Arlan followed the drunk general and sat beside him while Drayce and his knights went out of the banquet before disappearing in one corner. Time was of the essence, and they needed to get Prince Cian as soon as possible. 

The map was fixed in Drayce’s mind, and he knew the location was close by. As most of the guards were busy enjoying the drinks together with the soldiers and weren’t paying much attention to anyone, it was easy for Drayce and the knights to move around without much disturbance.

Inside the banquet, red-faced General Giles sat in his wide chair leisurely, his elbow resting at the handrest of the chair to give support to his head. His leg dangled sloppily on the other handrest as if he wished to lay there for the rest of the night. 

His other hand held a wine glass as he continued to appreciate Arlan’s appearance, who was currently kneeling next to the table and was holding a wine bottle, ready to refill the General’s almost empty wine glass. 

General Giles sipped wine without hiding his indecent intentions towards the handsome man serving him. “This wine sure tastes heavenly after you served it.”

“I never tell a lie,” Arlan replied as he placed the wine bottle back on the table. 

The pig-like general patted his one thigh, signaling him to sit. “Why don’t you get comfortable here?”

“I wish General Giles to save those strong thighs for the night.”

Though Arlan focused on keeping this man busy, his mind was wondering how long it would take for Drayce to send him the signal that the Prince of Abetha had been found. Each second felt like a year to him.

Once Prince Cian was rescued, Arlan was sure to please this general enough for the rest of his life.

“My thighs are stronger than you can imagine.” General Giles gave him a meaningful gaze with a dirty smirk on his ugly lips.

“As much as I would like to believe that, General, I am also not fond of displaying my skills in front of a crowd. Pleasure is best exchanged between the giver and the receiver alone,” Arlan countered smoothly. “Doesn’t that kind of pleasure sound more special?”

“I must say I’m honored,” said the laughing general as he emptied the entire wine glass in one gulp. 

Arlan again served wine in the general’s empty glass. 

——-

Drayce and his companions sneaked towards where the Prince Cian was reported to be kept captive, crossing the multiple dimly lit passages between the rooms inside Marquis Percy’s castle. Whenever they see guards patrolling around, they would turn towards the many forked corridors before resuming their planned route.

Stopping in front of one well-carved door which showed it was a guest room meant for important people, Drayce spoke. “This is it.”

The door handles had chains and an iron lock on them to lock it from the outside, but something seemed off to Drayce. Finally, his personal knight, Slayer, voiced out what was exactly in his King’s mind. 

“Why are there no guards here?” Slayer asked, puzzled, but Drayce merely signaled him to break the lock.

Slayer pulled out a thin metal pin-like tool and did something with the lock, and it opened in less than ten seconds. 

Removing the iron chains, the knights carefully opened the door, making sure not to make any noise when they entered the room.

The room was silent. Drayce’s gaze was on the bed in the middle of the room where someone was sleeping quietly, covered entirely with a blanket. He found the sight more suspicious. Like him, Cian Ilven was a swordsman too, and this crown prince was a renowned general; after all, he would not be put in charge of Abetha’s Northern Fortress if he had no skills. How could someone like him not wake up when intruders had entered his room?

Slayer stepped forward and pulled the blanket away, only to see something unexpected. 

There was a man wearing the clothes of the guards in this military base. His hands and legs were tied, and his mouth was covered tightly with cloth. He was unconscious. 

“This is not Crown Prince Cian,” the other knight who belonged to Sir Berolt’s knight brigade said.

“Could it be that the Prince has escaped?” Slayer commented. 

The Abethan knight agreed. “His Highness is not the type to simply wait for rescue. He is smart just as he is strong.”

“He must have gone to the one who can make the escape easy for him once threatened for life,” Drayce commented.

“Marquis Godfrey Percy? But he has been reported to have left Barknor a few hours ago,” said the Abethan knight.

“Then, General Giles Seeiso,” Slayer concluded. 

Drayce nodded, and the three left immediately. Arlan was with the general, and their intuition was strong that Prince Cian must have gone there too. They had to return to where the general was. 

As they retraced their way, they met the other knights who also snuck in disguise. One of them came to alert them. “Commander Berolt and his team are ready. General Cavrois is also waiting for the signal to charge in with the rest of the knights.”

After the brief exchange, Drayce and the other two returned to the banquet hall, only to see the pig-like general was no longer there and there was no sign of Arlan.

They quickly found one of their men placed there to keep an eye on the hall. 

“Your Majesty, Prince Arlan left the hall with the general half an hour after you left to search for Prince Cian.”