As they drew near the Town, the couple and Alfred disembarked, they could see the mighty 30 feet wall of Zenda standing tall on their left side.

The men of the queen had accomplished their orders and turned around to return to the canterpool. Happy that they didn't lose their heads during their successful escorting mission.

The couple with Alfred continued on foot for a while, stretching their arms and leg now and then. They could feel the chilling stray wind of midnight twigging at them, encouraging them to stick to each other to protect themselves from the cold air.

The tiredness and exhaustion had begun taking effect on Diana and Louis. Their exchanged yawns were signals for them to hurry up inside the town. That's when it came to Diana.

"Say, speaking of Zenda. How did the bandits overcome these high walls?" She asked with her intelligent face looking at Louis.

"They didn't. These walls weren't there to protect us when that jinxed day came. It was exactly the opposite. After the battle ended, the former king knew about the incident and he acted willingly to build these walls, and that's why the citizens of Zenda always remembered him with gratitude and good mention whenever his name pops up in a subject"

"Wow, see uncle, not all the_"

"Hold on" He cut her off with his arm. "Do you know those two?" He said while pointing at two soldiers guarding the gate.

Louis's eyes narrowed. He gazed as he saw the symbolic armor of the soldier.

Alfred motioned for them to stay low as he noticed the soldiers closely "I think the three of us know who that iron suit belongs to, right?". Alfred put down his premise.

The couple nodded while Louis cursed his luck. Wain was looking for them inside Zenda.

"Come on, you rigid king. Can't you just let it go and move on!". Louis complained, clutching his lips.

"We need to leave you two before we are spotted," said Alfred

"No way, my father and my sister are there and I'm afraid that soldiers will interrogate them to get to us. My father is a tough man, but my innocent little sister won't stand 5 minutes in their seamy hands"

"Well, I don't care a niche about that! I don't know what did you get yourself into, prince. But you won't involve my niece further in this!"

He turned towards Diana. "Grab yourself, we are heading towards Endora, NOW"

"Then go alone". She grabbed Louis's hand tightly, violating her uncle's order. "I didn't ask for your help nor your custody, Uncle. Because, unlike your attitude towards my father, my love for my Louis is true, I won't let go of the man who risked everything for me..."

"Diana..." Louis trailed.

"No, I won't..." she insisted with a torn voice.

"Honey, you are crushing my hand"

"I.., Oh sorry". she let go

The pioneer blinked multiple times with a straight line mouth at the two, waiting for this farce to stop.

"Listen, sir." Louis cleared his throat picking a step forward toward Alfred, putting his taller body in front of Diana, neglecting the surprised look on her face while his gaze headed up towards the pioneer.

"What Diana was trying to say is that we already chose this path the moment we admitted our love to each other in the palace. But now, with my family entangled in this mess, I can not just ditch them in the dark like that..."

He continued. "I understand you are worried about us (or rather her only...he thought) but I can take care of my future wife just the same as you"

Louis knew he was slightly exaggerating in his speech. He may be cunning and have good hunting skills but in hand-to-hand combat, his physical body score is so close to null. But Diana's trust in him was already deeply planted to question him.

The pioneer was silent. Alfred heard every word with a patient and good listening ear. He saw a strange bond forming between the two, Collaborating to take him out. Like if he was the black sheep or a plague that possessed danger.

"Alright".He pointed his index towards Louis's chest as each word came banging hard. As he approached the prince eye to eye.

His pulverizing posture was cold as a winter, his expressions were hard enough to make you piss yourself out of fear, telling you that the pioneer coming words shouldn't be taken lightly

"I will go with your stunt, boy. But mark my word, if your 'wife' got killed there and you fail to protect her and level up to your bold talk. I will personally slit your throat and throw your corpse at the doorsteps of your family's house, Do I make myself clear?!".

Diana's heart skipped multiple beats. Her eyes extended to the maximum. She was speechless at her uncle's undeniable cruelty. He just like that threw a death threat in the air like it was a joke. Was there a rock instead of a heart in that man's chest?! She couldn't tell.

