Someone knocked on the door, thrice.
Alyssa ignored it.
"Princess," someone knocked twice. "open the door."
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Alyssa bolted from her seat and swung the door open. "Ziloh?" she stared at him, making sure it was him--- and not some kind of a monster. "Is that really you?"
Ziloh smirked. "Who else would save a princess in distress?" he chose to ignore the existence of the old duchess in the room.
'It's him.' Only Ziloh knew what to say to irritate her.
Alyssa dragged Ziloh inside and locked the door. "I don't need any help."
"Then why lock yourself in?" Ziloh countered. "No influence, no strength. Just as a real princess should be." he said sarcastically.
Alyssa glared at him--- he hit a spot.
Ziloh smirked, her furrowed brows were like a treat to him. "Your Queen mother is looking for you."
"I'm fine by myself! I don't need people rescuing me." Alyssa snapped. "I need people to explain what is happening!"
"Go," Zenalda said on the corner. "This place is not safe anymore." Her hands were wrapped around her legs, her head bowed down.
Ziloh did not even bother to look at the old duchess while addressing her. "The royals are in the throne room," Thankfully, Ziloh was not tasked to protect the old duchess. "go in there if you want to."
"No," Zenalda said. "It's over for me, my babies are dead…I killed them" she rocked back and forth. "Go, take Alyssa, her mother had always been good to me."
"I intend to." Without any warning, Ziloh lifted Alyssa--- carrying her on his shoulder.
Alyssa's feet suddenly lifted in the air. "What are you…" Alyssa was trying to squirm away, but it just made Ziloh's hold tighter. "Bring me down!"
"Lock the door Zenalda." Ziloh warned. "If you don't want to be like them."
"Let me go!" Alyssa twisted from side to side, her view upside down. "Put me down, Ziloh!"
Ziloh walked leisurely away from the room.
"I can walk in the throne room myself!" Alyssa protested--- kicking and pounding
"Who said we're going there." Ziloh looked straight in the hallway.
Alyssa saw the bodies lying behind Ziloh, her eyes lingered to the two headless corpses. "Did my mother not said to get me?" she stopped protesting and stayed still on Ziloh's shoulder.
"Yes, she did." Ziloh rounded the corner, walking head on towards an infected, ripping through its neck with one hand. "But she did not specify when." he smirked. "I'm tired, we're going to my room."
The last two words echoed on Alyssa's mind--- his room.
Alyssa's eyes widened. She knew this alleged room--- everybody knew his room. That's where he takes his women for the night.
"I won't go in there!" Alyssa's face reddened. "I'm--- I'm not that kind of woman!"
Ziloh opened a door.
"Put me down!" Alyssa shouted her lungs out.
Ziloh put her down on her feet, grabbing her by her wrist. "What kind of woman?"
"You know…" Alyssa flushed. "Don't make me spell it out!"
Ziloh smirked. "Don't worry. I won't have a taste." he pressed his nose on her wrist. "Even if you ask me to."
"Wha—" Alyssa avoided his stare and awkwardly looked around the area. "I'm not asking you for anything!"
The area was bare. It had white paint on the wall, without any decoration. There was nothing except for the two doors on each side.
"Is this your room?" Alyssa walked towards the left door and turned the knob. "You're not hiding anything hideous, are you?"
Ziloh grabbed her hand, stopping her from opening the door. "My room is on this side." He guided her towards the right door, opening it for her.
While being dragged, Alyssa looked behind her, eying the other door, wanting to know what was inside--- there were a lot of things she did not know about Ziloh.
The door opened revealing a room full of shelves. "Did not know you were hiding a library in here." Alyssa walked towards the nearest shelf, reading the book titles.
'How we became sapiens.'
'The story of the human body.'
'Almost human.'
Alyssa ran her hand towards the spine of the books. "Did not know you had this kind of hobby," she yawned. "just looking at them makes me sleepy."
Ziloh grabbed a book on the self and sat in the corner, on the floor. "Who says we're going to sleep tonight?" he opened the first page of the book and began reading.
Alyssa instinctively covered her chest. "I'm the princes of this Kingdom… you cannot… violate me." She back away from Ziloh as far as possible. "Or you'll face death."
