The Royal Deal

Crack! There was a sound, but the shot didn’t happen.
The gun powder remained shattered on the armor of the horse.
The horse was startled and reared up in pain.
It lifted its front legs and thumped them on the ground.

“Ash!”

The horse shook its head and ran towards the river.
Amethyst held onto the reins.
The horse kept running and all Amethyst could do was scream.
Alexcent, who had been watching Amethyst from a few paces away, led his horse on a gallop and followed but it only made matters worse for her already agitated horse.

The horse kept rearing up and trying to throw Amethyst off its back.
It neighed nervously.
 At this rate, the horse would go into the river with Amethyst on it.
Alexcent sped up his horse and headed to the river instead so that he could stop the horse on its track.
He stopped, blocking Amethyst’s path.

“Ash,” he said, “Take its rein and turn its head to the opposite way.
As hard as you can.
Hurry!”

Amethyst, almost sobbing in fear, grabbed the reins and pulled on it as hard as possible to turn its head to the other side.
She used all her might to pull on it.
With a few protesting neighs, the horse came to a stop.
The horse was still agitated, it wouldn’t stop pacing.

Alexcent had reached too close to the river where the ground was soft.
The horse’s sudden gallop had collapsed the bed and the river flowed out surrounding Alexcent and his horse with water.
He and the horse fell as the ground cracked.

“Alec!” Amethyst felt terror.
She screamed for help.
The knights, who had come to guard them in the first place, reached her.
Amethyst tried to run after Alexcent but Hill stopped her.
“Madam! You can’t.
It’s dangerous!”

“Alec, he fell.
Please,” she stammered, “I need to save him.
Let me go!” Her cry echoes through the forest.

“Madam!” said Hill, “Please calm down.
If you go, both of you will be in danger.
Please calm down.”

“Please…,” Amethyst sobbed.
“Please save him!” She held onto Hill and cried, tears streaming down her face.

Hill, who had always seen the duchess laughing or smiling or making trouble, was shocked to see her so broken.
He had never seen her this despairing before.

“The river overflowed so it does look a little bad,” said Hill in a gentle voice, “But the duke will be fine.
Please don’t worry.
Something like this will not harm the Duke.”

Amethyst, with teary eyes, looked at Hill.
“How can you tell me not to worry when someone is drowning?!”

“Because it’s the duke.
He will never drown.
He is a strong swimmer.”

Hill eventually instructed his subordinates to search the lower portion of the river.
“Madam,” he said to Amethyst, “Leave it to us.
Please go back to the tent and take care of yourself.
You don’t look very—”

“No!” Amethyst interrupted, “I can’t! I won’t! I will stay here.”

“The ground collapsed, it’s dangerous for you here.”

“I can’t… I have to see Alec.
I will stay here until I know he is okay.
If something happens to him then I…”

“I’m so sorry.
But the Duke entrusted me with your safety.
That is my utmost priority.
Please leave this to us and go to somewhere safe.”

Amethyst kept sobbing.
Emperor Belice and the royal guards arrived after having gotten the urgent message about the situation.

“What happened! Where’s Alexcent?” Belice got off her horse looking worried and angry.

“Honorable Empress,” said Hill addressing Belice, “May the blessing of the goddess—”

“It’s alright!” snapped Belice, “Formality isn’t important right now.
Where is Duke Skad?”

“The Duke was swept by the torrents as the riverbank collapsed.
We are searching for him at the lower river, Your Majesty.”

Belice frowned and gave a brisk order for the royal guards to help them and walked to Amethyst.
She helped her up from the ground.
“It will be fine.
He will be okay,” said Belice, trying to soothe Amethyst, “Come with me.
The riverbank collapsed, so it’s not safe for us here.”

“It’s my fault!” sobbed Amethyst, “I insisted on coming here.
I shouldn’t have been so stubborn.
I put him in danger.
What if something happens to him?! Please, Your Majesty, please help him!” Amethyst held onto Belice and bawled.

Belice felt like she should take Amethyst away from here.
But right at that moment, a voice said, “Goodness! At this rate, you’d think someone had died.”

The Duke, soaked from head to foots, took the cape offered by one of the knights and walked to Amethyst and Belice, dripping wet.

“Alec!” Amethyst ran to him.
As she opened her arms to hug him, he stepped back.
Amethyst looked at him, confused.

“I can’t have you getting wet.
You will catch a cold.”

“You aren’t the one supposed to be worrying about me right now!” Amethyst’s knees buckled under her.
The worry and her nerves being on end had reached its limit finally as she saw him in front of her.
She staggered.
Alexcent supported her.

“I’m glad you’re ok, Duke Skad.
Are you hurt?”

“No, Your Majesty.
I am completely alright.
I am so sorry for making you worry.”

“As long as you’re fine.
You should rest for a while.”

“Yes.” Alexcent wrapped his arms around Amethyst’s trembling shoulders and turned to Hill.
His eyes burned with anger.
“Investigate the guns and the gunpowder in the weapon area immediately.
Someone tampered with them for sure.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“What?!” said Amethyst, surprised.
“Really?”

Alexcent leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Amethyst’s forehead.
His lips were hot on her skin.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” he said gently.

Alexcent told her not to worry but his voice mixed with worry itself and anger did little to convince her.
He was angry of the fact that it could have been Amethyst who would have drowned.
But Amethyst worried about his lips.
They had felt so hot.
Maybe he was coming down with a fever.

“We should go back,” she said.
He nodded.

They both got into the carriage which had been summoned and headed back to the Duke’s mansion.
The hunting event continued without them, but the rumor spread that the Duke had been swept by the current of the river and the participants were given an urgent notice to stay away from the collapsed riverbank.
Out of all other nobles, Arin looked downright terrified of the news.