Though he glared at her, Anthony eventually gave Agatha twenty imperial knights on her return.
They were childhood friends, equally used in the emperor’s marriage business, and the only blood relatives with whom she could mingle in a civilised manner.
As Anthony escorted Agatha to the carriage, he said.
“I’ll let you know when I hear from her, my dear Agatha.”
“Thank you for your favour, Your Highness, and I will take my leave.”
With a final polite bow, Agatha was escorted back to the mansion by twenty imperial knights.
That night.
It was the crown prince’s arrival that brought the night’s guests to the door.
“My dear Agatha, my dear.
The reply you have been waiting for has arrived. In three days’ time we will hold a hunt, and I hope you will attend with the horses you have promised.
Yours, Anthony Roxiba.
P.S. Is he alive?”
After reading the last line, Agatha turned to look out the window.
Bang, bang, bang.
A night in which even the small moon, shaped like a rounded eyebrow, was hidden by clouds.
Below them, imperial knights cut down the intruders who had poured over the fence.
Beside Agatha, who seemed to be relaxing, reading a letter in her mansion, were two Imperial Knights, one belonging to the Crown Prince, the other the deputy leader of the Imperial Knights, on standby.
A moment later.
A snap.
“Deputy leader. This is Windell.”
“Come in.”
The imperial knight saluted as he entered the boudoir.
“Thirty-five intruders. All eliminated.”
“Well done.”
Lord Basley, the deputy captain, congratulated the knight.
Agatha gestured to her butler, Allen, who stood by her side.
“Give the knights a hot bath and a ready supper. And oil for their swords.”
“Acknowledged, my lady.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, my lady.”
“You are most welcome.”
After exchanging a brief bow with the grateful deputy, Agatha produced a letter.
“My dear Crown Prince.
I am delighted to hear that my long-awaited reply has arrived. Please accept it with the understanding that I must apologise first.
From Agatha Nobilis.
P.S. Yes.”
The letter, sealed with a stalk of purple statice, passed into the hands of Allen, the butler.
“Along with the letter,” she said, “you have the black horse that your majesty was eyeing the other day? Put that up for him.”
“Yes, my lady.”
So it was late spring, still early.
In the imperial hunting grounds, a hunting party was held, hosted by the crown prince.
* * *
The day of the hunt.
Agatha rose early in the morning to make sure she was ready for the hunt, which was scheduled to begin in the morning. Today she would be travelling on horseback, so a pre-hunt massage was a must.
After a warm bath, she laid out all her hunting gear.
“Miss. What would you like to wear today?”
“It’s a lovely day, and the bright colours will go down very well.”
Agatha, with her entourage of maids, selected a blue shirt, a black jacket embroidered with gold thread, white trousers, and leather boots.
“Shall I tie my hair up?”
“No. Just curl the ends a little.”
She wears her sunshine blonde hair down to her waist and just enough make-up to make it barely noticeable.
Long eyelashes cast shadows on her clear white skin, and the purple eyes beneath were as elegant as her signature purple statice.
The bridge of her nose, full, red lips.
The stag-like neck and graceful lines of her body, set off by a strong jawline, were the same Agatha Nobilis who had been called beautiful in the most beautiful of social circles.
“You look beautiful, young lady.”
“Thank you.”
Smart-
Just then, a maid came in to tell her she was ready to go. Agatha, in bolo tie and white gloves for the last time, left the boudoir.
“Lord Basley.”
“At your service, my lady Nobilis.”
After a quick greeting to the Imperial Deputy Knightmaster, who was checking the procession in front of the mansion, Agatha turned her attention to the horse she would ride today.
After double-checking the saddle and stirrups, the butler, Allen, handed her the reins.
“All clear.”
“Thank you, I’ll be off.”
The glossy, flowing brown horse was a small but stout warhorse, a breed well suited to riding and hunting.
Agatha swung herself up onto the horse, and one by one, the imperial knights and servants mounted their horses and carriages, completing the preparations.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Let’s go!”
The flags of the Imperial family and the Nobilis waved high. Agatha was escorted through the castle grounds by imperial knights.
Today’s destination was a relatively nearby forest, about an hour from the capital, amongst the imperial hunting grounds.
As they left the gates, the imperial knight reported back after a brief conversation with the knight in charge of the checkpoint.
