.

“Nothing. I prayed everything will be alright.” She said. The crown prince smirked and continued reading the paper again.

***Chapter Thirty-Five: The Captain’s Story