Apparently, there were two types of survival skills in the slumps. One was to know how to kill zombies, and the other was to know how to make up stories. Both were equally important to save a life. Elion's instinct to fight using his body was not at par with using his mouth. He was completely useless with the current situation.
Elion was stunned to see Maya going on and on with her story, but what was more interesting to see was that the Princess was buying it. Maya was sharing details of their so-called love story to the Princess.
Elion was sitting at the floor, facing Maya, his brows furrowed, as if hearing the story for the first time--- because it really was.
"Right, bee?" Maya asked, staring at Elion.
The Princess stared at him too, expecting for him to answer.
It took Eli a few seconds before he realized the question was dressed to him. "Yeyehh, right."
"Your love story is more interesting than the book I'm currently reading." Alyssa smiled from ear to ear. "Of course, true story is more interesting than fiction."
Elion coughed his throat out.
"I can't believe this guy cooked for you, I thought I was the first victim." Alyssa laughed.
Maya's eyes widened. "You would never believe that one time he attempted to cook pumpkin soup…" Maya's story was interrupted by a sound.
Alyssa's stomach churned," …is anyone else hungry?" skipping dinner to diet might have not the greatest idea. "Your story calls for a midnight snack."
"I can eat." Maya informed.
"Good," Alyssa beamed. "Let's invade the kitchen."
***
Maya would cling onto Elion when Princess Alyssa would turn around to face them. But she would immediately break the bond as soon as the Princess turns in front.
Maya's eyes faltered, eyeing Elion with a deadly stare, giving him a hint to act normally. But Elion did not get the message, he was walking with the same side of his foot and hand swinging simultaneously.
"Relax, bee. We have the Princess with us." Maya glared at Elion.
Elion nodded stiffly.
'He should not be a spy again.' Maya shook her head.
Maya had no one else to rely on getting them out of the palace undetected but herself.
The Princess opened the light switch to reveal the morning kitchen.
Maya and Elion were at a distance behind her.
"This is not the time to get nervous." Maya whispered to Elion, grinding her teeth. "I just saved both of our neck, don't blow it up."
Elion gulped and nodded as he swayed his arm in an attempt to relax.
"I can't believe this." Alyssa opened a refrigerator. "Look, they have strawberry cake. But it has a note on it…" There was something drawn on the note---a skull with two bones crossed to each other. "…Warning, do not eat, or expect the wrath of Will." Alyssa closed the refrigerator. "Guess I can't eat that one."
Maya observed the Princess more closely. The Princess was living in a bubble, oblivious of how horrifying the place she called home. Maya imagined the Queen's reaction if her precious little Princess would be tainted by the world she created.
"Maybe they have some food in the night kitchen, the royal's kitchen." Maya suggested.
"You think so?" Alyssa walked towards the adjacent kitchen." Let's see." She opened the lights and opened the refrigerators one by one.
There were three refs on the kitchen. The first two refs were filled with brain meats---things Alyssa cannot eat. She was about to open the third and last refrigerator when Maya took a few steps back, not brave enough to see its contents again. "Jake." Maya whispered.
"What?" Elion asked Maya.
"Jake." Maya was a shade paler as she clenched her hand.
It was like the time moved slowly as the Princess opened the fridge door.
Cold sweat damped Maya's forehead.
"Nothing," Alyssa opened the door to reveal a ref full of---- meat. "There's nothing I can eat in here."
Maya shook her head, confused. "What did they do to him?" She moved to the fridge and reopened it, double checking its content--- Jake's severed head was nowhere to be found. "No." Mayas knees felt weak as she sat on the floor. "No." All the severed head were nowhere to be found.
"What? What's wrong?" Alyssa asked.
Elion helped Maya to stand up.
Maya leaned to Elion. "They ate him." Tears were starting to pool in her eyes--- real tears. "They ate him."
Elion hugged Maya to comfort her, not fully understanding what she meant.
"Princess!" Chief Barn bellowed. "What are you doing in here?"
