Little Red for Mr. Rydding Hood: The Lost World of Agartha 1

Chapter 8

She felt welcomed.

Princess Loaisa had never felt so welcomed to somewhere she had never been and by the people she just met. She had nothing to compare her experience with since being a princess; it was only expected of her to be welcome everywhere she goes. But she had never been out of the palace. Really.

And considering this was no ordinary people who were aware of her royal blood. These were humans from the south who did not see the Northumbrian Royal as someone they wanted to be friends with.

Despite the children’s outlook on the Northumbrian people, especially the Royal Family, she’s welcome. Despite the question bugging her head why the elders in the south did not bother correcting the children, and if they were the main reason the young think that way, Princess Loaisa was grateful for the acceptance.

She realized it was not really the right time to tell them about who she really was. And when the right time must be, it was beyond her knowledge.

Her eyes shone as she listened to the men’s heavy and throaty laughter. The wounded man had so much story to tell. His grimace of pain and constant groans never stopped him from sharing with everyone their adventure in the woods.

For Princess Loaisa, it was traumatizing. She could have been dead by now if not for their saving. But the fact that these hunters found delight in the fatal encounter, it suddenly made her heart heavy and pleased at the same time.

Heavy that these men grew old in the south, getting used to the circumstances and encountering wolves on a daily basis. In fact, what she witnessed was something never heard in Northumbria. They said humans became meals to the supernaturals. But the truth was, they were the hunters, stepping out of the safety to catch the animals. For two reasons: food and dominance.

Her sister Princess Liliana would be enraged not to know those facts to share with the children.

That was what Princess Loaisa was pleased about. Please to see them happy with the life they have down here. Contented. Finding delight even in fatal encounters. Please that they learned to fight for their lives, saved each other, and had their offspring.

But then, it was sad for the kids to grow up here.

“But they don’t attack me?” She bit her lower lip the moment all eyes turned on her.

Samuel brought her inside the large tent. It was like a huge kitchen and dining area. The smell of fresh food and freshly brewed coffee instantly went to her nostrils the moment they set foot inside. Different vegetables, fruits, meats, and even bread laid on the long wooden table at the center. The women happily served the old man, who now has a worn-out expression. The wounded man was being tended as he devoured his share of food.

Samuel pulled a chair for her to join the group as he sat next to her. They laid a smoking coffee in front of her, together with the food on the table; with no one asking her which one she would like or not, unlike in the palace. She had sipped on the coffee and moaned at the heavenly taste. It was dark and not so sweet, just as how the men would probably like it ― and Princess Loaisa liked it.

She muttered quick words of gratitude to the fat lady who was serving the drinks, but the men’s laughter muffled her voice as the injured man started his story.

Her wide, innocent smile made everyone remember she was asking them questions. She shrugged as the older man from earlier cleared his throat. He was the eldest among the group. Almost the same age as the old man in the palace. Princess Loaisa would believe they were at the same age if the old hunter did not look physically fit and strong compared to her old friend in Northumbria.

“They’re newly rogues,” he started in a rugged voice. “You must have piqued their curiosity as much as you did to us. Your smell is quite different, too. Uniquely good and strong. But they would kill you once they realize you’re not able to fight.”

“I can fight them with my arrows!” she exclaimed, not to boast, but to let them know of the fact. She knew she could. At least after she assessed the situation and before the animal could make a move first.

But the men laughed loudly. Her innocent eyes stared at them with confusion until it landed on the blue-eyed man who was gently sipping on his glass of coffee. His eyes were solely directed to her. He was not laughing like the rest. He had never laughed honestly. He had a dark look on his face that would be impossible to crack a smile no matter how funny the conversation went. But it faded the moment Princess Loaisa remembered he was with the group and their eyes met.

“We all know those are fake!” one of the men said and pointed to her bow, which Samuel placed by the wall before they sat on the table. “Merchants can make anything profitable. Those are for the kids of Northumbria.”

“Have you ever been to Northumbria?” she asked in a rush, careless and innocent question, and the men’s laughter subsided. Once again, she did not know what’s wrong.

“We don’t want to know what’s up there! We don’t know how their lives are going” His voice roared. Princess Loaisa quickly lowered her head. “We only cared for what will benefit us as how they care about what only benefits them. You know, young lady, we’ve stolen several of the Merchants’ vessels before. We kept what’s useful enough and threw away the rest. Those toys nearly get most of us killed believing it would be our weapon. Now they’re only toys for our kids. You surely have never tried that to anyone before and if you were to use that to the rogues you encountered, they would laugh at you!” He laughed and everyone joined them.

