This afternoon, Ironwall City's situation was very lively; many people were seen gathering on the side of the road, especially women. They are waiting for Prince Ilex of Asteria arrival.
Some women are seen chatting.
"I didn't think Prince Ilex would be interested in Princess Rose, it looks like our princess is very lucky to be able to get a man like him."
"Princess Rose is very beautiful and Prince Ilex is very handsome, both of them really match for each other."
Soon, some white uniformed cavalry followed by a golden-haired man passed by them, he turned to them and smiled.
Some women start to screams hysterically.
"You see? He's so handsome!"
"It's turns out the rumors about him are true! Which foolish woman doesn't want to be with him?"
Rose was standing in front of Scarlet Stone Castle entrance waiting for Ilex arrival; she wore a long-sleeved red dress with a high collar neckline. King Eudon and his two aides also stood beside her.
Once Ilex arrived at the courtyard of Scarlet Stone Castle, he got off his white horse and approached them.
She bowed to greet him.
"Your Highness, welcome to Zephyrus."
Ilex bowed to reply her greeting.
"Thank you for welcoming me, Princess Rose."
Ilex turned his gaze to King Eudon and bowed.
"Your Majesty, thank you for letting me visits Zephyrus."
King Eudon smiled happily.
"Prince Ilex, it's an honor for us to be visited by you."
"Prince Ilex, you have traveled far to get here. How about we talk inside?" she said as she invited him in.
Ilex simply nodded and followed her to enter the castle. They walked down the corridor to the parlor room, some servants had prepared tea, cakes and other delicacies on the table.
"Prince Ilex, your arrival coincides with afternoon tea time. I hope you don't mind accompanying me for a tea." she said with a forced smile.
Ilex glanced at her seductively.
"With pleasure."
Suddenly a guard came and bowed.
"Your Majesty, I want to report something important to you."
King Eudon sighed with a fake regretful expression and turned his gaze to Ilex.
"Looks like I can't accompany you much longer." then he shifted his gaze to her.
"Rose, treat Prince Ilex well."
"Yes, uncle." she answered shortly.
"I'll excuse myself." King Eudon said as he walked toward the exit accompanied by his aides.
They replied him with a slight bowed. She knew this was also King Eudon's plan to bring them closer.
She secretly exhaled in annoyance and turned to Ilex.
"Prince Ilex, please take a seat."
Ilex sat on the chair followed by Rose, then several servants prepare their cups and poured some tea into it.
They started chatting casually but as the times goes by their conversation become more friendly. Rose kept staring at him as she looked for an opportunity to asking about Angel's rebellion, but Ilex thought differently as he kept respond her with a seductive glance. Unable to hold the conversation any longer, she decided to ask him directly.
"Prince Ilex, may I have a chat with you privately?"
A smile began appeared on Ilex's lips.
"Of course."
"Leave us." she ordered the servants.
The servants bowed and came out of the room.
"Prince Ilex, I heard your cousin made a rebellion? Is that true?" she said out of blue.
Ilex looked a little surprised by her question since he thought she wanted to talk about their relationship. But soon, he returned to his usual expression and answers it calmly.
"Yes, his action has disgraced our family. Even though I persuaded him, he was so greedy and wanted to take my father's throne before his time."
She considered his expression as a permission to ask him freely.
"I heard there is no strong evidence to prove him as a rebel but he was executed without a trial?"
He gave out a weary sighed as a frown appeared on his forehead.
"Actually there's nothing to prove anymore, he tried to kill me in hunting competition by luring the main hunt towards me. After his plan failed, he pretended to be sick to get my father's attention and tried to kill him."
"He tried to kill your father?" she said in disbelief tone.
He gave her a fake regretful expression.
"Yes, my father was very worried about him and visited him in his room. Although we had been so kind to him, he instead attacked my father but his plan failed again, so he escaped from the castle and I was assigned to arrest him."
"Forgive my impudence, Prince Ilex. But, is it to execute a member of the royal family must have stronger evidence than this? "she keep asked him nonchalantly.
