Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 217: A Couple of Strangers

Chapter 217: A Couple of Strangers

Aideen glanced at the round clock hanging on the wall of the reading room. It had been more than twelve hours since Khala, Ahspid, and King Yuraon had left her to defend the castle against the Holy Army. She was beginning to feel anxious.

She had just returned from the underground shelter, where she had spent the last several hours with the people of the North, helping the maids serve food and ensuring everyone was comfortable and well. Now, it was time to check on Taru’s condition.

’He is still sleeping... I didn’t have enough time to help him with his powers while we slept; perhaps it is affecting him negatively.’

The princess adjusted the red scarf around the dragon’s chin and stroked his spiky head, watching as the snowflake on his forehead responded with a soft blue glow to her gentle touch.

Leaving Taru in the attentive hands of Saife, Aideen made her way from the shelter all the way up to the watchtower. She carried a hot meal and a cup of aromatic tea for the knight stationed there.

"Thank you, Your Highness, but you should have sent someone else instead. You must be exhausted!" the knight exclaimed.

Aideen offered him a kind smile and stood by the small window, which provided a view of the snowy landscape.

"It must be witchcraft... It’s still early in the day, but the sky is almost black. It looks very ominous." She turned to the knight and asked, "How is it going? Any progress?"

Biting into a slice of bread, the knight replied, "The bandits managed to push the Holy Army all the way back to the west. You can barely see them from here now, especially in this darkness."

Aideen closed her eyes and tried to focus her dragon vision. Even with her enhanced ability, she could barely see anything, which meant the armies were too far for her eyes to reach. This brought a sense of relief she had been craving for hours.

’The castle is no longer in danger, but I cannot feel calm yet. My friends are still out there fighting. I hope no one got hurt.’

Suddenly, something else flickered at the corner of her mind. Keeping her dragon eyes alert, she noticed a dark shadow approaching the castle from the main road leading from the direction of the capital.

Concentrating her powers once again, she finally saw everything clearly—there were two people on a horse, a man and a woman, and they were already very close.

A sense of anxiety enveloped her. With so many unexpected appearances, it felt like they could never catch a break.

"Were there still people left when we brought everyone to the castle? It cannot be. I used my dragon vision to scan the land. I was sure no one was left behind."

The knight glanced out of the window to confirm her words, then turned back to the princess. "Shall I send a couple of knights to check on them, My Lady?"

At first, seeing that there were only two of them and they did not appear to be armed, Aideen considered letting them pass unless they approached the castle directly. However, there was still a possibility that they had been sent by either King Euris or the Holy Church, using some sort of trickery. She decided not to abandon caution just yet.

Nodding to the knight in confirmation, she finally replied, "I will take two knights with me and see them myself. You stay here; your shift ends soon. Thank you for your hard work."

With two knights following her for protection, the princess exited the castle and stood outside the gate, waiting for the strangers to approach. She sent magic lights in their direction to better see who they were. Though the lights helped her finally see the man’s face, Aideen still saw nothing that could help her identify him.

At last, as they drew close enough, the knights stepped forward, calling out to the man, "Stop right there and identify yourself this instant!"

The man obeyed the command to stop but ignored the knight’s request for identification. Instead, he called out in a familiar voice, "Aideen?"

A strange sense of realization dawned upon the princess. Eyes widening, she replied, "Prince Yanad?"

Aideen had never seen Yanad’s face before. As children, he had once secretly allowed her to touch his face to familiarize herself with his features, but as they grew older, she never had the chance to do that again.

Now, as she looked at him, the prince appeared as if he had been through hell.

His face was pale and sunken, with large, dark circles under his bleak green eyes, indicating he hadn’t slept properly in days. His hair was greasy, and the lower half of his face was covered in a beard. His tired posture and the trembling hands clutching the reins of the exhausted horse were clear signs of how long they had been on the road without proper rest.

Behind him was a woman of small build, her entire body cloaked in dark, loose fabric that effectively concealed her identity. The only distinctive feature about her was her curly brown hair, tousled and tangled from the constant interaction with the wind. She was desperately clinging onto the man’s cloak with her thin fingers, pressing her head against his back to seek support.

Yanad dismounted his horse and carefully lifted the woman into his arms, swaying lightly as her slight weight took a toll on his tired legs and arms.

The knights drew their swords, ready to intervene, but Aideen raised her hand, signaling that no protection was needed.

The Crown Prince hesitated, but as the woman nodded at him, he finally approached Aideen, his voice quiet and trembling as he spoke.

"I apologize for coming here without your permission, Aideen, but will you find it in your heart to let us in for some food and shelter? We’ve been on the road for days, and the princess needs to see a doctor urgently."

Aideen raised her eyebrows at his words. "Princess? Is this... Princess Melania?!"