Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 2)

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Who could it be at this hour? I pondered to myself.

“Come in. The door is open.”

The door creaked ever so slightly. My night visitor seemed did not want to make any sound at all. I was anticipating the list of who might be visiting me at this hour. Perhaps Captain Rizzou would drop by and visit me. Chief Bannen? Or Captain Forgante? Maybe the maid? Anyway, who else could it be right, at this hour?

But I was wrong.

From the door, I could see three hooded people. The shortest hooded character was in front, flanked by two taller one. All of them took great care not to make any noises as they entered my room.

I was still standing, shirtless waiting for them to enter.

Under the dim light, the front most hooded visitors removed down the hood. To my pleasant surprise, I recognized the figure immediately.

It was Princess Sierra.

I recognized her back from the first time I met her in the Chamber of Solaris. I can see her beautiful face even in this dim light. Perhaps I was kind of mesmerized by her beauty that I failed to notice the other two visitors.

“We meet again, Claude.”

The Princess started to talk thus breaking the silence in my room. She walked towards my bed, where I slept earlier and made herself comfortable without the need of me, as the host, to even tell her so. She sure can do anything she wants because she was a Princess after all.

Wow. I could have a hard time sleeping later. Her wonderful smell might stick to the bed.

As she put herself at ease, I greeted her.

“Well, sure do, Princess. How have you been doing all these while?”

I asked as I took a seat on the chair. I placed the back of the seat facing her, while I sit striding the chair.

“What rude manners! You are in the presence of her Royal Highness!”

Suddenly the tallest hooded visitor snapped at me. I looked straight at him.

“Rude, huh? Looks who’s talking? You come into my room like a hooded bandit standing in the doorway and have yet to introduce yourself. Just because you are with the princess doesn’t give you a free pass to say whatever you want to say and bitch in front of my door.”

He trembled in anger. I could see that he moved his hands towards his side, perhaps trying to draw his weapon out. Already trying to be hostile? Or just a show of might or pride or even both.

“Ky, please. Do not interrupt us. He is free to do whatever he wants. Remember that we are his guest tonight”

“Y-Yes… Your Highness. As you command!”

What a pussy. Being told to stand down by a woman sure makes you feel weak, ehh Mister? I smirked at him. Anyway, I don’t have time to concern myself with him. I got myself a princess to entertain.

“So, what brings you here, to my humble abode in the middle of the night, Princess?”

“Please, call me Sierra when there are only us here.”

The rude hooded guy snorted when he heard this.

“Lowly peasant!”

I could hear you, you know.

“Alright, S-IER-RA. As you wish.”

I emphasized the calling of her name, just to piss off that rude hooded guy further. Sierra chuckled at the exchange that was happening between me and the rude hooded guy.

“Claude, I apologise for coming this late to visit you. I hope you don’t mind our visit.”

“I don’t mind Sierra. You can come anytime you want to. My door will always open for you. Especially for you. “

I smiled at her.

“I could always do with some good company. Especially from a princess. Especially JUST the princess.”

Sierra smiled, but immediately she covered her mouth. Her beautiful smile really makes my heart fluttered. It seemed the room got a little hotter than earlier. But I could control myself. That was also partly because we were not alone. If it was just Sierra and me, I could have my way with her. My smirk gave me away.

“Claude, what are you thinking about?”

“Ohh, nothing really.”

“Oh, really?” Sierra looked at me curiously. I’m not about going to tell her my dirty thoughts, right? I better change the topic or else…

“So, Sierra. You haven’t told me why you came and visit at this hour? Doesn’t a princess like you supposed to be, well… in her rooms already?”

“That peasant is right for once, Your Highness. We should not be here. We should never even be here. We should get moving before someone else caught you being in… in this… peasant’s room!” 

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The rude guys interrupted me yet again. Man... He was going to get it from me now.

“Hey, stop calling me peasant already. What’s up with you anyway? You come to my room and called me a peasant? Did your mother ever teach you some manners?”

“Why you!” He unsheathed his sword. I took mine and prepared to unsheathe it.

“Ky! Stand down! Claude, please, you too.”

I stared at the tall hooded guy, the one Sierra called Ky.

“Please forgive Ky, Claude. He has been a little apprehensive since the day I went to the forest and got saved by you. He blamed himself for what had happened and he insisted that from now onwards, he was to be with all the time.”

“Sound like a piss poor excuse to be a stalker to me.“

I sheathe my sword.

“And Ky, Claude is my saviour. Is this how we show our gratitude to someone we owe our lives to? You are better than this Ky.”

Sierra tried to calm both Ky and me. The third hooded visitors, who were silent all the time, spoke in support of Sierra.

“Ky, Ser Godfrey won’t be too pleased if he were to know that you came to another Elites room and start a quarrel. Or worse still, a fight. Please behave as you are also in the presence of Her Highness.”

Ky snorted at me. However, he unsheathed his sword and apologies to both Sierra and the other hooded visitor, which was a female judging by the voice.

“I’m sorry Your Highness. And to you too, Lilia. I lose a little of my composure.”

No apologies for me whatsoever. He really sure has some issues with me. Perhaps some other day, I would give this guy, the one called Ky, a lesson or two he won’t forget.

“And Lilia. What are you doing being all quiet? You are excited to see our saviour too right? So, come here and introduce yourself.”

Sierra beckoned to the other one, the second woman of the three visitors that came to visit me. She walked and then stood beside Sierra. She then revealed herself under the hood. Her long flowing white hair flowed out from the hood.

