The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 118: Moon Fairy

Chapter 118: Moon Fairy

Eve didn’t know what to feel upon hearing Alaric’s revelation.

"You should have approached me, instead of just watching from afar. Though I’m the third princess, I am always isolated in the Lotus Pavilion together with my biological mother. I didn’t have any friends."

"Even though she was my real mother, she acted as a servant in front of everyone while taking care of me. The royal family made sure to conceal my mother’s existence, hiding King Solomon’s scandal."

"I pretended to be Queen Amara’s youngest daughter. She never once treated me as her daughter. They also bullied my mother and me." Eve willingly opened up to Alaric.

"I think it would be nice to have someone like you as my friend... at that time."

Alaric took a frustrated sigh. He felt so bad for Eve and her mother. They suffered a lot because of the maltreatment from the members of the royal family.

King Solomon didn’t even do something to protect Eve and her mother. Since he chose to keep them in the Lotus Pavilion, Queen Amara took her anger on them, grabbing all the chances to make the mother and daughter suffer in her hands.

"Tell me more..." Eve tugged Alaric’s hand, urging him to tell her the story of how he ended up liking her.

There was no way he would consider her his first love just because she saved his life once.

"Why did I become your first love?" Eve asked him curiously.

"The truth is... whenever I get bullied by the noble knights during our training, I will always find a way to sneak out. Then I would find myself climbing the wall of the Lotus Pavilion." Alaric said with a smile. He could still vividly remember those moments he secretly snuck into Lotus Pavilion several times.

"Lotus Pavilion became my safe haven during those moments. Do you know why?" Alaric gazed down, lifting her chin. His eyes gleamed with joy as he looked at her.

"Why?" Eve asked him expectantly.

"Because of you," Alaric promptly responded.

"You were always smiling whenever you interacted with your mother. She taught you how to play instruments. And I was captivated when you played the flute and the zither." Alaric confessed.

"Whenever I was exhausted from training and when I was feeling down, I would always climb the wall near the Lotus Pavilion. I could listen and watch you as you played various musical instruments."

Eve’s cheeks blushed upon hearing that. She didn’t expect that Alaric had been listening to her as she played instruments.

"So... I wasn’t alone during those nights. You were there, watching me and listening to me." Eve couldn’t help but smile as she recalled it. She always felt that she had an invisible spectator.

She only practiced at night because her mother reminded her not to play those musical instruments in front of the royal family.

Esmeralda didn’t want them to know that Eve had the talent in music, otherwise, Queen Amara and her jealous royal siblings would scheme against her over and over again. They always felt insecure because of Eve’s beauty.

"Alaric, does it mean... you were the one who wrote those notes?" Eve asked him.

Alaric nodded with a broad smile. "Since I couldn’t talk to you face to face. I could only write you a note."

Eve bit her lower lip as her eyes began to tear up. She felt so touched because Alaric had been her supporter from the start.

Alaric always left her a note. Sometimes it was either written on a leaf or carved on wood.

Phrases like this:

[ Your beautiful music can soothe my troubled heart. ]

[ You have an amazing talent. Keep it up, Princess. ]

[ I always feel grateful to you. I am having a bad day. But because of you, my mood brightens up. ]

[ I’ve been looking forward to hearing you play. ]

[ As always, you cheer me up! ]

Eve had received numerous notes from Alaric. Later on, she began replying to him even though she wasn’t certain who sent those notes. Their conversation continued through exchanging notes.

However, their exchanges of messages had stopped when Alaric left the palace. The young knights were deployed to the kingdom’s borders as they continued their practical training.

"It was you... the person who first admired my music... aside from my mother. You are my first ever invisible friend. I really thought you were a ghost."

Eve let out a soft giggle. She finally met the person behind those notes.

"Alaric, why didn’t you tell me this sooner? We are not strangers at all. We’ve known each other for so long." Eve pounced on him, hugging him tightly. She couldn’t believe it.

