The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 145: Fire

Chapter 145: Fire

"Your Highness, what do you mean?" Gavin asked. Anastasia had just asked him to keep an eye on a small carriage.

"I overheard them planning to escape. They seem to have something urgent to do. Although I didn’t catch all the details, I have a feeling they’ll make a move tonight," Anastasia said.

"Well, Your Highness, do you plan to take the chance and escape?" Gavin asked with a frown. He felt that this move was indeed dangerous. If they managed to escape, it would be fine but if they got caught, it would be troublesome. He even feared that not even the princess’s identity could save her. What if there were traitors among the soldiers who dared to kill her under the claim that she was a spy?

"Your Highness..." Gavin began, intending to persuade her to give up the idea.

"Don’t worry. We have to take risks when necessary," Anastasia replied, then whispered her plan to Gavin. After listening, Gavin found the plan plausible. As long as she managed to leave, no one could stop her or take advantage of the situation. So, he stepped outside and told his second-in-command to watch the carriage closely.

"Your loyalty seems to have shifted," the second guard remarked. Although their commander had ordered them to protect the princess, he still believed they were not part of the royal guard and should remain loyal to their unit.

"What do you know?" Gavin frowned, feeling the man was being unreasonable. "Commander Eldric is the captain of our unit, yes, but she is the princess. The king is dead. If we can safely escort her to Lowe, not only will we earn merit, but even our captain, who arranged for us to follow her, will benefit. Besides, the captain already said we should obey her."

"I understand. We are members of the royal army, and of course our loyalty lies with the royal family. I just feel this plan is troublesome. Why don’t we wait and move after the mourning period? We can also send a distress signal so the captain knows we’re in danger," the second guard, Alden replied.

"Alden, just listen to the princess. Watch the carriage," Gavin said. They had already sent a message to the captain, and knowing his character, he wouldn’t delay coming. Not even the mourning period would stop him. They were delivering supplies to the frontline troops. No one could prevent them from moving, but because they were pretending to be merchants, they had to stand down and ask for permission. On a fast horse, Lowe was less than half a day’s journey. Even if Eldric were at the frontlines, he should have arrived by now. So if the princess could leave early, it would be for the best.

Alden didn’t like how Gavin was speaking as though he were his superior. He understood the situation; he just felt the risk was too high.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was dinner. Everyone in the camp was responsible for their own meals. Although a small crowd had gathered, the soldiers were beginning to relax, thinking that two days had passed and no new groups had arrived. In fact, after seeing the permit allowing the injured soldier to go home to see his family one last time, they should have let them go. After all, the general had only ordered them to stop people traveling from Wiwell.

The captain of the stationed team felt something was off. Just seeing that the soldier was heading to Wiwell made him keep them back. He had already sent a message to the general asking for further instructions. He was a soldier himself and had witnessed his comrades buried on the battlefield. So what if the man died before reaching home? He would rather stop the wrong person than help a spy. Even if these people didn’t seem related to the princess’s kidnapping, he didn’t dare make that decision on his own.

"You two will watch the camp perimeter," he began assigning night duty. On the first two nights, he had been more cautious with the night watch, but now he felt the people here were under control. He had confirmed that the two caravans were indeed merchants, and the other group was too small to be a threat. Besides, he had a hundred men under his command and was confident nothing would go wrong.

Late into the night, someone suddenly shouted, "Fire! Fire!"

Anastasia, who was sitting inside the carriage waiting for news, clutched the box tightly to her chest.

"Your Highness, they have made a move," Alden reported, returning quickly. "They started a fire near the soldiers’ camp. The area is dry, and the fire spread quickly. I’m afraid it won’t be easily contained."

"What about the soldiers?" Anastasia asked.

"We are not near any water source, and the fire spread before anyone noticed. I heard the captain has ordered everyone to try and contain it, but the camp is on high alert now."

Anastasia nodded at the report. "Go and seek audience with the captain. Tell him our group will return to the nearest village and come back in five days."

Gavin took the order. The camp was already in chaos, and naturally, everyone wanted to leave. No one wanted to risk getting caught in the fire.

When the captain heard that the caravan from Wiwell wished to return to the village, he frowned. "The fire will be under control soon," he said, suspicious that the caravan was using the chaos to escape.

"It doesn’t matter. Our young lord is tired of staying in the carriage and wants a more comfortable room. This fire has made him very uneasy," Gavin explained.

"Instead of running away, there are strong men among your group. Why not help us control the fire?" the captain asked. Because of the fire, he didn’t have extra men to spare to monitor the caravan, so he decided to make them stay while waiting for orders from the general.

Gavin frowned. This wasn’t part of the plan. Anastasia was supposed to slip away while the group pretended to return to the nearby village but now they hadn’t received permission to leave.

What should we do? Gavin wondered as he bowed. "I will report to my young master."