Chapter 150: Unwanted Guests

Her smile disappeared.

Aria stared toward the edge of the clearing.

For a moment, nobody moved.

The former slaves stood around the half-built shelters, holding pieces of wood and stone like they had completely forgotten what they were supposed to be doing.

Kelme slowly lowered the piece of wood in his hands.

"...You said the army was here?"

The man who had shouted nodded rapidly.

"Yes."

Aria’s eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

"Enough."

"That is not a number."

"I was too busy panicking to count!"

Aria closed her eyes.

Of course.

Of course this was happening.

She had spent weeks trying to avoid the army.

She had lied to them.

Misled them.

Used them to take down Colston.

Escaped them.

Then accidentally brought an entire group of former slaves back to the very cave where she had been producing illegal sugar.

And now the army had arrived.

She opened her eyes again.

"Everyone."

The former slaves looked at her.

"Hide."

They immediately scattered.

Aria stared.

"No, not like that!"

Too late.

Half of them disappeared behind trees.

Several crawled underneath unfinished shelters.

One climbed a tree.

Another simply stood behind Kelme despite being twice his size.

Kelme slowly looked over his shoulder.

"Why are you hiding behind me?"

"I don’t know."

"You’re bigger than me."

"I know."

"Then why am I the shield?"

"I don’t know."

Kelme sighed.

"Fair enough."

Aria pinched the bridge of her nose.

"This is a disaster."

She looked toward the forest.

Through the trees, she could see movement.

Soldiers.

Lots of them.

Armor.

Weapons.

Banners.

And at the front—

The Duke.

Aria’s stomach dropped.

She immediately looked at Kelme.

"You said he wouldn’t come."

Kelme raised both hands.

"I said I hoped he wouldn’t come."

"You said he was satisfied with the information."

"I also said the army might come."

"You said that after we were already running away!"

"That still counts."

Aria glared at him.

Kelme gave her an apologetic smile.

"Technically."

"Stop saying technically."

"Technically, I didn’t say—"

"Kelme."

"Stopping."

The army entered the clearing.

The soldiers immediately spread out.

Their weapons were ready, but they did not attack.

The Duke stepped forward.

His eyes moved across the clearing.

Then toward the half-built shelters.

Then toward the cave.

Then back toward the people hiding behind trees.

His expression slowly changed.

Confusion.

Suspicion.

Then something dangerously close to disbelief.

"What," he asked calmly, "is this?"

Aria smiled.

It was the kind of smile someone wore when they had absolutely no idea what they were doing.

"Community development?"

Kelme looked at her.

"That’s your explanation?"

"Do you have a better one?"

"I have several worse ones."

The Duke’s eyes narrowed.

"Aria."

Her smile disappeared.

"Your Grace."

"What are all these people doing here?"

Aria glanced around.

One of the former slaves peeked from behind a tree.

Another was still hanging from a branch.

A third was hiding underneath a wooden frame that wasn’t even finished.

Aria sighed.

"They’re free."

The Duke stared at her.

"So you freed them."

"Yes."

"From Colston."

"Yes."

"And brought them here."

"Yes."

"To your cave."

Aria hesitated.

"...Yes."

The Duke looked at the cave.

Then at her.

Then at Kelme.

Kelme shrugged.

"I told her it was a bad idea."

Aria slowly turned toward him.

"You did not."

"I implied it."

"You said, ’This should be fine.’"

"I was optimistic."

"You were wrong."

"I’ve noticed."

The Duke stepped closer.

"Why?"

Aria frowned.

"Why what?"

"Why did you bring them here?"

"Because they followed me."

The Duke’s expression became even more confused.

"They followed you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

One of the former slaves raised his hand.

Everyone looked at him.

He slowly lowered it.

The Duke looked back at Aria.

"You don’t know?"

"No."

The man raised his hand again.

Aria pointed at him.

"You."

He stepped forward cautiously.

"Because you saved us."

Aria stared at him.

"That doesn’t explain anything."

"It does to us."

Another stepped forward.

"You gave us food."

Another.

"You told us to find work."

Another.

"You gave us shelter."

