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Day Before the Imperial Palace’s Opening Day
The warm fire and soft mattress granted the four sisters a peaceful, deep sleep. Princes and Princesses sometimes run away from home with death wishes to enjoy life, only to find that their original life was the most blissful. The four sisters realised that, while sleeping in the hotel was a new experience, it wasn’t possible for them to sleep comfortably.
They planned to wake up early to take a stroll in the city; however, by the time they woke up, it was almost noon already. The four sisters sprawled out on their beds and refused to move thanks to the cosy environment.
It looked cold outside due to the rain last night. Further, the weather was gloomy, so the four sisters felt it was comparatively more comfortable in the imperial palace.
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From her chair in her bedroom, Vera heaved a big breath: “In other words, King Troy actually refused our request, but his daughters are now here? That’s pointless. It’s pointless for the kids to come here. Ikana is eyeing me as her prey and trying to kill me. What’s the point of having the children here? Also, what’s very bewildering is, if he refused me, why did he send the envoy here to protect me“
“Technically, he initially refused, but with his four daughters now here, King Troy is bound to send someone here. After all, they are his daughters. As the four girls are here, King Troy will ensure their safety. Ikana is not threatening just you but also the safety of the Princesses. As a consequence, King Troy will make sure to protect them. In turn, Ikana will not dare to act rashly.”
“The crucial step is to let Ikana know of that.”
Vera massaged her temples. She was suspicious of the young man’s identity right from the start, but after learning of the situation, she felt it was plausible as a male envoy came afterwards. She, therefore, reasoned that Troy sent him to her after learning that his daughters came over. Not only to protect his daughters but also herself.
What the youngster said was reasonable. If Ikana knew Troy’s children were with Vera, Ikana would be reserved with any large scale operations intended to endanger Vera. Ikana wouldn’t hurt the children, or she’d incur Troy’s wrath. Hence, Vera needed to broadcast their presence.
The city was rather chaotic with all sorts of people being within its grounds. Ikana’s spies were bound to be around. All they needed to do was to deliver news of the girls’ presence to Ikana, and most of Ikana’s plans would go down the drain. Ikana was also mindful of Troy’s stance since his navy wasn’t too far away. If Troy wanted to get involved, he would only need a few days to turn the nations by the ocean into a sea of flames.
There was yet to be anyone who could replicate the cannons Troy’s navy employed. His cannons could shoot far distances with frightening pinpoint precision. His cannons also combined the elves flammable potion. Be it Galaluocia or Ikana, they’d be transformed into seas of fire with just a few shots. Troy had his strongest navy situated on a nearby island in order to control their region of the ocean. Aforementioned navy was the two nation’s greatest fear.
Troy hadn’t gotten involved with the matter, yet. But nonetheless, whoever gained Troy’s support would gain the upper hand. Put another way, both sides were careful to ensure his daughters’ safety.
Vera was aware her nation was, in fact, much weaker than Ikana’s. In terms of strategy, they weren’t a match for the sly and seasoned veteran, Ikana. Ikana couldn’t be outright hostile due to Abner. In saying that, there were bound to be countless troublemakers in the city prepared to start a fiasco at any given moment. Vera’s coronation ceremony was to be held in a few days’ time. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the entire city was engulfed in fire when the time came. Ikana was snooping around in the dark, while Vera was out in broad daylight. It was impossible for Vera to be absolutely safe regardless of how she guarded against Ikana. That said, if the four girls were present, surely Ikana would think twice.
“Is there time tomorrow?”
“You have to see a noble tomorrow.”
Vera stood up: “Push it back. We have something more pertinent at hand. Commence the preparations to open the imperial palace starting from now. Arrange for the four sisters to meet everyone at the top of the palace tomorrow. That should bring their presence to Ikana’s awareness. That will deter her from attempting large scale operations on the day of my coronation.”
“As you said, if we open the palace grounds, those who plan to stir trouble on the day of your coronation may very well sneak into the palace grounds, nevertheless. We should be locking the palace up and forbidding anyone from coming in at this time, yet you are opening it. It will be risky, will it not?”
Vera shook her head: “That’s fine. I’m relying on all of you to guard me. When it comes down to it, the imperial palace is our most heavily guarded location. I’m sure my guards can protect me and the palace from being damaged. I only need to allow access to the palace’s flower garden and lawn. I most definitely won’t allow access to the inner areas of the palace. I need to let Ikana know of the girls’ presence while ensuring the palace doesn’t take damage.”
“I will protect you.”
Vera a revealed a reassured smile and responded, “Not just me. Of course, I trust you. You’ve never let me down. You gave me hope when I was in despair; therefore, I’m not worried this time. With you by my side, I’ll be safe. However, my safety isn’t the number one priority this time. The safety of the four girls’ is our top priority. Ikana can’t hurt the girls, while I can’t let them get hurt. I think that, if Ikana was to change her plan and have a spy hurt the girls, then Troy’s rage will burn us, instead. The presence of the girls can be considered a charm, but the opposite is also true, in that it can also be considered a risk.”
“I am aware of that. I already promised them that I would keep them safe. I am sure I will work hard for you, too. I will protect you and them.”
“It’s in your hands, then. You may be young, but you’re already my trusted guards. Give it your best. Don’t let King Troy look down on our guards.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”