Alyssa and Kiva went to the mess patio and Elion followed closely behind.
"Don't worry, I won't stay long." Princess Alyssa assured Elion before she and Kiva left him to eat.
Elion followed the other attendants and stood at the wall, waiting patiently for their masters. Elion breathed in the scent of earth and leaves. In here, plants were planted on the ground and not on pots of recycled plastics. Stems naturally webbed on the wall, giving color to the gray wall. It was a place where Elion can enjoy listening to birds chirping early in the morning. For someone who grew up in a post-apocalyptic concrete jungle, it was a treat to his senses.
But the peace was disturbed by the bickering royals, bringing Elion back into reality.
'This is where they gather.' Elion noted to himself.
Dozens of royals were assembled on one place---pretending to be gods, hiding the monster within.
Princess Alyssa sat beside a blonde woman.
Elion knew that the blonde woman was the Queen even if he had not seen her before. The Queen looked like she was in her late twenties but looks cannot be a basis of her real age--- of any royals' age. Other royals wore heavy makeup to hide their ashy complexion. But the Queen was the opposite, she wore her skin as if it was her crown.
Princess Alyssa stood out from the crowd; her cheeks were naturally tinted red despite not wearing any blush on.
Elion could not comprehend any conversations from the chatter, but it immediately turned into soft murmurs as foods were served, the royals' attentions on their plate.
Elion would not be put into suspicion even if he focused his attention to the Princess, thanks to becoming her personal attendant, the royals were not alarmed as he stared solely at the Princess. Upon close observation, he noticed that her food was completely different than the others---maybe she was a picky eater. Other royals around her gobbled on their food--- meat brains--- as she ate her leafy greens. It was unusual that there was not any meat on her plate. Her meal, a salad, was what Elion would usually eat in the slumps. It might be normal in the slumps, but meat was ample inside the palace. The Princess was also a royal, and royals were known for their food preference.
'Can there be a zombie who does not eat meat?' Elion wondered. 'Did they mutate again and we did not know?'
On his peripheral view, Elion saw Maya amongst the servants.
'No, Maya would know if that was the case.'
Maya walked right pass him, but she did not acknowledge him. Elion noticed that Maya lost weight compared to the last time they saw each other. Barn knew that they were acquainted, they don't need to hide that they knew each other, a good strategy so people would not be asking questions whenever they talk to each other. But being discreet would not be bad too, there was no need to greet each other in the crowd as big as this.
Elion brought his attention back to the Princess---something was unusual with her.
'What is she?' Elion's brow furrowed from the thought. 'Is she the cure? Is this why Brian wanted her?'
But a looming feeling of being watched interrupted him from his thoughts.
A young man was staring at him with thirst for blood.
Elion eyed him in return.
The young man had no food on his plate, the young man's attention was only on Elion.
Elion knew that stare, he had been warned. From what? He had no idea.
As Elion eyed the young man, a memory flashed through his mind. This was not their first encounter; he already met this young man before. He saw the young man at the flea market. As from Luppy's intel, the young man was known to buy services from women--- and men.
This place was filled with strange things, something was unusual with this young man too.
'Maybe his personality.' Elion thought. 'Or his preference.'
Elion was as confused as ever.
Was this a look of contempt? Recognition? Or desire?
***
The Princess was right, she did not stay long. She immediately stood up when she was done with her meal, not waiting for the other royals to finish.
"Are you okay?" The Princess asked Elion on the way to her room.
"Yes." Elion replied.
The Princess glanced at him with concern.
"He's a big boy," Kiva wrapped her arms to the Princess. "He'll be fine." Kiva dragged the Princess to walk along.
Elion followed silently behind.
The young man was waiting at the Princess' door.
Elion was sure that the young man was still on his chair when they left, they walked out first. The young man must have followed them using a secret route, a shortcut. Or else, how was he able to walk this fast? Elion had to know how this young man traveled to the Princess' room, maybe he could use it as his escape plan.
