050 Price For Freedom

"You--" Kitty gasped, didn't even know how to finish her sentence. She didn't know she was so upset at his lying to her.

Deep down, she knew he did what he did out of kindness, but it made her feel stupid and ridiculous to find out that she was even dreaming about being with him when her everything was given by him, without her knowing no less.

She felt like a bird kept in a golden cage.

"Kitty." Erebus turned, actually not that surprised as how she imagined, "Please hear me out."

"Sure, why not. I'd like to see how you can get out of this one." Kitty held her arms in front of her chest.

"I did a horrible thing, and I'm sorry." Erebus pulled a chair for Kitty and shut up after these words.

"It's okay..." Kitty refused the chair and was a bit stunned because she thought he would give her a lot of explanation and all that.

"I have no excuse for my lies." Erebus said with a grin. He was getting better at talking to Kitty, and he knew she could only be soft to people if they show a retreate first.

And Kitty didn't know how to burst out at that at all.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Kitty asked with a guilty look. Now she felt bad because she knew the answer to that question: She was mad at him on that night and they both knew there was no way she would have accepted his help.

"Because it was late and dangerous, and I knew you didn't want my help right then. I wanted to make sure you are safe." Erebus expalined softly.

"I'm sorry I made you lie to me..." Kitty said, "I wasn't mad at you. That was not fair to you..."

"It's okay. I understand." Erebus nodded with a genuine look.

Kitty sighed with a sad look. It was not like she doesn't know she needed help, but it surely felt horrible when it was the man she KNEW that was out of her reach that helped by lying to her.

"I'm sorry..." Erebus walked up, "I know it felt horrible to find out this way, and I'm sorry. I won't lie to you again, I promise."

Kitty just nodded without a word, but she didn't push him away when he took her into his arms with caution.

"So... could you keep on working here then?" Erebus asked.

"Of course not!" Kitty yelled and was ready to get into a fight. What was he thinking?! How could she keep this made-up position and do nothing for a salary now that she found out?!

"Okay, okay! I totally understand." Erebus held up his hands to surrender.

"But please keep the room for now? We have more urgent issue right now, and I just want you to have a place to settle in so I don't have to worry about you all the time." One hand held onto the back of the chair, Erebus leaned a bit towards Kitty with genuine eyes fixed on hers, and Kitty was totally lost in them.

"Ummm, okay... I guess... Thanks?" Kitty stammered, answered with broken words at the gazing of Erebus. What was she agreeing to again? Didn't she just stormed in here to yell at this huge liar? Why is she drowning in his beautiful eyes and was saying "thanks" to him instead?

"You are welcome!" Erebus gave her a big smile, and a piece of paper, "You are hereby relieved of this position, and here is the copy of your citizenship file."

"Wait, what?!" Kitty exclaimed.

"I just re-newed it for you is all. You DO have one, you know. But it might not be what you think it should be. I guess someone was trying to hide that from you. You were never really in the foster system, and that's why no one ever really went to look for you after you ran away from the church." Erebus explained as he handed over the paper.

Kitty just nodded blindly, trying to take in all the information, so Erebus just went on:

"You have been registered under the couple that died last month ever since you were born, and because there's only about three months before your 18th birthday, I persuaded the personnel to give it a pass and brought your birthday forward for 3 months, we can change it back later if you want to keep your true birthday on there."

"O-okay..." Kitty blinked blankly.

"By the way, when's your birthday? Is the record correct?" Erebus asked casually.

"Well, December 24th, actually. I always loved Christmas when I was--" Kitty shrugged and avoided his eyes when her sentence suddenly broke.

"Of course. I'm sure Christmas at your home was extra sweet." Erebus put a hand on her head.

"Thanks." Kitty didn't avoid his touch this time, "I, I should get back now, it being my last shift and all..."

"Of course." Erebus didn't protest against that. He simply pocketed his hands and watched as she left.

Kitty walked into the elevator slowly with her head spinning in the cloud.

What just happened?

She was registered under someone she hadn't even met all her life? Was the woman raising her her real mom even? Was she just a witch's decoy to keep her true daughter safe? Is that evil to surmise that of the sweet, fairy-like woman that raised her?

"Are you not going to tell her you bought the hotel for her?" Iapetus had been silent all this time, watching Erebus subsiding Kitty's anger.

"Nope, she doesn't need to know that." Erebus poured himself a drink and sat on the chair.

"I thought you want her to be the bartender so you can spend more time with her?" Iapetus asked, "Why did you just agreed to her resign?"

There was anger rose in Erebus eyes: "Because now there's a sly fox in the hen house, and I need to keep my kitten safe."

"Umm, is Kitty a chicken or kitten in this metaphor?" With absolutely no sense of humor, Iapetus asked genuinely.

"It doesn't matter." Erebus rolled his eyes, "I'm glad to keep a distance between him and Kitty."

"You didn't want her to keep this job either." Iapetus didn't even raise an eyebrow though he just figured it out.

Erebus grinned at him: "I don't like him testing her and lying to her."

"You lie to her." Iapetus said with a calm tone.

Erebus: "..."

"And another matter, my Lord," Being stared at with Erebus's murderous look, Iapetus quickly changed the subject: "I found out something about the prophecy concerning the prince."

"Nice work, Iapetus." Erebus jumped out of his chair, "Tell me."

"Here, my Lord." Iapetus handed over a piece of paper, "It wasn't exactly a secret, actually. It was supposed to be, but someone leaked it out on the Prince's 18th birthday two years ago, and though not really known to the public, the whole royal family were surely spread. Here's the copy."

"Peculiar, in deed." Erebus took over the paper, and on it said:

Protected by the power of the ocean,

She was born to be the queen;

At the fall of the kingdom,

The price for her freedom was paid.

"Master of the sea." Erebus murmured. Lilith's name was not strange to them.

"Yes, that's how they interpreted it as well." Iapetus nodded.

"The prince's mate was predicted to be a witch?" Erebus said slowly, frowning.

"And that might be why it was leaked. Some people who are against witches would want to do something about it." Iapetus said.

"You think it's leaked by the same person who ordered to wipe out the city?" Erebus looked up from the paper.

"It's very likely." Iapetus nodded, "We don't know who was the target of the leaking though, so I cannot be sure."

"But why would someone would want her dead is pretty obvious now." Erebus said sullenly.

"At the fall of the kingdom, the price for her freedom was paid." Iapetus repeated, agreeing.

"The question is," Erebus said, "Why is our Prince so sure that Kitty was the mate mentioned in the prophecy."