Beautiful Scar

Three

Dylan was shocked to see the same girl who made him fall was the one who would determine his fate with the Princess. It annoyed him but at the same time, he welcomed this challenge. For his overconfidence made him look forward instead to exact his grudge for making him the laughing stock among his friends.

Each of these suitors was handed with a scroll. As they opened it, it revealed the tasks that would be done for the upcoming days ahead. Once a week, a new scroll would be handed to the suitor outlining the weekly task ahead.

This week, beginning tomorrow morning, they would have breakfast at the Garden with Princess Fina and her Lady companions. After that, they would have a long session until noon with Captain Scarlet on physical trainings. In the evening until nighttime, the scroll outlined ‘Leisure’, which King Elias elaborated, “This is the part where you men use your wit and decide on whether you would like to spend time with the Princess or interact and have a look over the kingdom’s people. You may ask any of the kingdom’s people here from nobles to common folks to guide your way around. So, decide wisely how you will use your time during this Leisure session”.

For now, as the men took their time looking over the scroll, smiles of confidence were brimming on their faces.

“However”, King Elias continued, “as I mentioned before, the brunt of the test would lie in your trainings with Captain Scarlet. If on the first day itself, you fail to appease your overseer, you will be disqualified and be sent back to your homeland. On another case, you may choose to pull out if the competitions are proving too difficult for you”. He formed a grin at the last part. The rest of the audience also grinned, for such connotation implied that to those that gave up first were considered weak men. And that did not sit well with the group of suitors.

After that, King Elias instructed Scarlet to escort these men to their chambers where they would spend their months here, training, courting, dining and sleeping – all to groom them to be the next Consort to the Princess, and if they were lucky enough, to be crowned King as well – a pretty good self-interest in stored for these men.

As the group was dismissed, the ball continued without them.

The group of suitors quietly followed Scarlet’s lead. Scarlet brought them into a desolate hallway, which was poorly lit and only the sounds of their footsteps could be heard as noises.

They were provided with lanterns to aid their way into dark pathways, but little light could only do so much in such a dark empty space.

Suddenly, a yelp and grunt were heard, followed by sounds of other people stumbling. Scarlet turned and shone her light and from 12 suitors, 6 had fallen unconscious, knocked out by their attackers, Scarlet’s men.

The other 6 had held out their weapons they had in their clothing – knives, blades and swords. Neville and Dylan were part of the lucky six to survive the first test.

“Congratulations, to those that are still standing, you have passed the first test”, Scarlet smiled. But it was an intimidating one, with only the light from her lantern shining over her face, it terrified the remaining men, thou they would not show how much being in her presence irked them.

“What was that for?!” Dylan lashed out instead. “I thought it only starts tomorrow!”

“Think of it as a pre-test – a test before a test”, Scarlet replied not flinching. “And besides, while the scroll outlined as tomorrow, your effective date was today when you signed the contracts beforehand, have you forgotten?”

“That-that’s ridiculous! I demand to not be played like this!”

“This is no playing matter”, Scarlet cut him with a serious tone, “Would you able to defend the Princess if she was attacked in such places like this? How many people have attempted to assassinate her, does anyone here know? Have you men counted how many times you were targeted to be killed?”

No men replied.

“8 was reported, which inflicted damage on the Princess but the unreported ones, ones we managed to thwart before it reached the Princess were 12, throughout her lifetime – 20 altogether”, Scarlet trailed softly, reminded of the cruel fate her friend had to endure, then she looked at Neville, “Prince Neville, your case was reported at 7”.

“How did you- ”

“Well, I was involved in the special unit that was tasked to dispose you”, Scarlet smiled as she admitted this. “Under His Highness’s order, of course and in the future, I will carry out the same things if the Princess wills it so”.

The 6 men was shocked at such revelations. But under the dim light, Neville and Dylan’s face were paler.

“And Prince Dylan, your mother was one of the conspirers in one of the attempts to kill the Princess”.

