The men quickened their pace along the cobblestone path towards the Healer House.
Upon receiving Armel’s message, Kyren gave the signal, and they immediately turned back to meet the officers who had arrived.
"Wait! Just wait!" Agnes called, hurrying to keep up with them. "You can’t just leave like this!"
Luke glanced back at her without slowing.
"We don’t have time for this now. There’s an urgent task we need to attend to. Whatever pending matters between us, we can settle them later," he said sternly. "For now, we need to head to Semeta."
"Semeta? What on earth are you planning to do there?" she asked, bewildered.
Noah smirked.
"Wreck the palace, apparently. With the kind of news we’re bringing, I’m sure the king will be thrilled to see us."
Agnes stopped in her tracks, panting as the knights continued ahead without her.
"You won’t be able to see him!" she shouted after them. "Not even any of the royals if you’re going there with those officers!"
Immediately, Kyren stopped. The rest of his men followed suit.
He slowly turned around, and the knights followed his gaze. All eyes settled on the court lady behind them, her face flushed from the chase.
Kyren took a few steps towards her.
"What do you mean by saying we won’t be able to see the king or the royal family?" he asked.
Agnes bowed her head, folding her hands nervously before her as they trembled slightly.
"Pardon me... Your Imperial Majesty," she began cautiously. "The officers who came for you are most likely of a lower rank. At their level, even if you demand an audience, they won’t bring you before the king."
"Would they dare refuse the Guardian of the Khasif?" Eric scoffed.
Agnes lifted her head and turned towards the second-in-command knight.
"They would because they may not recognise the ring His Imperial Majesty wears, and if you insist on his identity, it could create unnecessary chaos," she explained. "From what I have seen, you came here rather than going directly to the palace. You even established a Healer House to help the people. I’m certain you didn’t come to this island intending to cause a scene or draw attention to yourselves."
Eric’s expression softened slightly as he listened.
The court lady continued, "If you reveal yourselves to the wrong officers now, they may mistake your actions for an attempt to force your way into the inner palace. It would only make matters more complicated."
Kyren paused, considering Agnes’s words.
"You’re quite sharp," he said. "You understood the situation with barely any explanation and even managed to foresee what might happen next."
He then glanced towards the road ahead.
"Nevertheless, I can’t delay this. It’s the only way for me and my men to reach Semeta without trouble and meet with Anna again. Besides, Elis needs to see Prince Kiev as soon as possible."
"Elis?" The court lady blinked in confusion.
For a moment, she looked at the Grand Duke, clearly expecting another revelation.
Then she shook her head.
There were still far too many details she had yet to understand. But, as Eric had said, ’that was another story for another time’.
"Never mind. I won’t pry any further," she said. "But what’s important now is that you can’t simply go there like this if you truly wish to see the king."
"Then what do you suggest?" Noah interjected. "Are we just going to wait again? We’ve spent so much time planning this. Do you expect us to abandon everything?"
"No! I didn’t say that!" Agnes rebuked. "At the very least, tell me why the officers came here to summon you. What is the reason for their arrival?"
"For what?" Luke sneered. "Are you going to stop us?"
She huffed.
"I’m a high-ranking court lady, Mr Parker! I grew up in Semeta and have served in the palace far longer than you might think. If you tell me why they have come, I might be able to think of something that could help!"
"It’s Sir Parker to you, my lady," Luke corrected. "I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself properly before. I’m a Knight of Gerhard, serving under His Highness the Grand Duke—or His Imperial Majesty, as you addressed him."
Agnes bit her lower lip. The introduction itself did not surprise her. It was the man’s manner of correcting her that annoyed her.
"Enough, you two!" Rafe stepped in, shooting Luke a side glance before turning back towards Agnes.
"For your information, we were summoned by the officers most probably because of the complaints lodged against us. Some people simply dislike the Healer House operating here and providing free services to those in need. They even came the other day and caused a commotion," he explained.
"I see... I can understand that. Of course, what you have done here has never been done before," Agnes replied.
"Yes. So there’s a high chance the officers will take us to Semeta for questioning, and perhaps even put us on trial for operating a service without paying the required taxes," Rafe added.
"No doubt about it," she nodded. "The authorities would certainly want an explanation, especially if the service has been operating outside the regulations."