She sighed. Slowly, she realized most of them were taking alcohol, not coffee.

“Newly rogues are less dangerous,” the injured man, who she soon learned named Mattaias, while the older man was Andres. “They were literally lost and in the wild for a meal. They wandered and looked around the south because they knew we were here. They feel so strong they thought they could defeat us.”

“It’s the arrow,” she said as a matter of fact. That was one of the reasons they defeated them. “They were poison.” She glanced at the blue-eyed man who had his wound wrapped around with cotton. Her handkerchief she used on him was nowhere to be found.

“This lad won’t be in danger!” Mattaias tapped the blue-eyed man’s eye and squeezed on his shoulder to lightly push him closer to him. “The poison was for the supernaturals alone. Really fatal for wolves, especially ordinary rogues. The arrow is enough to weaken the stronger and strong enough to slowly kill the weaker ones, but not poisonous for the people. We used their meat for food so we can’t stupidly risk our own lives, can we?”

“F-Food?” She gaped at the treat on their table and particularly at the meats. “You eat them?” She was starving the moment she entered the tent. She remembered accepting the coffee and the many others offered to her by everyone as they conversed, but not remembered which of them she put in her mouth and down her stomach as she was engrossed with the open conversation as well. Unlike at the palace, which more controversial and private things were never discussed with her. Of course, she knew she was young for that matter, but at some point, it made her less capable of anything. Plus the fact that she's locked up inside the palace. This was suddenly a fresh page of her book, but eating wolves' meat...

She suddenly felt like throwing up all the food.

“Easy!” Samuel exclaimed with a suppressed laughter as he gently caressed her back. “You ate chicken meat and bread just now. Only the elder gotta eat the wolves’ meat. The young take chickens.”

“Y-You have chickens here?”

“A little farm.” Samuel nodded. “But it’s not enough for everyone, we resorted to something more...” he trailed off, lost for proper words to describe the situation.

Resorted into eating the creatures that meant to eat them. A matter of interchanging the situation, Princess Loaisa thought.

Instead of saying the obvious, Samuel picked up one of the bigger slices of meat on the enormous plate in the center and bit on it. “They need a skillful cook to make them perfect, though. Thanks to Nana Sora.” He smiled at the fat lady who was busy serving everyone with a warm smile. She was close to the age of the Queen, older even, and the white front of her hair made it obvious. But like the rest, she was not looking weak for her age.

Princess Loaisa could not help it. She tried to fight it back, but the vile was rising up to her throat. Her palm covered her hand and luckily, it did not go all the way out. She sipped on the hot coffee to drive them back down. Samuel grimaced at her reaction, but nodded and laughed as if he truly understood.

“That’s how I reacted the first time. But one day, you will be giving them a try and not regret one bite. That’s why I joined the hunt. Want to know how to catch my favorite meal, eh?” He showed off a perfect, satisfied smile and Princess Loaisa could only force one back at him so as not to offend the young hunter.

She was not really looking back on that day. She would never want to eat the wolves or other creatures she was not used to having on her table!

“It’s fine, young lady!” Mattaias added. “We think you’re still young so you can join the children with their chickens and vegetables.”

This time, she did not smile. No one waited for her reaction, anyway. They continued their conversation, and their Nana Sora served her another bread with a smile to encourage her to eat more. She watched as she poured another coffee on her glass and sighed as the aroma directed to her nose.

When she lifted her head, her eyes met with the blue-eyed again. He did not smile at her like the others. He watched her like a stranger. Although she saved her life, Princess Loaisa was not expecting him to be extra kind to her. But she at least expected him to be welcoming like the rest. Besides, it was not really saving.

He would have been safe with or without help since the poison doesn't affect humans. He may have the familiar eyes of the wolf. But he’s a human. He should be safe with their arrows.

Her eyes nonchalantly traveled down to his plate. Thoughts ran down in her head as she blankly stared at the bread and fried corn on his plate ― not a single meat of chicken or wolf. Her eyes lingered on it, not noticing how her gaze made the man a bit uncomfortable. She continued to stare absentmindedly, not noticing anything strange yet.