Ziloh laugh softly, muttering something under his breath. "Look around the room." he did not leave his eyes away from the book.
Her eyes circled around the room without moving a muscle on her face. "What?"
Ziloh sighted, glancing away from his book. "I don't have a bed."
The room only had shelves of books--- nothing else. There was not even a table and a chair to sit on.
Alyssa blinked. "Right."
Ziloh, just like all the royals, do not sleep--- well, except for Alyssa.
She cleared her throat. "I guess I could study for the night." She grabbed the thinnest book on the self--- which was hard to find on the sea of thick books.
Alyssa opened the first page of the book entitled Dracula. Alyssa would read the words, but her mind was elsewhere--- she was not the type to enjoy reading fantasy novels.
Alyssa would look up towards Ziloh from time to time, wondering what he was doing, but he was just busy reading his book.
Even when there were weird noises outside, Ziloh was not bothered nor scared.
Alyssa cleared her throat. ���Care to explain to me what is happening?" she raised her voice louder. "What happened to the attendants?"
Ziloh looked up. "Infected."
Alyssa's face was blank.
"Zombies." Ziloh said.
"Zombies? But this is the palace…." Alyssa had only known them through the history book her mother told her to read. "The wall protects us from them…"
Ziloh shrugged. "Don't mind them."
"But everybody could be infected if this will not be controlled." Alyssa left her book on the floor and stood up. "We need to contain it." She grabbed the thickest book on the shelf, having no choice for it to be her weapon. "More will be infected if we don't do something."
"Don't do anything." Ziloh said. "Stay put."
"I'm the princess of this kingdom, heir to the throne." Alyssa said. "I cannot just stay put!" she paced around the room. "Don't you care about the royals?"
Ziloh smirked. "No." he simply said.
"Don't you care at all?" Alyssa asked.
"I don't."
"I don't care about your beliefs, but I can't just sit in here and wait." Alyssa stamped her feet towards the door, but Ziloh pivoted her around, stopping her.
"I lied," Ziloh was only inches from her. "I care." he looked straight in her eyes.
"Then let's go and help them." She whispered.
"Just one royal in particular." Ziloh said softly. "The only royal that matters is you."
"If you really care about me," Alyssa looked at him in the eyes. "you should care about this kingdom."
"Not tonight." Ziloh placed his thumb on her lips. "I'm tired, Alyssa." There was sadness in his eyes. "I haven't slept in a while."
"You don't get tired." Alyssa countered. "I have to go."
"Don't go." Ziloh whispered. "Spend the night with me."
Alyssa gulped. "I told you I'm not that kind of woman."
"…and I'm not that kind of man." Ziloh returned to his book and began reading again.
"Liar." Alysa mumbled to herself.
"You won't be able to leave this room without my permission." His eyes glinted red. "Sit down and read a book."
"You can't let me do your bidding."
"Don't try me Alyssa." His eyes blared red. "Sit down and read a damn book."
Alyssa sat back down and opened to the second page of Dracula. "Or what? Are you going to kill me?"
With a serious face, Ziloh said. "Make you scream all night…" her smirked. "…in pleasure."
"Just read your book and stop talking." Alyssa threw the book on his face, but he managed to catch it with his hand with his fast reflex. "Just stay on your seat."
Alyssa crossed her hand on her chest, not leaving her eyes from Ziloh, making sure he won't cross the invisible line.
Maybe a night of not being the Queen's daughter doesn't hurt.
***
Time passed by, and Alyssa's head bobbed back and forth--- sleep, seducing her.
Ziloh closed the book with a thud, returning it on the shelf where he took it. The moment the book was placed on the shelf, he was immediately in front of Alyssa. He was crouched in front of her, tilting his head to the side, observing her.
A small smile escaped from his lips.
Even in her most vulnerable state, she's intriguing. Making Ziloh want more from her--- all of her.
He closed his eyes, listening to her peaceful beating heart--- in contrast to his erratic beating heart.
He opened his eyes, smiling, staring at the hovering head of Alyssa--- not leaving his eyes on her.
He placed his hand at the back on her neck, bringing her close to him--- their lips about to touch.
Two emerald eyes bolted open, eyes widening in shock. "What are you doing!" she raised her hand--- about to slap him.
"Not this face, princess."