36 An Encounter in Tal-El City (2/2)

”It's fine. I shall pay it no mind since I was at fault first and for the fact that you assisted me in standing up. But please do heed my advice, teach your subordinate some humility. You can never be too sure of the people the you'll encounter in the streets. Sometimes, a beggar may in fact be a king.”

Just as she finished those words, Luke and Levi has already caught up to her. Luke asked about the situation but she merely waved it off and dragged the both of them to the candied fruits stall that had been ceaselessly calling for her.

---

”Go and take your punishment. I don't need a servant who gets ahead of his master.”

Arhan coldly turned to the servant by his side. He looked at the direction the woman and her companions. A look of pondering in his eyes. Suddenly another man came rushing to his side.

”Sultan Arhan, my liege, my apologies for making you wait. The City Manor has a slight issue. Where do you want to go next?”

He smiled at the man. The City Lord of Tal-El was an acquantance of his in the territory of Amaranth. His mother was a well-known noble lady in the Kingdom of Ogen but fell in love with the previous City Lord of Tal- El City during one of her leisure trips. Their tale of love was quite popular back in their kingdom.

”The City Lord needs not to apologize. As a dear friend, you going out of your way to accompany me is enough. By the way, does the City Lord perhaps know of that woman?”

Arhan pointed at the trio standing in the fruit stall, specifically at the beautiful woman happily eating candied apples.

The City Lord gazed at the woman that the eminent ruler and Sultan of Ogen pointed at. He was accompanying this royal who was once again on one of his spontaneous vacations. However, he rushed back to the City Hall because of an urgent letter hence he wasn't aware of the previous incident. Still, he studied the woman in question when the sudden realization hit him. Those eyes! He looked cautiously at the Sultan.

”My liege, has that woman offended you?”

The City Lord asked nervously. He would be stuck between a rock and a hard place if the two had some sort of conflict. Sultan Arhan shook his head and sighed.

”I'm afraid it was I who has offended her. Though it was my servant who went out of line. Still, it falls onto my fault as the master.”

Arhan explained. The City Lord gaped at him in surprise. He cleared his throat and answered the Sultan's question.

”That woman, my liege, is the Amaranthian fief's princess and currently our Proxy Fief Lord. The urgent letter which I had received a while ago was from the Duke himself informing us about her. That letter was supposed to have arrived fews weeks ahead of her. However, there has been a mishap and thus it came to us late. I assume she is here now on an inspection.”

The Sultan looked at him with a slight furrow on his brows.

”The Amaranth princess?”

The City Lord nodded and proceeded to further expounded the lady's identity.

”Yes. That woman is Lady Chalice Solveigh de Amaranth. The only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Amaranth.”

Arhan was silent, his lips formed a slight arc. So, she was the duke's daughter. How interesting.