Chapter 56
The delegates who would be leaving for the Quat tribe gathered in the square.
The head of the delegation was Fertan. When demanding the return of a bride, it was customary for the family to go and get her themselves.
Among the delegates was Allen. He had not met the Quats at the last wedding, so they did not recognize him. He had planned to hide among the delegates and set foot on Quat land.
And now a strange-looking man was standing beside him.
Allen spoke to him cautiously. “Are you sure you want to come with us?”
‘He’ nodded. “Yes. I was the one who asked for it. Please take me with you.”
Yesterday, Allen came to Iselle’s room with Rosie in his arms. Everyone was a little startled by the sudden appearance, but the meeting soon continued.
As expected, Rosie had a lot of information, and she shared it generously. And by the time she was done, Iselle had made her decision.
“Allen, you will join the delegates tomorrow. Bring along all my knights. You’re sure they don’t know your face?”
“Yes, I am sure of that.”
“If the negotiations break down, you will remain there and help the princess escape. Can you do that?”
“Of course. I will risk my life to fulfill the mission!”
Then Rosie spoke cautiously, “But as I’ve already told you, Nazar Quat is not a man to be trifled with. It won’t be easy to sneak the princess away from him.”
Iselle agreed. “I don’t think it will be that simple either, which is why I’m going to meet with the Katans separately.”
“The Katans?”
Everyone exclaimed simultaneously in surprise.
The Katans were the name given to a widely distributed people living on the Kranach peninsula near the North Sea and in the lands above the Quat tribe. Like the Ardennese, they had once been ruled by Lysa, but now they remained an independent force.
Since they were once ruled by the Lysa at the same time, they always worked closely together when dealing with the Lysans. Otherwise, however, the Ardennese were often at odds with each other. In particular, the Quats, who were connected to the Katans by land, often clashed with each other and fought more often.
That’s where he’s going now.
“The Katans have lost a lot of battles with the Quats recently,” he said, “so they must be looking for revenge.”
A map was spread out on the table. Iselle pointed her finger at the land above the Quat. “I will go here, meet with the Katan chieftain, and lure Nazar Quat.”
Allen added, “If the negotiations break down, you will lure him away, and I will take advantage of the time he is away from his castle and slip out with the princess.”
“Right.”
Iselle thought about using the Katans to cause a moderate disturbance near the border with the Quat tribe. Living in the cold northern regions, the Katans were always short of food and necessities. A promise of supplies would be enough to get them to move.
Moreover, after their last defeat, they viewed Nazar Quat as an enemy of theirs. If he told the venomous Katans that he planned to steal his bride, they’d be all over him like moths to a flame.
The Quat had already had a former chieftain whose bride had been stolen from him, and it had cost him his life and endangered the entire tribe. If the same thing happened to his son, it would be a great disgrace to the tribe, and the chieftain’s prestige would plummet.
Nazar Quat would no longer be able to hold his position as chieftain. On top of that, he was already suspected of being illegitimate. The clan leaders, eager to capitalize on the opportunity, would not stand idly by. Elder Calante, who had helped Nazar Quat in the past, was already aging and had retired as clan leader. He no longer had the same influence.
There would be great infighting within the tribe, and the Katans were in a position to capitalize on it.
Iselle was sure they would jump at this tantalizing bait. There was so much they could gain in exchange for a little mischief on the border.
“Then take me with you.”
Suddenly, Rosie’s voice rang out. Everyone turned to look at her in wonder, her words completely unexpected.
“Fertan isn’t someone you can trust, so I’ll go with you, I’m sure I can help.”
“Lady Rosie.”
Iselle looked at her and smiled gently. “You’ve been a great help to us so far, and I thank you for that. This is our job. It’s not for you to interfere.”
Despite the soft voice, the words were a cold rejection.
When Rosie flinched and remained silent, Allen spoke, “I think it would be best if Rosie came with us.”
Allen shrugged a little as he met her surprised gaze. “I’ve heard that the Quats don’t speak much Latisse like the people here. Having Rosie with us will certainly help our plan, at least we won’t be caught off guard by not knowing the language.”
Iselle thought for a moment, then nodded. “I suppose you’re right, then.”
And with that, Rosie prepared to leave with them. Dressed like a man.
Rosie’s cross-dressing went surprisingly well. With her hair tied back in a bun and wearing pants, she looked like a young, cute man. The disguise was meant to hide the fact that she was Rosie, the chieftain’s daughter, and no one would ever recognize her true identity.
Allen still couldn’t put his mind at ease, so he double-checked. “There could be danger there. I’ll risk my life to save the princess, do you understand that?”
“Again, I was the first one to ask. Do you think I would have asked you to take me without knowing that?”
“No, I know you know, but for some reason, I feel like I shot myself in the foot.” Allen pressed his temples with a distressed expression.
Rosie looked at him, puzzled. “If that’s what you’re going to say, why did you agree to take me yesterday?”
“Because I knew the chieftain wouldn’t stand still. If you stay here, you’ll only get beaten up by your father, and even if the nanny stays, she won’t be able to protect you from him.”
Rosie looked at him in surprise at his answer. “You mean, you were thinking about me?”
“I told you, I’m not going to pretend I did not know.”
“Wow, you meant it. I thought you were just saying that…”
“I don’t lie, and I stand by what I say. The word of a knight carries a lot of weight.”
Allen scowled a little, then suddenly pointed a finger at her ankle. “And I see your leg is a little limp, have you been keeping the compresses on it?”
Rosie jerked her leg back in surprise. “How do you know that?”
Her previous ankle injury had been nothing more than a small crack in the bone and had healed quickly. But with all the traveling she’d been doing lately, it had gotten a little worse. It was only a slight limp, so no one noticed, but Allen noticed it immediately.
“I know it when I see it,” he said, “I once thought I was going to be a doctor. You need constant compresses on that ankle, even if the bone is healed, it’s still fragile and could re-injure itself on impact. I’ll take a look at it later, if you don’t mind.”
See, you’re being sweet, Rosie thought to herself, and nodded.
“…Thank you.”
Just then, the princess’ nanny approached them.
“Allen.”
Her face was filled with worry and concern. Allen smiled and hugged her.
“Don’t worry, nanny. I’ll bring the princess home without a scratch on her, and this time, it’ll be for real.”
“Okay, be careful.”
Patting Allen on the back, the nanny gave Rosie a warm word as well. “You take care of yourself, too, miss. May Elheim’s blessings be with you always.”
Rosie smiled in return. “May Elheim’s blessings always be with you… I’ll be back with the princess.”
Then the signal to depart sounded. Rosie and Allen gave one last goodbye before mounting their horses.
Soon the whole party was on the road to the land of the Quat.