《Diamond In The Rough (Complete)》 Chapter One
¡°I apologize, Your Majesty, but I have come for another matter.¡± Said someone who had traveled far to come to the palace in Rangcew. The King of Rangcew frowned, his obvious dislike being shown to what had been said, and continued, ¡°Then what matter is there?¡± The newcomer turned towards Prince Elton, who was silently standing to the side with calculated eyes, and bowed. ¡°I have come to ask for the young Prince¡¯s hand for my daughter, Clarabelle.¡± The King solemnly looked at his son and frowned again, ¡°The Prince is my son¡­¡± Was all he stated loudly, yet his thoughts were more aggressive! ¡®This is my country, he is my person! You must ask me if you want something!¡¯ King Lewis wanted all the power, not wanting to let go an inch! If someone was asking for his son¡¯s hand in marriage, why were they looking at his son and not him!? The newcomer was not someone you wanted to anger easily yet, he was also not another King, so King Lewis stood and waved his hands, ¡°I and my son are currently busy and will have to continue this discussion another day. If you excuse us.¡± Walking off, without even waiting upon either that of his son or the newcomer, the King left the room. ¡°The country of Funmil is waiting upon a certain day, young Prince.¡± Stated the newcomer in a quiet voice, staring at the Prince. The Prince nodded and started to walk out of the room as well, ¡°¡­We all are, Advisor Jones.¡±. It wasn¡¯t the first time a marriage proposal had been made to the Prince, nor would it be the last. With someone next in line to the throne and still without a Princess, Prince Elton had many suitors yet still no accepted proposal¡­Well except one, from a very long time ago, which no longer counted¡­ It also wasn¡¯t the first time that King Lewis was somewhat ignored, and Prince Elton had some authority. Like today, where King Lewis walked away, stating that he was busy, this was how these predicaments were handled. The King would then, later on, talk to the person alone, where Prince Elton would not be called for or asked to join¡­ As King, you have a lot of power already, just by stating that you are the King! Yet, for Prince Elton, even though he was a Prince, and even though he was next in line to rule, he felt like being a King was more than just a title. He had gone out there, where the homeless were, were the dirty and hardworking people were¡­Where there were crimes and suffering. He had worked hard to obtain what he had and find that his father was not fit for the throne¡­He was not fit to rule! Prince Elton had kept it in all this time, he kept in his displeasure, his disgust and his disloyalty! For the father that helped bring him into this world, Prince Elton had no love for him at all. David, Prince Elton¡¯s loyal and ¡®obedient¡¯ friend, would state that the Prince wouldn¡¯t know what love was if it hit him in the face and that was why it was so easy for the Prince to dislike his own father. Whatever it was that first opened Prince Elton¡¯s eyes to his father¡¯s various crimes, he was glad for it! He had already helped as much as he could in the background, by obtaining assassins as bodyguards now, and already having someone on the inside of the black market but he still needed to get the thieves from Lupis on his side! Prince Elton still had a nature of wanting things and having the superiority thought of obtaining whatever he wanted, it was just a matter of how long it would take to obtaining it. He was someone that did indeed think himself as someone higher than others, but thought this because he was able to become smarter with having the availability of any books and the money to purchase a lot of things that he wanted so it is only understandable that he should be of a higher status¡­ He has pride in himself, he also knows that he will also have something above his father, that his father will never be able to beat¡­And that is simply his age! Yes¡­Anything to beat his father, the Prince wants it! No¡­He needs it! The country was falling into shadow of the other countries and soon it could be looked upon as easy to be overtaken! The people in the country of Commorda need reassurance, they need a better King! King Lewis used anyone and anything to get what he wanted. He would sell off his own daughter to become richer, he would deceive a family, to become more powerful and¡­He was trying right up until this day, to try and tame his son! Prince Elton learnt a lesson a while ago, and that was that he couldn¡¯t just bring up one thing at a time to try and demote his father¡­He had to get people behind him, he had to get evidence of a few crimes and¡­He had to wait¡­Patiently! So¡­He had to act like he was controlled for the time being¡­He had to act like he was a great son, ready to do whatever his father told him too! *** ¡°That son of mine is rebelling again!¡± King Lewis stated, now in his official study room. ¡°Get me Advisor Rick!¡± With the King¡¯s order, a bodyguard loyal to the King rushed off to find this Advisor. This certain Advisor Rick had been the King¡¯s man for a long time, and they had been making plans just as long! The newest plan of theirs was getting a woman that the Prince would marry, a woman that would woo the Prince over and make him a puppet. They don¡¯t have evidence to support that the Prince was rebelling against the King, well not since that brief moment a few years ago, but they have heard about it and the King knew that something must be done! Just¡­There had been no woman that would fit their category yet! ¡°Your Majesty?¡± An old Advisor stated sometime later. ¡°How is it going? Have you not found a woman yet for my son!?¡± The King asked in an angry tone. The Advisor bowed loyally and said, ¡°Not as of yet, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Why is it taking so long!?¡± The King yelled.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Very few saw the King this way, as he was a two-faced King that showed a more patient and tolerate side of himself before others. Some knew how greedy he was, some knew how far he might go but when in front of his Queen, his daughter and son and many others, the King doesn¡¯t lose his temper¡­ ¡°If we choice wrongly, Your Majesty, our plans will not work! We must be very particular!¡± The Advisor stated as calmly and as quietly as he could. This advisor clenched his hidden hands as he continued to be lectured by what he thought was an absurd man. He had been loyal for so long now, so long that he was in the position that he needed to be in! If anyone knew of what type of woman to get for the Prince, so that they could make the Prince a puppet, Advisor Rick knew! They needed someone that would be able to mesmerize the Prince, someone that would make Prince Elton unable to think properly! They needed a woman that would listen to them and do as she was told, someone that didn¡¯t want much and someone that would be easily scared! Advisor Rick knew all too well that a specific woman must take time to find and that there was nothing else to do but endure through the King being mad at him at this moment. The King took a deep breath and paced the front of his desk, right in front of the Advisor. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore, if this doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll find another way! Find someone this week!¡± The Advisor went to frown but held back, he knew that if the King saw his frown he might be kneeling for another hour or two! ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Was all the Advisor could say before leaving. Because their ¡®deep¡¯ relationship was a secret, Advisor Rick left the palace secretly and directly went to his small house that was just outside of the capital. The small house wasn¡¯t his actual residence, it was another home that he could use, especially when he didn¡¯t want to go home to his useless eldest son and badgering wives. Just as he put down his coat, ready to go through the potential females of who they could use for a third time, one if his loyal men came to him. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°It seems the Prince is going in the direction of Lupis¡­I thought that if it is so, we¡¯d tell¡­¡± The Advisor interrupted the man, ¡°Very good, take me to Lupis.