Aria’s eyes widened.

"I told you to build your own shelter!"

"Yes."

"Outside my cave."

"Yes."

"So why are you still here?"

The group exchanged looks.

One of them answered.

"Because you didn’t tell us where else to go."

Aria opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

That was annoyingly reasonable.

The Duke watched the exchange silently.

Finally, he looked at Aria.

"You realize what this looks like?"

Aria swallowed.

"A humanitarian effort?"

"It looks like you have gathered dozens of people in a hidden location."

Aria’s face fell.

"When you say it like that, it sounds suspicious."

"It is suspicious."

Kelme nodded.

"Very."

Aria turned toward him.

"You’re supposed to help me."

"I am helping you."

"You’re agreeing with him!"

"Because he’s right."

Aria stared at him.

"You’re useless."

"That’s hurtful."

The Duke raised a hand.

The soldiers behind him became still.

"Enough."

Everyone quieted.

The Duke looked toward the cave again.

"What is inside?"

Aria froze.

Kelme froze.

Even the former slaves seemed to realize something had gone terribly wrong.

The sugar.

The equipment.

The supplies.

Everything was still inside.

Aria had not had time to hide anything.

The Duke started walking toward the cave.

Aria immediately stepped in front of him.

"No."

He stopped.

"No?"

"Yes."

His eyebrow rose.

"You are refusing me entry?"

"Correct."

"Why?"

"Privacy."

"This is a cave."

"Exactly. Very private."

Kelme whispered.

"That’s not how caves work."

Aria elbowed him.

The Duke stared at her.

"Move."

"No."

The soldiers shifted.

Aria’s hand moved toward her mask.

Kelme noticed.

He quietly grabbed her wrist.

She looked at him.

He shook his head.

Not here.

Not now.

Aria slowly lowered her hand.

The Duke watched the exchange.

"You’re hiding something."

Aria smiled nervously.

"Everyone hides something."

"Yes."

His gaze hardened.

"But most people don’t become the most wanted criminals in the kingdom while doing it."

Aria’s smile vanished.

Silence.

Kelme looked at the ground.

The former slaves suddenly became very interested in the trees.

Aria sighed.

"You know."

"I suspected."

"How much?"

"Enough."

Aria’s heart began pounding.

The Duke continued.

"We know about the sugar."

The clearing went silent.

One of the former slaves whispered,

"What sugar?"

Aria closed her eyes.

Kelme slowly turned toward the speaker.

"Please don’t ask questions."

The Duke’s gaze moved toward the cave.

"You were the White Princess."

Aria didn’t answer.

"You organized the operation."

Still nothing.

"You supplied sugar to merchants across the kingdom."

Aria looked at him.

"And yet," the Duke continued, "you also freed the people Colston enslaved."

Aria crossed her arms.

"I’m complicated."

Kelme nodded.

"Very."

The Duke almost smiled.

Almost.

"You’re also reckless."

"That too."

"And apparently incapable of leaving well enough alone."

Aria shrugged.

"That’s probably true."

The Duke studied her for several seconds.

Then he looked at the people around her.

"They’re not your slaves."

Aria looked offended.

"Of course not."

"Yet they follow you."

"I know."

"They live here."

"Unfortunately."

"They listen to you."

"Sometimes."

"They built shelters because you told them to."

"Apparently."

The Duke rubbed his forehead.

"This is absurd."

Kelme raised a finger.

"I’ve been saying that for days."

Aria glared at him.

"Not helping."

The Duke turned toward his soldiers.

"Lower your weapons."

Several soldiers looked surprised.

"Your Grace?"

"Lower them."

They obeyed.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

The former slaves slowly came out of hiding.

The man in the tree climbed down.

The one underneath the shelter crawled out.

Kelme looked around.

"See? Everyone’s alive. Wonderful."

Aria gave him a tired look.

The Duke faced the former slaves.

"You are free."

Nobody moved.

The Duke frowned.

"You heard me."

One woman stepped forward.

"We know."

"Then leave."

She looked at the others.

"And go where?"

The Duke paused.

That question seemed to strike him harder than Aria expected.

Another former slave spoke.

