As I woke up, I saw and heard Ren and Nate whispering to each other. I squinted my eyes at them. They haven’t noticed that I have already woken up. “What are you guys talking about?” I was curious why they have such an expression on their faces.
By the looks of it, Nate was grabbing Ren’s arm like he was stopping him from doing something. I rubbed my eyes awake and noticed how the sky was still dark. Dawn was still breaking.
My brows furrowed as I switched my attention back to them. “What are you guys doing-” Then a thought suddenly occurred to me. Why was I asleep? How long was I asleep?
Then I remembered the pain that I experienced and started to hug my stomach and clutch my eye. “Guys, it’s Ace. I think…” I trailed off as I looked at them.
Ren and Nate exchanged glances. Nate’s eyes darkened. “No. Let her rest.”
Ren made an annoyed sound and pulled his arm from Nate. “That won’t stop her and you know that.” He told him.
“Stop me from what?” My stomach churned in nervousness as I watched Ren coming to my side.
“Your sister is in Tordis.” He says. “Do you want to see her?”
My eyes widened. “Yes. YES! Of course.” I nodded eagerly and jumped off of my bed. Unfortunately, the effects of healing were worse this time that I fell right back on my bed.
Ren kneeled down to look me in the face. “You go and get dressed first. I’ll send servants here to assist you. After that, I will take you to her.” He smiled as he turned back and dragged a yelling vampire along with him.
After I got dressed with the help of my servants, Ren returned as promised. Ren handed me a kefta. “Put this on. It’s a bit cold today.”
“Thanks.” I said as I eyed him suspiciously as I wore the white kefta and brought my whip with me.
“Ready?” He asked. After I gave him a nod, Ren picked me up and carried me. Unfortunately, Nate blocked our path.
“Hurry up and open the door.” Ren told him. Nate gave him a glare before he went and open the door for us.
I tried to think about their conversation. By the sound of it, it seems like something bad has happened. My heart began to palpitate. “Did something bad happen to Ace?” I asked him. “I felt his injuries. Is he okay?”
“They’re fine. All of them are.”
“Then why was Nate acting like that?”
“He’s just worried because he fears that we’ll get attacked along the way. The queen told us to stay put but I know that you would want to see them as soon as possible.” He says with a shrug. “Don’t worry. If anything happens, it’s all on me since I was the one who dragged you out.”
“Should we just tell my aunt?”
“She and the king are already there.”
I raised a brow. “That was fast. Thank you, Ren!” I said, already feeling jealous at the idea that the Queen may be bonding with my younger sibling. “Come on, Ren. Mush!”
“Rose?”
“Hmm?”
“I thought we were over the werewolf jokes?”
“You thought wrong, silly boy.”
Ren and I rode a carriage along with Nate, who was still against the idea. The carriage ride was long and awkward. Fortunately, Nate was able to pack some sandwiches and handed them to us.
I guess I was just too excited to see my sister again that food was the last thing on my mind.
Tordis was one of the kingdoms that I still find mysterious, next to Atla kingdom. It was due to the fact that it was the only kingdom that was built inside of a huge tree. Unfortunately, all that remains now are the dead barks that surround the area.
Ren got out of the carriage first in order to assist me. This time, I insisted on walking even though my legs were still numb.
I am going to see my sister right now. I can’t let her see me get carried by a man. What would she think?
A few elven soldiers guided us through the forest and into the palace. “Princess, our Queen is still tending to your sister’s wounds. She and the boy that she was with will soon join the rehabilitation area so they can relax.” One of the attendants came to inform us once we entered the castle’s premises.
I don’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. I don’t need someone to translate that as a sign to wait for a bit longer. But still, to have the queen attending to my sister’s health is probably for the best. “She’s not badly hurt, is she?”
“No, your highness.” Answered the attendant.
I looked at Ren and then at Nate before looking back at the attendant. “Alright then, please take us to where the prince is. We will wait there.” A part of me wants to go and see him, to thank him for keeping his promise of saving my sister.
