Page 164 of The White King's Favorite

“How is the K-King?” Cessilia asked nervously.

Naptunie shook her head, helpless. She was no healer, but she knew Cessilia could already see in one glance. The King was in a bad state, and only holding on by sheer willpower. Cessilia exchanged a glance with Tessandra, on the other side of his body.

“...You have to go,” nodded Tessandra. “Use the lake. I’ll lead the people here to the exits as soon as we kill more of those bastards.”

Cessilia glanced to the side. The stalactites kept falling and reducing the number of Yebekh’s men drastically, but it wouldn’t be enough. There was still a hell of a fight waiting for the survivors...

“Cessilia, go,” insisted Tessa before she could even refuse. “We already knew things might turn out like this.”

“You’re going too.”

Surprised, Tessandra turned to Sabael, who was standing there with a very serious expression. He was hurt and tired, but he had never looked so determined.

“No,” said Tessandra. “No, Sab. I’m staying with you.”

“You’re going,” he retorted. “Tessandra, I’m staying with my people, but Lady Cessilia will need you to get His Majesty out of here. And only you can accompany her. Take Nana with you.”

“Sabael, I can’t!”

He smiled, grabbing her hand as she was about to push him away, causing her words to become stuck in her throat.

“Go,” he insisted. “I promise we will be fine here. But we can’t guarantee there won’t be more enemies on the other side, and if the King and the Princess don’t make it out, everything will be lost. Please, trust me.”

Tessandra was still at a loss for words. She kept glancing around, looking for someone to help her out of this one, but strangely, everyone there seemed to agree with Sabael. They didn’t know what Tessa meant by using the lake, but they all had one conviction: the King and his Princess had to survive. Cessilia had already bought them a lot of time, but everyone remaining was ready to keep fighting. The Dorosef Tribe Leader nodded with conviction, and turned to Cessilia.

“Princess, please save His Majesty. I promise, no one else thinks like the Yekara Clan. If you can save our King, I swear everyone in this Kingdom will happily fight the usurper and the Yekara. Save him. That’s all we ask.”

Cessilia nodded, her fingers tightening up around Ashen’s.

“...I p-promise I will.”

Next to her, Naptunie had her eyes on her brother and uncle, looking about to cry.

“Sab... Uncle...”

“Nana, I’m entrusting you with the Princesses,” said Sabael, ignoring Tessandra’s furious eyes. “You stick to them and the King and help the best you can, alright? I know you’ll be the best to assist them. Make sure the Princesses and His Majesty are safe, it’s the most important thing right now.”

“Sabael!” shouted Tessandra, still furious. “You can’t do that! You guys barely have any chance of making it!”

Sabael chuckled, and turned to her with a smug expression.

“I already know that. And I may not be as good as you,” he said, “but you still shouldn’t underestimate me. I’m still a Royal Guard. Protecting the King is my duty, and I’ll die doing so if I must.”

He stepped closer to her, squeezing her hand. Tessandra tried to pull away, but from what Cessilia saw, she probably didn’t use her full strength as Sabael held on.

“...I love you,” he muttered, “but my duty to my King comes first, Tessandra. I’m sure you understand.”

Once again, Tessandra had nothing to retort, simply glaring at him with her furious, but conflicted, dark eyes. It was only a matter of a few precious seconds, and the fight around them would resume. There was no time to lose, but she still didn’t want to let go. No one knew when they would see each other again. There was no guarantee they would even see each other again, and they knew it all too well. The urgency of the situation, coupled with their respective dutiful personalities, made it even more painful. For once, Tessandra had her personal feelings battling her rational mind, and she hated it. She clenched her teeth, and suddenly kissed him. It was a quick but forceful kiss, with a salty taste as tears ran down her cheeks.

“...You’d better make it,” she muttered. “If you die, I’ll kill you.”

“Got it,” he chuckled.

After that, as if to get this over with, Tessandra angrily turned around and grabbed Naptunie’s hand, pulling her toward the lake. As the echo of Cessilia’s voice started dying on the other side, they knew it was time to leave before the fight resumed.

“You should hurry, Princess,” nodded Nana’s uncle, looking at his niece’s silhouette.

“Will you b-be alright?” muttered Cessilia.

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