“I’m Lilia. I’m Her Highness royal maid.” Lilia introduced herself to me. She bowed down her head, showing her respect for me.

Three visitors with all three different personalities. Lilia was modest. Princess was direct. And that Ky, was a pain in the ass. What a night it turned out to be already.

“Ser Claude. Please forgive me for not coming to you earlier after you had saved both Her Highness and me. I understand how rude it was of me that I failed to thank our saviour.”

“No worries. Don’t sweat the small stuff.“

I finally remembered her now. She was the first survivor who we found lying unconscious when Sehanie and I rushed to scene when we first heard Sierra’s scream for help back in the forest. Well, she turned out to be Sierra’s personal maid after all. Her looks were alright and her figures were at the very least modest. She looked very motherly to me. Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t remember her at first.

Lilia bowed to me again but this time holding her head in the bowing position.

“Thank you, Ser Claude, for saving my life. And also for saving our Crown Princess’ life. I owe my humble life to your bravery and your unselfish deeds.”

Lilia seemed genuine and her heartfelt thank you was very warming. It even made me blushed. Sierra chuckled as she looked at Lilia who was still with her head bowed down in front of me.

“It’s alright Lilia. I did what I think was right at that moment. Please, raise your head.”

Lilia raised her head. Sierra touched Lilia’s arm and asked her a question that even surprised me a little.

“So, what do you think of him, our saviour?”

Lilia hesitated for a moment. I waited for the answer with an abated breath. What could she think of me? A hero? A knight in shining armour? Or a Godly presence?

“If I may be honest, Princess, I imagined him to be a little more… different.”

“Hahaha!!” I heard Ky laugh. This was the first time I hear him laugh, though at my expense.

“What do you mean, different?”

I asked of Lilia. She blushed as she tried to hide her own imagination of the hero that saved her life.

“Please forgive me, Ser Claude. How rude of me. It just that I imagined that you would be a little taller… and muscular too.”

“Is that so?”

Lilia blushed as Sierra chuckled. Even that Ky seemed to be amused by my shortcomings.

“Well… I’m sorry to disappoint you then Lilia.”

Well, to be honest, I don’t blame Lilia or anyone else for that matter. I looked more like a juvenile delinquent who has issues with his growth rather than a princess saviour.

“But Lilia, I’m still growing you know. Who knows one day I might end up taller and more muscular too. Rather than a short and skinny guy, like right now.”

I flexed whatever muscle I have on my body to Sierra and Lilia. They both laughed.

“Claude, there’s another reason why I come and visit you here tonight.”

I looked at Sierra as she straightened herself up.

“Claude, I have been waiting for you to arrive, here at Elsivier and when you did not come, I was afraid that you might not want to join the Royal Elite Knights. I know my request was a little selfish, and I do hope you don’t mind.”

I shook my head.

“Well, I’m here now, so there you have it. My journey took a little longer than I expected, but I arrived here safely.”

“I’m thankful for that, Claude. I’m really happy that you are here now and that you answered my request.”

“Likewise, Sierra. Thanks to you too that I get to enjoy myself on this adventure. And I have been treated well since I arrived here too.”

“I’m happy to hear that, Claude.”

Sierra seemed very happy that I came here. Her face showed so much warmth and glow that perhaps I don’t even need to light up the room.

“Your Highness. We need to make haste. We have been here for quite some time.”

Ky continued to remind Sierra to hurry up. It seems that they snuck out of the palace and put themselves at risk of being discovered in public. What more of a young man’s room, like mine.

“Is it time already, Ky?”

Sierra asked. Ky just nodded in return.

“Claude, please excuse us and our hastiness. Perhaps we could meet at another time, in another place where we could talk more.”

“Sure, Sierra. And please don’t bring that guy next time.”

I pointed to Ky. I can feel his glare even from underneath his hood.

“Claude, I bid you goodnight and farewell. I’ll see you soon.”

Sierra wore back her hood thus concealed her face. Lilia bowed down to me and then she too concealed herself with the hood. I bid them farewell as I looked at them from behind. They disappeared into the next corner. Even as three of them exited my room, I could not even hear a single footstep.

Were they walking tip-toed or they used some sort of concealed magic, to hide the sound of their footsteps? They were sure very careful about being discovered in public places. Perhaps Sierra did not want all the attention that she would surely get if she were to come and visit me during the day.

It was not easy being a princess. As a princess, she can’t be left alone with her own personal space without eyes and ears everywhere. The entourage, the strict protocols and the various busybodies would definitely butt their nose in our conversation.

That and also the fact I can’t be myself as I would be told by many people to behave in the certain right way. Sierra must have thought about that too. And perhaps that’s why she came tonight with Lilia and that Ky, who might serve as her personal bodyguard of some sort and put herself risk. She sure was a very considerate girl. I better remember to remind myself to thank her for the visit and her kind consideration.

Before I took my place on the bed, I looked at where Sierra was seated earlier. It left a little dent in the mattress. As I touched the place where she was seated, I could feel that it was still warm. My imagination starts to turn its wheel yet again as I wiped the drools that were leaking out. I smiled before I placed my face on where she sat earlier.

“Ahh, it so warm. And it smells so good too.“

I pressed my face into the spot as I absorbed all the warmth and fragrance on to my face.

“Ahhh, Sierra. You are so warm and smell so good. Your beauty would make me fall over my head for you.”

I rolled over the bed a few times, not letting go of the sensation. And because of that, I fell asleep before long into yet another dreamless but peaceful night.