"....Dimi, uncle, it's late. Let's take a break for now and talk again tomorrow."Alicia sent them out of the room while rubbing her brow. If she does not treat their wounds, an irreversible scar will form.She exited the study room and noticed Latty outside on standby. Her deep brown eyes were swollen with tears. She dashed over to Alicia."Oh, Miss..." Latty moaned.Alicia gave a bitter smile. "Did you hear it all?"Latty nodded and wiped her tears. "Yes, I heard it earlier when the door opened. Is it true, Miss? Will you have to go to Ehrlich rather than the princess...?"Alicia was unable to respond to Latty's inquiry. She had no idea. She had been constantly worried about Helen until today, but everything had changed. She now had to be concerned about herself."Uncle said he'll figure something out. Don't be too worried, Latty. I'm exhausted and need to rest. You should as well."Latty nodded, still in tears. "Yes, Miss. I'll take you to your room."Latty led Alicia to her bedro
"Who... who..."“Shh…”Alicia struggled to speak with her mouth closed, but she couldn't stop herself from hearing that familiar voice."Dimi?" she asked softly, her beautiful silhouette glistening in the moonlight streaming through the window.Dimi, her cousin, pressed his finger to her lips and quietly said, "Be silent."Alicia was taken aback when Dimitri handed her a coat, shoes, and a hat and said, "Put this on first.""What is it, Dimi?""I'll explain on the way." There isn't any time. Come on. Hurry.”Alicia hurriedly dressed up in response to his urgent request. Dimitri grabbed her hand as she put on her shoes and exited the room. She was led from the dark mansion into the stable.Dimitri hurriedly mounted Alicia on the horse and climbed up behind her. The duo had only taken a few moments to leave the mansion."Dimi, be honest. What exactly is going on?" Alicia inquired after reaching a state of calm. Regardless, Dimitri remained silent and continued their journey in silence
Short chapter. Next chapter will be long and lengthy.“Alice!”Dimitri pounced on Alicia, immediately embracing her in his arms and shielding her from an unknown object.Alicia and Dimitri looked up and saw stones shining brightly around them. They realized what it was and their face quickly hardened.It was an ore named Arc Stone and categorized as one of the rarest minerals in the world. When burned, it produced light and heat without odor. Every nation made great to acquire Arc Stones. For its usefulness, the masses titled the ore Lord of Light.Apart from its purpose to burn lights, arc stones had far too many purposes – one included flying through the air to reveal their target. Though the problem was the rarity of the stones. It was not easy for regular folks to have one in their hands. Only the powerful and wealthy could afford such luxury and Alicia and Dimitri know fairly well who wielded that power in Coulson.A few minutes later, a dozen men appeared in the light the stone
Alicia was to wait until the following morning to meet the crown prince. Meanwhile, Dimitri was sent to prison and Alicia locked and confined in the mansion. She was under heavy surveillance and unable to do anything. She only had a small leeway until the promised meeting with the crown prince. Until then, she needed to go to the princess. Only she could help her.“But… I can’t meet her right now…”Not mentioning her confinement, she’d have trouble entering the palace. Besides, there were guards outside the mansion preventing her from escaping. But… there was a guard nearby standing still and proper. She walked to him.“Please pass this message to the princess… Alicia wants to meet you.”However, the guard did not react. He lacked the slightest sign of willingness to convey her words. Alicia sighed dismally. As she tried to look for alternative methods, someone from the outside barged in.“Lady Alicia!”It was the princess’s old nanny.Alicia smiled and welcomed her. “Nanny, is the pr
When she thought of this, she lost all her energy. Why does she struggle so hard? The future won’t change no matter what she does. She was tied to him. For a time, Alicia stared forward absent-mindedly ‘till a sudden flick of wings buzzed in her ear.Chirp, chirp!A shrill cry of the bird rang out. The bird, who earlier fought with the snake, circled around her. It sought Alicia’s help after seeing her familiar figure.Rihanann turned around and looked at the bird’s nest. Only two baby birds were left, the rest swallowed by the snake.Chirp, chirp!The bird chirped again, hurriedly and anxiously. Understanding its intent, Alicia picked up a wooden stick lying on the ground and ran straight to the tree. She threw the stick at the snake whose venomous fangs crept closer to the baby birds.Wack!The snake, hit right on the head, fell off the tree. It was unconscious for a moment before it crawled quickly into the grass. It disappeared and peace was found once again. The bird circled arou
“Let me guess,” the crown prince rubbed his chin, “You want me to free Dimitri from prison? Or maybe you’re pleading that I not send you to Ehrlich? Did I hit the mark?”“If I ask you of that, Your Highness, would you accept my request?”“Impossible,” he snorted. “If this is your sole reason for coming here, go back home. I accepted your visitation request as I thought you’d have anything special to say, but how utterly disappointed I am.”“Ehrlich’s king asked for Princess Helen. You know that.”“You’re Helen’s friend but you are her servant, first and foremost. As her servant, you’re to make sure you keep her away from harm at all times. This is how it works.” Then he smiled, raising the corner of his lips upwards. “But of course, it’s not like there’s no way out.”His gaze swept through Alicia’s chest and waistline. She looked pleasing to the eye.Alicia saw through his lewdness and greedy thoughts. He looked at her like a delicious prey. She wanted nothing but to run and escape, b
The Crown Prince did not believe Alicia and failed to delve into her thoughts, into her pain and suffering. He failed to look at her, really look at her. He failed to see that a house lived inside her. She had secrets locked inside her house; her house was big and beautiful but… inside that house is full of secret rooms and hiding places once filled with innocent laughter and joy that turned to one of despair.Chuckling at what he thought was mere bragging, the Crown Prince said, “You can go now. I have nothing more to say.”Alicia bowed. “I’ll be on my way, Your Highness.” She turned around and walked towards the door, but suddenly stopped as she placed her hand on the door. “The Crown Prince’s downfall…”The Crown Prince raised his head. “Hmm?”“I tell you this now in advance for the chance that I may not return. I want to say my farewell to you, Your Highness, as a member of Coulson’s royal blood. May you live a long and prosperous life.”The Crown Prince laughed. “Yes, in fact, I
News of the envoy’s arrival from the palace roused the soldiers and sailors nearby. The port was bustling. The soldier on board Ehrlich’s ship delivered the letter to a messenger as he waited. His mission was to deliver the letter with the king’s seal and return to the lady with a proper answer.“Your Majesty!”The king’s loyal servant, Basil, with a grin planted on his face, entered the cabin holding a letter in his hand.A black-haired man sitting on the desk raised his head. His Coulson blood was apparent. His hair and eyes had the distinctive traits common amongst Ehrlich while his height and facial shape differed from Ehrlich’s men. He raised his hand and swept his hair back – his skin was slightly tanned while those dark purple eyes gave off a sense of intensity.“The letter has finally arrived!” Basil placed the letter stamped with a royal seal on the desk. Then he said excitedly, “Now that the letter is here, are we heading back to Ehrlich? I’m sure the letter contains an agre