Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 144: A Preferred Companion

Chapter 144: A Preferred Companion

Prince Valon, too, grew curious as to who exactly was the object of Melania’s anticipation. Shifting his green eyes from her tense face to the people before them, he tried to guess which one among them could be titled as the princess’s intimate friend.

Unfortunately, he did not have enough time to succeed in that mission.

"Your Highness?" Sir Kamil, one of the Holy Knights close to the chief paladin of the Holy Church, stood behind Valon’s chair and addressed him in a rather secretive manner. "His Reverence asked for a word with you."

Valon stretched his thin lips into an ominous grin and nodded,

"Of course, please tell His Reverence that I will meet him on the terrace."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As Sir Kamil disappeared as discreetly as he appeared, the prince rose from his chair and bowed to his parents, offering them his explanation.

"Forgive me, dear family, but there is an important matter that needs my immediate attention. I will return as soon as possible."

"I thought I was clear when I warned you to set aside any matters on the wedding day, Your Highness," the King responded with a deep frown, which his wife dismissed by granting her son permission of her own.

"It is alright. Go, take care of it, and promptly return here. Do not make the guests wait."

"You will hardly notice I was gone, Mother."

The prince bowed again and left, disappearing among the mingling crowd. Once he found himself standing on one of the quiet terraces overlooking the royal gardens, he shut the thick, heavy drapes that granted him the seclusion his meeting required and greeted his companion.

"Good evening, Your Reverence. I hope you are enjoying the celebration."

Sarith nodded and accepted Valon’s greeting with a calm expression and a reserved smile on his lips.

"Indeed, quite a wonderful banquet was assembled here. A joyous occasion, a blessing, too."

The prince smiled as well and approached the paladin, leaning against the cold railing of the terrace as he continued,

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Reverence. The wedding preparations required my involvement too, therefore, I could not meet with you earlier."

"No need for apology, Your Highness, I understand. So... I suspect the topic of our discussion is the witch that failed to deliver her message, is it not?"

Valon nodded.

"Unfortunately, there was an unexpected complication that prevented her message from reaching the Holy Church. But worry not, whatever she had to say, I can repeat without omitting a single detail."

The prince’s words made Sarith slightly irritated, and although the smile did not leave his lips, his voice obtained a colder tone.

"Your Highness... As you know, meddling with the Holy Church’s affairs is forbidden even for the members of the Royal Family, therefore, I must warn you not to do this again––"

"Her message was intercepted by the foreign King."

Valon, too, decided to remove the mask of pretense and become serious. The paladin continued,

"The foreign King? Do you, perhaps, mean King Yuraon of Davoor?"

The prince nodded again.

"That is correct. It was his man who killed your messenger, but it was me who killed the witch. She confessed everything to the King, and he intended to send a letter to The North. Luckily, I managed to intercept that letter too."

"I see..." Sarith scratched his chin, his expression softening as he mulled over Valon’s words. "So my suspicion was confirmed––the magus is in The North."

"Not only that. He is teaching another person with magic abilities. An unregistered mage."

"I beg your pardon?"

Sarith arched his eyebrows, and Valon grinned once more.

"Yes, according to our deceased witness, Duke Valentine is sheltering an unregistered mage."

"Duke Valentine, huh? Just because he lives away from the reach of many here does not mean the laws cannot reach him too. This needs to be taken care of immediately. Both Ahspid and his student must be brought here, to the Holy Church."

Although the paladin’s determination was admirable, the prince did not share his enthusiasm just yet.

"Patience, Your Reverence. While I, too, prefer to obey the law, we cannot be sure what exactly we are dealing with at the moment. The witch’s words cannot be trusted, and sending people to The North might prove fruitless as Duke Valentine has complete authority over those lands."

"Then what are you suggesting, Your Highness?"

Valon’s smile now acquired a clear shade of menace as he answered,

"First, we need to get proof that the magic is really there. And what better way to do it than to make that magic be used? I already have a plan, and once it is executed, I can assure you that you will be able to get your hands on two mages at the same time, Your Reverence."

***

"Your hand, My Lady."

Yanad rose to his feet and offered his hand to his wife who replied to his invitation with a fake smile and a graceful nod, placing her gloved hand into his open palm.

Amidst the sparkling banquet hall, Princess Melania and Prince Yanad glided across the polished dance floor with an effortless grace that captured the attention of all the noble guests. Their movements were precise, each step perfectly synchronized as they moved in flawless harmony with the music. To the outside world, they appeared as the epitome of royal elegance, their artificial connection admired and envied by all who watched them.

Yet, beneath the façade of their regal demeanor, there lingered a palpable chill between them. Their smiles were strained, their gazes distant as they danced, each lost in their own thoughts and desires. Though their bodies moved together with practiced precision, their hearts remained distant, longing for the warmth of another’s touch.

As the music swelled and the dance came to an end, there was a collective sigh of admiration from the guests. But little did they know, that both Princess Melania and Prince Yanad yearned for the dance to be over, longing to escape the icy grip of their forced companionship and seek solace in the arms of another.

And luckily, or maybe unfortunately, one of them was granted the opportunity to see their preferred companion that night.