¡± Lupis¡­ It was known as a town outside of the capital¡­A town known to hold the thieves¡­ It wasn¡¯t really a ¡®town¡¯, simply because of how it was situated¡­And where¡­ Any road that would lead up to the desert town would be always swept away easily as the sand is moved by the wind. Why do the thieves live here? If you weren¡¯t a thief, you wouldn¡¯t know, but thieves, with their hiding abilities and watchful eyes, knew very well that this sand dune place held lots of secrets! It wasn¡¯t very big, this small desert in Lupis, as you could travel by camel through the entirety of it within a day but¡­Their were traps, and deep below a trail of caves could be found and thus, this was where the thieves would dwell. Being relatively close to the capital and having it easy for them to disappear, it seemed that all thieves willingly led their pursuers in this direction. Even on rare occasions some people who were running after thieves met up here in the sand dunes as they were after two different thieves! It was no secret, this was exactly where the thieves were hidden but¡­How do you get inside!? To have the mind of a thief, the ability to hide, to get away swiftly and to steal, it is the only way to get inside the caves, and that is why people might still have troubles getting in, even if they had seen an entrance before. Nonetheless, Prince Elton narrowed his eyes to the sight of what seemed like endless sand dunes over the land before him. He knew about the cave type place underneath, getting his information from David, who got it from a thief that came to the black market. It really was quite mysterious¡­That there looked like there was no entrance, yet he was so certain that underneath held caves! The caves had something to do with both of the land masses beside the small desert. One side of the sand dunes had softer earth than the other and caves not had just dug out by people but most of it had been done naturally¡­But how is one to go about getting inside? A certain soft noise from a distance made Prince Elton turn, to squint his eyes to a person wiping themselves down from the sand from their bodies. ¡­It was most definitely a thief! Trying to hide as quickly and quietly as possible, Prince Elton waved as his two bodyguards, wanting them to go further away. After waiting patiently for the thief to disappear, which was in the direction of the capital, Prince Elton went over to where the thief had come from and frowned¡­ There was nothing much there. It was just the border line of the sand and the normal land that the capital is on¡­ He needed to get in there! He needed to get the thieves on his side! For him to do that, he needed to figure this problem out on his own and show them that he was not just some normal person, that he was more than that! He wanted the thieves to become something more! Yes, he¡¯d already thought of this a while ago¡­He wanted the thieves to go to the other countries and bring back information and anything that might mean anything important! It was written down in an old book, and probably was already implanted from other countries but this would be Prince Elton¡¯s first lot of spy¡¯s¡­And he was going to have their allegiance! Still, an hour later, Prince Elton had not found a way to get inside and before he angered further, he left. Advisor Rick had only just gotten there but sighed, feeling frustrated to have come all that way for nothing. Continuing to discretely follow the Prince back towards the capital, the advisor was suddenly stunned to see that the Prince was actually following someone suddenly. Looking around to the area, then trying to see the person that the Prince was following, the advisor was surprised¡­It was a thief! Was¡­Was this the reason why the Prince was at Lupis then? This was¡­This was very interesting indeed! Perhaps they could find a flaw in the Prince and use it against him! On the other hand, Prince Elton followed after the Little Pillager, unable to stop himself from just continuing his own journey. He had been curious all this time upon why the Little Pillager would be out in this area¡­But if it were to steal, he would catch her in the process, perhaps demand her to tell him how to get into the caves in Lupis for her release in return¡­ Just that reason alone made the Prince quite happy to follow this thief, hardly able to wait to find her¡­ In mid thought, Prince Elton stopped and stared at the Little Pillager, as she gave some small children some food. So, she was a thief with a soft heart towards hungry, little children? Indeed, the Prince was quite specific, not wanting to give the Little Pillager any credit. As far as he was concerned, feeding little children like this didn¡¯t make up for running away from him and stealing something of his from the last time that they had met! The children ran off, probably back towards the commoner¡¯s area, while the thief traveled straight towards the same vandalized and broken home that the Prince saw the last time that he had been led here! Again, she had led him to the noble¡¯s living area outside of the capital. It was obvious upon why it was the noble¡¯s area, it was because of the hill and the view one would receive upon living in a house here but again, the same person had led him here twice¡­Is it a coincidence? Why would a thief¡­ He couldn¡¯t spend all day waiting for this thief to steal, so instead, he marched straight towards this broken house and just as he went to walk through the half opened, old front door, a mouse ran past. Stopping, Prince Elton let out a big sigh, this really was ridiculous! Walking in further, the Prince looked around, to suddenly see the thief pick up the mouse and then stare at him. Seeing her touching that creature, the Prince frowned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She called out, making the Prince blink. What am I doing here? He suddenly thought. Seeing her look away, then sigh, he found himself wondering what she was thinking. Why was she here!? Is there something left to steal from this place? This place didn¡¯t even have a front door that would close! Her thoughts were far from why she was here¡­No, she was more pondering upon why he was there! Why is the Prince, the heir to the throne, here of all places!? ¡°You¡¯ve followed me¡­¡± She stated, guessing to the only possibility. ¡°I did.¡± He finally said something. What was the use in lying, he had nothing to fear! Putting her mouse to her shoulder, Alison turned around and left, ¡°Then you know the way out of here.¡± She was not in the mood to tend to royalty and since she had done nothing wrong, how could he capture her? No, he will disappear in mere moments from this place! To Alison¡¯s surprise, though, as she sat near a particular window, she found that not only did the Prince not leave, but he had followed her to the room that she was now currently in! Having just put water over the fireplace, she had been wiping a cup down with a clean rag, to come to a halt. As they stared at each other, the Prince couldn¡¯t help but be curious. He saw it, this place might not look as though it was being lived in, but it was¡­She must be one of those people that went to other people¡¯s homes to live when it was vacant¡­Which was probably something that he could catch and trail her for! When the Prince broke eye contact to sit opposite her, like her near the window, Alison sighed again. He was a Prince, she can¡¯t exactly treat him terribly now could she? She will have to do this carefully¡­ She hadn¡¯t wanted to involve the Prince, simply because she didn¡¯t want anything to do with him¡­But now that he was here, why not make the best of it!? ¡°Would you like some tea, sir?¡± ¡°Please, that would be¡­Nice¡­My Lady.¡± Ah, so noble. Manners of a Prince! It was obvious to her though, that he must be thinking that he had given her probably more manners then she deserved¡­As much as Alison might be mocking him inside her head at this time, outside she turned into the best hostess that she could be. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I do not have a large variety of tea¡­¡± She stated, already making the tea anyway. ¡°It is not a problem. Carry on¡­¡± The Prince stated, seeing that she was doing so without his consent anyway. This woman was¡­Annoying¡­ ¡°Is the gentleman in this part of the capital for business?¡± Alison asked, being obvious about her curiosity. She also looked at the Prince a smile. The Prince frowned at the woman and ignored her question, ¡°I am getting very thirsty.¡± If you¡¯re thirsty then go and have a drink elsewhere! Why are you here!? Chapter Two
