The Royal Deal

ve items, such as jewels, metals, and even magic stones.
All of the mines in the Empire were the property of the empress.
However, from what he remembered, this mine had neve been listed in the empire’s assets.
Nothing that he received, when he was Duke Skad, had ever come from this location.
The only possible explanation, he could think of, was that this was a smuggling mine.
He needed to know for sure, which is why he had been out in the woods tonight.

When he first realized he wasn’t alone, and had seen Amethyst stumbling about the woods, he had been angry.
Even small children knew that it was dangerous to be in a strange forest after dark.
But why was she in this forest? She always ended up in dangerous situations.
Perhaps it was the world trying to rectify the fact that she had cheated death and shouldn’t have been here in the first place.
But the irrational side of his brain continued to want to protect her.
Despite all the reasons to the contrary, he couldn’t let her die.

The two men in the clearing had continued their conversation.

“Have you ever killed someone before?” the first guard asked.

“No,” the second guard answered.
“What about you?”

“I haven’t even been in a battle.”

“Then it seems that you and I have a lot in common,” the second guard stated.

“I’m scared,” the first guard said, his voice shaking.

“Of what?”

“Of killing someone.
I hope no one passes by.”

“Very funny,” the second guard didn’t seem amused.
“We’re guards, so let’s guard.
Besides, no one will even come into these parts of the mountain, thank to the rumours of horrible creatures that have been spread.
So, stop worrying, and keep your eyes open.”

“Wait!” The first guard perked up.

“What?” the second guard asked.

“I saw a movement over there.”

The second guard turned and looked at where his partner was pointing.
They were squinting into the darkness directly towards where Amethyst and Alexcent were hiding.
Alexcent could feel Amethyst shaking in terror.

“I’ll go and check,” the second guard said, and started approaching the spot that they couched in the shadows.
Alexcent picked up a small rock from the ground and threw it hard into the trees on the other side of the clearing.
The bouncing stone disturbed a group of birds that had been nesting in the bushes and they flew into the sky in a flurry of feathers.