"We don’t have homes."

Another said,

"We don’t have money."

Another:

"We don’t know the roads."

Another:

"We don’t know anyone."

A man near the back raised his voice.

"Some of us don’t even know what country we came from."

The Duke’s expression changed.

He looked at them differently now.

Not as prisoners.

Not as criminals.

People.

People who had been released without being given anywhere to go.

Aria watched quietly.

She had assumed freedom was simple.

Break the chains.

Open the door.

Walk away.

But apparently that was only the beginning.

One of the former slaves looked at Aria.

"What should we do?"

Aria stared at him.

She remembered their earlier conversation.

Employees.

Work.

Money.

Food.

Shelter.

She had thought explaining it was enough.

Apparently it wasn’t.

She looked at the half-built shelters.

The people.

The soldiers.

The cave.

Her entire ridiculous situation.

Then she sighed.

"I don’t know."

Everyone stared at her.

Aria looked annoyed.

"What?"

"You don’t know?" someone asked.

"No."

"But you’re the one who saved us."

"That doesn’t mean I know how to run a village."

Kelme raised his hand.

"Technically, this isn’t a village."

Aria slowly looked at him.

He lowered his hand.

"Sorry."

The Duke finally spoke.

"They need structure."

Aria looked at him.

"You’re the army."

"Yes."

"You’re supposed to know about that."

The Duke frowned.

"I’m a military commander."

"Exactly."

"That does not make me a village administrator."

"Then who does?"

The Duke thought.

He looked at his soldiers.

They all suddenly became very interested in anything except eye contact.

Aria smiled.

"See?"

The Duke sighed.

"You’re suggesting the army take responsibility for them."

"No."

"Then what?"

Aria looked toward the group.

"I don’t know."

Kelme stepped beside her.

"We could at least get them to the nearest town."

Aria shook her head.

"And then what?"

"Find them work."

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

"That doesn’t solve everything."

Kelme looked at her.

She looked back.

For once, neither of them had a joke.

Then one of the former slaves spoke.

"What if we work here?"

Aria blinked.

"What?"

He pointed toward the shelters.

"We already started."

Another nodded.

"We can build."

Another:

"We can farm."

Another:

"We can cook."

Another:

"We can hunt."

Another:

"We can clean."

Aria stared at them.

Then she looked at the Duke.

Then at Kelme.

Then back at the group.

"You’re volunteering to stay?"

"Yes."

Aria’s expression became suspicious.

"Why?"

The first man answered.

"Because nobody owns us here."

Aria didn’t know what to say.

The man continued.

"We can leave whenever we want."

Another nodded.

"We can work for ourselves."

Another added,

"And if we earn money, we can decide what to do with it."

Kelme smiled.

"Now you’re getting it."

Aria looked around.

A strange thought entered her mind.

They weren’t asking for a master.

They were asking for a place to start.

That was different.

She hated that she understood it.

She looked at the cave.

Then at the unfinished shelters.

Then at the Duke.

"This is temporary."

Everyone nodded.

"I mean it."

More nodding.

"No one is staying in my cave."

Several people looked disappointed.

"Absolutely not."

They nodded again.

"And nobody touches my equipment."

More nodding.

"And nobody goes inside without permission."

"Yes."

"And nobody eats the sugar."

A confused silence.

One man raised his hand.

"Why?"

Aria stared at him.

"Because it’s illegal."

He lowered his hand.

"Right."

Kelme smiled.

"Good talk."

Aria ignored him.

The Duke crossed his arms.

"So what now?"

Aria looked at the people.

Then at the forest.

Then at the shelters.

She had absolutely no idea.

But for the first time, that didn’t bother her as much.

"Now?"

She pointed toward the forest.

"We build."

The group immediately began moving.

Some gathered wood.

Others collected stones.

Two started clearing an area for farming.

Someone began organizing food.

Someone else started repairing the shelters.

Within minutes, the clearing became busy.

Aria stood there, stunned.

Kelme walked beside her.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"We accidentally founded a settlement."

Aria slowly looked at him.

"No."

"Pretty sure we did."

"No."

"We have houses."

