The Countess Lives Twice in the Apocalypse-Chapter 20: Nineteen

"Lucienta! What the hell happened in the castle?!" Jeriel asked, her voice dripping with anxiety and shaking slightly.

"I don’t know, Lady Jeriel—"

Jeriel sucked in a breath and grabbed Lucienta by the arms, "How can you not know? You were there with her—"

"Jeriel!" Jannah came out of the tower, dressed in dark clothing, "Leave her alone! She didn’t go inside the castle and got left outside the carriage with Dreidel! She doesn’t know what happened in there!"

"Then what happened?! Why were you covered in blood?!" Jeriel screamed, her eyes glossing with tears.

Whatever Jannah wanted to say, it immediately got caught up in her throat when she saw her little sister’s tears wanting to spill out of her eyes, she inhaled sharply, stopping herself from saying anything.

She paused, sighing deeply to calm herself down, "Look.. Something happened inside the castle that I can’t say here. We can talk about it once we’re out of the outer border, okay? I’ll tell you as soon as we’re out."

"Okay, Jeriel?" Jannah asked her little sister, gentle grabbing ahold of Jeriel’s hands and squeezed them lightly, "There’s no need to be anxious. I’m fine. We prepared for this, right?"

Jeriel swallowed thickly, sniffing and nodded her head slowly, "R..Right."

She squeezed Jannah’s hands once more before she inhaled and exhaled shakily. She nodded her head again and pulled her sister into a tight hug, "I’m glad you’re okay."

"I’m also glad you’re okay." Jannah sighed out, patting her at the back, "But we need to hurry up."

"Right, right." Jeriel muttered and pulled from the hug before she turned to the gates, "Dreidel! The horses!"

"They are ready, Lady Jeriel!" Dreidel answered, followed by loud neighs from the horses.

"Good, good." Jannah mumbled and walked towards the gates, "Everyone, on their horses! Now, now!"

Her people quickly got out of the tower and rushed to their designated horses. Kirie, Lilo, and Marietta are riding with Haile, Aran, and Dreidel respectively. While Jeriel, Jannah, and Lucienta have their own horses since they know how to ride one.

"Everyone on their horses?" Jannah asked, looking around to check her people.

Seeing that they’re on their respective horses, she turned to the front and was about to set off, but her name getting called made her hands stop mid-air.

"Countess Rafelon!"

Everyone stopped and looked behind them where the voice came from. A few pair of horses’ hooves can be first heard before they saw the one who called for their master.

"Stop, I must talk to you." Duke Eulicies Devon Zacharias pleaded as his horse went to the front, cutting through the group of Jannah’s people to go to her side, "There’s something serious happening with His Majesty and I heard—"

"The princess already know what I know." Jannah quickly cut him off, voice void of emotion as she glanced at him.

She’s upset. Frustrated. Desperate. Her departure to the north kept getting delayed because of all the things that’s happening around them. She doesn’t remember someone getting bitten inside of Count Nige’s mansion nor the King turning into a flesh-eating monster in her past life.

Or the princess probably took care of it quietly and didn’t let words get out of the castle’s walls. Jannah thought, not wanting to over think things too much because she’s already frustrated enough as is.

"How—"

"Princess Huenazia invited me for tea." Jannah had cut the Duke of the east again, "I spent my whole afternoon inside the castle and witnessed whatever you heard regarding His Majesty."

"Is it true? About the ill—"

"Yes." Jannah answered before he could finish his question, "Is that all? Because I have an urgent business to attend to."

Duke Zacharias sucked in a deep breath, not really having any reason to hold back the Countess. So, he nodded his head, apologizing under his breath, "Forgive me for keeping you from leaving."

"Everyone, set off!" Jannah didn’t say anything back to him and signaled for her people to go towards the outer walls.

Duke Zacharias could only watch the Countess’s back and her people disappear from his sight. He let out a sigh, not knowing why he came out of his state to see her go instead of sending one of his people to ask her the questions.

"My lord, we need to head back."