"Fair enough" Louis nodded. He was taken by the harsh talk that he bowed his head to the ground. "I won't be able to live with the guilt anyway..."

"Good," he nodded with a grin, "Now that you know what's waiting for you, how do you suggest to do to bypass those two crows?"

"Follow me," He said bluntly as he bypassed Alfred without further elaboration.

Holding no other alternative and with dull rolled eyes coming from her uncle, the two followed.

They walked along the mighty tall walls for several minutes while Louis picked up the speed, making him a bit ahead of the group.

For most of the walk, she avoided Alfred's gaze. She became disgusted by his presence and felt sorry for her father to care for such a hard-headed brother.

She was troubled by his company at this moment as the only thing that prevented her uncle from killing Louis like any other rich person he met in his criminal path, was the fact that she still breathes.

"Found it!". Louis yelled in accomplishment as he approached a large hole in the ground, covered by numerous small trees to hide it from eyesight.

He began explaining as he uncovered the spot by removing all of the long branches on top of it. "This is a tunnel passage that goes under the town, the citizens had built it back in the days as a last resort to save the people if the town was lost or surrounded. We can sneak through there...However, it's pitch black down there, So___" His voice trailed.

"We will manage," Diana said absolutely, not waiting for her uncle's opinion to be heard. Louis nodded back, and he descended the tunnel with the help of the small ladder built into there.

It was a short trip underground but it wasn't that pleasant. The tunnel was narrow, and Diana- more than once- shoved away the six leg bugs that wanted to stick to her for whatever reason.

They could feel all the insects down there watching them with great curiosity at who was invading their underpass home, but they also touched something alleviating. The rough wooden bases that supported the tunnel from collapsing blindly guided them through the darkness. It was relatively easy to some extent to follow the wooden path in a linear line, till they spotted a faint light coming from a hatch in the ceiling up ahead.

"We made it" Louis whispered. He peaked outside as the calm umbrella of the moon flash, blinded him for a moment. His head roamed the surroundings and it didn't take long to stuff down the seriousness of the situation.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Like an uncontrollable infestation of rats, there were a lot of boots swarming the Town in large numbers to the extent that there was a pair at the end of every street.

"Hey, Talk to us. What do you see up there?!" Alfred asked while alerting Louis with a pat.

"Not good, they are everywhere on the roads, and they probably are heading to my house as we speak"

"Ok, and what do suggest?" Alfred said in a way that is more discouraging than the problem itself, pushing Louis to just surrender and turn around to safety.

Diana noticed.

"How about you help for a change, ha?". She attacked Alfred.

He extended his sole arm in denial of his childish acts. "What did I do now!?"

"I do have an idea" Louis began. "Zenda is a large town full of slums and it is easy to lose yourself in it if you are a stranger. Luckily, I know the town like the back of my head. but beware, those fellas outside had already realized that by now So take absolute discretion and follow my lead". He warned.

He carefully led the group out of the tunnel, through small alleys, on rooftops, and behind the back of every soldier stationed within the walls of Zenda.

Diana was beatific about how the lowest and ghastliest part of the town protected them from the wolves patrolling its fancy streets.

Alfred, on the other hand, was feeling humiliated, being led by a young couple against his wish on a path that CERTAINLY leads to a trap. The idea of him slapping Diana back to reality -even if he used force-crossed his mind for a moment.

They climbed over one of the houses where from their position Louis pointed at his house.

With Perfect timing to see five male guards approaching the front of the house. Four men on horses and one on foot leaving his horse behind. The one on foot by the look of his armor and helmet was the captain and leader of the soldiers all over the Zenda.

The leader walked hastily toward the door, and he began banging at the door fiercely with his right fist.

BAM BAM BAM

"Open it up Liam, I want to speak with you!"

