Chapter 66: Sienna Rothflame [1]

It seemed I had slept considerably longer than I originally intended. By the time I finally stirred and opened my eyes, the sun had already begun its descent, casting the long, amber shadows of late afternoon across my bedchambers, signaling the rapid approach of evening.

Pushing myself up, I sat on the edge of the mattress and glanced around the quiet room.

“Leilah? Regina?” I called out to the empty air.

When no response came, it became apparent that neither of them was present. They had likely slipped away, not wishing to disturb my rest before the grueling hours of carriage travel that awaited us tonight.

In truth, I would not have minded them resting within my quarters, but as expected, courtly protocol and their own inhibitions made that impossible. Both of them would feel awkward sleeping in the King’s personal chambers, as though they were presuming a station that did not belong to them. Regina had done so once, of course, but that was immediately following our intimate encounter, which was an entirely different matter.

Still, there should be no issue with them simply resting upon the sofas or chairs in the future. Leilah had done so briefly, but it seemed she had vanished into the shadows shortly after I fell asleep.

Standing up, I stretched my stiff muscles with a quiet groan and headed straight for the washroom. There was no need to constantly bother Regina for every minor task; I was perfectly capable of drawing my own bath. By simply utilizing a few water essence stones and gently heating the basin with a flicker of my own golden flame, the task was effortlessly accomplished. I allowed myself to relax in the soothing warmth for a brief moment, though I did not linger too long, considering I had already bathed just hours prior.

Once refreshed, I quickly dried off and dressed in the sturdy, unassuming travel garments Regina had laid out for me. Firmly fastening the scabbard of Hyperion to my belt, I quietly stepped out of my quarters and into the grand hallways.

I paused after only a few steps, my gaze dropping to the pristine marble floor. The stone almost gleamed, reflecting the flickering torches with a flawless, mirror-like polish that was noticeably superior to its usual state.

Cedrik and Lyria… those two had certainly taken my command to heart, doing an exceptional job of scrubbing the corridor. I could easily tell the difference. They had been remarkably thorough.

I resumed my measured pace, navigating the winding corridors until I reached the grand vestibule exiting the royal wing. There, I found Lenora standing alongside Alice, peering thoughtfully out of a tall, arched window.

Upon hearing the heavy thud of my boots, my sister turned to face me.

“Ah, Brother. Arges has arrived in the outer courtyard. He explicitly requested to speak with you before your departure,” she informed me.

“Right,” I nodded, not breaking my stride.

Lenora and Alice fell into step slightly behind me as I descended the sweeping, grand staircase toward the ground floor. Pushing through the doors, we emerged into the brisk evening air of the outer courtyard.

The space was bustling with heavily armored Royal Knights, considerably more than the usual nightly patrol. But then again, that heightened security had been my explicit demand to begin with. I continued my approach, acknowledging the crisp, perfectly synchronized salutes and deep bows of the stationed guards.

Sweeping my gaze across their ranks, I noted a multitude of unfamiliar faces among them. Somehow, that realization was more reassuring than seeing the usual, complacent guards. These men had been secretly, personally handpicked by the Scarlet Commander himself after all.

Walking through the courtyard, I quickly spotted Arges’s towering figure near the carriage prep area. He was engaged in quiet, serious conversation with someone clad in a spectacularly crafted, fully plated suit of armor.

As I drew closer, Arges caught sight of my approach. He immediately ceased speaking, turning his gaze toward me to offer a stiff, highly formal bow.

“Your Majesty. I wish you a safe and prosperous journey,” he said loudly for the courtyard to hear, before pivoting on his heel and marching away without another word. Though Lenora quickly caught him to speak.

Regardless.

’What a magnificent actor you are, Arges. I am impressed.’

I found myself suppressing a highly amused smile as I watched his theatrical, seemingly cold departure. Once he was out of earshot, I turned my full attention toward the armored figure he had left behind. Upon closer inspection, the slender, refined proportions of the steel revealed it was not a man standing before me, but a woman entirely encased in plate armor.

Her helmet obscured the vast majority of her facial features, but through the dark visor, I could clearly make out a pair of intense, fiery orange eyes locking onto mine.

“Your Majesty,” she greeted immediately, with disciplined edge. Without a moment’s hesitation, she dropped fluidly to one knee, bowing her armored head in respect.

I stared down at her kneeling form for a moment, blinking in sudden realization.

“You are… Arges’s second-in-command, are you not?” I asked.

“I am the Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard, Your Majesty. Sienna Rothflame,” she answered.

“Rothflame… Ah, right,” I nodded, my eyes widening slightly as the pieces clicked into place.

Admittedly, I had paid shockingly little attention to the identity of the Vice-Commander until this exact moment, but of course it was her.

Sienna Rothflame. She was the only daughter of Duke Rothflame, the other immensely powerful, militarily prominent Duke of Helios alongside Asthenia’s father.

“Take off your helmet,” I said.

Sienna immediately raised her gauntleted hands, unfastening the latches before pulling the steel helm from her head.

Instantly, a cascade of beautiful, fiery orange-red hair tumbled free, woven tightly into a thick battle braid. With her face finally revealed in the fading sunlight, I was struck by the beauty of her features.

She was utterly gorgeous. There was truly no better word to describe her. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, and she literally embodied the peak feminine beauty, radiating a fierce womanly charm. Coupled with the lethal sharpness burning in her orange eyes and the stern elegance of her jawline, she was a breathtaking sight.

Yes, she had easily captured my full attention.

I found an appreciative smile pulling at the corners of my mouth despite myself.

Of course it was Sienna.

I could not explicitly recall ever meeting her face-to-face in the past, perhaps I had crossed paths with her years ago during some tedious court function, but certainly never this directly. However, I had obviously heard countless rumors regarding her prowess.

To achieve the prestigious rank of Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard at such a young age and to be personally handpicked for the role by a battle-hardened veteran like Arges meant she unequivocally possessed the strength required to back up her title.

That shrewd old muscle headed Duke had certainly been blessed with an exceptionally gorgeous, staggeringly lethal daughter, had he not?

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