¡°Do you know about the noble family that used to live in this residence?¡± The Prince asked. Yes, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t want to leave this dirty place¡­In fact, he did wonder how he had gotten this far but¡­ He was curious though, if the thief knew anything of this family, before he would capture her and make her show him how to get into the caves at Lupis. All these thoughts led him to this question, but what he got after asking it, made him go silent. The woman¡­She looked away, swallowed and blinked a few times. Why did she look like it was a hard question? Why¡­Does she look like she¡¯s going to cry one second and then in the next second look angry? Alison shrugged, after regaining herself. She had never thought that the Prince was going to go straight to the point like that! Did he know much about what had become of this family? Did he even care? ¡°I¡¯ll get you your tea!¡± Alison stated back, giving him what he had given her just a few moments ago. ¡°Woman! You test¡­Me.¡± Prince Elton stated, nearly giving away that he was a Prince. He had nearly forgotten that this woman didn¡¯t really know his identity, as he had never told her. But¡­Why did he care to keep it a secret though? ¡­Then there was the certain fact that he didn¡¯t know that she already did know his true identity¡­ Alison rolled her eyes and put out the cup to him, staring at him like she had all the courage in the world. The Prince lowered his head and took the cup, almost grumbling his dissatisfaction. Once this woman tells him what she knows of this family, he was going to catch her and torment her for this! Silence entered the room, as they both drank a sip of tea and just sat there while in their own thoughts. One was thinking of ways to bring up the family that had lived in this residence once again, and in the best way possible¡­While the other person was wondering how they could force the other to leave the broken house, getting mad that they had to lose out on tea on them! Milo, her mouse, suddenly went off her shoulder and raced towards the Prince¡­ Should I stop him? She wondered, watching the mouse yet not making any inclination of stopping the little thing. Seeing the Prince get tensed up and even try to move away from the mouse, Alison let out a laugh. The Prince looked at her and it suddenly clicked into his head¡­She was that little girl! She had laughed at him back then too! That girl¡­That girl was¡­From this house! With the suddenly thought, the Prince was stunned and didn¡¯t even know that Milo was making his way to his shoulder. Seeing a movement, the Prince looked towards his shoulder to find the mouse! He rummaged around, looking very strange while doing so because the mouse didn¡¯t move from his shoulder as he tried to walk ¡®away¡¯ from it, losing the cup of tea in the process. ¡°Get it off me!¡± The Prince stated, going to knock it off but didn¡¯t want to touch it directly! Alison fell into a pit of laughter and could only hold onto her stomach with one hand, while pointing at the Prince with the other. The Prince got angrier and angrier as time went on and finally found something to use to get the mouse off of him. It was the saucer of the teacup, and he used that to push the mouse off of him! Seeing the mouse hit the wall, Alison immediately stopped laughing and practically pounced towards the mouse. ¡°Milo!¡± She yelled, picking up the mouse. The Prince watched as that annoying woman had gone from laughing one moment to see her almost crying in the next. ¡°Get out!¡± She yelled at him. That¡­How dare she! The Prince flinched when she stood up, looking down at him. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have put so much force into making the mouse get off him¡­It was completely obvious upon how furious she was at him! His thoughts led to think that he couldn¡¯t blame the woman for looking at him like this. He had followed her, he had also invited himself in here, he had also not been polite and answered her question then¡­Well, he did want to potentially use her¡­ He probably deserved a furious stare like that coming from the Little Pillager¡­ ¡°Get out!¡± She stated again, turning away from him. ¡°Milo?¡± Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, the Prince did feel slightly guilty yet¡­He also had not achieved his goal either! This is what he would usually call, ¡®unproductive¡¯! He hadn¡¯t gotten any information yet upon the family¡­Wait¡­She is the family so¡­ As the Prince went into thoughts, Alison saw that Milo was alright and so she let out a breath of relief. The little, light brown mouse sniffed the air near her and walked again. ¡°Thank god¡­¡± Alison stated, giving the mouse a tiny pat on the head. She really wouldn¡¯t be ready if anything had happened to Milo¡­As it was, it had taken a while to get used to him being close to her! Friends were not a forte of Alison¡¯s¡­It never was¡­ She had been brought up in a way that she was outspoken and had enough ¡®power¡¯ to get away with it. Not knowing much of the ¡®power¡¯ when she was young, she missed it after she had lost her family. Having been the fianc¨¦ to the Prince, she could not do too much wrong¡­But afterwards, without that power, things got very bad and she had to learn very quickly when to keep her mouth shut! After losing her family, being left behind, she had gone quiet for a while. Afterwards, being forced to become a thief, she had gained that outspoken part of herself back and well¡­She still had no friends¡­Except for Milo. Milo was persistent, just like her. He continued to come to her, as much as she had pushed the small vermin away. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Oh well, it had been a year now, since that little mouse was born and sitting there all by itself. She really did try to let it have a life of its own, but she had become mother to the thing¡­ Since it was small¡­Alison taught the little thing to go into rooms. Sometimes it didn¡¯t do much of a job but on the times that it did, and found a ring, a necklace¡­A key, Milo came in handy! Her heart had accepted Milo and they were the best of friends! ¡°I apologize for my behavior just now.¡± Woman, you must understand that I do not apologize easily! Turning to the voice, Alison bit her lip and looked back away, ¡°I accept your apology. Please leave.¡± If he weren¡¯t the Prince, Alison thought¡­ Feeling the Prince move, hearing one¡­Two footsteps, Alison slowly turned and looked at him, seeing him looking at her. He used to be my fianc¨¦. She used to be my fianc¨¦. ¡°I¡¯m¡­Glad, that he is ok¡­Your mouse.¡± The Prince stated, nodding and looking at her hand, where Milo was. Alison nodded too, her teachings, from a young age, would be now to probably curtsy and send His Highness off but¡­ Looking away and through the window, Alison waited¡­Waited for the Prince to leave. Dam¡­ The Prince couldn¡¯t help but think he was bested in this situation and took one more look at the annoying woman, then left. She was the girl, that girl that laughed at him so long ago! Next time¡­The next time we meet, I¡¯ll find out then! With that thought, the Prince walked with more determination and finally left through the broken front door. Alison looked out through the window, to the far distance, seeing the top of the wall of the capital and seeing the palace beyond that. The Prince will be going there, and I will be too, she thought. She was waiting on one more thing before going, having already made the decision quite some time ago now. She was going there to steal from the King with a few other thieves! She had spent so much effort to get the thieves to want to do it, without her being the one to have come up with the idea, and finally, when one more thief is ready with whatever he was waiting for¡­It was going to be it! She will get revenge by stealing money or whatever was of worth to the King! And yes, her first stop would be the King¡¯s very own chambers! *** Falling into the opening of the caves in Lupis, Alison got up and only wiped herself twice before continuing to walk in a particular direction. She hadn¡¯t been here often, as it also took her a long time to get in here in the first place but¡­It was like an acceptance! Before being able to come into the caves at Lupis, she wasn¡¯t spoken to by any other thief. She wasn¡¯t classified as a real thief right up until she found the secret to this place. It really was unique! ¡°Allie, apparently they¡¯ve been waiting for ya to get here.¡± Alison looked at who spoke to her and she nodded, running ahead now. She hadn¡¯t thought that she was late but apparently, she was! ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± She stated, sitting down to the closest chair, not even bothering to move it to face the other two¡­It really was a different world to the one that she was brought up to be in, that was for sure! She didn¡¯t even have to look at people when talking to them down here. She wasn¡¯t looked at with posture in mind either, as she put a foot up on the table. ¡°Just as you wanted, the library is yours. We already know about how long it is for¡­Now for the date¡­It¡¯s tonight when the moon is directly over the pond at the back of the palace!