"What?" The Princess exhaled. "Came to retrieve your dagger?" She addressed the young man.
"The dagger is yours, princess." The young man smirked. "My gift."
"A blunt dagger." The princess pushed the young man aside. "I have no use for one."
"She don't need your gift." Kiva bit her lip to hide her smile.
Alyssa, Kiva and the young man entered the room as Elion followed behind.
Elion stood near the door, keeping his space from the group, but distant enough to hear their conversation.
"You'll use it in time." The young man sat one seat apart from Kiva. "I'm not the only one who gave you a gift." The young man jerked his chin towards Elion. "It looks like Barn gave you a new toy from the outside."
'From the outside.' There was the word again, as if the young man knew where Elion came from.
"Yes, he's new." The Princess took something from her bedside table. "But no, he's not my toy. Don't bully him, Ziloh."
The young man finally had a name, Ziloh.
Zioh did not move, he did not answer as he stared at Elion silently.
The Princess sat at the empty chair between the two royals. "Both of you, stop bothering him." She placed two daggers carefully on the table.
The two daggers were different from each other. One of the daggers was special, with a black leather hilt and intricate carvings on its blade, while the other one was plain, with a silver hilt and a smooth blade.
"I didn't do anything." Kiva said defensively. "I'm behaving well unlike my brother." Kiva spat the last word like vomit.
"Let Eli be, he's still adjusting. It's his first day." The Princess reminded them.
"As you wish." Ziloh held one of the daggers on his hand, the special one.
The dagger glinted red from his touch.
"You see that?" The Princess jumped on her chair.
"See what?" Kiva craned her neck for a better view.
"It was red, like fire." The Princess sat back on her chair, observing the dagger. "Did you see that?" The Princess asked Ziloh.
"No, you're hallucinating." Ziloh suggested as he placed the dagger back on the table.
"I know what I saw." The Princess grabbed the dagger on her hand. "Something is different with this one."
"Maybe there's a spirit living inside!" Kiva suggested, excited with her idea.
But the Princess looked at Kiva, skeptical.
"Spirits are not real." The Princess declared.
"You don't know that." Kiva countered. "If people can rise from the dead, spirits can escape a body and possess anything too."
"Okay, maybe you have a point." The Princess brows furrowed. "This," The Princess surveyed special on different angles. "is definitely different than a normal dagger."
"See," The Princess nonchalantly sliced through her palm using the special dagger. "No mark at all." She waved her palm in the air. "It's blunt, only for decorations."
"Let me try." Kiva took the dagger from the Princess as she cut through her palm too. "What the---"
The dagger glowed red as it easily slit through her palm. " It is red!" Kiva's eyes widened.
No blood dripped from Kiva's wound nor did she look like she was in pain. In contrast, she was happy with her discovery.
Kiva's eye lit up, wanting to know the dagger's secrets.
Ziloh was silent on his seat, observing the commotion.
"What?!" The Princess took the dagger from Kiva and slit her palm again, but there was no sign of mark at all. "What is this?" The Princess asked Ziloh.
"No idea." Ziloh shrugged. "Just took if from somewhere."
"Told you that's possessed." Kiva took the other dagger on the table, the ordinary one. "Keep that in a glass case." She slid it on her palms as it sliced through her skin. "Or maybe, the dagger's not the problem." Kiva moved an inch closer to the Princess, attempting to spook her. "Ali, maybe it's you."
"I don't get it." The Princess released the special dagger from her grip and took the plain dagger from Kiva.
"Don't," Ziloh held the Princess' wrist, stopping her from cutting herself. "Stop with your experiment."
"But I want to know," The Princess turned her head to Ziloh. "let me go."
Ziloh searched through the Princess's eyes before releasing her from his grip.
The Princess drew a line on her palm using the ordinary dagger, blood pouring out from the cut.
The Princess squinted from the pain." It's not me." She fisted her injured hand as blood dripped on the table, to the floor. "This is a normal dagger."