"They’re barely houses."

"People."

"Unfortunately."

"Workers."

"Apparently."

"Food."

"Some."

"An illegal sugar operation."

Aria stared at him.

"Why did you have to mention that?"

Kelme shrugged.

"It’s part of the settlement’s economy."

Aria smacked him on the shoulder.

He laughed.

The Duke watched them.

Then he noticed something.

One of his soldiers was speaking quietly with a former slave.

Another soldier was helping carry timber.

A third had begun examining the shelters.

The Duke sighed.

"This is becoming my problem."

Aria looked at him.

"You came here."

"I came looking for the White Princess."

"And you found her."

He stared at her.

"Did I?"

Aria smiled.

"No."

The Duke’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re impossible."

"I’ve heard that before."

He shook his head.

Then he turned to his soldiers.

"Send word to the nearest town."

Aria’s smile faded.

"What for?"

"Supplies."

She blinked.

"You’re helping?"

The Duke looked at the settlement.

"They are free citizens."

He paused.

"They deserve a chance."

Aria stared at him.

Something in her expression softened.

"Thank you."

The Duke nodded.

Then his eyes landed on Kelme.

"And you."

Kelme pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"What did I do?"

"You’re responsible for this."

Kelme’s face went blank.

"I am?"

Aria immediately smiled.

"Oh, yes."

Kelme looked horrified.

"Wait."

Aria folded her arms.

"You wanted to help."

"I wanted to help you!"

"You’re the responsible one now."

"No."

"You said so yourself."

"I never said that!"

"You did."

"I absolutely did not."

The Duke turned away.

"I’ll leave you two to argue."

Kelme watched him walk away.

Then looked at Aria.

"You planned this."

"I wish."

Kelme sighed.

Behind them, one of the former slaves shouted:

"Aria!"

She turned.

"Yes?"

"Where should we build the next shelter?"

Aria opened her mouth.

Then stopped.

She looked at the growing settlement.

At the people.

At the soldiers.

At Kelme.

Then toward the cave.

Her life had somehow transformed from hiding in a cave and making illegal sugar into managing a group of newly freed people while an army camped outside her front door.

She had no idea how it happened.

She had no idea how to fix it.

And she was beginning to suspect that was becoming a recurring problem.

Aria pointed toward an empty patch of land.

"Over there."

The man nodded and hurried away.

Kelme watched him go.

"So..."

Aria sighed.

"What?"

"Does this mean we’re responsible for them?"

Aria stared at the settlement.

"No."

Kelme smiled.

"Good."

Aria continued.

"We’re only temporarily responsible for them."

His smile vanished.

"That is not better."

"It is slightly better."

"No, it isn’t."

Aria started walking toward the cave.

Kelme followed.

"Where are you going?"

"To destroy the sugar operation."

Kelme stopped.

"What?"

Aria looked back.

"We’re done."

He stared at her.

"With the sugar?"

"Yes."

"But—"

"No."

"But the money—"

"No."

"The merchants—"

"No."

"Vincent?"

"No."

"Our entire criminal empire?"

Aria gave him a tired look.

"Look around."

Kelme did.

The shelters.

The people.

The soldiers.

The fields being prepared.

The strange little settlement growing around their cave.

He sighed.

"Yeah."

Aria continued toward the cave.

"We can’t keep doing this."

Kelme followed silently.

They reached the entrance.

Aria stopped.

She looked back one last time.

For the first time, the clearing didn’t look like a hiding place.

It looked like something people were building.

Something that might become home.

Aria smiled faintly.

Then she turned toward the cave.

"Come on."

Kelme nodded.

They stepped inside.

Neither noticed the soldier standing near the trees.

He had been watching them for several minutes.

His eyes were fixed on the cave entrance.

Then he looked down at a small piece of paper in his hand.

There was only one sentence written on it.

THE WHITE PRINCESS IS HERE.

The soldier folded the paper.

But he didn’t send it.

Not yet.

Instead, he looked back at the settlement.

At the freed people.

At Aria.

And quietly said,

"Maybe she isn’t the villain."

Then he slipped the message into his pocket.

For now.