"Yes my Lord."
General Bale saluted.
"Good, let her know we'll be moving by sunset tomorrow."
Lord Azril said, discarding his presence.
"Yes my Lord "
General Bale saluted.
"You may take your leave, Bale."
Lord Azril sighed and settled back to sit.
General Bale saluted one last time and turned to the door, opening it and disappearing behind it.
He stopped briefly ruminating on what Lord Azril had discussed with him.
He's right; after all, hoping that Princess Lirl could fall in love with him is wishful thinking.
Instead of returning to her tent, he headed in the opposite direction.
"Bale !"
She called his name.
General Bale froze in his tracks. She seems to be been waiting for him to come out.
This lady will be his destruction if he isn't careful.
Instead of turning to face her, he just continued walking onward.
"Are you avoiding me now because my Father told you to ?"
She asked, hurrying after him.
"No "
General Bale fired back, avoiding her.
"What do you take me for? A fool !"
She screamed, overtaking and stopping before him, that he nearly bumped into her.
"What do you think you're doing?"
General Bale glared at her in a way that she couldn't figure out what was on her mind.
"You wouldn't have stopped if I hadn't crossed your way like this."
Princess Lirl rolled her eyes, folding her hands on her breast.
"I don't answer to you, Princess Lirl; now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to attend to ."
General Bale saluted, walking past her again.
Princess Lirl stifled her lips, heading to his Father's tent. Without warning, she opens the door and storms in.
"Lirl, what brings you here ?"
Lord Azril's mood lightened up like he had been expecting her.
"What did you say to Bale? "
She questioned, hiding his anger.
Seeing that Lirl had not come to him based on what he had expected, he feigned the look of innocence.
"Bale! What happened to him?"
Lord Azril questioned.
She folds her arms, glaring at him.
"Oh!"
Lord Azril gasped.
His daughter had indeed grown overnight, she didn't even come to plead for his mercy.
He couldn't believe she had come to challenge him on Bale's behalf.
"Concerning him, I have words with him. Words that work him up to reality."
Lord Azril said, keeping his fingers crossed.
"Words like what?"
She enquired, staring intently at him.
"Well, I have been aware for a while that Bale has developed some unrealistic, butterfly feelings for you. So, I did my best letting him know how that could affect his position and task assigned to him."
Lord Azril cleared his throat uncomfortable with his outburst.
Princess Lirl's eyes narrowed on him, hearing what he just said.
"Are you saying Bale loves me ?"
Princess Lirl asked again in confirmation of what she just heard from him.
"Ahem...yes. But I made him realize that his feelings are nothing but mere fantasy."
"Wait! Are you telling me that you never knew?"
Lord Azril's eyes widen in surprise.
He had always believed that his daughter treated him like trash because she was aware that he was kinda like her.
How come she never knew?
"Of course, Father, I never knew. I was too busy doing your bids. I never had a never had a breathing space for myself either."
Princess Lil scoffs, and she pauses for a while, making some considerations before speaking again.
"How long have you known this Father?"
She asked again.
"Well, since you guys were teenagers. Well now you know"
Lord Azril said casually, taking a sip of his wine.
"Is it not a sin that Bale has feelings for me."
She fired back.
Surprised by his daughter's remark, he spat the wine out of his mouth.
"Pfft. What did you say?"
"You heard what I said, Father "
She replied again.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Lord Azril thundered.
"The fact that Bale has feelings for me shows he's more human and ...."
Lord Azril cuts in angrily.
"Shut it right there, are you out of your sane mind? Don't tell me you're going to marry that commoner."
"That scum I pitied when his parents were slaughtered in battle. I raised that boy as my son, trained him and made him the general of my armies. "
"Of all people, he should be the last person you should consider Lirl. Even if he's the last man on earth, you should rather die a virgin that marries that Polk."
Lord Azril leeched out, trying to cow her. But to his surprise, she remains unfazed.
"That's where you're wrong. If you raised him as your son just like you claimed, you wouldn't see anything bad in him having feelings for me."
She pressed further.
"Something is wrong with you. You don't choose who you marry; I, Lord Azril! Will choose for you, and you better not go against my wishes."
"Once we return to Ling, you're getting married to the Zalec family. You may take your leave."
Lord Azril barked, hunching his back as he glared at her.
"I'd rather kill myself than abide by your selfish plans. Mark my words, Father, I will get close to Bale, closer than you can ever imagine."
"Every man has his uniqueness. I'll find what his is, and when I do, I'll fall in love with him and then marry him....."
She had barely finished when her Father cut in angrily.
"You dare go against me? I'd rather ....."
It was her turn to cut in.
"Trust me, Father, you won't. Why? Because I am the source of your wealth. What do you think will happen if I'm out of the picture?"
Lord Azril's eye widens in fear.
She's indeed the source of his wealth; it was with her immense talent I had been able to find extraordinary treasures which he sold at a high price.
For the first time, his shaky hands withdrew from the table and dropped on his lap.
He began to cough, covering his mouth with his hands. Squeezing his eyes shut, as his heart tinged in pain.
He opened his eyes, staring at the blood stain on his palm.
"Get out of my sight."
Lord Azril heaved weakly.
After Princess Lirl had gone out, he took a deep breath and slumped heavily on the bed.
"How much time do I have left?"