"Obviously, you're right." Kiva observed the Princess' bloodied hand." Good job, that's a clean cut." Kiva said sarcastically.
"You have proven your point." Ziloh grabbed her bleeding palm. "You've cut yourself deep."
"Oh, I know! I figured it out." Kiva beamed. "Maybe that dagger is possessed, but it likes you Ali. Because you're its owner. I'm right am I, brother?"
Ziloh shrugged. "Maybe." Ziloh observed the cut on the Princess' arm, doing nothing.
Elion, out of habit, felt like he had to do something.
Elion marched to the Princess and snatched her had away from Ziloh--- her palm was smeared with blood.
The Princess eyes widened, surprised with his action.
"Do you have a clinic in here?" Elion asked no one in particular.
"Yes, we have the wards downstairs." Kiva provided.
"You need to go too." Elion took Kiva's hand as he observed her cut.
Elion released Kiva's hand from his grip upon seeing her would was fine.
Kiva's cut should have been more serious considering that she cut herself twice. But compared to the Princess, Kiva's cut was nothing but a line of red. There was no sign of blood dripping out from her hand.
"No," Kiva laughed. "I don't need to go. I'm fine. Just take Ali with you."
Elion tugged the Princess' hand on his grip to take her to the wards.
"No," The Princess pulled back. "I won't go."
Elion tugged again.
That was when Ziloh grabbed the Princess' wrist from Elion. "Don't. Force. Her." Ziloh warned.
"She's hurt."
"Then do something about it, here in her room." Ziloh demanded.
"Thank you." The Princess whispered to Ziloh.
Kiva stood up and took a handkerchief from the Princess's closet to press it on the bleeding palm.
But Ziloh took the cloth from Kiva and pressed it on the Princess' palm in her place.
The Princess winced from the pain.
"Hey!" Kiva placed her hand on her hips. "I can take care of her!"
Kiva's protest was ignored.
"She needs medical attention. It might be infected." Elion warned.
"Then go and get something to fix it." Ziloh commanded.
Elion had no other choice but to oblige, for even the patient herself was not willing to go.
"Okay." Elion exhaled.
"Please don't say it's for me." The Princess whispered. "I'm not hurt."
It was an unusual request from the Princess.
"Okay." Elion nodded. "Where is this ward?"
Elion went out of the room alone to get a first aid kit from the ward, he did not get lost thanks to Kiva's clear direction.
Elion asked the resident doctor for a first aid kit.
"Hmmm," Dr. Natalie's eyes squinted. "Are you Princess' Alyssa's new attendant?"
"Yes."
"Did something happen to the Princess?" Dr. Natalie pried in.
"No."
"Then why do you need disinfectants and gauze?" Dr. Natalie's brow lifted.
Elion did not reply, not knowing what to say.
"Don't worry, it did not come from you." Dr. Natalie gave the first aid kit to Elion. "She's the only one who needs it, obviously."
"The Princess is fine."
"You're not hurt, then who else would?" Dr. Natalie laughed.
That was when it dawned to him. The Princess was different from other royals.
"Thanks."
"Go, save the Princess. "Dr. Natalie laughed behind him.
Elion turned to leave.
Elion felt stupid. He had not gathered information regarding the royals before coming here, he had no time for that. Keeping close attention at the life of the royals were not his priority especially when he was busy trying to survive. Their spies inside the palace reported directly to Brian, it did not bother him not knowing confidential information, it did not occur to him either that he would set foot inside the Kingdom—even more, the Palace.
He kept repeating his thoughts as he walked back to the Princess' room.
'She don't eat meat.'
As soon as he returned, Elion marched to the Princess to clean her wound, but Ziloh grabbed the kit and did it instead.
'Her cheeks flushed.'
Elion then stood at the entrance. He observed the Princess with different eyes.
'She bleeds.'
The Princess was a royal, but she was not a zombie.
'She's human.'
How could that be even possible?