Edwin and his squadron arrived at a town near the borders. The people were nervous about their arrival, knowing that at the slightest provocation, their town could end up in ashes. The camp was set up a few meters from the town, and Edwin ordered surveillance throughout the night. He refused to let the same thing happen again, and if this witch was truly on Lutzalya's side, she wouldn't attack and endanger people from his empire. Night fell, and a small festival was taking place in the town to commemorate their good harvest. This was advantageous, as it allowed them to blend in with the townspeople. Edwin went with his guards and waited at a table for the dinner he had ordered.
But his eyes fixed on a beautiful blonde sitting near the fountain. Her beautiful hair looked like shimmering gold due to the lights that adorned the place. Edwin smiled and got up to approach the woman. At least he had found something good in this town, and he wasn't going to leave without having a taste.
"The gods must have rewarded me tonight by placing such a beautiful lady before me," he said flirtatiously.
Katerina looked up at the prince's words and gave a sly smile.
"Are you sure it's not a punishment, my lord? Beauty doesn't ensure goodness."
"Then are you an evil woman, or are you just rejecting me?" He feigned a hurt expression.
"Perhaps I'm actually both." With that, Katerina stood up and started to walk away.
Edwin motioned to his guards, and he walked close to Katerina, even offering her his arm to guide her.
"How courteous, my lord. I didn't know nobles were so kind to peasant women."
"Peasant woman? I thought you were the daughter of a lord from these lands."
"So if I am not a lord's daughter, you will cease to be kind?"
"Of course not. I don't care about status."
For Edwin, it was perfect. If she was just a peasant, it would be easy to get what he wanted from this woman.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me your name?"
Katerina stopped walking and gave a somewhat clumsy curtsy to disguise herself.
"Karina, that is my name, my lord. And yours?"
"Third Prince of Ketzania, Edwin Linux..."
"By the gods...of Ketzania? A prince? I... I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness." Katerina appeared fearful and bowed.
Edwin could see her body trembling, so he stepped closer to hold her chin and make her look up.
"Calm yourself, lady. You have nothing to fear. I am here exploring, not attacking. Besides, I would never harm a beautiful lady like you."
"Oh, Your Majesty! I am not worthy of your compassion," Katerina expressed fearfully.
"You are. A beauty like you, I would even take back to Ketzania to make you my wife. I would be the luckiest man alive." Edwin held Katerina's hands, trying to appear kind.
"I don't deserve so much, Your Majesty. I am just an orphaned peasant." Katerina lowered her gaze again.
And thanks to her hair, Edwin couldn't see the girl's sharp gaze, while Edwin only thought that he had been lucky that night, as he could enjoy a beautiful peasant without consequences. As they continued walking, Edwin began his seduction, talking about how beautiful his life was in the palace of the capital of Ketzania, and that no woman had ever caught his attention like she had. So much so that he didn't care if she was from an enemy empire, he was willing to take her and make her his wife. Katerina acted shy and excited at Edwin's proposal. For two days, they had been seeing each other, and he swore he wanted to take her with him.
"I don't think Your Highness wants to take away a poor peasant woman. I have no title; your family would never accept it," she said sadly.
"They will. My father is generous with his children. He will accept you as my wife, regardless of your status. My achievements are worth more," he assured her.
Edwin leaned in, seeking to kiss her, but Katerina pulled away.
"Your Highness...your words are so generous. I don't deserve so much."
Saying that, she turned and ran away from the place. Edwin pursed his lips; it had been two days, and he still hadn't been able to have her. He decided to follow her, although his guards went with him, and they saw the young woman enter a small, almost ruined house. Edwin ordered his guards to break down the door. If he couldn't have her the easy way, he would do it by force.
"What do you want in that house? No one lives there..." said a woman.
"Don't interfere, old woman, or I'll burn your village down."
The woman was frightened and moved away. Even those who were passing by tried to get away. Edwin's guards broke down the door, and indeed, it was a house that appeared to have been abandoned for years.
"Where is the young woman who lived here?" Edwin asked the same woman.
"Lord, there is no one living in that place. The elderly couple passed away two years ago, and they had no more family."
"That's impossible. We saw a woman come in here, a young blonde woman," one guard mentioned.
"No, sir, there's no young woman like that in this town. Perhaps she's a visitor."
Edwin was furious. He had gotten nowhere with the woman, and now no one seemed to know who she was. He had wasted his time for nothing, so he ordered the camp to be broken down. They had to leave, as the supposed ice witch hadn't even appeared.
Katerina was already far from that town. For the moment, those men didn't seem to want to destroy the town, so it wouldn't be necessary to intervene, but she would stay close by as a precaution.
"I want to see the look on that guy's face when he sees you on the battlefield," Thomas said.
"The peasant girl he tried to seduce is actually the witch he's looking for. What a fool." She smiled mockingly.
It was fun toying with her prey before finishing him off. They both saw the troops leave, but they would follow them. They couldn't lose sight of them.
On the battlefield, Arek's strategy had served him well this time. The Ketzanian forces were falling back, losing ground during the battle. Arek was determined to win this war, no matter how hard he had to push himself. If Katerina was helping them, he had to show that he could too. He had to take advantage of the fact that the Rose Squad was on his side. Their mages were strong, and he could use his magic too. Thanks to the leader of the Roses, Arek had learned to harness the potential of his magic, although he himself knew that the magic he used was barely half of his true power, which unfortunately he couldn't use completely because it remained sealed. If only he knew where that seal was hidden, he could unleash his power.
"Your Highness, the enemy is retreating. We must follow them..."
"No, Jack. We don't know if they have a trap set. Let them go. We can't take the risk. Besides, the soldiers are already too tired."
Jack obeyed Arek's order, letting the enemy army go. For now, they should be proud. They had managed to win this battle. The further they drove them back, the better their chances of winning.
...
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