The Princess's Heart

The next arrow punched clean through another wolf's skull.

Then the next arrow did the same. And the one after that.

Edward's archery was flawless — not a single shot strayed. Before long, a mound of wolf carcasses lay piled up in the clearing.

"That's impossible…?"

Audrite spun around to face Maru, her face a mask of disbelief. It was the look of someone convinced there had to be a trick — something, anything. Her eyes swept over his entire body in a flash, and when that didn't satisfy her, she reached out and patted him down with her own hands.

"Is it proper for a lady to be groping a man's body, Your Highness?"

"How did you do it?"

"Do what, exactly?"

"Don't play dumb with me."

Maru spread his hands wide. "I didn't do anything, I tell you."

When even a full-body search turned up nothing, she finally gave up, stroking her chin in frustration. "Edward, really…?"

Maru brushed past her with a smile. "Perhaps you should get on with the schedule, Your Highness."

The second petition of the day came from citizens being shamelessly fleeced by a ring of corrupt merchants. The merchants resisted with violence, and Edward proceeded to knock every single one of their hired mercenaries flat on his back.

Miraculously, all it took was a few swings of his fist — men simply dropped where they stood.

"I, Edward, have punished the wicked villains who bled the people dry!"

The third petition was a plea to find someone's missing father, who — after a round of inquiries — turned up alive and well in a goblin cave outside the village.

"I, Edward, have located the missing father!"

The fourth wasn't a petition at all. While the party was on the move, a succubus launched a surprise attack on the procession.

"A succubus has appeared at the rear of the column! She's making off with two attendants!"

"The gall of that wretched creature!"

Just as the royal guard rushed to wheel their horses around, Maru jabbed Edward in the side with his elbow.

"Go. Go. You go."

"Me?"

"Just run over there and swing your sword around a bit."

Understanding dawned, and a beaming grin split Edward's face. "Got it!"

The succubus — eyes glowing red, sharp fangs bared — was hovering mid-air, beating her wings as she seized the collars of two unconscious men and tried to lift off.

Edward sprinted over in a single burst and slashed his sword through the empty air a few times. The succubus shrieked in fright and fled on the spot.

"His Highness Edward has defeated the demon!"

"A-amazing! When did he get so strong?"

"His Majesty will be so proud!"

The servants and townsfolk erupted in cheers and thunderous applause, their excitement at a fever pitch.

Audrite watched the spectacle in silence, then turned her gaze back to Maru. But Maru only shook his head and spread his hands wide, as if to say it had nothing to do with him.

The day's duties complete, Audrite returned and reported the results directly to the King. When she emerged from the audience chamber an hour later, dusk had already begun to settle over the palace grounds.

She stepped outside and wandered the gardens, lost in thought.

"Was I mistaken, after all?"

She had assumed Maru was Edward's proxy knight — but was she wrong? Edward's heroics today had been undeniable. There was no trace of trickery or staging anywhere in them. And yet the question refused to be laid to rest.

Because of Maru. He kept gnawing at her mind. He seemed to be hiding something. His powerful, well-built body alone made it impossible to pass him off as an ordinary administrator — it almost seemed a waste, those firm muscles fated to do nothing more than hold a pen.

"Haah…"

She let out a sigh, gazing up at the early-evening sky bleeding into darkness. In the end, there was only one way to settle her doubts: confront Maru face to face. How had he come to this world? What was his purpose? And why… why had he been so cold to her in the infirmary?

Her mind made up — she would have the truth, whatever it cost — she headed straight for Maru's quarters. She knocked, but there was no answer. She stood waiting for a good while before a passing maid happened to mention,

"I saw him leave somewhere with His Highness the Prince a little while ago."

Audrite spent the next hour chasing down the pair, until at last she came upon an old, abandoned building — one that had served a previous generation of the royal family before a newer structure was built elsewhere. Its historical value had earned it preservation instead of demolition. It was also, she knew well, where Edward used to hide whenever his feelings were wounded.

"Would they really be in here…?"

Lantern in hand, Audrite made for the second floor. If they were here, they would be in that room — the one Edward had scurried off to cry in every day as a child.

