"The balcony has a beautiful view. You can see the Greenwood forest from here. It always calms me."
Christina laughed softly.
"You're a Wood Elf through and through."
"Come, let's get some fresh air."
Footsteps moved away. The door closed. Silence followed.
The Princess immediately turned to the Hero.
"They went out to the balcony. Come on, we're going inside and hiding in the room."
The Hero stared at her, stunned.
"What? That's completely improper."
But the Princess was already opening the door — and with one swift motion, she pulled the Hero inside with her.
The Great Hide‑and‑Seek
The bedchamber was spacious, elegant, and filled with elven motifs. Carved vines curled along the walls, the air carried a faint floral scent, and in the center stood a massive, four‑poster bed large enough for four people.
The Hero looked around in panic.
"And where exactly are we supposed to hide?"
The Princess already had an answer.
"Quickly, under the bed! Hurry!"
The Hero tried to protest, but Anabella was already on all fours, slipping beneath the hanging curtains of the bedspread. With a resigned sigh, the Hero followed her.
There was surprisingly plenty of room under the bed — enough for four people, let alone two. The floor was spotless, the air cool, and the darkness offered perfect concealment.
The Princess whispered with satisfaction:
"Perfect. We'll hear everything from here."
The Hero pressed a hand to her forehead.
"This is madness."
"This is investigation," the Princess corrected smugly.
The Return
Moments later, the door opened, and Floralys, Christina, and Andras returned.
The Princess and the Hero held their breath.
The three nobles took their seats around the small round table with four chairs. The chairs creaked softly as they sat, and the group began to talk.
The Princess listened with intense focus.
The Hero simply prayed no one would accidentally look under the bed.
The quiet room slowly filled with the first lines of strategic discussion — though the Princess misinterpreted every single word. The honey‑wine had made her imagination far too lively.
And the misunderstandings were only just beginning.
The bedchamber was quiet, save for the faint sounds of the night drifting in from outside. The Princess and the Hero lay side by side under the bed, curled up on the spotless floor.
The Hero whispered:
"I really don't think we should be eavesdropping."
The Princess waved her off impatiently.
"I told you something naughty is going on. You still think she's showing him magical things? In her bedchamber? Really?"
The Hero sighed.
"Even so, we shouldn't be listening."
"Be quiet for a moment," the Princess hissed.
Above them, Floralys's voice sounded:
"So, how do you like Greenwood so far?"
Andras replied:
"I'd love to explore the area if we weren't in the middle of a war against the demons."
Christina added:
"I can't even have a beer. The demons could show up at any moment."
Under the bed, the Princess's eyes widened.
"They're drinking beer in the bedchamber…?" she whispered, scandalized.
The Hero pressed a hand to her forehead.
"They're just talking."
Above them, Andras continued:
"You can have one beer. In the heat of battle, it would pass through you quickly."
The Princess gasped softly.
"In the heat of battle… pass through her…? That's coded language. I'm sure of it."
The Hero didn't even try to argue anymore.
Floralys asked:
"When do you think they'll attack?"
Christina:
"Maybe we should try to understand what the demons are thinking? I have no idea."
Andras:
"Hmm. As long as we're inside the castle, they probably won't attack. It would be much easier for them in the forest. Is Harpy Island far from Greenwood?"
Floralys:
"A day's journey by ship, but no one dares go near it. The Harpies have sunk many ships."
Under the bed, the Princess whispered:
"Ships… sinking… This is definitely some kind of secret romantic metaphor. I'm certain of it."
The Hero just shook her head helplessly.
Then Andras said:
"Well, they won't be sinking any more. The Harpies are gone. The Fire Demons took the island."
Floralys suddenly exclaimed:
"But that means they're only a day away from us! And flying, they could reach us in half a day!"
Under the bed, the Princess's eyes widened.
"Half a day to reach them…? Who? What? What is happening in there?"
The Hero whispered:
"They're talking about demons. This is a strategic discussion."
But the Princess was unmoved.
"The demons… that could be a code name too."
The Hero didn't bother replying.
Above them, Christina asked:
"Where did you get this information?"
Andras:
"The Fire Demon told us — the one Andrea defeated."
Christina:
"What else did he say?"
Andras:
"Their leader is a mad demon named Wildfire."
Christina:
"Is he one of the Demon Generals?"
Andras:
"We couldn't find out. The demon died before he could tell us."
Floralys:
"He must have been quite talkative."
Andras:
"The other demons fear Wildfire. He destroys enemies and allies alike. He's not bound to them by loyalty or trust — only fear."
Under the bed, the Princess whispered in shock:
"This… this is definitely some kind of secret love drama. Wildfire… enemies and allies… fear… This is a love triangle!"
The Hero whispered back, exhausted:
"This is a war strategy meeting."
But the Princess was already fully invested in her own interpretation.
"No, Eris. Something much deeper is happening here. And I'm going to uncover it."
Under the bed lay two women — one completely misunderstanding everything, the other having abandoned all hope.
Above them, the strategy against the demons was beginning to take shape.
The quiet of the bedchamber was broken only by the soft creak of four chairs as Andras, Floralys, and Christina settled around the table. MS Eli floated in circles above them like an overactive, thousand‑year‑old magical spirit — visible only to Young Wolf.
Under the bed lay two women:
Princess Anabella, who misunderstood every word, and
the Hero, who understood every word — and suffered far more because of it.
Above: a strategic war council.
Below: suspicion of a romantic conspiracy.
Floralys spoke first:
"Let's assume he is one of the Demon Generals. Could Eris defeat him?"
Under the bed, the Princess's eyes widened.
"'Could Eris defeat him…?' What are they talking about?"
The Hero pressed a hand to her forehead.
Above them, Andras answered:
"In a fair one‑on‑one fight, probably. The problem is that demons are the most deceitful enemies. If they exploit Eris's weak point, we'll lose."
Under the bed, the Princess jerked upright.
"Weak point?! Eris has no weak point! She's the Hero!"
The Hero whispered, mortified:
"Please… don't comment…"
Above them, Christina asked:
"The Hero has a weak point?"
Andras:
"It's simpler than you think. It's the Princess."
Under the bed, Anabella froze.
The Hero went pale.
"The Princess is a fragile girl. She can't defend herself even against a weak demon. Eris is her bodyguard. Right now, she has to protect her."
The Princess's eyes filled with tears.
"'Fragile…? Can't protect anyone…? I… I'm not fragile…'"
The Hero whispered, trying to comfort her:
"He didn't mean it like that…"
Andras continued:
"Now imagine if a demon took the Princess hostage. Could Eris fight Wildfire then? Could she sacrifice the Princess for humanity? She couldn't. She's still too young to make such a heavy decision."
Under the bed, the Princess clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
"They would sacrifice… me…?"
The Hero's eyes widened.
"I would never do that!"
"That's exactly what they're talking about!" the Princess whispered. "You wouldn't sacrifice me! And they think that's a problem!"
Above them, Floralys said:
"She'd probably get confused — or worse, panic — and make the wrong decision."
Christina added:
"Yes, exactly. Not even the Princess's life can outweigh the entire world. And the Hero's life is equal to the world itself. If the Hero falls, the world ends."
Under the bed, the Princess listened with her mouth open.
"I… I'm worth less than the world…?"