¡± Alison took her foot off the table and gave one nod of the head, leaving straight after. Thieves don¡¯t normally collaborate and well, in a way they still weren¡¯t. They had pride, pride in their abilities, which did give them all something to connect to but¡­It didn¡¯t mean any thief was another thief¡¯s best friend! They were all going to the palace alone, they were all going in different places inside the palace alone and¡­They might be going in at the same time but it didn¡¯t mean that they were going in the same area. The only thing they were collaborating with¡­Is the time and place¡­That was all. Having already agreed to only going for a couple of hours, to be far from the palace by dawn, they had also agreed on different areas upon getting in as well. You could probably say that they are helping each other out by not working together¡­ It was weird but for some reason, Alison understood. She also agreed to this as well, simply because she really started to obtain the thoughts and ideas that a thief would get¡­How else had she been able to make it into the caves if she hadn¡¯t!? Leaving the caves and falling into the sand, Alison took more time to dust herself off this time. Before going into the caves, she knew she was already going to come back out soon so why would she have bothered dusting herself off earlier!? Actually, the floor of the caves held a lot of sand and no one cleaned in the caves so¡­The sand will most likely just stay there and build up over time¡­ ¡°Tell me where the entrance is!¡± Looking up to the sudden voice, Alison went wide eyed. What was he doing here? The Prince looked like he was breathing more harder than usual and looked around like he could find something in mere moments, making her let out a quick laugh. ¡°This is the exit.¡± Alison stated, walking out of the sand and continuing to dust herself down. ¡°Then, where is the entrance?¡± The Prince asked, watching her. She dusted herself off more, not saying anything in return, when she was suddenly pulled upon. Crashing into a chest, Alison looked up in shock. The sudden closeness of the Prince stopped her thoughts as she stared at him. The Prince looked upon her lips, suddenly aware himself upon how close they were and went quiet. It was at this time that the advisor was certain that he had found the perfect woman to make his new granddaughter and to make¡­The next Queen! The woman seemed to have obtained the Prince¡¯s attention, looking like she could contain a lot more. The woman also seemed to be without, which meant he had something to offer her. The woman also seemed to have a past, which was something that they could keep as a threat¡­ The more he looked, the more he was satisfied with this one particular woman¡­She was the one! She was going to be the diamond that sets his way to becoming the real King behind the one on the throne. Even if he doesn¡¯t sit on the throne himself, he was going to be the one with the power, the one to shape this country to how he wants it! What the advisor didn¡¯t anticipate was the history that these two people had, and especially that of Alison. He also did not think that instead of him playing her and the Prince¡­That perhaps he was the one being played instead¡­ Running away from the Prince, after gaining a chance, Alison was chased down and then placed against a tree. ¡°How can you expect me to accept that as an answer?¡± The Prince was getting grumpy! ¡®Think like a thief and you¡¯ll be able to get in easily!¡¯ That was not the answer that he was looking for! Alison gave a slight, cheeky smile and shrugged. The worst part of this information is that they already have the answer! Well, said the thoughts of a thief! ¡°Fine¡­¡± Alison found his breath against her ear and found heat rising to her face. Feeling an arm slowly going around her, she blinked, holding her hands up, not knowing what else to do with them. ¡°Tell me then what you know of the family that used to live in that noble residence. Do you have any kind of evidence against the King?¡± His hot breath and quiet words made her senses lose their¡­Senses! She could only think of the arm holding her waist and his voice. He was so close! The Prince frowned, not hearing a word and pulled back a bit. Seeing her stare at him, the rise and fall of her body while she breathed¡­In a quick instant, the Prince let her go and looked away¡­ It seemed that it really was time for him to marry, Prince Elton thought. Looking back at the woman, the Prince sighed and tried to put certain thoughts aside for now. Whereas Alison finally became more aware and ran like the wind! I hate the Prince! I hate the Prince! She didn¡¯t know why she was saying that repeatedly while she ran, but she just kept saying it and while she said it, it was like she was using her anger to run faster and faster! Without looking back, Alison went towards the capital and didn¡¯t stop until she was near the palace. Would the Prince think to look for her here? Is he still behind me? Sticking herself into some small space, unseen from the main walkway, Alison tried to get her breath back. She was breathing so hard that it took a long time for her to breath normal again. The time to have run from Lupis to here¡­It would have taken a while but¡­Had she really run all the way? She can hardly remember it! Having him so close to her like that was scary! Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps! Yep¡­She had panicked! Panicked like crazy! The only thing on her mind then was ¡®Run¡¯! It wasn¡¯t just her that felt strange¡­The Prince had chased after her for a while but ended up in a carriage afterwards. He had someone watching both Lupis and the vandalized house, so he decided to go back to the palace. Now, that he was by himself in his own quarters, he sat down in a huff and put his head in his hands¡­ He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her sensual look¡­ As much as that woman annoyed him, he wanted her back in his arms and looking at him like that again. She was like¡­A little rabbit¡­No, a rabbit doesn¡¯t act like she does¡­She was like, like a mouse! A mouse that keeps running away from him and slipping through his grasp! As Alison got busy to intrude upon the palace and steal some revenge money, the Prince kept himself busy, trying not to think of a particular woman who seemed to invade his thoughts if he wasn¡¯t careful. It really was something strange, as both of them were a bit distracted¡­ The Prince now understands the want a man can have for a woman, the reason for a cold bath¡­Alison now understands that she will act stupid in front of a man if he¡¯s too close. Is it normal to be completely blank like that? Whatever the case, both Alison and Elton had questions and found it frustrating that they were asking these questions in the first place! *** Letting Milo into the small gap near the wall, Alison hid on the side and waited¡­ Just like normal, as she taught the mouse with so many hours, the mouse scared someone in the room, making them scream! As the scream sounded, while they rushed out the door, that was the time that Alison poked her finger through the window, unlocking it and came in. Watching Milo chase after the maid, Alison quickly locked the window again and followed after Milo, watching her surroundings and being very quiet. Milo came back the way he had gone, like routine, and Alison picked him up¡­Quickly, she then went towards the library in the palace¡­As, she had already entered the palace! Chapter Three
Thieves were very adaptive¡­Is what Alison had turned to think about thieves. They can scout out a place before going somewhere to steal but then again, they also don¡¯t really need to scout out the place if they don¡¯t want to. Most of the fun for a thief is finding what you want, getting it and getting out of the place and not getting caught! It wasn¡¯t really a job¡­It was¡­Fun! Fair enough thieves have to buy food and all that but still, the ¡®stealing¡¯ part was something that the thieves that Alison knew found to be entertaining, something that they looked forward too! The other two thieves hadn¡¯t scouted the palace but¡­Alison had spent a bit of time mapping it out. If she didn¡¯t have a deep, emotional reason to come here, where it was something she felt like her life was in need to do, she might not have bothered to scout out the palace but¡­It did make things easier¡­Just, instead, it was a bit more boring¡­ The library was obviously just for show, she really was going to go to the King¡¯s chambers, but, since she already knew another thief was going there, she was just going to wait until he was done, then go there afterwards. Having to hide behind a curtain, waiting for a guard to walk past, Alison continued down a path, then another two paths and then hid in among some doors, as another guard came. ¡°¡­Seems a bit weird.¡± Alison widened her eyes as she felt surrounded. This voice was from the other side of her, while the guard still had to walk past her. ¡°It is only normal, Princess.¡± Oh, it¡¯s the Princess? That¡¯s right, she was getting married or something soon. There had been a huge event, about a ring and all¡­There probably was very little people that didn¡¯t know about Princess Bethany and her new engagement. ¡°Does Cid know about this too then?¡± The Princess asked, just as the guard walked past. Alison held her breath, hoping against hope that the guard wouldn¡¯t stop here. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s his duty as a future husband, Princess.