The interior was so dark and still it sent a shiver down her spine. She swallowed hard and climbed the stairs. On the second floor, a faint light was leaking out from a room at the far end of the corridor.

Audrite allowed herself a small, relieved smile. Muffling her footsteps, she crept closer and pressed an ear to the door.

"Listen carefully. In this situation, this is what you do. Now look — look at my diagram."

"Hmm. Even with the diagram, it's difficult."

From their voices, it was Maru and Edward. Maru appeared to be teaching him something.

"If you don't understand it, memorize it anyway. In a few months I'll be gone. What will you do then?"

"Ugh, I don't even want to imagine it. Can't you just… not leave?"

Audrite's mouth fell open of its own accord. Leave…? What is he talking about?

Maru's voice drifted through the door. "I have my own path to find too. How long am I supposed to be cleaning up your messes? Listen — when you lead a force, the commander doesn't have to take the field himself. Just delegate to the people under you. Handpick men who fight well and think well, and work them to the bone. Then your weaknesses never have to show. Look at your father. He does nothing but sit on his throne while making me do all the work. So build up your talent for command instead of trying to do everything yourself. If you can manage people well, the standing you build now will hold long after I'm gone. Understand?"

"But tell me — would capable men really ever come to serve me?"

"While I'm still here, we raise your reputation as high as it will go. After that, you'll have plenty of simpering fools begging you to take them on. And look at this — I nearly died studying this last night. Learned it ten years ago, forgot it all, and now I've had to relearn the whole thing because of you. So pay attention. This part here…"

Somewhere along the way, a soft, fond warmth had settled over Audrite's face. The question that had tormented her all day was melting away like snow.

Now she finally understood everything. Ah. He isn't a bad man at all. He's been doing his utmost — all for my brother's sake.

That's right. I already knew he was a good person.

Leaning against the dark corridor wall, Audrite tilted her head back toward the ceiling and let her thoughts drift back to two days ago.

"Hoo-hoo! Ptui! Ha… hah."

Maru lifted his head from Audrite's thigh, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. "I've drawn some of the poison out. How do you feel? Can you see me clearly?"

"My body feels heavy… and everything's going blurry…"

Audrite's vision was steadily dimming. Had the poison spread after all?

Maru decided there was no time to lose and shook Edward awake. "Edward! Edward!"

"Mmm… mm? Wh-what? What's going on?"

"Your sister's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been bitten by a snake. We have to get back to the city, now."

"A s-snake?"

Leaving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Edward to scramble about in his half-woken panic, Maru hoisted Audrite up into his arms ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and sprinted for the horses. He settled her weakened body into the front saddle facing him, then wrapped one arm around her waist. With his free hand, he cracked the reins hard.

"Hyah!"

"Maru! Wait for me!"

Edward scrambled urgently onto his own horse, but before long he tumbled right out of the saddle trying to keep up. "I-I'm fine, just go on ahead! Go!"

Every time Maru brought the reins down, the horse whinnied and drove itself faster. Cradled against his chest, Audrite struggled to lift her gaze. "Am I… going to die…?"

"You're not going to die. I swear I'll save you. I promise."

Maru answered with steely resolve as he rode, and Audrite gave a faint, feeble smile. "That line… I feel like I've heard it somewhere before. Ah… it was from one of those novels with the Hero in it, wasn't it… I loved those so much…"

"Keep thinking about your novels until we arrive. Whatever you do, don't close your eyes."

"Okay… I won't…"

Her eyelids at half-mast, Audrite answered in a drowsy, docile voice. "Cough, cough! Now I'm coughing too… I don't think I can hold on…"

Maru hastily extended the hand that had been wrapped around her waist. "Take my hand."

"Your… hand…?"

"Holding someone else's hand gives you a little strength. I heard my ex-girlfriend felt better when someone held hers while she was sick. So take mine. Hurry."

Slowly, Audrite reached out and took his hand. It was warm and soft — and at the same time, an inexplicable sense of relief washed over her.

"It's nice… it's good…"

Just as Maru had said, the touch of another person's hand lent her new strength. Audrite gripped his hand all the tighter, as though afraid the comfort might slip away, and she did not let go until they reached the temple.

