"Would you like to try this too?" Meriane handed him a piece of wrapped chocolate, another attempt to make her pass memory better.
"Are you sure? You're obsessing over it earlier."
"It's fine, I already had plenty," she turned around, blushing, surprised that Nicolas even noticed that. "Here you can have another—," she watched the chocolate fly into the air as a boy bumped into them.
"Are you okay?" Nicolas caught her back. She was once again left speechless, feeling as if her mind and heart would melt as she watched Nicolas worried face from below.
"Sorry miss," the boy cried before sprinting away.
Nicolas watched him disappear into the alleys before tending properly to the princess. "Are you hurt? Did you lose anything?"
After a brief inspection, she realized that her purse is nowhere to be found, "Don't worry about it"
"Can you hold these for a moment," the prince handed her the bag, "Anton," he then called and his butler together with Selene appeared.
"Was it the boy?" Anton asked to which Nicolas just nod in approval.
"Selene, take the princess back to the castle. Anton, let's go"
"Where are you going," the princess inquired but Nicolas only replied with a smile before they followed the culprit.
They found the kid counting the contents of his trophy. He looked fulfilled but when he saw his pursuers, he quickly ran for his life. Traversing the streets and the back alleys is a tiring and confusing task. The boy of course had an advantage, being probably a local of this town, he knows the nooks and crannies of the place down to every passable hole and short-cuts.
"Give that back," Nicolas could only plead as he kept tailing him until one sharp turn. The boy disappeared and he met a dead end, "Did you see where he went," when he turned around, Anton too is no longer behind him.
He was about to go back when something flew over his shoulder. It had a peculiar glow to it but upon closer inspection, it was an arrow. He did not need to look up, for the arrow's owner and two other people dressed in a cloak similar to the prince came down.
"Who are you," he raised his guard.
They satisfied his query with another shot. This time with the intent to strike that he dodged by a hair. Knowing that he'd have no chance in this setting, he decided to take whatever chance he have left to flee. It was a viable option at first, but he underestimated the enemy's agility, and he was cornered once again. With the rising tension, it finally occurred to him that they must be the one who's after his life. Catching a break seemed like a far dream as the two swordsmen lunged at him while the archer casually fires at the back.
He was quite thankful for the sword, archery, and martial arts he was forced to learn; it was rather hard to admit it, but he owes this alert and responsive body to his Father and Anton. With these skills, he manages to outmaneuver his enemies before they even strike. Though his skills are close to perfection, still, a human's stamina is not bottomless. Exhaustion slowly ate up his moves and after an uncoordinated step, he lost his balance.
The blades and arrows felt stagnant in the air as if his whole world paused, mocking him for his single failure as they slowly approached him. Their arrows and swords grew brighter and brighter until it fogged his vision. He felt as if a memory is frantically knocking on the back of his brain, wanting to break free. Feeling his heartbeat on the tip of his every nerve as if he's splitting in two, it felt harder to breathe and now his eyelids are failing him.
In the small window of his closing eyes, he saw a glimmer of blue light. As he heard a voice, "Can't you hear the screams of your soul? It craves blood," he finally passed out.
Waking up with the same shear pain, he was met with the rays of the departing sun. "What happened?" he asked himself as he reached for his head, but what awaited him made the headache felt more acceptable.
Torn clothes, pool of blood, a severed neck, and an amputated arm. He could only cover his mouth to try and contain his scream from echoing the alley's. His pursuers are dead. Examining his bloody hands, his heart started to beat faster as if it would burst. Bracing his stomach, he let out his frustration, bearing the still fresh wet lump of bread he ate on the bloody ground.
"Nicolas, I caught the boy," he heard Anton's voice echoing from afar.
Forcing himself to calm down as he heard Anton, he quickly wiped the blood with the torn clothes before rushing to meet with his mentor, preventing him from seeing the carnage. "Did I kill them?" the question lingered in his mind until both him, Anton, and their captive returned to princess Meriane.
"Where have you been?" she asked, holding his hand.
He quickly pulled them away, as the sight he saw was burn in his mind. After a bit of contemplating, trying to run from the thoughts, he answered, "We reclaimed your purse."
"I already told you; you don't have to do that. What If something happened?"
Something had already happened, he thought. "No, this is an important matter. If you don't teach a crooked tree while it's still young, it would be harder to correct it later. Right little man?" desperately trying to cover his trembling hands, he turned to Anton who's holding the boy. "Don't you have anything for us?" he had a devious smile on his face.
"Let me go, I just wanted to eat," he's already crying, snot going up and down his nose.
"That does not mean you should take what's not yours," Nicolas kneeled down and patted his head. "Why didn't you ask for it first."
"It's not something you royalties would understand," they were surprised by what he said, nobody should have known this visit aside from the castle and the frightened bakery owner. "You people got to live carefree, food won't be a problem, yet we are left here on the streets to starve and die," his eyes are determined, staring deeply at Nicolas's.
"This might not sound believable to you, but royalties also have a share of problems depending on the circumstances, things we can't let anyone know in order to preserve the kingdom. Meriane—," he called.
There were no other explanations, but the Princess understood the assignment. "You're still young," she smiled, "Don't go wasting your life doing evil deeds, there are many ways to live," she gestured for Anton to let him go before handing him the paper bag. Revealing her face, the boy was caught in a daze, "What's your name young man?"
He was hesitant at first, avoiding the princess's gaze, but when he saw Nicolas nodding kindly at his side, he finally let his guard down. "Ellion"
"Ellion, what a brave name. You did this for your sister did you?" he was speechless, never expecting that the Princess would know about him. "You can have all this, and I'll be promising you one thing. I will make this kingdom better for you and your sister's sake," with the conversation ending in a rain of tears and forgiveness, they finally departed.
"I hate to burst your bubble, but you should not be promising people like that," Nicolas pointed out.
"Don't worry, I have always seen that kid ever since. By what I heard, they we're left aside by their father after their mother died. Plus, I'm already on the edge of pushing my father for my proposal to help the orphans, I'm ready to take on this duty," she assured him before shifting in a much serious tone. "I might not be as intelligent as you, but I also have my duties and things I want to accomplish. Besides, if I somehow decided to fight for the thrown someday, this would direct the sympathy of the people to me."
Nicolas was lost for words, he had never thought that she's capable of thinking that way, in a sense, she was a cunning plotter, but he could care less. He has a whole Kingdom to worry about when the time comes. "Algernon's political problem is not my concern," he thought before bidding the princess goodnight. "By the way, how did you convince my father for this?"
The princess just cheekily smiled, before leaning close to his face, staring at his eyes before going for his ear. "I told him you want to take me on a date."
"What—"
"Good night, Prince of Gregoria," she just laughed as she goes.
With the sun up and everything done and dusted with the negotiations, it was finally the time to send the Gregorys home.
"I guess I won't be seeing you next month?" the princess smiled.
"Yeah, there things we need to do so we won't make it. Anyway, you'll be the one visiting after next month, right?"
"Yup, mother insisted to attend Queen Natalia's birthday even without a party just so she can see her and exchange some secrets she's been holding on for years," Meriane replied with a laugh.
"I'll see you until then, I'll prepare your room," Nicolas faintly smiled as he boarded the carriage and closed the door.
As the carriage gained some distance, Meriane quickly turned to her attendant, "Did you hear that, Selene? He said he'll prepare my room," the princess whispered with hopeful eyes. "I think he likes me after all."
"I think you're just too over your head. I'm sure he meant to ask the maids to prepare the room," Selene thought, but she did not have to heart to say it straight forward. "Yes princess, maybe he does," she just replied instead.