Chief Barn and a night chef scurried to the night kitchen.
"Barny!" Alyssa hugged the old man. "I'm afraid I can't sleep…my stomach keeps on bothering me."
"Well…" Barn smiled to the Princess. "I'm sure we can cook something for you. Why don't you wait at your room?"
"Can't I just eat here?"
"It will take longer to prepare." Barn suggested.
"Alright then," Alyssa sighted. "Eli, Maya, take some rest. Good night."
"Good night."
"Good night, Princess." Maya bid her goodbye.
As soon as the Princess was out of hearing, Barn confronted them. "What happened in here?" Barn accused Elion. "I specifically told you not to let Princess Alyssa in the kitchen, the Queen would be furious. We will be punished for this." Barn pointed a finger to them. "I cannot guaranty your safety."
They have safely evaded the Princess, but now they had to face the Queen.
Maya had to be prepared for the Queen.
***
"How could you let this happen?" Queen Kathy's word reverberated in the throne room. " Unforgivable!" She glared at Barn.
"My Queen, forgive me." Barn was kneeling in front of Queen Kathy. "It was an accident."
"Accident!" Queen Kathy smashed her hand on the armrest, frustrated.
The throne room was empty except for the two of them.
Barn's head bent farther to the ground.
"Letting my daughter out on curfew, letting her stay at her attendant's quarters, letting her in the kitchen."
"Ppplease," Barn talked as he faced the ground. "She will be one of us in a few weeks, it won't hurt for her to know. Princess Alyssa deserves the truth."
"Are you instructing me what to do?"
"Nnno, my Queen." Barn said. "As the Princess' attendant for seventeen years, all she ever wanted was to be cured, to be formally part of the royals. I'm sure she will understand if you tell her."
"She's not ready to know, let everything be revealed after her ceremony. Don't teach me how to raise my child."
"Nnno, my Queen. I don't dare."
Barn do not know the reason why this was kept a secret for so long to the Princess. He thinks the appropriate thing to do was to let her know when she was still a child. The Queen did not know, how Princess Alyssa felt a stranger into her own palace.
But Barn did not voice his concern. A week ago, his life had always revolved around the Princess. He genuinely loved her as his own. But as his body began to change, so was his need. He needed to eat--- human brains--- to function and only the Queen could provide it for him. Despite Dr. Natalie's help, his hunger never subsided. His hunger had always been there. And now that he was working as Chief of the attendants, temptation had always surrounded him, to attack them--- and eat their brains.
"My daughter cares about you, she is the one who suggested to gift you the water."
"Yes, my Queen, I'm aware."
"Then do your job and protect my daughter…even from herself."
"Rest assured my Queen, this will never happen again."
"It better be, or I will banish you from this Kingdom. Even my daughter won't be able to protect you."
"Yes, my Queen, I understand."
"Contemplate what you had done, I expected more from you," Queen Kathy turned her head to the side refusing to look at Barn. "No food for you tonight."
"My Queen! Please," Barn dared to look at the ranging Queen. "please I need to eat." Panic was apparent on his face.
"Save your appetite for tomorrow."
"My Queen, no… please…I need to eat."
"Do not make another mistake and you will be well fed for eternity."
Barn failed to bargain for his dinner.
The floor to ceiling door opened with a creek, "My Queen, the attendants are here." A royal guard announced.
"Let them in."
Barn slid to the side as Eli and Maya knelt at the center.
Queen Kathy did not waste her time to talk to the attendants.
"Pack your belongings and leave the palace. Both of you are no longer an attendant, I'm stripping you from your positions."
"My Queen! Please, no!" Maya pleaded. "Please…���
"There's no excuse for your action. "Queen Kathy waved a hand. "Leave."
***
Alyssa woke up late. Eli did not knock on the door to wake her up.
She had a good night sleep with a full stomach, Barny gave her vegetable fried rice.
She prepared for the morning without questioning why her attendant was missing.
