"Come on," Amy stood up and pulled Prince Arias, "We have to get away from her."
They crossed the river while Arias returned his sword back to its scabbard. He saw the cliff moving, molding into a way down to the river. It must've been Princess Tellusia's power. He saw Prince Forest was rushing down with Regin and Aiven behind him.
"We're here," Prince Arias called as they run towards them.
Amy slowed down a bit from the sudden pain on her head which made Prince Arias pull her as they ran.
Voices came to Amy's mind while she suddenly remembers something, an image from the past.
Queen Elena holding her tightly while she cries uncontrollably, her father fighting assassins, and her mother holding a dagger.
"Amy, protect everyone, alright?" Queen Elena spoke as her eyes shown brightly.
The memory ended along with a dreadful scream of Amy. Her head ached so badly that it felt as if her brain's being torn apart.
Prince Arias stopped as Amy falls on her knees with her hand on her head while the nymph moves nearer. Worry and fear came to him. The nymph gets nearer and nearer, he bent his knee and saw Amy's hand with blood.
He touched her head and saw that's where the blood is coming from, then he noticed two dead boar on the river while her arrow was on a large rock.
"You fell?" He whispered then he proceeded to carry her on his back.
He ran towards Prince Forest whose face was painted with worry and anger.
"She's hurt," Prince Arias said as Prince Forest takes Amy on his arm.
Prince Forest saw the nymph following them, and unfortunately, he saw what the nymph did to her as they were running towards the cliff.
His eyes suddenly narrowed with outrage filling his emotions and as he turns around to go back to the mountain, the nymph began to cry loudly.
Amy was able to see what was happening to the nymph as she peeks from the Prince's arms, and there she saw, the nymph slowly bleeding with black blood from her eyes, her skin began to shed as her hair began to fall. She was beginning to walk back to the river, but her legs began to break as bones went out of her body, yet she still crawled. Amy's eyes grew wide as the nymph's eyes bulged out of their sockets, then her back opened wide.
A white glowing ord floated from her, and after a few seconds, it burst, leaving the nymph in the middle of the river lifeless.
Fear did not come to Amy, but pity and sadness. Avean did not deserve what happened to her. She was just a soul that wanted to protect nature. Yet, only Prince Forest was able to put her to rest. And yes, it was better than to have her taking humans to turn into fishes that she once loved.
Prince Forest and some of the knights continued to walk as if nothing happened. Aiven and Prince Arias were left frozen staring at the dead nymph. The other knights along with Regin investigated the place, but Amy's consciousness left as she was succumbed by the darkness and pain on her head.
"No one hurts her," Prince Forest whispered with his teeth gritted.
No one hurts the person he cherishes and the person his mother protected. If his mother gave her life to protect her, he'll do the same.
If her smiles and laughter suddenly vanish, he doesn't know what will happen.
They went back to the camp and the maids were the first one to greet Prince Forest who immediately placed Amy on her tent, "Tend her wound," he said, then he leaned to kiss her on her forehead.
He almost lost it when he saw what the nymph was doing, thankfully, Prince Arias was fast enough to save her. He just wasn't able to see what happens after as trees covered where Prince Arias took her.
Regin and the others came back after a while, Aiven was carrying Amy's bow and arrow, while the knights carry Amy's kill.
Prince Arias went to check if Amy was fine, he was relieved that the maids are treating her wound. But he remembered what happened when she woke up, she was burning up. Her hair, her heat, her body... everything says that she's an Alpha.
And Aiven said that the Alpha Kingdom is their enemy, but why is she one of them?
"Today's trial ended with an accident, however, we found out that someone cheated," Prince Forest spoke.
Fisher told him what he saw when he inspected the boars, one of the arrows says that it's Amy's kill. Only she has a golden arrowhead. But someone else poured their paint on the boar.
Zemira's eyes grew wide as she tries to act as if she wasn't the one who stole Amy's boar earlier, thinking that they might not know who it was.
"Miss Amelia was supposed to take three," Prince Forest voice grew heavier as he looks at the boar that was supposed to be Amy's, how dare they steal what's hers, "She killed two in the river, which caused her to have an accident," he suddenly thought, if he didn't order her to kill three boars, she wouldn't be harmed, "And one in the mountain."
He took a deep breath from the rage he's feeling for himself.
"Princess Tellusia, Lady Chaseire, Lady Pia, Miss Isabella, and..." Prince Forest announced, "Miss Amelia are the winners of the second trial."
The bride candidates moaned, cried, and groaned when they didn't hear their names, while Lady Zemira storms into Prince Forest, only to be stopped by the knights.
"I killed that boar," she roared with her wide eyes and veins popping from her neck.
Prince Forest just stares at her with a blank gaze then he went to the boar that Zemira's claiming and took the arrow that Fisher handed him.
"This was the arrow that killed the boar," Prince Forest sways the arrow in front of Zemira's face, only a few inches, she'll have her face wounded.
She walks back, stepping away from the Prince, but he just keeps on following her.
With a dark terrifying gaze, he said, "This isn't your arrow, Lady Zemira, this is Amelia's. How dare you steal from her?" he growled.
The other candidates that were wailing stopped, afraid that the Prince will get angry at them.
"This precious arrow is Amelia's. No one dares to take what's hers."
