ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ 𝐹𝒶𝓁𝓁 ↠ ᴏʀʙɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ [1]

☆ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

Twenty-Three - Polis

Polis doesn't look any different from when I left it. The market is still a loud and populous place, people rushing from one stall to the other. Polis served mostly as a meeting place for discussions of war and peace, but it is also a safe haven for those in need of a place to grow and escape their past lives. I am a very clear example of that.

"Leigh!"

Looking ahead of me, I see Arthur waving from a meat stand, a piece of panther dangling from his waving hand. Stepping in his direction, the warrior to my left speaks up.

"Princess," he calls for my attention, bowing slightly, "Is our assistance still needed?"

Just as I am about to answer, a warm arm makes its way across my shoulder, its owner speaking in its wake. "I've got it from here, boys," Arthur directs the two males formally acting as my bodyguards.

While I am very much capable of taking care of myself in the heat of the battle, the bodyguards are a necessity in order to take the hit in case an intruder or assassin chooses me as its target. While some may see it as inhumane to treat my life as weighing more importance than these men, warriors believe in dying for their leaders and authority figures is an honor, not a hardship.

Even with Arthur's directions, the men look to me for their orders. "You heard, Seda. You are free to return to your previous posts," I send them off with a brush of my hand. Nodding, they move towards the way we have just come.

"Really?!" Arthur exclaims, "These young ones seem to forget to follow and respect their elders!" He folds his arms in front of him, feigning anger when in fact Arthur is not one to reach as such.

"Oh get over it, old man!" I toss at him with a chuckle.

Arthur gasps dramatically. "Old man, you say! How dare you! You know I could still take you, strik gada," he challenges, getting into a more stable and lower position, designed specifically for security during a fight.

"Little girl?!" I laugh, "That's the best you can do, Seda?"

He stares me in my eyes, searching for my attack plan. After all, that was a lesson he taught me as a child. Always let your opponent make the first move.

He sighs and straightens back up. "Fine, call me an old man but I don't want to fight my favorite student after only a few minutes after seeing her for weeks."

I smile at this. "Good, I don't want to fight my teacher either," I wrap my arms around him to embrace him.

"Don't tell Heda I said you were my favorite, she doesn't need any more things to deal with," he whispers into my ear.

Pulling away, I meet his gaze. "I wouldn't dream of it." Arthur tightens his hold on me, pushing me back into his arms.

"It's good to see you, Leigh."