Duke Zacharias sighed again, turning his horse around to face his knight, "Forgive me for being thoughtless, I don’t know what came over me."

The knight could only smile and look over to the other two knights that the Duke bought with him, "We understand, my lord. Sometimes, we do things we usually don’t do for love."

"Love? That’s not—" Duke Zacharias’s cheeks slowly turned into a color similar to roses as he shook his head to deny his knight’s claim.

The knights wanted to tease their master more, but the sound of horse’s hooves and neighs getting closer stopped them. They all simultaneously turned their heads to look at the direction of the capital, only to gasp and scramble to get down on their horses.

"We greet the young and brightest star of the Starlian Kingdom, Her Highness, Princess Huenazia!" The knights greeted her in unison.

However, she didn’t stop her horse and just immediately whisked past them.

The Duke could sense something was wrong so he followed shortly after the princess. The wind howled loudly in his ears at how fast his horse is running after the princess, the sound of hooves clacking against the stones are the only thing he can hear.

He doesn’t know how long he has been chasing the princess. Maybe half an hour? An hour? Hour and a half? Truly, he doesn’t know. The evening sky is already as dark as it can be and he could barely guess the time by the moon.

Thankfully, the princess pulled the reins of her horse to a stop once they reached the outer walls of the capital.

He pulled the reign of his horse and he barely made it in time to stop. Princess Huenazia made her walk approach the group of people by the gates, he didn’t even notice them because he was fixated on the princess.

That’s when he heard the familiar voice of Countess Rafelon’s maid.

"My lady, Jeremiah and the others have already left for Chivahon three hours ago according to the outer wall’s knights."

"Great, we’ll continue our trip until we catch up to them so make sure to get yourselves comfortable in your horses. Girls, lean comfortably on the horse to avoid back pains, I know how hard it could be for the first timers." Jannah’s voice is full of authority, but it’s soft and gentle as she give direction to her people.

"Countess!" Princess Huenazia called out which made the others turn to her.

"We greet the young and brightest star of the Starlian Kingdom." Jannah was quick to greet the princess as the others lower their heads simultaneously with her, "What can I do to assist you, princess? As you can see, we’re in a hurry."

"Yes, I know, but you knew about what’s happening inside the castle." Huenazia didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "I need your help, Countess."

"I refuse." Jannah didn’t think twice, no hesitation and shook her head, "I have people I need to protect."

"But—"

"Princess." Jannah immediately cut her off using a tone that’s dripping with frustration, "I have already told you everything I know so I don’t know how to help you further than that. You have your own people to protect and I have mine."

"You’re a noble of my kingdom!" Huenazia hissed, "You’re a knight! You served the kingdom in the war! Why can’t you do it again?"

"Because I’d rather protect my people this time. I failed before, but it won’t happen again." Jannah answered with her eyes full of determination and seriousness, "I’m just one noble, but you have a dozen backing you up. Use them and make them useful, Your Highness."

"But—"

"Your Highness." Jeriel was the one to cut her off this time which made them turn to her, "She have served the royal family several times without a complain. Why must you be stubborn on letting my sister stay and give you assistance?"

"You didn’t saw what she did inside that room, Lady Jeriel." Huenazia sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "She was fast to order everyone and knew what to do despite what just happened."

"I already told you why." Jannah interjected sharply, "I told you why so you should do the same if you don’t want it to get worse."

"That’s the point, Countess!" Huenazia hissed and glared at her, "I don’t know how! It happened so fast and now, it got my father! All I’m asking is for you to stay and offer assistance, I’m not asking for more!"

"Again, I have people I need to protect." Jannah didn’t budge and glared back, "I refuse."

"I’m your princess, Countess Rafelon!" Huenazia sounded desperate, borderline pleading silently with her beautiful sunset colored eyes as she stare at Jannah, "I’m not asking you to do it for me, I’m asking you to do it for the Kingdom."

That’s the problem, princess. Jannah thought as she watch the princess crumble to pieces in front of her, I don’t care about the damn kingdom.