She was still full of her midnight snack that she walked her way to the mess patio not hungry.
Eli's presence was not missed, especially when he did not talk that much in the first place.
"Ali!" Kiva caught her on the hallway. "Have you heard?"
"What?"
"Levi, another attendant and Barn is being counseled…" Kiva inched closer to whisper. "By the Queen herself!"
"Levi?"
"Yes Levi," Kiva flex her arms in emphasis. "your attendant."
"Eli." Alyssa's brows furrowed. "Why?"
"Well, rumors were spreading that they… bewitched you to violate your curfew."
"What? No," Alyssa shook her head. "I stalked him just as you suggested."
Eli and Maya were one thing, but Barny was another.
"Oh, my bad." Kiva scratched her head. "But did you find something?"
"Nothing dangerous." Alyssa answered vaguely, the lover's secret was not her story to tell.
"Well then, Levi's just a weird guy."
"Did my mother really call them?"
"Yes, positive. They're currently at the throne room."
Alyssa walked faster, rushing to the throne room.
"Wait!" Kiva called behind her. "Are you not going to eat?"
"Not hungry. Go eat my share."
"Ew!" Kiva shouted. "Nobody would want to eat your salad!"
***
Everything went downhill.
Elion was doomed.
He was kicked out of the palace; his mission was about to fail. But not only that, he managed to ruin Maya's mission too.
This may have been his first failed mission, but it was a big one, something that he could never recover from.
"My Queen! Please, no!" Maya pleaded. "Please…"
Maya was pleading with her words, but the way she glared at the Queen says differently.
Still, Elion think the effort was infertile. The Queen was furious, and nothing will help to change her mind.
"There's no excuse for your action. " Queen Kathy waved a hand. "Leave."
The door opened, revealing the arrival of the Princess. "Mother!"
Queen Kathy's attention diverted to her daughter. "You should not be here, my love." Her expression suddenly softened.
The Princess knelt beside Elion. "If there's someone to be punished, it should be me."
"Stand up, my love."
"Mother, the only thing they did wrong was to follow my orders." The Princess bowed her head. "I'm willing to accept my punishment."
Queen Kathy stood up. "It's not your fault." She rushed down the patio, standing in front of her daughter. "Don't do this."
"Mother, please. If they deserve to be punished, so am I." The Princess looked up to her mother.
"It's okay," Queen Kathy helped her daughter to stand up. "You did nothing wrong."
"I did not?" The Princess searched through her mother's eyes.
"No." Queen Kathy slowly turned her head side to side.
"If I'm not guilty, then so are they."
"You're right." Queen Kathy reached out and brushed her daughter's cheeks "They're not."
"Really?" The Princess beamed.
"Yes."
"Thank you, mother!." The Princess hugged the Queen. "I love you."
"I love you more." Queen Kathy hugger her back. "You know all I do is for you, right?"
"Of course." The Princess held her mother's shoulders at arm's length.
"Can we be dismissed now, mother?"
"Alright, all of you are dismissed."
Even though hearing the good news, the three attendants did not dare to stand up.
The Princess helped Barn to stand up first, then Maya, then Elion.
"You are the best." The Princess kissed her mother on her cheeks.
The Princess lead the way the door, knocking outside as a guard opened it for them.
The door closed behind them, leaving the Queen alone in her throne.
"Thank y---" Maya was interrupted by the Princess.
"Save your praise, I did not do it for you." The Princess clutched a hand on Barn. "I did it for Barny." She smiled to him.
Barn smiled weakly in return. "Thank you, Princess."
"Did mother also asked you to leave?" The Princess asked Barn.
"No…much worse."
"Well, you don't have to think about that anymore," The Princess hugged Barn. "Everything's fine now."
Elion and Maya were following closely behind them.
Elion and Maya eyed each other, so many words hidden from the stare.
The mission was not aborted, but they had to be more careful from now on.
The Princess helped them stay in the palace, she defended them, having no idea that she helped to her own kidnapping.