******[KINGDOM OF TEREAU]********
Viex and Ace finally reached the other end of the hidden passage. For Viex, it was a long and agonizing process because he could feel the elf prince glaring at his back to hurry. It wasn’t Viex’s fault. Kaya was taking his sweet time floating around them.
As soon as they got out, Viex was more than happy to see a friendly face. Kellar helped them out by removing the covering of the wall. Ace was dusting his clothes and giving the younger prince a look. “First, you made me wear those cheap and obsolete armors. And then, you made me crawl into a very narrow secret passage. What’s next? You’re going to make me act polite?”
Kellar was taken aback at his words. “Aren’t people suppose to be polite in the first place?” He asked. It wasn’t sarcastic. He was just wondering why the prince would ask him such a ridiculous question.
“Not for a PRINCE.” He snapped at him before dusting his chest one more time. “Now, where’s is Rose’s sister?”
“Her name is Stella.” Kellar corrected him and started moving in the other direction. “This way.”
Viex jumped onto Kellar’s shoulder out of habit. The young prince was temporarily startled but didn’t mind him at all. In fact, he was thrilled that Viex was comfortable with him enough to stay close to him.
They have passed rows of empty cells, which all were dimly lit and smelled badly of either rot or piss. Even the PRINCE himself couldn’t keep his face straight and grimace in disgust at the odor.
Kellar suddenly stopped and Viex looked up to see what he was looking at. Lucas, Kellar’s second brother was in front of Stella’s cell and seemingly laughing at her. But by the looks of things, Stella acted like she didn’t see him. In fact, she acted like she didn’t see him.
Lucas seemed pissed when Stella yawned and made herself more comfortable on the ground. “Are you done?” Viex heard her ask in annoyance, an attitude that nearly - but not completely - surprised him. He somehow compared the young girl to the princess and how their attitudes are a bit similar.
Both of their mouths don’t have any filter and could potentially get them into trouble.
Lucas suddenly pulled out a whip from his side and raised it in the air as if to hit her. “I think someone needs to learn their manners for a bit.”
Viex almost fell when Kellar suddenly ran to stop his older brother. But the elf prince was faster. He reached Lucas in no time and knocked him out by hitting his head to the wall hard enough that his eyes rolled into his skull.
“That was a very bad form. Even Rose has better control of her whip than you.” He kicked the now unconscious second prince and threw him inside an empty barrel. When Ace looked back, he noticed Stella looking at him with wide eyes. “What?” Ace asked. Then he noticed that Stella’s nails were covered in ice spikes like she was really to hurl them at her opponent.
Stella noticed what the elf man was looking at and immediately dispersed the ice on her nails. “Sorry. I was going to strike him until you knocked him out.”
Ace was baffled at what he just saw. So it is true that she’s a winter fairy. But how the hell can this girl control her magic so well?
“Stella?” Kellar finally arrived. “Are you alright? What did he do to you?” He asked her worriedly despite the fact that his brother is inside an empty barrel.
Stella shrugged. “Nothing. He simply asked me to join them. He says that with my magic we can overthrow his brother. He asked me to be his queen.”
Ace and Kellar frowned at the same time. But it was PRINCE Ace who knocked down the barrel with the Lucas in it while Kellar kicked it to who knows where.
The second prince, Lucas, looks as old as Kellar, but to already have a twisted mind like that? Ace hopes that he would break his neck when he crashes somewhere. “Who the hell proposes to a child?” He demanded. But then his mind remembered Prince Nate, who would literally flirt with pretty women.
“Stella, this is the man that I told you about. He’s here to help you. Prince Ace, this is Stella. Stella, this is Prince Ace.” Kellar introduced them.
“I’m here to rescue you in place of your sister.” Ace said.
“I said I don’t -” Stella sighed and shook her head. She was tired of saying that so she would just have to let it go for now. “Nevermind. Let’s just get out of here.”
Kellar nodded and glanced at Ace. “Do you know how to pick a lock?”
“What do you think I am? A thief? I am a PRINCE!” Ace glowered at him.
Kellar tried to hide his disappointment with a sigh. “Nevermind. I’ll just go and get the key-”
“Oh for heaven’s sake. We don’t need any key.” Stella got up and placed her hands over the lock and began to freeze it. “Lowering the temperature always makes the strength of materials weaker. If I lower the temperature enough to its freezing point then it should brittle enough that you can break it like glass.”
As Stella continued to freeze the lock, Ace and Kellar exchanged confused looks at Stella’s words. Although they didn’t voice it out, Viex knows that they have no idea what she was talking about.
“There. Now, all we need to do is apply a force greater than its internal strength.” She smiled proudly at her work and glance at Ace and Kellar.
“Um…” Kellar was the first one to speak. “Sorry, Stella. What are we supposed to do exactly...?”