¡± ¡°Duty as a husband¡­¡± Alison smiled at the Princess¡¯s voice, it sounded like she didn¡¯t believe in her maid. ¡°I thought¡­¡± The Princess kept talking but Alison was gone. Now in the library, with time to spare, Alison looks around. She did bring a bag with her, so she could take items away if she wished to, but¡­She was waiting to go to the King¡¯s quarters for that! Looking around, making sure that dusk was not on the horizon, Alison wondered if it would be worth checking an area that was locked up and in the corner of the library, well at least the door was in the corner¡­ Wouldn¡¯t hurt, she thought, and besides, she had more time to spare. Being as quiet as possible, Alison unlocked the lock with a specific thieving tool and put the lock aside. Walking into the smaller part of another type of library, Alison sighed and frowned¡­ How much stuff do they have to lock up? Were there dirty secrets in here or something? Picking up a random book, Alison skimmed through it and found that this area seemed to be the King¡¯s logs. It wasn¡¯t actually written by the King himself it was written by his most trusted servants. Apparently, the King before King Lewis had troubles with wetting the bed¡­ Giving out another short laugh, upon finding out that King Lewis was tutored secretly for an extra two years, when other King¡¯s hadn¡¯t needed it, Alison closed that book and went to the next. After coming across the fifth book, thinking that she might make her way to the King¡¯s chambers after, she went still to the page that she opened. ¡®There will be no evidence that I can think of for the falling of the noble family of Truvelle but I can write down with certainty that I saw the King make the deal to abolish them for their money¡¯ There was one more sentence, but the first sentence stuck into Alison¡¯s mind and she looked at the one who wrote it. Noel Price. He must have been one of about three that was a servant directly to the King. ¡­He saw it, I have a witness! Alison took a deep breath and decided that instead of going to the King¡¯s chambers, she wanted to stay here in the library and¡­Just like she thought¡­She found evidence to support her family as innocent, making unshed tears trickle down her face as she held it in her hands. Her father, before he had been killed, did he perhaps have an idea that the scandal could have been done by the King? Wanting to sob, Alison put what was allegedly ¡®stolen¡¯ by her family and ¡®used to get money¡¯ from elsewhere, where it had been deemed as ¡®lost¡¯ back into its hiding place. Taking a deep breath, Alison looked at the Queen¡¯s lost crown and wondered what to do. Her father¡¯s note was crumbled up in the hiding place, stating his innocence and that the crown was here but¡­ What to do? If I take it with me, then I have stolen it and my family¡¯s scandal may be brought back to the present time, making it harder to be believed that it was all a scandal. No, I need to find ¡®Noel Price¡¯ at least, I need to somehow beg him to become my witness! Deciding that she could come back to get the crown as evidence when she finally needs it, Alison left everything where she left it, except that of her father¡¯s note which she wanted to read again. She thought that perhaps her father¡¯s note could lead her somewhere else as well¡­Maybe he left another note at home¡­ Alison had already looked everywhere at home, just like that of the people that had gone through her house and ransacked it, but she had never found anything like this¡­Ever¡­ For the first time since her family had been wrongfully killed, Alison held something very important, so important that she was shaking¡­ Alison left the library and made it easily past the guards. The Princess this time wasn¡¯t talking, most likely sleeping now, making Alison nearly laugh. The Princess must be getting nervous to her upcoming marriage to Cid to be up so late this night! Just as Alison closed and locked the window, that she went in a few hours earlier, she thought of the Princess¡¯s marriage, only to suddenly be hit near her neck in the next second¡­Then everything went dark¡­If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. *** The Prince frowned upon hearing that thieves were in the castle. He already had enough of thieves! Closing his eyes once again, the Prince opened them to find that it was practically already morning. He had been unable to sleep, right up until the thieves had come into the palace! Doing his usual morning routine, the Prince was a bit quicker this time, not wanting to think of a specific thief! ¡°It is said that one thief was killed on sight, the other is in the dungeon.¡± The Prince smiled, thinking of another way to learn on how to get into the cave in Lupis! Very well! Making time to go down to the palace prison, the Prince stood in front of the thief that will probably be exiled or beheaded for what he was caught doing. Looking at him, he immediately thought of the Little Pillager and so he looked away. This was getting absolutely ridiculous! Seeing the thief stand and come closer to him, the Prince stood back and shook his head¡­He wasn¡¯t going to give this thief any chances! ¡°Tell me how to get into the Lupis caves!¡± The Prince demanded. The thief smiled and turned his head to the side, ¡°Tell me, where is the key?¡± The Prince narrowed his eyes and stared at the man, who had a crocked smile. His idea upon making thieves his spies reminded the Prince to not kill this man and to instead use him as a way to understand thieves better. ¡°What do you want?¡± The thief frowned and looked at the Prince like there was something wrong with him, ¡°¡­The key¡­¡± The Prince sighed, ¡°I mean, what do you want even if you weren¡¯t in this cell?¡± Seeing the thief look up and then look back at him and shrug, he said, ¡°Another key?¡± A little bit¡­Exhausted, the Prince finally spook again, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t want anything?¡± Hearing booming laughter, the Prince was ready to flog the thief that was inside the cell. Why was he laughing!? If he couldn¡¯t find a weakness with a thief then how was he going to get the thieves to work as his spies? Dammit! ¡°Work for me as a spy in another country.¡± The Prince blurted out. This was attempt number two, and well¡­This thief could be killed, and no one would be the wiser if it didn¡¯t work. ¡°¡­A spy?¡± The thief asked, coming closer to the bars. The Prince watched him try the bars toughness with one of his hands and said, ¡°Yes, instead of stealing from your own country, steal information or things from another and¡­I¡¯ll pay you¡­¡± Seeing the thief try the bars again, even seeing him frown afterwards, the Prince waited¡­His patience was running thin though! ¡°A thief¡­¡± Started the man inside the cell. The Prince interrupted him, ¡°A spy¡­¡± Staring at the man, who was now looking at him, the Prince waited, only to be stunned in the next moment. In a matter of just a couple of seconds, the thief was out and even had a robe that was just outside of the cell, as something he picked up. The Prince was a bit stunned, but he pulled out his sword like it was his instincts and put it up against the neck of the thief. Over a short amount of time, the thief was back inside the bars, without the rope, and the rope was now attached to another part of the room, as another type of way to keep that door closed. ¡°A spy uh?¡± The thief stated, almost like his recapture hadn¡¯t happened. Prince Elton smiled, he saw how the thief had gotten out and was pleased. Spy¡¯s need to be like that, they need to cause a distraction, only to escape¡­This man, he liked him a lot. ¡°Who is your leader?¡± The Prince asked. Hearing a light chuckle, the Prince waited for the thief to speak back while he sat down. ¡°We are our own leaders¡­There is no monarchy in among thieves¡­¡± The Prince thought that this as a good thing, because then he will become their leader! There was a question though¡­If there was no leader, then why were three thieves in the castle as the same time? ¡°But there was more than one thief in the castle last night, how¡­¡± ¡°Did you see us all in the same room? We only choose to steal from the palace together, it didn¡¯t mean we were in a team.¡± The thief stated openly, cleaning his nails. The Prince sighed and put a hand to his chin in thought. The thief looked up then and clearly asked, ¡°Who was it that died? A man or woman?¡± The Prince looked at the man in the cell and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see¡­¡± The man in the cell was not sad or happy, just curious upon who had the bad luck out of the three of them¡­No, it wasn¡¯t bad luck, it was not being good enough to get away¡­ The Prince frowned, ¡°Are you telling me a third thief was here last night?¡± With a twinkle in his eyes, the thief smiled, ¡°Yep! And whoever it was must¡¯ve gotten away! Betchya it was Allie! She¡¯s smaller and trickier¡­Yeah¡­¡± ¡°She¡­Allie?¡± The Prince suddenly had a bad thought, ¡°What does she look like? Does she have a pet mouse?¡± ¡°Mouse? I¡¯ve seen that damned thing, you know what that little thing is capable of!?