The name "Liam" rang a bell inside Diana's head but she was convincing herself that is no way he was the same person, coincidence could happen, right?

People began to group around the house where the action is happening sharing murmurs and whispers with each other. Some even betrayed by their curiosity crossed the line by getting closer to the house but they were kicked back by the aggressive soldiers surrounding their captain.

The door opened with a squeak and a man in his 40s came out of his house. He was wearing a white-brownish shirt and had this black silky hair that reached the back of his neck. His tall familiar figure caused Diana to feel a knot in her stomach.

"Please don't tell me that this man is your father!" Diana said pointing to the man who opened the door.

"Yes, he is. Why? Have you both made acquittance before? " Louis exclaimed

The answer shocked Diana as her notion about the man became regrettably right.

"That man is the same captain that captured me from my Town, Louis"

Louis: WHAT!

Alfred: WHAT!

Liam's dismay was visible to all, seeing his fellow comrade along with more than 100 swordsmen in his hometown, with that captain's despicable gaze at him as if he was looking at the rotten body of an animal and he had those sharp eyebrows staring at him with envy and evil look.

"Saxon? W-What on earth is going on_"

"Where is your son!?" The leader interrupted with a harsh straight voice ignoring Liam's amazement.

"Why? Did something happen to my son?!" Liam asked.

"Oh, yes. Typical you! Playing dumb as always!!"

Before he responded to the mocking. Liam's face met the knuckles of a strong fist, headed straight to the middle of his face, stimulating blood to flow outside his nose.

He grabbed his face in pain, feeling his aching nose not in its right place anymore. "What the f_" He tried to speak through his broken altered voice, only for him to meet a sword pointed towards him.

"Search the house". Captain Saxon ordered. And with his commandment delivered, the soldiers clawed themselves upon the house like thieves over a safe.

At this moment, Louis was triggered. He couldn't control himself anymore as his body naturally jumped off from its place to go after the other captain's head.

However, Alfred was faster. He was watching his reaction moments ago and he expected that to happen. He jumped over him and nailed him into his place, twisting his arm behind his back while his face was slammed into the ground, making a suspicious bang.

Diana gasped with both hands on her mouth.

Alfred approached Louis's ears. "Don't be stupid kid, He knows you are watching. Attack now and we will lose our advantage"

"He is going to kill my family!" Louis said, grinding and crooked.

"And what makes you think he wouldn't do the same to you, ha?"

"AAAAAAAAAHHH". A scream of a small female breached the air and soon after a 10-year-old girl, with black short blonde hair, and dressed in a pink dress was tossed out in the street.

"Only her, sir. He is not here" Said one of the 4 men who came out of the house with no success.

Louis's eyes widen as he recognizes the girl as Emilia, his smaller sister. Her sight made his heart drop leading him to try viciously to break off Alfred's chaining grasp, but his body was still brutally under the submission of a God-like arm.

"D-Dad!" She screamed as she ran toward Liam for support. But the captain's soldiers intercepted her, as her arms stretched in the air for her father, screaming with blue colour tearing eyes.

Liam tried to go for her, but he was put down by the same sword.

"Easy captain" Saxon began. "We don't want us to kill your daughter by mistake, hm? Now, Let's begin this again, where is Prince Louis?"

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW, DAMN IT!!!" Liam shouted.

"OK, you brought this on yourself". He nodded to 4 soldiers at his right side, as a sign to confirm another order.

The soldiers charged toward the frightened girl and pinned her down on her belly with her hands behind her back. She screamed for help but none of the people watching the whole thing was willing to open their mouths in objection or try to stop what was happening

"WH... What are you doing?!" Liam yelled, seeing his child surrounded by 5 Humongous soldiers (The captain is included)

Saxon walked around while he spoke. "Well, you see. I am a man of principle. The law prohibited any person from killing or physically harming any soldier working for his majesty. But It didn't specify anything about blackmailing, Did it?"

"JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT WITH MY SON!!" He shouted.