"It’s not illegal. We have the required permits and licences. The only thing we haven’t complied with is the tax, since there’s no profit being made from the operation," Eric added.
"Right," Agnes acknowledged. "Without any profit, there’s no tax to pay. I understand."
"Good that you do," the second-in-command replied.
"If that’s the case... then they’ll most likely take you to the small court. It’s located on the outer palace grounds. From there, you won’t be able to enter the inner palace... unless..." she paused.
"Unless what?" Kyren asked.
"Unless we find a way to get you inside before the interrogation begins. But even then..." Agnes’s shoulders slumped. "It would be impossible to get all of you past the guards. I could only bring one or two people with me into the inner palace. Bringing the whole group would immediately draw the guards’ attention and create another commotion."
"What’s the problem?" Noah scoffed. "You can simply take our captain and Joseph inside. The rest of us can wait."
"That wouldn’t be a good idea. If I leave you behind, the Mederians could harm you or interfere with our plans while I’m gone. As much as I want to meet my wife, I won’t put everyone’s safety in jeopardy," Kyren replied.
The group fell into a brief silence. Then, suddenly, Agnes’s eyes lit up.
"The Bill!" she exclaimed.
"What Bill?" Eric asked.
"The Petition for Royal Audience and Protection Act," Agnes replied. "It was enacted to protect people who have performed good deeds for the kingdom but later found themselves accused of violating its laws."
"What does it do?" Rafe asked in interest.
"Under the Bill, anyone who can demonstrate that they acted for the benefit of the people may petition for a direct audience with the king, allowing His Majesty to consider the circumstances and weigh their actions against the accusations before judgment is passed."
The second-in-command knight’s brows furrowed.
"There is such a bill? I don’t recall seeing it in any of the legal registers," Eric said.
"It isn’t particularly well known among the people, as most are law-abiding citizens. Besides, those who are caught breaking the law rarely do so for the benefit of others. As a result, the Bill is hardly ever invoked," Agnes explained.
"My, my, what a clever wife you have, Luke," Noah remarked, nudging his companion with his elbow as he rubbed his chin.
Luke shot him a warning glare, but Noah remained unfazed. The knight simply continued smiling, clearly not intimidated in the slightest.
Agnes ignored him completely. After spending the past few hours with Noah, she had already learned enough about his troublesome habit of teasing everyone around him.
"So I only need to mention the Bill?" Kyren asked.
"Yes. Simply request that it be invoked. They cannot dismiss your petition," Agnes replied confidently. "Too many people have witnessed the good the Healer House has done, and word has already spread throughout the island. If they refuse, it could easily backfire on them."
Luke turned towards Agnes with a flicker of admiration.
Only a few hours ago, he had thought of her as nothing more than a grouchy and troublesome court lady.
Now, he was beginning to see an entirely different side of her—sharp-minded, knowledgeable, and remarkably resourceful.
"Why don’t you come with us?" he suddenly asked. "You said it yourself... you know Semeta well. On the way there, we can explain everything else we haven’t told you."
"I ought to return to Semeta as well, but I can’t go with you. The officers know me, and I came here secretly without my supervisor’s approval. If they see me, I could get into deep trouble before the truth about you is revealed to the palace and accepted. Please forgive me," she said apologetically.
"Don’t feel guilty. What you suggested just now will help us greatly," Kyren assured her. "I understand your situation."
Agnes lifted her head, visibly relieved by his understanding.
"But I’ll still help in any way I can. Once I return, if you need me..." She slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out her personal seal. "Show this to any palace assistant, and they will come and find me for you."
"That’s your personal seal!" Luke exclaimed, raising his brows.
"Yes. As a high-ranking court lady, I don’t hand my personal seal to just anyone. It is precious to me and serves as my identification. Whoever you show it to will understand that the bearer has my personal authority," she explained.
Kyren’s blue eyes fell upon the seal resting in Agnes’s palm. Rather than reaching for it himself, he turned towards Luke and gave him a slight nod of his chin.
"Take it with you. We might need it soon," Kyren ordered.
"Me?" Luke pointed at himself.
"Just take it already. We need to move now!" Eric urged.
Luke let out a small sigh and stepped forward. He accepted the seal from Agnes, then gave her a slight bow.
"Thank you. We’ll call on you if we need your assistance."
"Of course. Now go!" Agnes replied. "I’ll see you all in Semeta."