"He already signed his confession letter, besides he also resisted while I trying to arrest him and killed almost all members of my elite troops, even I was also wounded by him. So I have no choice than to kill him. "
As she asked him more detail about Angel's death, his expression getting soured, but she still continues it.
"That letter, I hear there's only a blood stamp in it?"
"The pen that I brought dropped in the middle of our battle, so he used his blood to sign and confesses his crime."
"May I know where he was executed?"
He started to look irritated with her question.
"I can't tell you, he fell from a cliff, the location is very dangerous and hard to reach. Even, I can't bring his body home."
Rose considered his irritated expression as a sign for her to stop questioning him. Then she fell silent, all his words sounded reasonable. But... in her heart she still doubted it. The man who saved her that night didn't look like what Ilex had told her. She can feel everything that Ilex said to her is just a lie.
He took a deep breath as he fixed his expression back to normal.
"I know you are worried about me and Asteria, but I'm fine. Even though he is always referred as Asteria's best swordsman but actually my ability is the same as him. I just don't like to solve my problems with violence like him." he added.
"Is that so?" she replied shortly.
He gave her a seductive smile as he looked at her.
"I don't think we need to talk about him anymore. Princess Rose, didn't you say you wanted to have a private chat with me? Is it about us?"
She turned her gaze to him and gave him a forced smile.
"In your letter yesterday you said you wanted to meet me. If I may know, why do you want to meet me?"
Ilex chuckled, and then he leaned his face closer to her.
"I came to steal your heart."
She didn't budge.
"Then it's too bad, because my heart has been stolen by someone else and that person hasn't returned it to me." she said coldly.
He distanced his face from her with upset expression.
"Are you rejecting me?"
She didn't care with his upset expression.
"If you can find that person and ask him to return it to me, maybe you can try again to steal my heart." she answered indifferently.
He was seen holding back his anger.
"Tell me who that person is and where is he now?" his annoyance seeping in his tone.
She knew, Ilex had never been rejected before, of course her refusal hurt his pride greatly. She smirked sarcastically.
"I can't tell you his name, I also don't know where he is now and I'm not sure you can meet him either."
Ilex stood from his chair and looked at her angrily.
"Are you playing with me?! "
"I won't dare to play with you. My heart has really been stolen by him. If not, how could I possibly reject Prince Ilex of Asteria? "she replied him calmly.
He snorted faintly as he glared at her.
"Fine then, but remember, I won't give you another chance. I hope you don't regret your decision today."
Rose stood up from her seat and bowed.
"Thank you for your warning." she said politely.
Ilex sighed angrily as he walked towards the exit.
*
*
*
Ilex walked down the corridor in anger, he had never felt humiliated like this before. But when he almost made a turn at the end of the corridor, suddenly a warm-faced woman approached him. She bowed.
"Your Highness, my name is Ivetta Rosemond Crowheart. May I have a word with you?"
"No," he answered coldly as he walked past her.
"Don't you feel strange about Princess Rose's attitude?" she said again.
Ilex stopped his steps as he recalled his conversation with Rose just now and realized that almost everything she asked was about Angel's rebellion.
'Why is she so interested in that illegitimate child's rebellion.'
Ivetta turned around.
"If you give me a chance, I'll tell you."
He turned to face her.
"Speak."
She let out a chuckle.
"No, I'm not asking for a chance to talk. But I'm asking for a chance to be with you."
"Do you think you the worth to ask me that?"
Ivetta approached him slowly.
"Worth it or not, you can judge me later. But one thing for sure, I will be useful to you." she brought his face closer to Ilex's ear.
"I can tell you a lot of information that you don't know."
He glanced at her.
'Is she trying to seduce me? Fine, we'll see how useful you are.'
"I will give you a chance. But I will tell you beforehand, don't mess with me or you'll know the consequences, "he whispered.
Ivetta gave him a light kiss on his cheek.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down."