“As you wish, your highness.” The elf bowed and started leading us on a different path.
I saw Eltur and Darem stranding by the doorway. It seems like they were just leaving the room. When they saw us, the two came to greet our group. “How is he?” I asked after all the formalities.
Eltur, the eldest, looked sad but yet he was relieved. “He came pretty beaten up. There were splinters in his wounds that we had to remove. Thankfully, your spirits stopped by in Tordis before he bleeds to death.
My grip tightened on Ren’s arm as I felt the pain that he felt. It was enough to make me pass out. “Can we go and see him?”
“Of course!” Darem says as he and Eltur moved to the side to allow us to enter the room. As the door opened, I felt like I was in a garden instead of a room. Plants bloomed everywhere and the room was lit brightly by bright yellow flower lamps. I saw Ace standing at the Center while carrying Nora in his arms. Their backs were facing us so they hadn't seen us yet.
It was Nora who first noticed our arrival. She beamed brightly upon seeing me. “Wose!”
In that instant, Ace looked back as I immediately ran and tripped on towards them. “What are you-” Ace sounded surprised as he kneeled to my level.
“Are you okay?!” I immediately asked. My heart pounded in my chest. I knew that he could do it, but I was starting to have some doubts the moment that I felt all his suffering while he was rescuing my sister.
Ace raised a brow at me and I noticed a scar on his brow running to his cheekbones. The same area where I felt myself getting cut. “I am alive, aren’t I?” He questioned.
Nora looked at me and then to his brother. She smiled and hopped off of the bed and came to greet Ren and Nate instead. “Hello, Wen! Wate!” She greeted them.
“Hello there, you adorable little princess.” Ren says and picks her up in his arms, but not before receiving a glare from Ace.
“You know.” I started to say, making Aced turn his attention back to me. “I was very worried.”
“You were?” He sounded a bit surprised and blushed as he looked away. He coughed. “What is there to worry about? I am perfectly fine! You don’t have to worry about me.” He huffed.
“Why shouldn’t I? Everything that you went through was really painful.”
“I can handle myself. You see how I made it out alive, right? So...SO STOP WORRYING!” He insisted even though his face was red as a tomato. Poor guy. The fever must be getting to his head.
I heard a couple of whimpers behind him and moved my head to get a better look. When I saw what it was or who they were, I gasped. Ace noticed my reaction and scratched his cheek. “Well...I suppose that you can worry a little-”
“MY BABIES!” I screamed and ran past Ace as I headed for the huge flower where Custard and Viex huddled together. Sleeping.
Their ears shifted and each cracked one eye open. When they saw me, they got onto their feet and happily jumped into my arms. “I miss you guys so much! I am happy that you two are safe.” I said as I snuggled them.
‘Master! Master! I miss you too.’ Custard responded happily.
‘I am happy to be in your presence again, princess.’
‘Master, guess what? I cut a man’s hand off. Apparently, it was the eldest son of Ferius.’ I blinked and looked at Custard. Did he say what I just think he said?
“G-Good job…?”
Nate and Ren started hollering with laughter that I had to look back. The two of them were now with Ace. Each was placing a hand on the elf prince’s shoulder sympathetically. “Gee, PRINCE. Tell us how you really feel.” Nate teased him.
“Trust him on that. I learned that the hard way.” Ren nodded solemnly, but his lips were fighting off a smile.
When I looked at Ace, I saw him giving me a very sarcastic and menacing smile. I flinched and faltered. What did I do now?
Does he think that I do not acknowledge his efforts when he rescued my sister?
I placed Viex and Custard down despite their protest as I walked over to Ace. “Listen, I want to thank you. I know it wasn’t an easy task and you got hurt in the process. Thank you.” I grabbed his hand with shaking hands, not because I was afraid, but because I was grateful for everything that he has done. “Thank you so much.” I whispered.
Ace drew his hand back to place it on top of my head. “I told you, didn’t I? I’ll be back.”
