Chapter 502. Caught Between Two of the Most Dangerous Women in the Kingdom

Chapter 502: 502. Caught Between Two of the Most Dangerous Women in the Kingdom

A small crowd began to coalesce around the fruit stall with alarming speed, the murmurs of recognition growing into a chorus of excited speculation.

William, watching the disaster unfold from three stalls back, felt a surge of genuine amusement. He made no effort whatsoever to hide the grin spreading across his face as he witnessed the complete and utter failure of Kaela’s stealth operations.

Recognizing that the situation was rapidly escalating from ’awkward moment’ to ’public spectacle,’ William decided it was precisely time to intervene.

"Time to go," he said quietly but firmly.

Before Kaela could protest or attempt further denials, he reached out, caught her elbow, and steered her decisively toward the nearest shadowed side alley.

Behind them, the rest of the group saw the signal and scattered in a loose, half-running cluster, their laughter bubbling up in synchronized bursts the moment they had put enough distance between themselves and the gathering mob.

"The disguise was a terrible idea," Kaela panted once they had finally slowed to a brisk walk several streets away, safely tucked behind the stone facade of an unfamiliar building.

She grabbed the useless hood and yanked it back from her face, revealing hair that still seemed to catch what little light existed in the alleyway. "I was being cautious... I was being discreet."

"The disguise was a wonderful idea, in theory," William corrected, his eyes bright with mischief as he leaned against the wall, still grinning at her mortification. "It simply required you to also disguise the hair, the eyes, the posture, the voice, and that general, unmistakable aura of being someone who is extremely important."

Kaela shot him a look that could have melted steel. "That is... that is literally everything about me."

"Exactly my point."

By the time the group finally regrouped several blocks away, breathless and still riding the adrenaline of their impromptu escape, they looked less like a royal retinue and more like a band of street urchins who had just pulled off a successful heist.

Ellie, somehow having navigated the chaos with uncanny precision, emerged from the crowd clutching an entire paper sack stuffed with the mysterious cinnamon pastries. She held the bag aloft with the triumphant pride of a warrior who had secured vital rations during a siege.

"Mission accomplished," Ellie declared, already tearing into one with reckless abandon. "The pastry preservation techniques are remarkable."

Olivia, meanwhile, had taken advantage of the detour to duck into a quiet, dimly lit bookshop. She emerged moments later clutching a slim, dusty volume on regional trade law.

As Clara’s eyes lit up with an immediate and terrifyingly enthusiastic interest, Olivia straightened her shoulders.

"This is purely for professional reference," Olivia insisted, though the way she cradled the book suggested otherwise. "I needed to cross-reference something regarding the current quarter’s logistics."

"It is absolutely not recreational reading."

Kaela, still trying to regain her royal composure while wiping a stray strand of silver hair from her forehead, shook her head. "Nobody reads trade law recreationally, Olivia."

"Not even in this kingdom."

"You would be surprised," Olivia said primly, tucking the volume safely into her bag with a satisfied click. "It is actually quite fascinating, once you understand the historical context behind the eastern tariff reforms and how they impact merchant guild autonomy."

"I would like to borrow that when you’re finished," Clara interjected immediately, her pencil already hovering inches from her journal, poised to dissect every syllable. "The intersection of trade law and guild politics could provide excellent data for my next thesis."

Olivia shot Kaela a pointed, victorious look over the top of Clara’s head. "See? Some people actually have taste."

They spent the remainder of the afternoon weaving through quieter, sun-dappled side streets, trading the chaos of the main market for the gentle hum of artisan quarters.

They sampled less conspicuous fare, savory meat pies and honey-glazed nuts, and admired intricate handcrafted trinkets from stalls that hadn’t yet recovered from the earlier commotion enough to recognize a royal face passing through.

Kaela kept her hood pulled low out of stubborn principle rather than any genuine hope of effectiveness; she refused to admit defeat to a simple piece of fabric.

Nobody had the heart to point out that her distinctive, piercing ice-blue eyes, bright as glacial shards, were doing far more betraying work than the hood could ever hope to manage.

Two days later, the peaceful rhythm of the palace was broken by the thunderous arrival of Lia.

Her business with Commander Ardyn and the Royal Greatsword Corps had finally wound down enough to grant her proper leave, and the moment her carriage rolled through the palace gates, she didn’t wait for a proper escort.

She was out the door before the horses had fully settled, crossing the courtyard at a near-dead run toward Kaela. She collided with her in a hug so fierce and sudden that it briefly lifted the princess off her feet.

"I heard everything," Lia said, pulling back just enough to study Kaela’s face with the intensity of a medic checking for hidden wounds, as though the written accounts couldn’t possibly convey the true toll of the conflict. "The artifact, the ambush, the fight... all of it."

"God, Kaela, I’m furious I wasn’t there to help."

"You would have loved the part where Instructor Wade got to look smug for approximately seventy-two consecutive hours," Kaela said, breaking into a genuine laugh as she steadied herself. "Honestly, he hasn’t stopped being insufferable about it since we returned."

"I have been entirely reasonable about the matter," William interjected from where he stood nearby, crossing his arms with obvious satisfaction.

Kaela shot him a sidelong glance. "You told the story to three different stable hands this morning... unprompted."

"You were literally mid-conversation about hay quality when you pivoted to ’And then I drew my blade...’"

"They asked, Kaela," William said, raising an eyebrow.

"They did not ask, Instructor Wade... They were trying to shovel manure."

"Curiosity is a virtue in all classes."

The reunion warmth was intoxicating, lasting through dinner that evening and stretching well into the following morning.

The courtyard became a stage for two parallel histories: Lia trading exasperated stories about Ardyn’s increasingly creative and borderline sadistic training methods, and Kaela recounting the visceral details of the courtyard battle.

Both women laughed freely, their voices bright and unguarded, in a way that made William’s chest feel pleasantly full. Just watching them, he felt a rare sense of uncomplicated contentment.

However, that contentment was fragile. As the morning progressed, conversations between the two women inevitably drifted toward the inevitable: the passage of time.

Specifically, how much of William’s presence each of them had missed out on during their respective absences.

The air in the courtyard shifted. The laughter didn’t stop, but it changed; it became sharper, edged with something more pointed.

The warmth began curdling into something considerably more competitive.

"So," Lia said, her voice dropping into a smooth, controlled register.

She settled herself onto the bench beside William with a deliberate, territorial closeness, her shoulder brushing his in a way that left no room for ambiguity. "I understand a great deal happened while I was busy with Ardyn’s drills."

"A great deal indeed," Kaela countered immediately.

She didn’t hesitate, moving to claim the space on William’s other side with an equally pointed, almost aggressive display of proximity. "Some things require constant attention, Lia."

"Perhaps you should visit more often so you don’t keep missing the important developments."

William suddenly found himself caught between two of the most dangerous women in the kingdom, and for the first time in his life, his combat training felt woefully inadequate for the situation at hand.