¡± The Prince didn¡¯t even know that he had suddenly stood up, making the thief stop and look at him. ¡°That damned woman! Stealing from the palace! She¡­¡± Could she have died? The thief gave out a small laugh and said, ¡°If ya find that mouse, give him to me! Or¡­You could just tell me where he is¡­¡± Rushing out of the dungeon, Prince Elton went towards where the body would have been taken and started to feel strangely panicked! ¡°This damned rope!¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised the Prince let you talk to him the way you did.¡± Said a defeated voice from the nearby cell. The thief raised his eyes for a moment and let out a small sound. ¡°Prince, hey? Ay, who are you?¡± There was no way to see the person through the wall, but there was indeed another in a cell just like the thief. ¡°¡­Nobody¡­¡± ¡°Well, ello Nobody! My name is Chad! Say¡­How long have you been¡­Here!¡± The thief let go of the rope and it flopped a bit, meaning that it was no longer as tight as it was before. ¡°¡­A while¡­¡± Was all the voice said, before going silent once again. ¡°Ever thought about getting out? Why would you wanna stay here?¡± The thief asked, pulling once again on a specific part of the rope, then giving it a bit of a flick. Slowly and surely the rope knot was making its way towards the bars, so that Chad could undo it. There seemed to be no answer to what he asked and so he stopped pulling for a moment, ¡°Nobody? Are you there?¡± This nobody was none other than Steven Otter, the son of Leonard Otter, who had been here since Cid had become the fianc¨¦ of Princess Bethany. It had only been¡­Days but Steven looked like he had been here for weeks¡­ ¡°Wah, got it!¡± Hearing something fall to the floor lightly, Steven sighed. He was in a terrible state and was waiting for a particular person to bail him out. He didn¡¯t know specifics, but he was willing to do just about anything to get out of here! He had been whipped, then practically left for dead¡­He¡­He was so hungry! In the next second, Steven heard a door open and someone came to be in his sight. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Nobody, uh? I¡¯m Chad¡­¡± Steven frowned¡­He already knew he was Chad and¡­Why doesn¡¯t he get him out too!? Seeing the thief take in a breath and pull up his pants, he then said, ¡°¡­Well, nice to meet you, hopefully we never met again!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Steven yelled, getting up. He had not had so much enthusiasm since before he was put in here and nearly fell directly back to the ground. ¡°Wait!¡± Chad half turned to Steven and gave him a look, ¡°I¡¯m not doin anythin for free, boy.¡± ¡°¡­My father owns the jewellery store in the capital¡­¡± Chad smiled and interrupted, ¡°Ah, why didn¡¯t ya say so! Blimmey, nearly let go of a rippa!¡± With that they both quietly exited the dungeon, nearly being found out, but Chad followed after Steven when they were out of the palace gates, to make sure that he got his payment for releasing ¡®Nobody¡¯ from his cell¡­ *** What if it was her? Fair enough, it¡¯s wrong to steal from the palace but did they have to kill her? Surely, they could have just taken her captive! The body would have been taken out of the palace quite quickly, so the Prince rushed out of the palace and found that David was on his way towards him. ¡°Quick, take me to the place where they take dead bodies¡­Quick!¡± The Prince stated. He might have been frantic slightly, but he honestly didn¡¯t know where to go after leaving the palace¡­It was good timing that David was due to report to him on this time and on this day! ¡°Where else would they be?¡± David stated, raising his eyebrows to the strangely different Prince. ¡°Where!¡± The Prince yelled, making David frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± David asked, as he turned and started running. Prince Elton followed David and didn¡¯t respond to him. Their time running wasn¡¯t too long and before long, the Prince was before a body that had been killed during the night. ¡­It was a man¡­ ¡°She¡¯s alive¡­¡± David watched his friend suddenly change after seeing the body and wondered what was going on with him. ¡°Who¡¯s alive?¡± Finally, back to himself again, Prince Elton glared at David and turned around. He will get word soon, upon when she will return to her home or Lupis so¡­He will just go back to his normal routine for now and wait! ¡°Here.¡± David said, handing something over as he started walking beside him. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Prince Elton stated, taking what David had for him. ¡°Your¡­Silly.¡± David stated, turning his head. The Prince stopped and stared at David. She was like this too, not treating him like a Prince and making him angry! She was alive... ¡­That¡¯s good! And just as he asked, he opened the paper to see information upon the noble family of Truvelle¡­ Allie¡­It was short for Alison. Yes, I remember now, the Prince thought, my fianc¨¦¡¯s name was Alison¡­ *** Waking up, Alison frowned. She hadn¡¯t seen that one coming! ¡°She¡¯s awake! Send word!¡± Taking a deep breath, Alison saw herself in a bed and with really warm sheets. It fell¡­So comfortable! A maid came in then with a basin of water and Alison couldn¡¯t believe it¡­It was very similar type of routine she used to do before her family was ruined. She must be at some nobleman¡¯s house! What was she doing here? Washing her face and her arms, like it was an old habit returning, Alison waved her hand, and the maid went, feeling vexed at the ¡®thief¡¯s¡¯ actions! The maids were told that this person was now the daughter of their little master and so¡­They had to treat her as such but¡­This thief was beneath them! Just as Alison got up, a man came into the room in a rush and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Suddenly, she was taken into a hug and Alison didn¡¯t know what to do! Chapter Four
¡°Father told me that you were here, and you¡¯re here!¡± Seeing the man like this, Alison was wondering what to do¡­Did she get picked up by some crazy man? Just at that time, another man came in, an older one, and he stated, ¡°Take him out to play.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°But I want to stay with her!¡± The younger man stated, almost like a little boy on the verge of having a tantrum. The older man turned his head and Alison saw the servants hasten their efforts on taking the younger man out of the room, ¡°Nuisance!¡± Alison immediately knew who the boss was here and waited for everyone to leave before she lowered her head to him. Right now wasn¡¯t a good time to be foolish, she needed to understand what was going on first! Especially since they had already bested her once, even taking her somewhere where she doesn¡¯t even know yet. No, it was not the time to do anything stupid! ¡°From now on, that is your father.¡± Alison didn¡¯t say anything for a moment but instead nodded. It was clear though, this old man didn¡¯t like his own son. ¡°Interesting, so you¡¯re not stupid, I see. I thought that you would be like my stupid son, seeing you go into the palace to steal but¡­Perhaps you aren¡¯t as bad as I thought!¡± Alison looked away from him and wanted to escape now. You old coot! ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, I just complimented you!¡± Biting her lip for a moment, Alison nodded. It¡¯s not like she can¡¯t escape at any time¡­She was a thief after all! So, take it easy, she told herself. ¡°Don¡¯t think of escaping either. I can make your life a living hell if I want it to be! Besides, isn¡¯t a street rat like you getting more then what they deserve in the first place?¡± Who was this man!? ¡°Let¡¯s get to business then, shall we?¡± The old man sat down then, waving for Alison to sit as well. The room was big enough for this table, the bed and some other things and Alison missed her room, her room that was now wrecked¡­ ¡°I will give you this type of living, for you to do as I tell you. You can have a bed, clean sheets¡­Food, dresses, make up. You can go for tea parties, if you like¡­But you must become my person to keep these things.¡± Alison didn¡¯t show anything on her face as she continued to stare and listen to this old man badger on like he had gained a huge pawn¡­ ¡°Your name from now on is Adaline, and you are now seventeen.