Chapter 3 Goodbye

Anna blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the dazzling sunlight flooding the room. Dash and a few other guards she recognized were already gathered around a small table. The king stood at the head of the table, directing the discussion.

At the announcement of her arrival, all the guards turned and bowed politely.

"It seems Anna has arrived." The king greeted her, suppressing his laughter at the guards' shocked expressions at the mention of her name. "It's about time I introduced you all to my daughter's double."

The soldiers gawked at Anna with their mouths hanging open. Although she wasn't particularly close to any of them, she knew these men. She had trained with them, occasionally gone on missions with them, and even shared meals with them at the same table. She understood their bewilderment but couldn't help being amused by their reactions.

"Please join us." The king motioned for her to come closer. Turning to the men around the table, he added, "There will be plenty of time in the coming days to satisfy your curiosity."

The soldiers reluctantly turned their attention back to the king as the briefing continued.

"Marked here on the map is the route you will take to Pandreia." The king pointed to a line drawn with blue chalk. It started at the capital city of Mevani, their current location, and ran all the way down to the capital of Pandreia.

The journey would be difficult, but the real mission would begin once they reached their destination. In the princess's place, Anna would complete a marriage ceremony to secure Pandreia's alliance. As the continent's leader in sea trade, Pandreia's favor was vital, particularly for a landlocked country like Mevani.

Anna studied the line uneasily. This route was the fastest way to the capital, but it was also the most dangerous. It would lead them directly along the westernmost tip of the Serin Empire.

"Speak," the king ordered, noticing Anna's reluctance.

"It's just that..." she began carefully. "Maybe we should adjust the route westward and travel near the eastern edge of Vitocia instead?"

Seeing the king and Dash exchange glances, she quickly added, "It shouldn't take more than an extra day."

"We had originally planned a route through Vitocia," Dash responded. "We decided to use this alternative route after considering a recent report from the Vitocian border."

"What was the report?" Anna asked.

The man standing directly across from her cleared his throat after receiving a nudge from Dash. He was around ten years older than Anna and one of the higher-ranking officers in their division.

"Serin soldiers have set a trap in Vitocia, close to the border. The only explanation we can think of..." He trailed off.

"Is that there's a spy," Anna finished. "I see."

This was exactly why she had been assigned as a substitute for the princess in the first place. Serin possessed multiple covert footholds in the western kingdoms, so it was impossible to make a move as significant as a marriage alliance without the empire finding out. Now that they knew, Serin forces would undoubtedly try to intervene.

"From this point on, there is nobody we can trust," the king announced. "You will take this path and get to Pandreia as quickly and inconspicuously as possible."

After hastily covering a few more details, the meeting ended. Everyone agreed that it was in their best interest to depart immediately. Everyone filed out of the room except Anna, whom the king asked to remain.

"You've grown up so much since you first came here," he commented as the doors clacked shut.

"It has been several years, sir," Anna agreed.

"I thought General Itzae had finally gone crazy when he told me about a wild kid he picked up from the streets alongside his nephew," the king reminisced.

"I still don't know what he saw in me," Anna teased. "Except for this golden hair, of course."

"I do."

The king suddenly turned toward Anna with a solemn expression.

"I know exactly what he saw in you."

"Ah, i-is that so?"

She was caught off guard by the king's sudden gentleness. He couldn't possibly be referring to her fire ability, could he?

"You know, Anna? I've come to think of you as another daughter," the king continued, reaching out to embrace her.

His tone didn't indicate that he had discovered her secret. It seemed he wasn't talking about her hidden ability after all.

"I hate to send you away like this," he whispered.

His words interrupted her thoughts as he gently wrapped his arms around her.

Anna froze, unsure of how to react to the unfamiliar affection. She had very little experience giving or receiving hugs, and this was definitely the first time anyone had ever referred to her as a daughter.

A daughter.

To be a daughter, one must have a father, and Anna never had one.

Uncle Itzae had always been like a mentor to her, while Dash was like an older brother. Her fellow guards and the servants in the palace had all looked out for her.

Until now, she had never once felt that she was missing another family.

To think having a father could feel so warm, she thought, allowing herself to relax in his embrace.

Tears filled the king's eyes as he finally let go of Anna.

"No matter where you go, never forget that you are a precious child of Mevani."

Anna felt a sting at the corners of her own eyes as he spoke.

This was goodbye.

Goodbye to her homeland, her way of life, and the people she loved.

In the best-case scenario, she might return to visit Mevani as a princess of Pandreia.

In the worst case, she would become another body that never made it back home to be buried.

