The Princess and The Bandit

THIRTY ONE

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Galloping side by side, Lucy the she-elf on her griffin and Commander Austin Mahone on a brown steed, they inconspicuously followed the shadow of the speeding flock of griffins above them.

By all appearances, these griffins flying over their heads are battle ready and being steered by armed riders. Riders who are bearing the colors of Bunloaf County and the Arcadian kingdom of Astoria. A partnership that the commander wasn't entirely surprised to see.

If there's a kingdom in Arcadia that is very traditional and critical of the imperial ruling family, it is the kingdom of Astoria. Being critical doesn't necessarily mean disloyalty, but through the years, council, emissaries and ministers hailing from this kingdom has always been set to question every decree, every move that the emperor made. Especially, his close relationship with the northerners.

Or in their current Queen's words: His imperial Highness' favoritism of the savages of the north.

However, they continued to be loyal. They have always stood beside the emperor no matter what.

This kingdom from the southeast used to have a bad blood with the citizens from the north. No, it doesn't have anything to do with territorial disputes or trading. It has something to do with marriage. A prince from the north was promised to a princess in Astoria, but this promise didn't fall through. And the Astorians, being the prejudiced traditionals that they are, took massive offense at such an act.

They never forgave the kingdom of Oakridge because of that, but in respect for the emperor, they played nice.

But the emperor is now dead. His heir is missing who is as equally enamored with the northerners as he was. Astoria is now taking it's chance to strike the ones who didn't keep their promise to them.

That is as much as Austin knows for now. He knows those colors; the yellow gold of Bunloaf in the shape of three grain stalks, and Astoria's platinum silver in the shape of a brick tower, all in Arcadian blue backdrop. Perhaps, the Bunloaf traitor has said something to ignite or provoke the Astorians to attack Oakridge, as everybody knows the north is the first of all the loyal subjects of the Arcadian ruling family.

The traitor must have assumed the northerners are keeping the princess from him.

Commander Austin hasn't been able to bring up Lucy's decision to help him just yet, to tag along with him going up north. To leave her people behind to continue on their own. He is well aware of the she-elf's emotional turmoil after losing her father and a number of her fellow nomadic elves. Or the fact that one of them betrayed trust. But he just doesn't know how to get the girl to talk to him about her feelings or to stop her from going with him in this dangerous quest.

A quest that has been full of uncertainty from the very beginning.

All the commander ever had all this time was his instinct; even that he is not entirely sure about anymore. He has been very unsure, and his faith in himself is quickly dwindling down because of his failures. Had he been better in his job, the emperor and his wife would still be alive, or that the princess wouldn't have to go through such tragic loss. He wouldn't have been the cause of the death of a beloved elf either, another loss of someone who cared so deeply.

"These flock is heading towards Clifden, aren't they?" Lucy says, as the trail they are following now is heading towards mountainous forests.

"Clifden is much further and deeper in the northern mountains; closer to where the precious stones and metals are being mined. Both dense forests and large boulders of rock conceal the county from an attempt at an aerial attack. These flock are more likely to strike the kingdom of Oakridge; the terrain in the kingdom's city square is more vulnerable than Clifden and more populated than any village in all of the northern region,"