¡± Alison stayed silent as the old, new master told her that she was his foolish son¡¯s only daughter. He let out, whether he meant to or not, that he really did have a granddaughter, but that she had died. It could be a lie, Alison thought, but what does it matter. What was important was the business agreement and that was very basic. He wanted her to act the part of his granddaughter and try to obtain the Prince¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t tell her much beyond that but yes, for now, that was her task¡­ Stupid! No way! The last thing in the world that Alison wanted to do was to gain the Prince¡¯s heart! He was, after all, the son of the man who had killed her family! The old man was to be known as ¡®Master Harrison¡¯ when people weren¡¯t around but ¡®Grandfather¡¯ when they were. He gave Alison one day to get used to the idea of her ¡®new life¡¯, then a week to learn how to become a lady because, she was to be known of by the Prince before the marriage of the Princess and soon to be Prince consort Cid. It seemed that this old man had another master or had a time limit, as Alison could see that all this happened rather quickly. First, she was already out of the capital, but she was to go out another two more towns and make a ¡®big entrance¡¯, to help bring her name forward and become known of quickly. The old coot also stated that he already knew that she knew of the Prince and that her face needed to be covered for when she was to go back into the capital. He spoke so much, which made Alison dizzy but¡­He was now gone, and she wouldn¡¯t be seeing him again until she returned to the capital. Already in a carriage, not long after awakening, Alison sighed to all the new information and how someone could just steal someone away and think that the person would accept it so¡­Easily! Of course, they really put out all the stops¡­The food was great, the dresses were nice to wear after all that time of¡­Well, let¡¯s just say the dresses were nice. That old coot even went on about some hot spring that she was welcome to use¡­As long as she did well in her training that is. If she were a thief from the beginning, it may have been harder to say no to, Alison thought, but she had already lived quite a number of years already in luxury. If the old man knew that the woman was not bought with all that he was gifting to her just to do as she was told, he may have tried to come up with something else¡­But Alison didn¡¯t give off the impression that she was unsatisfied¡­ After a couple of hours, Alison thought that perhaps she could take advantage of this, considering the pros and cons. For a first, the evidence was in the palace and she could potentially find out where that person Noel Price is. Perhaps, with her other identity now, she could even go as far as asking the Prince for help to finding Noel! It would be some sort of justice, wouldn¡¯t it, getting the son of the man who killed her family, to help her! It was almost laughable! ¡­And secondly, she was getting fed and had a bed, so¡­She was in comfort! Milo ran across the window at this time and Alison smiled happily, picking him up. ¡°Milo!¡± Patting him gently, Alison looked back out the window and thought to who she had looked like in the mirror before they left. ¡°See me now Milo¡­This is me when I¡¯m all clean and with a nice dress!¡± Wearing a noble lady¡¯s dress, a color that made her skin look beautiful, Alison found that she really was still quite pretty.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Rolling her eyes, Alison remembered the time that she had stated that she was prettier than the Prince all those years ago¡­She had laughed in his face to her own joke and the Prince got so mad that he left angrily. ¡°It¡¯s still true¡­I¡¯m still prettier than you!¡± Alison stated outside the window. *** As Alison made her way to some small house that she had ¡®been all this time¡¯ and learnt how to become a lady, to which she already knew, the Prince was getting more and more worried as the time went on. Did he see the wrong body and it was her instead? So, he had checked a second time to make sure that he had seen the right body. Did she just sneak past his guards, that were guarding both Lupis and her home? So, not only did he check Lupis, standing there for a couple of hours, he also went inside her wrecked home, only to find that nothing seemed warm. There weren¡¯t any fire ambers in the fireplace, the water was cold, the tea pot was cold, and the tattered blankets were cold¡­ ¡°Where is she?¡± The Prince asked, showing the start of real concern. He sort of wished for the thief that had broken out of the prison to find out for him and return to him with news but¡­There was no way that was happening! The thief getting away did not become a big problem, simply because Prince Elton made it that way. He didn¡¯t want the thieves to stand out right now and, and perhaps he could use this action, of protecting them, as some kind of way to lure them in to accept him and become his spies¡­ No, the person that the Prince made a big deal about, was that of Steven Otter, who had been the other person that had broken out of the palace dungeon. Putting all the attention upon Steven had helped the Prince lower the attention on the thieves and so, the matter blew up dramatically¡­ Steven regretted leaving the prison upon seeing his wanted ad and how many people were talking about his cowardice. It was like the world turned into hell for him as his own father didn¡¯t end up paying Chad for getting him out of the prison. No, his own father disowned him, disowned him and embarrassed him in front of a thief¡­ He had endured the whip and starvation, waiting for his father to get him out but he had no intention of it! That shocked Steven to his core, so much that it took a while to understand that the thief still wanted to get paid but Steven had nothing to give him¡­ In the end, Steven had desperately hit the thief and ran! Then, the thief just stole from the father with or without permission, but Steven ran, thinking a thief was after him for quite some time¡­ He was now at a point in his life that he didn¡¯t know what to do. He was a wanted man, an abandoned son and had no idea on how to survive being on his own without food or a home¡­And this¡­Was only the start of his bitter experience¡­ Much like Steven, who was starting to understand that he was not the only one in the world and that others had feelings just like him, Prince Elton was also questioning things that he had never questioned before. Alison used to be his fianc¨¦, so¡­Didn¡¯t he have all right to make sure that she was alive and safe? Then, the Prince asked himself that shouldn¡¯t he have known that she was his fianc¨¦ when she had disappeared all those years ago and became a thief? It was a conflicting time for the Prince because as much as he felt like he had all right to know exactly what she was doing, he also felt like, at the same time, that he had let her down the most. It was¡­Really¡­Strange¡­ As a Prince, he had never really thought much upon the duty of a fianc¨¦. He had just¡­Accepted the girl had the title and that was it¡­But¡­ Now that he has grown up, to be the man he is today, he was suddenly aware of the fact that he should look after the woman he was supposed to marry. He should have been there for her in her time of need. Isn¡¯t that how it goes? Why didn¡¯t anyone question it? Was it because¡­ Right, her family had supposedly done something wrong and he too was like everyone else and just¡­Did nothing¡­ For a whole day, after searching both places of her wrecked home and Lupis, and thinking this through, Prince Elton was lost. He felt terrible but didn¡¯t know what to do about it! After a week of no news, Prince Elton snapped out of his troubles, only because the King slapped him across the face. ¡°What is the matter with you, you stupid boy!?¡± Elton looked his father in the eye and stood straight. What was he doing, losing himself like this!? He was going to be King of this country and he had lost a week just worrying about one person! ¡°I apologize father.¡± The Prince really meant it, he was sorry that he gotten so caught up in himself¡­ Quickly trying to get back to his senses, Prince Elton firmly took control and watched as the King shook his head before leaving. It seemed that they had been discussing something and the King had yanked him into a side room to slap him. ¡°Since we weren¡¯t paying attention, please advisor speak your last.¡± The King stated. The Prince looked at the advisor, knowing straight away that something about this was going to be some sort of ploy. ¡°Oh¡­Your Majesty, it is nothing much it is just my granddaughter returning to my residence here near the capital. I must have spoken it too loud.¡± I see, thought the Prince, just another woman. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen your granddaughter since she was but a small child, how is she since I last asked!