Viex saw the young fairy princess blush. “Sorry. I started babbling again.” She cleared her throat and pointed at the lock. “It will make a lot of noise, but we can actually break the lock if we hit it strong enough.”
Kellar looked at Ace. The elf prince nodded and stepped forward. “Move aside.” He told Stella.
“Like I said. If you do break it, it will cause a lot of noise. Which will definitely alert the guards.” Stella reminded him.
“Then I guess we I should give it everything I’ve got in one go. Then we’ll leave immediately.” Ace says and waited for both of the kids to nod before he kicked the lock. Just as Stella said, the metal shattered like glass, and the gate burst open with a loud bang.
“What was that?” They heard the guards talking outside.
Stella immediately ran outside as Kellar started to guide them. As soon as they rounded a corner, Kellar grabbed Viex and handed him to Stella. “I think Prince Ace can remember where the secret passage is. Go now. I’ll try to distract them.”
“Are you crazy?” Stella looked like him like he lost his mind. “If they find you here, they will surely know that you were involved with my escape.”
“I’m fine. They won’t hurt me.” Kellar insisted and even smiled at her for reassurance.
“You heard him.” Ace says. “Let’s go.” Ace tried to grab her wrist but Stella moved back.
“No way. Leo is coming with us.” Stella stood her ground as she challenges Ace. “We can’t leave him. He’ll be killed for sure.”
“Guys, you have to hurry up and leave.” Kellar insisted as he watched Stella and Ace challenging each other with their gazes. Footsteps and yells were getting louder. And judging from their yells, they already knew that Stella has escaped.
“He won’t be killed. Don’t you know that he’s the son of the man who took you in the first place?” Ace was very calm as he said this.
Kellar flinched and looked down in shame. He was angry that the elf prince took this moment to reveal his identity to Stella. But if it helps convince her to leave, then he is fine with it.
“I know he is. I’m not some idiot who couldn’t see the resemblance between him and his father. Not to mention the fancy cape that he lent me when we first met.” Kellar was surprised at her response and he couldn’t tell whether he should feel happy about it or guilty for lying to her for so long.
Even though she already knew.
“You knew and yet you still want to bring him with us?” Ace questioned her.
“Yes. Not every child has to share the same trait as their parents.” Stella looked at Kellar and smiled.
Footsteps to their back echoed and were seemingly getting closer. Stella placed Viex over her shoulder before she froze the whole area and seeled the path where they came from. “That should be enough to buy us the time that we wasted.” Then she looked at the elf prince. “Satisfied?”
Ace was debating whether or not to shoot her at that moment. But since she is the reason why he’s here, he decided not to. Even though he really was doubting that this brat and that dumb blonde are related. The fairy seems a bit smart and collected while the tamer seems…
...he rather not say or he would just be insulting her.
Ace looked at Kellar. “You heard her. You are coming with us. Now hurry up and lead before I change my mind.” He says and nudged him forward.
Truth be told, Kellar still doesn’t know what to feel about the situation, but he will have to worry about that later.
Right now, they need to focus on escaping.
“This way.” He instructed them and started to run straight to where the passage was, but they were intercepted by guards along the way.
As Ace stepped forward, Viex jumped down and switched the bodies of the guards in one leap. They all screamed in panic and confusion as soon as they noticed that their body was not of their own. Ace took that chance and knocked them all out. He grabbed a sword from one of the fallen guards and handed it to Kellar.
“If you want to come with us, you have to do your part from here on out. You two will take the shortcut while I buy you both some time.”
“Can’t we just go together? If it’s time then I can help with that.” Stella offered.
“I still need to do something.” He says and fixed his attention to Kellar. “Your father, how was he able to take Stella from their realm?”
“He used a magical orb.”
“Where can I find it?” Ace asked.
“It’s in my father’s chambers. Why?” Kellar asked suspiciously.
“Isn’t it obvious? Even if we escape now, your father would just use that orb again and take another member of their family. I have to get or this fiasco will never end. Now, tell me where it is hidden.”
Now it makes sense. “It’s easier if you have a guide. Though you will need Viex to see him.” As if on cue, Viex jumped onto Ace’s shoulder. Even though Viex finds Prince Ace’s plan as suicidal, he couldn’t help but agree to it.
He was right. As long as Ferius has the means to travel to the other realm, Rose and her family will never be safe.
Kellar asked for Kaya and Viex gave Ace a nod to signal that their guide was ready. “A black stallion will be waiting for you by the lake. His name is Midnight. He’ll know where to take you.”
“If we take your stallion then how are you going to leave?”
Ace drew in a hiss of annoyance. “Can I just worry about myself!? I don’t need children to worry about me aside from Nora. Go and get moving!” He scolded them. Kellar and Stella exchanged glances before they thanked him started moving, but not before uttering words of luck to the brave and rude elf prince.
“Now.” Ace says as he glanced at Viex. “Hurry up and lead the way.”