Dylan was surprised at how much this girl knew all of this. He gulped. Beads of sweats trailed from his forehead.

She listed out the offenses and unpunished crimes the 6 royal and noble houses committed to each other and including her own kingdom towards theirs, if any and she concluded.

“Well, amazing how fate has brought us here. A lot of things can happen in three months. You may still pursue the Princess, or you may try to get rid of me as well or you can do both. I do have to disclaim that getting rid of the Princess is not part of the bargain. But if you’re willing to take up the challenge, I dare you lot to try and kill me first”.

As they trailed behind Scarlet obediently and quietly across the castle’s hallways and stairs, they stopped when Scarlet halted in a long hallway with many chamber doors guarded by two guards each of them.

“Gentlemen, this will be your resting chamber, the guards will take you to your respective rooms and please have some rest before tomorrow commences. At this end, there’s a common room filled with a library for you all to either convene and study as you please. I will take my leave first. My chamber is on the opposite end there, should you need anything”.

Scarlet gave a small nod and left the six men to be tended by the guards posting there.

Half an hour later, when the men had cleansed themselves from a day’s worth event, they all went and gather at the common room as though there was silent agreement to meet there.

“Let’s look out for one another in this foreign land despites being rival, shall we? You can call me Ronald, I’m from the Ire Kingdom”, a man with bigger built than the rest of them started. He had a thick scruffy beard running across his jaw and his attire consisted of thick and furry coatings. He was rather friendly and seemed rather drunk that night.

The rest of the three men were Zuber, Jackel and James, with dark blonde and spiky hair, straight shoulder-length brown hair and red and curly hair respectively. One was from an empire, one was the son of a small landlord and one was a commoner’s son from one of the kingdom’s villages, who became one of the city’s physicians.

“Well, for now I agree it’s best if we do not fight each other yet”, Neville replied with regards to Ronald’s suggestion.

“And why not?” Dylan asked impatiently, not keen to be friendly with either of these men but at the same time not keen to be alienated.

“Let’s share what we know so far of this kingdom in general”, Neville continued still thinking, “I know Captain Scarlet is quite a challenge for us”.

“Huh?” Dylan raised from lying on the sofa, “That scar-face girl? She’s just a girl who got the ranks probably because she’s close to the Princess and some daughter of a lord. I’m sure we can handle her”.

But none agreed with him.

“Well, the fact that she’s close to the Princess is true and that she is the adoptive daughter of General Homes, but she obtained the Captain title out of her own merits”, Neville said. “That’s what my sources were telling me before I came here. And another source told me that she is very harsh in her training. Just now was scratching the surface”.

“So?” Dylan still seemed unconvinced. How could everyone here be so scared of a small and scarred girl?

“We really need to be careful with her. Not only will she assess our worthiness, but we also have to keep up with her. Also, her web of information is incredible if she knows so much about our background…” Neville trailed off, still terrified that Scarlet kept count and was part of the mission to overthrow him.

“Were you that shaken up just now?” Dylan asked in disbelief, “For all we know, she could be bluffing. Remember she’s a special unit member, right. I’m sure deceit is her specialty like any other snakes in women’s skin”, he told aloud, almost just to calm the shock as well, to remind himself to not be afraid.

“If that was the case, were any she had spoken lies?” Neville asked in general.

And no one responded.

So, the rest of the night they only came up with an agreement to take turns each day to spend time with the Princess. When one was occupied with the Princess, the others would do something else that would warrant some merits to the kingdom, such as going to the market and interacting with the people there, learning a craft some sorts and various ways to get accustomed to the ways of the Silverstorm’s land, ways to build a repertoire in the people’s hearts.

And another thing before they all left for their chambers, Neville advised, “I think we should not ruin Scarlet’s temper”.

“We’ll keep that in mind”, Jackel replied followed by heads nodding from James and Zuber. But Dylan and Ronald had already walked ahead, not bothering to reply.