Alaric hugged her back, gently stroking her hair. "Because I thought you won’t remember me even if I mentioned it. Furthermore, we had a misunderstanding on the first night of our wedding."

Eve broke the hug and cupped his face.

"What did you feel when you were chosen to be my husband?"

Alaric smiled at her. "Of course, I was shocked at first. Why would they choose a commoner knight commander like me to marry the third princess?"

"I always thought about the big gaps in our status in life. At that time, I believed that you deserve someone better... and I had nothing to be proud of." Alaric confided his true feelings. He was glad that he could finally open up to her like this.

The two of them promised to improve their communication by expressing their feelings. No more hiding. No more secrets.

"I was nervous the entire time of our wedding ceremony. I didn’t know you became mute. I finally talked to you in person however, you never uttered a single word even once. I thought you hated me."

Eve bit her lower lip as she bowed her head. "I became mute when I was ten. My mother also passed away at that time. I lost some of my memories. The royal physician said I tried to bury those memories because I was too scared to remember it."

There was a moment of silence between them when Eve mentioned the death of her mother.

Alaric held her hand, squeezing it gently as he comforted her. He could tell that Eve was longing for her late mother. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes whenever she mentioned her.

"So, when did I give you this amulet?" Eve was dying to know the story behind the amulet. It was something she couldn’t remember.

"I was fifteen when I finished our training in the kingdom’s border and I became a full-pledge knight. We returned to the palace. And then, I accidentally met you again in Moonshade Grove Forest. That’s where you gave me the amulet. I think you were ten years old by that time."

Eve nodded as she realized something. "Now, it makes sense. Maybe it was part of my lost childhood memories. Tell me what happened in Moonshade Grove Forest. How did you meet me?"

"Alright. Let me tell you." Alaric let Eve rest her head on his shoulder as he began to narrate his encounter with her in Moonshade Grove Forest.

[ FLASHBACK ]

Encounter in Moonshade Grove Forest...

After returning to the palace, Alaric’s team set out at night, ready for their routine roving to monitor the surroundings.

Alaric ended up strolling near the Moonshade Grove Forest, his armor gleaming in the moonlight. He stopped at the entrance of the forest, contemplating whether to go deeper or not.

Caleb stopped him.

"Alaric, where are you going? Don’t go deep in the forest. There are wild beasts here. According to the royal knights, this area is not yet clear. They said Queen Amara hired hunters to capture the wild beasts in this forest tonight. We can’t go there. This forest is off limits to us."

Alaric took a deep sigh. His best friend started nagging him again. The young Caleb always reminded him of the palace rules.

Alaric was known as a troublemaker because of his past records of getting caught by royal knights climbing the palace walls before.

"Alright. I heard you. Don’t worry I’m no longer the twelve-year-old young knight who caused troubles before." Alaric tapped Caleb’s shoulder, reassuring him.

Caleb heaved a sigh of relief. "Good to hear that. You have to restrain yourself. But I’m still wondering why you did those things in the past. Some jealous knights even accused you of stealing. Fortunately, they didn’t get any proof that you stole something."

Alaric smiled as he was reminded of Princess Eve. It had been so long since the last time he listened to her while playing zither and flute.

"Come on, Alaric. Tell me. I’m really curious." Caleb urged him.

"I’ve been seeing the Moon Fairy at night. She is so captivating," Alaric responded with a playful glint in his eyes.

Caleb pouted his lips. "Fairies are not real! Stop making up a story. Hmmp!"

Alaric just let out a soft chuckle. He knew it. Caleb wouldn’t believe him. But for him, Princess Eve was like a Moon Fairy at night.

Alaric and Caleb were about to leave the Moonshade Grove Forest when suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of a flute coming from the forest.

’That’s her. Is Princess Eve in the forest?’

Without saying a word, Alaric hastily ran to the forest. Caleb was surprised when Alaric suddenly took off without telling him.

"Alaric! What the hell are you doing? I’ve told you! The forest is off-limits! Come back here!" Caleb shouted, telling Alaric to come back. However, Alaric ignored him as he continued running to the forest.