Knock, knock.

Maru, resting in his room in the dead of night, rose at the sudden knock. He opened the door to find Audrite standing there in a white dress embroidered with gold thread.

"You're still awake?"

"I was planning to sleep a little later."

"Stay up a while longer, then. Talk with me."

She smiled brightly, showing off her even, white teeth. Her golden hair, unbound for the night, spilled over her slender shoulders and flowed all the way down to her waist. On her head sat a silver tiara studded with dozens of tiny diamonds that caught the light.

"Are you going to keep me standing out here? I'm coming in."

"Well — yes, of course. Come in."

Maru stepped aside, flustered, and let her in. A princess calling on a man's quarters in the dead of night — he hardly knew what to make of it.

"I expected a man's room to smell, but it doesn't at all. It feels oddly like a woman's room, actually."

"What brings you here at this hour?"

"Surely I came because I have something to say."

Audrite pulled out a chair, sat down, and looked at him. "I've been insatiably curious ever since I was little. Whenever something piqued my interest, I simply couldn't rest until I'd dug into it."

"A good habit to have."

"That's what I always thought. Right up until now. But today, for the first time, I realized something — that there are things in this world best left covered up and unasked."

She hesitated a moment, then spoke shyly. "…I won't ask about you anymore. I'm sorry."

"……"

Maru stood where he was and gazed down at her in silence. When he simply kept staring at her — a hint of a smile playing on his lips, but saying nothing — Audrite averted her eyes in embarrassment and muttered, "Say something, at least. I did apologize, you know."

"I think it's my turn this time. The wish I set aside. You remember?"

"What wish? …Ah."

"There's a wish I'd like to make right now. Will you grant it?"

"Tell me."

"You've been so delightfully impressive that I want to kiss your forehead."

"Th-that's a joke, right?"

"It's not."

"B-but we're not involved in any way, and doing something like that so soon—"

Watching her fidget, so endearingly at a loss, a laugh escaped Maru. "Shall I change it to your lips, then?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Shall I spread it across the kingdom, then — the tale of a princess who breaks her promises? As I recall, Her Highness once wished to send me off to the dungeon."

"Wh-who says I won't keep it?! F-fine! Do it! Kiss me!"

The princess shouted with all the haughty confidence she could muster, shoulders squared — but the tension in her face was plain to see. Maru laughed outright at the sight of her.

Audrite squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her face up. "Well? Get on with it."

"Remember, this is a wish, so you can't hold a grudge about it. I'm only doing this because you promised to grant anything I ask."

"I won't hold a grudge!"

Lest she change her mind, Maru closed the distance at once. He swept the strands of hair from her forehead and tucked them behind her ear, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then pressed a light kiss to the very center of her smooth brow.

Mwah.

"Thank you for staying alive."

At those words, Audrite's eyes flew open, and she stared up at him in a daze. "…For the snakebite?"

Maru straightened up and broke into a bright smile. "Yes. I wanted to say thank you — for being so wonderfully alive. I can never just walk past someone who's suffering. Checking up on people after they've recovered is a habit of mine. I was watching you carefully today too, to see that you were walking well. You were striding about so briskly, barking at me the whole time — and honestly, I was relieved."

"This is a s-surprise attack…"

Audrite could only stare at him, speechless. All this time — with that air of indifference — he was thinking of me.

It was the first time the smile of the man standing before her had ever looked so handsome.

The next day, Maru found himself standing before the King.

"See here, my boy. You said you could handle it, didn't you?"

The King chuckled heartily and handed him a scroll of parchment from atop the desk. "And this would be…?"

"I told you, didn't I? That I would grant you a glorious position."

The King gazed out the window as he continued. "Before long, the Hero Kiera will arrive here, accompanied by one Duke Toledo. I am appointing you as chief officer in charge of their official reception and protocol."

Maru's eyes widened at the sound of Kiera's name.

"Dealing with a Hero and a Duke is rather beyond a mere administrator, I should think. So I've decided to elevate your post to general rank. As of today, you are no longer an administrator — you are the Guardian of the Royal Banner, commander of thousands."