“Next time, I’ll make sure to replace that lizard with your thing,” Drayce warned as his sight moved downward along Arlan’s body.

In reflex, Arlan lowered his hand when Drayce said ‘his thing’ and spoke, “Do you wish to know about her tonight or want to wait to find someone who loves their life?”

In response, Drayce sat on one of the chairs, kept his sword to one side, and simply stared at the prince. Arlan followed him to occupy the chair next to him.

Drayce no longer needed to repeat his question as Arlan decided to tell him everything that he knew. It was not a good idea to keep his friend hanging. Arlan was sure Drayce was daring enough to storm the Third Princess’s tower to find the truth on his own and create an even bigger mess.

To be honest, Arlan was already surprised that Drayce had remained patient and didn’t think about going to that tower after that time when King Armen stopped them.

“This is something I heard from Lenard, who probably learned it from his fiancee, Second Princess Meira. According to him, one night seventeen years back, a witch wearing a black cloak entered the palace with a newborn baby. The guards and servants who saw her couldn’t stop her, and when she asked to see the king, King Armen agreed to meet her alone. What the two talked about, no one knew. The witch left, leaving that baby to the king, and the next day, King Armen declared that the baby is the third princess of Abetha.”

“So her mother is really a witch?” Drayce asked.

“Well, of course, no one asked that mysterious woman face to face if she’s one, but those who saw her described that woman as the ugliest person they had ever seen. She had scary black scales on her entire body; her hands were like reptiles, with long nails and scaly palms. People were so scared to go close to her. As the King announced the baby she brought as the third princess, everyone had to accept it. Witch’s daughter or not, she is part of the Royal House of Ilven, and thus, part of the ruling family of the Kingdom of Abetha. King Armen never denied the fact that the mother of that baby was a witch, so everyone believed it was the truth.”

Drayce listened to everything carefully. “Have you seen the Third Princess?”

“No, but I heard she has scales on her body like her mother, which made everyone believe she is a witch too. And half of her face is always covered with a veil, so no one ever saw her face either. They believe she is as scary as her mother, so she hides her appearance.”

“Scales?” Drayce asked, and then he remembered the face of that young woman whom he had saved earlier. ‘I’m sure there was none,’ Drayce mused, and now he was even more interested to know what she’s hiding.

Arlan nodded. “She doesn’t have them like her mother, whose entire body was covered in scales, but only on her forehead and hands. It’s what I heard. Must be because she is half-human too.”

Drayce remembered the veiled woman’s details again. Her forehead’s delicate skin was shining under the bright sunlight, and there was no sign of scales. He remembered holding her hands, but neither of them seemed to have anything strange.

“That’s it,” Arlan sighed, but his friend glared at him.

“Are you sure you are not forgetting anything?” Drayce put his hand on the handle of his sword as a silent warning for Arlan.

Arlan felt like his troublesome friend was getting more troublesome by the minute. “I’m telling you this not because I’m scared of you. I just don’t want you to go to that tower and create a mess.”

“I’m waiting,” Drayce warned again.

“They say her eyes are purple and it adds to everyone’s belief that she is definitely a witch.”

Finally, Drayce heard what he wished and let go of his sword.

Arlan grinned at him. “Everything I said is something I have heard from my brother Lenard and others, so I’m not sure if it’s the truth.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll verify it and will let you know,” Drayce replied.

With a grimace, Arlan stood up, intending to leave. “Don’t tell me you are really planning to go to that tower.”

“We can’t invade the privacy of a lady, right?” Drayce countered.

“Yeah, we can’t, so don’t even think about it. We are leaving tomorrow so behave till then,” warned Arlan.

Drayce didn’t react and turned to keep his sword back on the sword rack. “I hope you are not planning to sleep with me.”

“As if I really want it.”

Arlan huffed and left the room, but still, his guts were telling him that his friend was up to no good.