The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 69: The Siren Ensemble

Chapter 69: The Siren Ensemble

At 5th Battalion Barracks

Miles, the youngest warrior of the 5th Battalion, was sent to the barracks to ask for backup. They needed more men to search for the missing princess.

"Is Commander Caleb here?" Miles asked his comrades with urgency.

"No, he is currently on guard duty at the North Garrison. But our Knight Commander Sera is in her quarters right now. Why do you ask?" his comrade replied.

"Oh, thanks! I need to see Commander Sera!" Miles didn’t waste any more time as he headed to Sera’s quarter.

Knock! Knock!

He knocked on her door with urgency. In a brief moment, Sera opened the door. She looked annoyed at the sudden disturbance.

"Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the Stormholt Manor?" Sera asked Miles, lifting her eyebrow.

"Commander, we need your help! We were on our way back to the manor when we found out that Princess Eve had gone missing."

Sera narrowed her eyes when she heard that.

"My elder brothers are currently searching for her in Willowshade Forest. The forest is very dangerous, especially at night. We encountered dire wolves in that forest a few weeks ago." Miles informed Sera, his voice tinged with anxiety.

"What?! They should have left the forest instead of looking for the runaway princess! Are they trying to get themselves killed?" Sera was more concerned about her comrades than Eve’s safety.

Miles was rendered speechless.

"We need to leave before your brothers get into trouble. They might die if they encounter a pack of dire wolves. They should stop searching for Princess Eve."

Miles blinked several times, trying to absorb Sera’s command. ’Is she telling us to abandon the princess for our safety? We can’t do that! We make an oath to protect Princess Eve.’

As Sera left her quarters, Miles followed her from behind. They rode their respective horses. She didn’t bring additional knights. She was determined to abandon Princess Eve.

They had just left the barracks when Randolf arrived. His comrade approached him. Among the members of the 5th Battalion, Randolph’s group was assigned to guard the Stormholt Manor for the past few weeks.

"Are you here to find Commander Caleb as well? Miles also stopped by earlier."

Randolf frowned upon hearing that. "Miles? Why did he drop by? He was supposed to be escorting Princess Eve back to the manor."

His comrade shrugged his shoulders. "From his expression alone, I could tell that something urgent happened. Commander Sera and Miles have just left in a hurry. I heard Miles mentioning Willowshade Forest."

’What? Did something happen to Princess Eve?’

Randolf’s eyes widened at that thought. Without further ado, he ran out, heading to the stable. He picked the fastest horse to chase after them.

At the Palace Entrance Gate...

"Why are we back here? Don’t tell me you are planning to sneak in through the entrance gate?" Eve asked Gideon in disbelief.

Gideon grinned broadly before nodding in response.

"Are you going to beat those royal guards again? Do you want us to be thrown into the prison fortress? I thought you had a way to sneak in without getting caught?" she complained, disregarding the idea of entering the palace through the main gate.

He let out a husky chuckle and said, "Calm down, Princess. Just trust me. I have my connection."

Eve arched her eyebrow, staring at him suspiciously. "Did you plant a spy in the palace? Or did you bribe the royal guard?"

Gideon gently flicked her forehead with his fingers. "Haha. You are overthinking, Princess."

"Ouch!"

Eve was about to hit him back when Gideon suddenly blurted out, "Oh! Here they are!"

She followed his line of sight and saw three carriages approaching the entrance gate.

"Wait for me here. I’ll do the talking." Gideon instructed Eve before he strode toward the incoming carriage.

Eve just watched his back until he reached the carriage. To her surprise, a woman wearing a red chiton dress and a ball golden mask covering her entire face greeted Gideon as if they had known each other.

It did not take long before the two of them glanced in Eve’s direction. Gideon motioned for her to come.

"Norah, this is my younger sister, Ericka. The one I mentioned earlier." Gideon wrapped his arm around Eve’s shoulders as he introduced her to the masked lady.

’Is he crazy? We don’t have similar features at all. Nora might get suspicious of us.’

Eve just smiled awkwardly. She didn’t expect that Gideon would introduce her as his younger sister.

"Ericka, this is Norah, the leader of The Siren Ensemble. They are a famous lady musicians group from Ashford Town. They are invited to perform tonight at the grand banquet."

"Hello, Ericka. It’s my pleasure to finally meet my savior’s sister. Gideon has mentioned you to me several times back in Ashford Town." Norah greeted her warmly. It looked like she didn’t doubt Gideon’s words at all.

Eve shook Norah’s hand. "It’s my honor to meet the famous lady musician of Ashford Town."

Norah let out a soft giggle. "Hmm. Don’t flatter me too much, Ericka. But I heard from your brother that you also love playing instruments and love to watch live performances. With your brother’s request, I will let both of you join us inside the carriage so that you can also enter the palace."

"Oh! Thank you so much, Lady Norah!" Eve hugged Norah, expressing her gratitude to her.

The three of them entered the carriage. Norah introduced Eve to the other lady musicians. They passed through the entrance gate without any interference.

The moment they entered the palace, the royal servant welcomed the lady musicians and escorted them to a chamber wherein they could stay and prepare before their performance. Eve also wore the ball mask to conceal her face.

They had just entered the chamber when one of the lady musicians approached Norah.

"Norah! We have a problem. Karrie caught a cold. Her condition worsened during our long journey here. I’m afraid she can’t perform her solo performance tonight!" she delivered a piece of bad news. Karrie’s solo performance was supposed to be their highlight for tonight.

"This is not good. She is the only one who knows how to play the zither among us. The Royal Chamberlain specifically invited us because the Crown Prince of Eldara is fond of listening to the zither." Norah felt the sudden pressure.

"Norah," Eve suddenly spoke up, catching their attention. "I know how to play the zither. If you will allow me... I want to do this solo performance." she volunteered herself, her eyes filled with determination.

Cough! Cough!

Gideon choked the moment he heard Eve. He glanced at her suspiciously.

’Hey! Don’t tell me she is going to make a scene during her solo performance?’

He darted his gaze back and forth between Norah and Eve. For some unknown reason, Gideon started to feel uneasy. He didn’t mean to cause trouble for Norah’s group by bringing Eve with them.

However, it looked like Eve had a big plan on her mind, otherwise, she wouldn’t volunteer to do the solo performance by herself.

’Does she really know how to play the zither?’

"Oh, Thanks Ericka! I would appreciate your help. But can you also sing? You have to sing while playing the zither." Norah asked her for confirmation.

Eve bobbed her head. "Yes, I can."

Gideon: "..."

’Oh no! I have a bad feeling about this! I think she is lying! She only got her voice back! The performance will be a disaster.’