“His Highness the Crown Prince left the castle early, and Marquis Aratus is still here.”
“Really?”
The crown prince had flown off to the hunting grounds early, excited by her words.
Perhaps he’d even used the excuse of inspecting the hunting grounds as an excuse to go on a quick hunt.
“Well done, my lord.”
“No, sir.”
As the road thinned, the carriage with Agatha and the knights and servants sped up.
As the procession slowly crested a few hills of trees and grass.
PING-!
A tiny, microscopic noise rang out as the imperial knights reacted instantly, drawing their swords in unison to parry a flying armlock aimed at Agatha.
“Attack!”
“Bangjin, protect the young lady!”
“Young’e, keep a firm grip on the reins. We must break through!”
In the centre of the protective formation that had formed, Agatha gripped the reins tightly.
In smaller numbers, she would have been able to deal with them, but the number of assassins that had emerged after the first failed ambush was alarming.
From the grass, from the trees, from the paths ahead and behind.
At least a hundred of them were pouring in, arrows flying.
“Run!”
At the shout of the second-in-command, Lord Basley, horses and carriages sped up. Agatha and her knights raced through the hail of arrows and quickly broke through the encirclement.
“Now is the time. Pull!”
Puck-!
Heeeeeeeeeeeee!
A polearm spear emerged from the ground and stopped the procession. The imperial knights who hadn’t stopped literally fell to the ground, and arrows rained down on the halted Agatha.
“Kak……!”
“Young lady!”
Agatha’s fall was swift. She narrowly avoided the arrow by flipping her body, but not by rolling on the ground.
The horse, pierced in the torso by the arrow, fell backwards.
Agatha, who had narrowly avoided being crushed beneath the horse, brushed her blood-soaked hair out of her face with a trembling hand, blurring her vision as she fell.
From all around her, she could hear the panicked shouts of the knights.
“There’s blood……!”
“Young lady, are you alright?”
Agatha calmly affirmed, drawing her sword from her saddle. Seeing that their target had fallen, the assassins were charging towards Bangjin with swords and axes.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me, look ahead!”
“Kill her, just kill the target!”
Eerie shouts and footsteps echoed in all directions. Despite the pain in her torn head, Agatha calmly assessed her surroundings.
“The servants won’t be able to move.
They say the assassins aren’t paying attention to the carriage right now, but the moment someone slips out, there will be stabbings on the other side.
For every knight, there are about a half-dozen to deal with.
Moreover, the assassins were desperate to target Agatha, who was protected in the centre of the group, rather than the knights.
Ducking her head to avoid the occasional missed memorisation, Agatha gauged the odds that the crown prince, who must be on the hunting grounds by now, would be aware of the situation.
All around them, knights and raiders were turning on each other.
“Hold on, hold on, his majesty will notice the anomaly and come!”
“Never mind the knights! Our goal is the woman!”
Perhaps the knights on patrol would spot them and spread the word.
But the assassins would know the cycle and strike.
Agatha realised that her kinsmen had played a calculated game.
If they dared to work in the imperial hunting grounds, to risk the emperor’s wrath.
‘Do you think you can survive …… here?
Kirik asked.
In the heat of battle.
The subtle tug of a protest caught Agatha’s ear. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an assassin aiming this way.
Flesh clenched, bowstring bent, bowstring pulled taut.
Puck.
The first to die was the assassin who had been targeting her. She turned her head to follow the arrow as it slashed through the assassin.
Doo-doo-doo-doo.
Up on a high hill.
A group of horsemen kicked up dust, shaking the ground in broad daylight.
The rider at the head of the line held a longbow in one hand, ripping the throats out of the assassins aimed at her.
The rider’s family crest was an eagle soaring through the air.
The assassins and the imperial knights mingled in the sudden presence of the enemy.
“Ah, the Knights of Aratus!”
Puck, puck, puck.
Each time he let go, the breath of the assassins was cut short.
Beneath the deeply pressed hood.
Agatha locked gazes with the man’s flashing eyes. His voice seemed to pierce her eardrums, even though it shouldn’t be audible at this distance.
“Prepare to collide.”
A large, firm hand gripped the reins.
The man, Enoch Aratus, rode straight down the hill, knocking over and trampling the bodies of the gathered assassins.