Ace and I stared at each other before my face and lips drawn back in question. “Huh? That’s not what you said. You said ‘As long as you’re still here when I come back’. But you didn’t. I was in Thalia and you were in Tordis. Technically that doesn’t count.” I even acted out his gestures when he said those lines and tried to imitate his voice.
As soon as I finished the room was eerily quiet except for Nate and Ren who were elbowing each other as they tried not to laugh. When I returned my gaze to Ace, he looked like he was ready to kick me out as his eyes twitched in annoyance.
Nate and Ren suddenly backed off and looked at each other. “You know? I think we better go and look for the queen. Just to inform them of our arrival. What do you say, Ren?” Nate says nervously. I saw Ren looking at me and then at Ace silently.
“Yeah.” His brow drew closer as if he was in pain. “Sure. Let’s go.” He turned back and was the first one to leave while carrying Nora in his arms. Nate waved at me before following Ren out.
As the door closed behind them, Ace suddenly gripped my head rather tightly. “Ow! Hey, are you trying to crush my skull!?” I demanded as I tried to move his hand away.
Instead, Ace drew his face closer to mine. “Sometimes, you make me want to purge some unnecessary information in that head of yours.” There was menace in his tone.
“Wait! Why!? What did I do!?”
By the looks on his face, it seems like whatever I just said seemed to piss him off more. “Not knowing what you did is actually making it worse.” He says, then his eyes darted to my neck. He stepped back just to get a clearer view of the necklace that I was wearing. “You’re wearing it?”
My hand unconsciously touched the pendant that he gave me. Truth be told, I actually forgot about it. “Yeah. I answered. It’s very pretty. Thank you.” I said. “I mean. This is for me, right?”
Ace’s brow furrowed. “A simple thank you would have been enough. Why the hell would I give it to you if it wasn’t meant for you?”
“I saw you picking it out with Nora. I have a slight thought that maybe you meant to give this to her and was only asking me to keep it safe?”
Ace stared at me like I was the dumbest sh*t that he has ever met. He started rubbing the bridge of his nose and let out a loud sigh. “The. Damn. Necklace. Is. For. You.” He said the words out slowly to make me understand. “I have a magician out there to cast a protective spell on it.”
“Really?” I held the pendant in my fingers and looked at it. “There doesn’t seem to be anything special about it. It looks like a regular gemstone.” I looked up at him. “Still, this looks expensive. How much does it cost?”
“Enough for me to kill you if you ever lose it.”
I laughed nervously. “That’s a joke, right?”
“Do I look like the type of person to be joking around?”
“No. No, you don’t.”
A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Queen Siera, Ace’s mother, entered the room. She still looked as elegant as ever as her long hair flowed behind her back as she moved. But there was something in her eyes that made me worry. She was concerned about something. And what’s more alarming was that she was looking right at me.
“Queen Siera.” I bowed respectfully at her presence, which baffled Ace at my action. “I heard that you took care of my sister. Thank you. How is she?” I tried to contain myself from running at her and ask where my sister is currently at.
The Elf Queen smiled. “Your sister is fine, princess. I have healed her of all of her injuries. Not even a scar is left.”
“That’s great!” I breathed out a sigh of relief. Then my eyes started straining at the still-open door behind her. “Where is she?” I asked.
Instead of answering, Queen Siera simply reached out to the door. “Come here, sweetie. This is the lovely lady that I have been telling you about.” Something odd struck me then, not only was the queen addressing me like it was the first time for me and my sister to actually meet, but the person who came inside looked different.
It was Stella, but yet it wasn’t. She was taller and older. Her short and brutally cut pale blonde hair almost matches the white tunic that she was wearing. She was elegant and beautiful. Just like how I used to imagine her growing up one day.
But not like this. How is this possible? Just how long have I been in this world? Not over 3 months for sure!
And I was stunned. More importantly, the way that she was looking at me made my heart sink.
She looked at me like I was a stranger.