"Thank you, sir."

She bowed and hurriedly left the room before her emotions could spiral any further out of control.

Dash was waiting outside the door with his arms crossed, leaning against a pillar. Out of the corner of her eye, Anna noticed the king motioning something to Dash, who responded with a nearly imperceptible nod.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the king smiling and waving.

"What are you looking at?" Dash asked, grabbing her arm. "Let's go catch up to the others."

"It's nothing." Anna shrugged and followed Dash down the corridor.

The other guards were waiting near the front gate, their horses already saddled.

"Since there has been a change of plans, we'll have to travel much lighter now," Dash pointed out.

Without a carriage, each member of the party was limited to a single duffle bag for personal belongings.

Anna recalled the heavy bags in her room, filled with cumbersome dresses. She couldn't contain her satisfaction at the thought of leaving them behind. She had often heard that the fashion in Pandreia was light and breezy, and she looked forward to replacing her entire wardrobe.

As she moved to make her final preparations before mounting her horse, a dulcet voice caught her attention.

"Anna! Dash!"

A hooded figure hurried toward them.

Recognizing the princess immediately, Anna instinctively scanned her surroundings. Luckily, she and Dash were the only two people left in the stable.

She's so reckless sometimes, Anna sighed to herself.

Even in the palace, very few people knew about Princess Adriell's double.

When she reached them, the princess clasped Anna's hand to steady herself as she caught her breath.

"Were you... really going to leave... without..." Adriell gasped between breaths.

Dash and Anna glanced at each other before immediately bursting into laughter.

Nobody would ever guess that the supposedly elegant princess was actually a huge, clumsy mess. Throughout their lessons growing up, she often had to practice even more than Anna to achieve a dignified appearance.

"Stop making fun of me!" Adriell stamped her foot in feigned frustration.

She managed to maintain her scowl for only a few moments before joining her friends in laughter.

"I have something for you two," the princess said brightly as her giggles subsided.

She produced two necklaces and presented them to Dash and Anna.

Anna eagerly took the jewelry from Adriell's outstretched hand. The delicate chain held a shimmering red pearl with an intricate floral design etched into its surface.

"Incredible," she breathed.

"Aren't they?" Adriell beamed, revealing the purple pearl around her own neck. "Apparently, these are harvested from rare oysters on the beaches of Pandreia and then carved by expert craftsmen!"

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"I chose red for Anna's fiery determination and blue for Dash's unwavering loyalty!"

"What does purple symbolize, then?" Dash asked with a smile, glancing up from his pearl.

"Oh! This is for bravery!" the princess declared.

Dash and Anna resisted the urge to laugh again.

Adriell was beautiful, charming, kind, and intelligent. Bravery, however, wasn't a trait anyone would accuse her of possessing.

Sensing their amusement, Adriell's cheeks reddened.

"It's to help me be brave while you're gone," she mumbled.

"Adri, you are brave," Anna soothed, reminded of a pitiful puppy. "Besides, Dash will be coming right back after he drops me off."

The three friends fell silent as the unintentionally heavy words settled between them.

Dash would be coming back.

Anna would not.

"I'll really miss you, Anna. Truly," Adriell said softly, breaking the silence. "Thank you for everything."

The past decade of Anna's life flashed through her mind.

Princess Adriell had been a part of everything. From attending the same lessons to sleeping in the same wing of the palace, and sometimes even the same bed, Adriell had always been by her side.

Recalling her final conversation with the king, Anna grabbed Adriell's hands and whispered, "I'll miss you too, sister."

"Sister," Adriell repeated, her voice shaking. "Saying goodbye is already such a burden."

She yanked her hands away from Anna and covered her face as sobs shook her body.

Several tear-filled minutes later, the group of soldiers finally trotted out through the gate.

Anna expected at least one or two snide comments about the lengthy farewells, but the guards rode in silence. She wished for their usual friendly banter or even casual small talk to distract her from her nerves.

"Anna!" Dash called, trotting up beside her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I'll be going on ahead for a while," Dash replied. "The king has given me an additional assignment."

Anna thought back to the wordless exchange between Dash and the king just before their departure.

This must be what they meant, she surmised.

"Is it something dangerous?"

"No. We've identified a potential Serin foothold nearby, so I'm going to drop false information, just in case."

"A good strategy," Anna agreed. "How far out of the way is the foothold?"

"It's not far. I'll be sure to meet up with you again by the time you reach the Serin border."

"That's a promise, Dash."

"I promise."

He winked at her before galloping out of sight.