Linked (On-Hold)

09: Not the Only One

09: Not the Only One

Heavy footsteps broke our stares. They were getting louder, which means that those people inside were now done with whatever their agenda. When the door at the far end was about to open, someone held my wrist and dragged me somewhere, away from the eyes of those people.

I managed to stop my breathing after being abruptly dragged by General Atlas to the small space in between  the walls of the palace and the stable. The shadows made by the combined high palace walls and roof of the stable concealed our bodies in this tiny space, as we hear the footsteps getting softer until we could not hear it anymore.

It was until the place housed silence except for the periodically gushing of wind when I saw him finally breathed deeply - the same time I did. He then crossed his arms on his chest before speaking to me.

"Lady de Tame, you must have believed me now when I said that the King has no idea about what happened last night."

My lips trembled in anger. I already had a list of people in my mind who I suspect were the people behind my imprisonment. I just could not believe that someone like him would dare do something without the King's order.

General Atlas unfolded his arms after turning to see me who has no has no intention of answering him. He held the hilt of his sword before standing straight.

"Let us not let the His Majesty wait." We walked through an almost deserted open space, save for a few guards roaming. My eyes darted to his back.

"Why did you not interfere with them?" He continued walking without looking back.

"We do not want that person to know that we have an idea about his plans. "

So they knew. Does the king knows about it?

"Do make sure that your actions the first time he saw you and the next time your paths crossed will still be the same. We don't want them to have the upper hand, do we?"

"Why..." My voice trailed. I couldn't understand why they would choose to let that person stay by their side, knowing full well that the person was using his power to do something without the King's knowledge.

"It was because His Majesty ordered me to."

We reached one of the entrances of the palace, which was located near the western part of the forest. General Atlas remained silent as he led the way to the royal dining where the King will be waiting.

A group of people with swords and shafts on their hands bowed their heads while we were passing. Cahmir's glaring eyes met mine before he bowed his head in respect to the general. He was one of the tallest in the group, so one could spot him even from the distance. The pain and the guilt I felt last night came rushing back. I had to hold my breathing while walking to not let my eyes water.

King Fritzgerald was already waiting at the royal dining when we arrived. He smiled, acknowledging our presence.

"Come. We will not have our food here." General Atlas waited until we reached the balcony before he spoke to the King. His Majesty motioned the royal maids to leave before letting the general continue what he was talking.

"Did he order the guards to arrest her?" General Altas did not blink when he said yes.

"And imprisoned her in a gift-delimiting cell." King Fritzegerald's lips formed a thin line as he pressed it together.

"He must've been upset." He said as he sipped his tea from the cup. "I must apologize for the hours you have stayed in the dungeon, Lady de Tame."

I gripped my dress tightly. "You have nothing to apologize, Your Majesty. It was not your fault." His lips quivered from suppressing his smile.

We were interrupted by the food as the servants served it in the table. They waited until we finished our meal before taking their leave. What was left in the table were our cups filled with tea.

"I must warn you. He will do everything to kill the Legends, de Tame. And you, as the sole living tamer..."

"Is someone he should get rid of." The King sipped his tea and delicately put the cup back on the saucer. "Yes."

"Atlas, what did you find?" General Atlas took something from his clothes. They were papers that were folded together. He opened them and placed at the center of the tables.

"The places where there is a red dot means that there is a Legend habituating the place. The green dots are places that were said to house a Legend, but were not yet proven."

I carefully looked at the map laid on the table. There were four red dots and five green dots. They were scattered along the mountains and seas that scream danger. Of all the dots, there is one that caught my attention.

"Isn't this the palace?" I pointed.

"Yes. But this should be erased now General, since the Legend isn't here anymore." The King turned to me and said, "You freed him. Thank you."

"Why? Why are you grateful?"

"Lady de Tame, the Legend that you saw destroyed the Capitol years ago. He, the one you overheard talking, was powerful enough to stop the Legend from killing the people."

Stop the Legend? Only a tamer could do that!

"What... How?"

"To simply put it, he has the power like yours. He was the only one who could tame the Legend before you woke up, Dahlia de Tame."