Enigmas

"Your Highness?" Hilia probed and May abruptly stood up from her seat, knocking the old, wooden table harshly in the process. The cups and teapot toppled over, however, May disregarded it, hurrying to the princess' side.

"Get...get out of here…"

"What?"

"Princess, you have to calm down."

"Get out of here, you unscrupulous bastards!" Siraye exclaimed, her eyes growing wide and a wild look was in her eyes, as she grabbed at one of the swords laying on the couch, unsheathing it. "I'll-I'll kill you! All of you!"

She continued screaming at them, her hands shaking violently as she pointed the sword at them. She looked slightly demented, and Hilia noticed her eyes welling up in tears.

"Princess, please! You need to calm down!"

"Get out! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

"Princess!"

June moved hastily, grabbing and pulling Hilia and Yoan out of the tent without a word. Hilia and Yoan were confounded by the disconcerted state of the princess. June noted their expressions, folding her arms across her chest, releasing their arms.

"Come with me." She growled out, a sullen look on her face.

They trailed behind June, silent and not saying a word, they were led to the campfire and June told them to settle down on the wooden bench, her tone gruff.

"Would you mind giving us privacy? Thank you."

Everyone distanced themselves from the three of them, and June took out her dagger, sighing yet again as she played with her dagger. It was obvious she was an expert in handling her weapons by the way she was playing with her dagger.

"When the princess heard that Mino had the two of you arrested, she thought that the two of you were framed, despite being fugitives. However, right now...she wouldn't dare approach any of you ever again."

"...I...I don't understand." Hilia murmured out, shaking her head at June.

"Seems like the two of you were completely duped by Mino too," June stopped playing with her dagger, stabbing it into the ground. "Just like the princess."

"Explain it clearly." Yoan barked out, curling his lips in dissatisfaction.

"I'm sure you know about the current state of our kingdom, there's no other reason why you would let yourself be dragged into such a situation otherwise. The mastermind isn't what Mino talked about, it's him...the mastermind is Mino."

Hilia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, horrified by the revelation and she looked at Yoan, his face surprisingly nonchalant.

"I already knew that," Yoan stated. "We already knew that--stop acting, Hilia."

Hilia was speechless, furrowing her eyebrows at Yoan who only gave her a discrete wink. She knew it was a signal from him to play along.

How can I play along? He knows I am terrible at lying. I'll just assume that he will do the talking.

"The two of you knew?" June asked, raising her eyebrows, astounded.

Yoan nodded, taking the dagger out from the ground and tossing it back to her, which she caught it with ease. "It doesn't change the reason why we still decided to get involved, we wanted to offer a helping hand."

June only gave them a dubious look, making Yoan smirk.

"It isn't me wanting to offer a helping hand--it's her, I'm just someone that goes along with her whims." Yoan shrugged his shoulders, pointing towards Hilia. She resisted the urge to pinch Yoan, she knew she had to put on an act after all and she only nodded slowly.

"Why help us?" June inquired, after all, someone deciding to involve themselves in a complicated mess willingly without any kind of motive seems rather unbelievable.

"We have some questions we need to be answered, and it seems like this is the only answer for our questions," Yoan answered honestly, standing up and shoving his hands into his pocket. "We aren't looking to make friends with the princess or the kingdom, we are only simply here to provide a helping hand."

He gestured for Hilia to stand up and she did so, going along with Yoan's act. He wrapped his hand around her wrist gently, and giving June a wave.