Zemira's knee grew weak, not because of the confrontation, but by the horror, she felt when the Prince was speaking to her. There was a monster staring down at her through his eyes, one that will not hesitate to kill her.
"Everyone can go back to the mansion now," Prince Forest spoke and turned to Amy's tent, "Celebration is not happening," he said.
Prince Arias watched as Prince Forest entered Amy's tent, then he walked to Aiven who still looks shocked by what he saw earlier.
"Are we going back to the castle?" Prince Arias asked.
He can't trust these people in the meantime, not until Amelia wakes up and explains herself.
Aiven nodded then they both entered the carriage and left the camp.
"Are you alright?" Prince Arias asked as he began to be worried about the captain's frozen expression.
"I'm fine, I just remembered something," Aiven replied.
What he did to the nymph was nowhere near to what he did to Kristina's kidnappers, but still, it reminded him of the day he saw blood splatter around him.
"Can you tell me why Amelia is an Alpha? She started burning earlier," Prince Arias spoke, he wanted to ask Amy, but for now, at least Aiven can feed his curiosity.
"She, uh," Aiven composed himself and cleared his throat, "She's connected to the royal family in some way. We're still figuring that out, but I assure you, she's not an enemy."
"I'll make sure of it once she's fine, I'll go back here after a few days to ask her myself," Prince Arias gazed outside the window, "I won't let anyone hurt my family."
The next day, every bride that didn't win was sent back home. Thankfully, Zemira was spared of the Prince's anger yesterday and was sent to the Echo kingdom.
The Royal family along with Prince Arias went back home early in the morning, but he made sure that Amelia's a friend and he'll go back.
Only five ladies were left, Princess Tellusia of Delta, Lady Chaseire of the Foxtrot, Lady Pia of Charlie, Miss Isabella of Gathrin, and Miss Amelia of Alpha.
Each of them was given the day to rest, but it didn't take long for the gossip of what happened spread.
King Ludovic was worried for his friend's daughter and visited Amelia himself. He knew whatever happens to the young lady, it'll be on his hands. She wasn't supposed to be here in the first place, but he thought that taking her will put her to safety.
After he found out that Queen Elena saved Amelia before herself, it was not anger that came to him, but a stronger will to protect the young lady. He knew his wife will not put her life for something useless, and if she gave her life for Amelia, so will he.
He had a hard time talking to his son, Prince Forest, about it. He knew how much he adores Amelia, he was afraid that he will grow to hurt her. But he took it the same way he did. Prince Forest was a bit confused at first, and even gave Amelia a cold shoulder for a while, but he later realized that he'll protect Amelia the same way his mother did.
"Your Majesty," the maids bowed before the King as he enters.
The young maids were sitting around Amelia, staring at her with worry. Before Amelia went here, these young ladies were always the ones that cause troubles for being incompetent and disobedient but look at them now, they're doing their best to be Amelia's attendants.
He saw Prince Forest sleeping on the couch covered with a blanket, he looks tired with his dark circle, even Regin, who's sleeping on the armchair.
"They were up all night, Mister Untzer also stayed for the night but he left before the dawn break," Lulu sniffed as she spoke.
Even she stayed awake, worried about what may happen to Amelia.
They thought it was just a simple wound, but they found out that she hit her head hard. Amelia speaks on her sleep, calling Forest's name, her parents, and even Queen Elena. Lili and Lala got to take a rest, but since Mrs. Cephila wasn't there, Lulu has to take her place.
"You three go to sleep, I'll take care of her," King Ludovic sent the young maids back to their quarters, and sat on a chair while staring at Amelia's face.
He never got a chance to see her when she was young, he was too busy at work to even have fun with his friend, even with his family.
Her thick lashes were similar to her mother's, as well as her hair, but her eyes were clearly from her father. That confident look she gives when she speaks, and her strong personality says that she really is Atticus' child.
He didn't intend to make her a bride candidate before, it was just perfect timing that they opened the bride trial the day she arrived.
She was supposed to be taken well cared for as a visitor of the kingdom, but he remembered that Queen Elena wanted her to be Forest's fiance before. But he was just unsure of the outcome, which is why he let Kristina be his fiance. Unfortunately, his plan failed and it even killed the young lady and her father.
Until now, he holds the grudge he has for himself. Everyone got hurt because of him.
King Ludovic and sighed as he massages his temples, what if Amelia gets hurt too because of him?
Is this the sign that he has to bring her back to the human world? But what about Forest? He loves her so much that when she arrived, he felt like a person again.
Prince Forest always locks himself in his office even though he doesn't have any work to do. He only talks when he has to. He never even looked at a woman, and maybe it's because he's afraid that he might cause them to harm just like Kristina.
But now, he loves to go out to see Amelia, sneak a peek at her, laugh, smile and even joke around.
King Ludovic doesn't want his son to end up like him. Stuck in the past and regrets.
"Forest," Amelia whispered, then she turns around.
King Ludovic saw the bleeding wound on her head.
But he can't take another death on his hand, if Prince Arias didn't help last night, she might be a fish now, swimming in the river.
Atticus will kill him if his beautiful daughter becomes a fish.
But he still has to know what happened and who killed Queen Elena. If he brings her back to the human world, Atticus will never show himself, and who knows what will happen to Amelia?
If only his old friend just shows up and explains everything, then he'll perfectly know what to do.