"My lady! My lady!!" Mira kept calling to Alyssa who was burning with rage as she walked to the guards standing by Raymon's door.
"I thought you said he couldn't get any visitors? Why then did that maiden go into his room?" Alyssa asked the guards angrily.
"The maidens are in charge of the crown prince till his recovery" one of the guards replied.
"If they can see him, why can't I?" She questioned again.
"Because you're nothing but a visitor, who has no royal background and you're not in charge of the crown prince, so you should leave here right now," the other guard said hostilely.
"How dare you speak to her like that?" Zayn scolded the guards. He was also going to visit Raymon on his sick bed when he heard Alyssa and the guards arguing.
"Prince Zayn!" The guards shakingly greeted him as they saw Zayn.
"Is this how you talk to a royal guest?" Zayn said. " You should be severely punished for such disrespectful words". He added
"Forgive us, Prince Zayn," they pleaded. "We won't do it again, " they added.
"Open the door, we want to go in" Zayn ordered as he and Alyssa went into the room.
"Thank you," Alyssa said as she bowed her head. Zayn sighed as he walked to the bed, hitting Raymon on the arm slightly.
Alyssa "..."
"Wake up already, you're stressing your mate out you blockhead" Zayn said to the unconscious Raymon. Alyssa smiled as she heard Zayn scold his brother.
"I'd leave you two alone, " he said before walking out.
"Raymon, you should get up already. The palace feels so strange, your Mom, Dad, and Zayn are good to me but every other person doesn't want me here, maybe I should just return to the woods, where I belong " Alyssa said. She felt Raymon slightly squeeze her hand and he furrowed his brows as if saying he didn't like her statement.
"Raymon! Raymon!! Are you awake?" She said, hoping he'd open his eyes, he was still holding onto her hands.
"My lady! My lady!!" Mira shouted as she barged into the room. "There's trouble outside, " she said to Alyssa.
Alyssa ran with all her might, ignoring the gawking eyes on her, she needed to get to the palace hall in time before judgment was placed on the guards who disrespected her.
"I sentence Reyes and Thompson to be whipped and dragged round the city with a horse," Queen Tiffany said.
"Please, wait!" Alyssa shouted as she ran into the hall. Everyone turned their gazes to see who entered the palace hall.
"Alyssa?" Queen Tiffany said as she rose from her seat. Alyssa ran to the queen and pleaded for the punished guards.
"How can you plead for them when they disrespected you?" Queen Tiffany asked her loudly.
"Queen, I was the one who was offended right? Let me be the one to punish them " Alyssa said.
"What?" The audience in the hall roared.
"Who do you think you are to speak to our Queen like that?" A member of the jury said.
"Who is she?" Another one said. Alyssa turned a deaf ear to the words they hauled at her. Reyes and Thompson, the guilty guards, looked at Alyssa in awe.
"You want to punish them yourself right?" Queen Tiffany asked her.
"Yes, Queen," she replied.
"What kind of punishment do you want to give them?" Queen Tiffany asked.
Alyssa had nothing in mind to serve as punishment, she had never been able to punish anyone before. She looked around her for the first time and she saw those hateful gazes on her, she regretted her actions. She tried to speak, but words failed her as she could only hold her gown in fear.
"She isn't even bold enough to speak"
"How did she get into the palace?"
"I heard she's the crown prince's guest"
Alyssa heard those words and was pissed, they didn't know anything about her so who are they to criticize her like that?
"I judge that they should be imprisoned in the dungeon" Alyssa finally said.
"What?" The audience gasped in disbelief as they heard Alyssa while Zayn smiled at her, she had handled the situation well. Queen Tiffany looked at King Yohan to get approval.
"Do as she has said" King Yohan said to the guards. "The meeting is adjourned, " he added. Alyssa looked at the King and bowed her head repeatedly, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.
"You can go in to see Raymon anytime you want," Queen Tiffany said to her.
"Thank you Queen" Alyssa said before she left. She got into her room and shut the door tightly, hugging her knees, and sobbing loudly.
"Mira! Mira!!" Queen Tiffany called.
"Yes your majesty" Mira bowed.
"It's time to have the crown prince washed, where is Alyssa?" Queen Tiffany asked. Mira sheepishly pointed to the closed door. Queen Tiffany sighed and ordered Mira to take care of Raymon.
"What am I to do right now?" Mira muttered as she looked at the unconscious Raymon. "My lady should be the one here, not me," she said and quickly turned around as she heard the door open.
"My lady," Mira said as she turned to see who entered the room before slamming her mouth with her hands as she saw Zayn walk in.
"Why are you here alone? Where is Alyssa?" Zayn asked.
"She's having her time alone, " Mira said.
"What happened earlier today between Alyssa and the guards?" Zayn asked.
"The guards let some maidens in to attend to the crown prince and those maidens said lewd things about the crown prince's body, I think that's what got my lady angry," Mira said.
"Lewd things?" Zayn asked, smiling lightly as he remembered his night with Kylie. "Those words sure do make women angry," he said. "Inform her before touching Raymon's body, or else you'd get into trouble" he added before walking away.
(Nightfall)
Alyssa was shivering from the cold, she had slept on the bare floor and the window of her room was open. She skipped dinner despite the knocking and pleadings of Mira
She felt lightheaded as her head kept spinning, suddenly she saw the door of her room open and a person walked in.
"What is this ?" She thought to herself. "Am I dreaming already?" She said as she saw the figure bend over her, she felt like she was flying. " Is someone carrying me?" Alyssa thought as she saw the figure wrap her in a thick sweater.
"You're burning up," the figure said and it was then Alyssa finally recognized the voice.
"Raymon??" She weakly called.