"What do you mean by 'what do you with your son' Haven't you heard about the bounty on your son's head!?"

Liam's brain lagged. He always thought that none of these publications would ever touch his military noble bloodline for many generations to come and that only the lowest of the lowest of criminals could get himself a price over his head.

"... What...How..." He Stuttered. "Saxon, there must be a mistake!"

"Here then". The hostile captain threw a rolled paper that was in his horse pocket, on the ground in front of Liam. "Fetch your eyes and Read loud"

Liam looked with skepticism at the paper before he caught it to read it.

"W... Wanted for Conspiracy on the crown. Louis Liam Feverflood. D-Dead for 500 coins... Alive f-for 1000 golden coin". His eyes stared with astonishment and slightly open mouth at the wine-color royal seal printed over the paper.

There was no Mistake.

"Happy?! Now, for the last time captain, Where is your-"

"The Northern Forest, He occasionally camps there for hunting. That's all I know..." He grabbed the paper and threw it back to Saxon.

The paper hit Saxon's chest as Liam stood up tall like a mountain. Right at this point something just snapped inside the bleeding captain. He revealed a dark and monstrous side of himself. The side that struck fear by its mighty and heavy presence neglecting the fact he was outmatched by 100 to 1.

Liam's eyes were blazing waves of anger that inflamed so bright that they would engulf all who dared to watch his inhuman figure steam up to action and with his dangerous appearance that effortlessly equals a thousand soldiers combined, he could crush whoever beholds before him.

"Woah, What a shitty father are you". Saxon smirked. Not affected by the massive presence of Liam as He exerts the same level of power himself.

Liam's lips spread into one of his teasing smiles. "How about you listen to me for a change, shall we? As you know, the law does give a captain or any of his majesty's men a privilege against any suppressor, So Like you said he cannot be harmed 'Physically' even when committing crimes in the face of humanity. But you missed the presence of another law, Hotshot, which didn't explain in detail how a captain or any military supervisor should react to such dangers. And So and by other words..."

Liam threw one of his perfect fists directly at Saxon's lower jaw, causing his head to be baldy stunned inside his Iron helmet and to be forced a couple of feet back.

"I can kill you right here, right now, and none shall stop me from it!". Liam ended his talk as he snatched a sword hidden behind the door, pointing it at the oppressor with a threatening fury.

"Captain!" The men surrounding Emilia all in one gasped with open mouths. Shocked about how they lost the dominating charge of the situation this fast.

"DO I HEAR OBJECTION, YOU DIRTY RATS!" Liam's spear-like face turned toward the soldiers and they showed immediate reaction as they backed away from Emilia with hands raised in the air admitting a rather Rabid defeat while shaking their heads in a 'No' gesture. Whatever was going on between those two, No one wanted to be part of it.

Freed once more, Emilia ran towards her father, seeking refuge within his tensed arms. Liam hugged while his mind was somewhere else, fixed on the enemy at hand.

Saxon grabbed his jaws with a smirk on his face, trying to cover up his injured dignity. "Heh, You haven't changed at all, Liam. Still, the same smart-ass person who takes the law as a best friend even in the toughest circumstances..."

"And you are still a bull who thinks by your futile muscles rather than your brain, you unprofessional good for nothing"

Saxon narrowed his gaze as he stood to his feet approaching Liam, step by step. "Funny. This bull you mock has the Law favoring him. And let me promise you that when I find your golden boy, I will make sure I get those 500 coins for myself"

He grinned a threatening half-smile look at Liam.

"Come on, We have what we came here for". He threw his orders to his men, without looking at them. Instead. He kept his homed eyeballs fixed on Liam till the end while turning around and rallying the troops away.

The soldiers were gathered as they marched outside the gates. For the citizens of Zenda to finally breathe relief after they saw the enemy returning the peace it stole a while ago.

Eventually, the captain and his men left Zenda and were never seen there again. As the trio came out of hiding to comfort the Friend of the law face to face.