¡± The King asked, showing his obvious curiosity. It seems that he wanted everyone to know that this ¡®granddaughter¡¯ of the advisor had the King¡¯s consent to woo the Prince. Prince Elton did not think that the King would go too far with this particular ¡®strategy¡¯ but¡­He was wrong! Having not cared enough for the idea of another woman being forced upon him, the Prince had been busy preparing for his beloved sister¡¯s marriage to Cid, since it was only just one more month away now. It was a rare moment that he and his mother were working together but as usual there wasn¡¯t much of a conversation between them. No, if he wanted conversation within his family, the Prince had to rely completely upon his sister! The last time that he saw his little sister, it was about something personal and they hadn¡¯t spoken since but that didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t want her to have a grand wedding. Actually, he had talked briefly to Cid, which had given him the idea upon getting Cid to help make a new Queen¡¯s crown for when he himself was to marry and become King but decided against it. He decided not to worry about a Queen¡¯s crown until the current King was gone and he¡¯d have no one to say anything about it! Also, Cid was nervous, it wasn¡¯t like the man would admit it, but Prince Elton saw how nervous he was. Whether he wanted to talk to Cid about a crown or not, it would have to wait until after the man has finally married! All this had kept the Prince¡¯s mind from going to a particular woman, especially when the ¡®granddaughter¡¯ was making her voyage into the capital! Advisor Rick had asked the King to bring her in with joy, and the King seemed happy to agree, so¡­There was a special play in one part of the capital, a festival outside of the capital and even pretty decorations upon a particular route that went to the capital gates from all the way out to¡­Two towns away¡­ What a waste of money, the Prince thought. They wanted this female to look good by buying the happiness of the people. Sadly though¡­It was working¡­ The woman seemed to be well looked upon already¡­ With clenched hands, the Prince waited for the already annoying woman to come to the hall where they were all waiting for her. Apparently, the King requested the woman to come and meet him upon her return to the capital and so¡­It became another well-known event, bringing only more attention to the girl! He just couldn¡¯t wait to leave! ¡°Oh, there she is! Oh dear, this King has finally seen you once again, how fortunate!¡± Please help me! Prince Elton sighed to his father¡¯s obvious flattery. They couldn¡¯t see anything, she was wearing a veil over her face, so she¡¯s probably ugly! She probably has a wart, or freckles, he thought, nearly making a face to the idea of what she could look like. ¡°Are you not pleased, Advisor? Her return is really such a blessing for you.¡± The advisor smiled happily at the King, ¡°Of course, Your Majesty, it brings me great pleasure!¡± When will the acting stop!? After the King kissed her hand, the Queen silently stepped forward and the woman curtsied in front of her. The Queen nodded and just sat back down again, showing that she was not displeased. The Queen would much prefer to see this Lady Adaline in her own chambers, where she felt like she could actually use her power¡­Otherwise, she really was just a title and a mother¡­Luckily for the King, she was materialistic and was happy having the best of everything, that is why she never really complained¡­ The Prince tried not to show a face of disgust as the King took the woman¡¯s hand and brought her before him. ¡°My son, this is Lady Adaline, granddaughter of Advisor Rick.¡± It¡¯ll be over soon, the Prince thought as he took her hand and kissed it, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Looking up to see the perfect curtsy, the Prince let go of her hand and stood there. ¡°Likewise, Your Highness.¡± For the slightest moment, the voice suddenly familiar¡­ Quickly nodding once, the Prince then looked at the King, ¡°I will now go tend to business.¡± ¡°Actually, Your Highness, I have gifts for both you and the King, please stay a moment longer.¡± The advisor stated, then clapped his hands. The King smiled happily and sat down, this was indeed not acting as he loved free gifts! ¡°My granddaughter came from a town that perhaps sold different jewellery, so I have brought some to you, Your Majesty!¡± Hearing a laugh, after the jewellery was handing to the King, they all turned to the Princess, who was standing next to Cid. ¡°What is so funny, are you¡­¡± Princess Bethany interrupted her father and took the jewellery out of his hands, ¡°This is Cid¡¯s work.¡± Prince Elton almost laughed, he had to hold it in by covering his mouth and clearing his throat. Funny thing was, the woman in front of him did the exact same thing¡­ Alison then stopped suddenly and looked more closer to the man known as ¡®Cid¡¯ and nearly pointed out in hysterics. That man¡­She knew that man! He¡­He was the one that was trapped in that blacksmith shop! Why was he here? Hang on¡­Did¡­He¡¯s the future son in law to the King!? Alison swallowed¡­It really was a small world! ¡­A gift that his own son in law made¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s move on¡­Shall we.¡± The advisor was indeed very embarrassed! Chapter Five
Apart from the first embarrassing moment, the advisor stated several more small gifts that the King readily accepted. ¡°Very good, very good! Then, in exchange for your gifts, I will let your granddaughter stay as my daughter¡¯s companion for her upcoming wedding!¡± This¡­This was what the Prince did not expect! The woman was going to stay here in the palace!? Have you gone crazy, Royal Father!? The small crowd in the room showed their obvious excitement and what not and the Prince once again clenched his fists¡­This was too much! The old advisor and his father really worked hard! They worked very hard! The Prince gave his silent approval to their play and wanted to escape, yet he knew¡­The woman would also be here! The whole capital will know that a woman that wasn¡¯t royal and was old enough to become someone¡¯s wife was going to stay at the palace where the Prince was. It¡¯s bound to start a few rumors, it¡¯s bound to be an annoying situation to get through! The Prince was not happy! Just before he thought things couldn¡¯t get worse, the King pronounced that a palace gathering will be done the next evening and that¡­The woman will have the first dance with the Prince¡­ It just got worse¡­ *** It wasn¡¯t easy to spend as little time as possible in the company of the woman ¡®Adaline¡¯ but Prince Elton somehow achieved it. He wasn¡¯t going to just stand there and not do anything! What he couldn¡¯t run away from though, was attending the palace gathering, simply because the first dance had already been stated by the King himself. Having kept himself busy all this time, Prince Elton grumbled the whole time he was getting into his outfit. Before he even had his outer coat on, the Princess barged in on him, laughing to see that she was glad that she had not come any earlier! ¡°She seems pretty nice to me!¡± The Princess stated to her brother¡¯s grumbling moments later. ¡°She¡¯s probably acting!¡± The Prince stated, gently flicking her forehead. ¡°You¡¯d fall for any trick!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that dumb! Come on, give her a chance! Oh, she¡¯s got a pet¡­¡± A knock on the door stopped Princess Bethany, she was after all in her brother¡¯s quarters. ¡°Your Highness, Lady Adaline is waiting for you.¡± The Prince took a deep breath and left, making Princess Bethany sigh. ¡°Really, she¡¯s nice!¡± Before this gathering, the Princess has even been thankful for an extra friend. She didn¡¯t think her father would suddenly let someone who wasn¡¯t a royal into the palace specifically for her and so she has made the best of it by going to see Lady Adaline as often as possible¡­They even had lunch together today! It was exciting and it was a nice to help her from getting nervous as well. It wasn¡¯t like she was changing her mind from marrying Cid, it was more like the idea of being married¡­Maybe¡­Or was it because she and Cid will¡­Be together! Whatever it was, Princess Bethany wanted to squeal too much lately, and she was staying up to late! Now that she had a friend in the palace, she was acting somewhat normal once again! Actually, what has helped in gaining her attention, was that Lady Adaline never showed her face and so it has not only dreamt about, for what she would look like, but also another topic that they had shared together. The Princess had probably gone too far by asking if she were ugly, but the lady just laughed at her and said that she was pretty, that she was just as pretty as the Prince or even prettier! Smiling and following after her brother, Princess Bethany thought that she very much liked Lady Adaline! Alison watched as the Prince came towards her and straightened up. So far, she had not done anything wrong in acting the lady but¡­She had already been scolded upon not having alone time with the Prince. It had only been a day and they wanted to hear that she had been with him in some way¡­But it had never happened¡­ She originally wasn¡¯t going to be in a rush but not only was her ¡®master¡¯ onto her but even that of the King, which made things all that much scarier! ¡­They wanted her to go all the way! All the way¡­ How can a woman do that!? She was not even married yet! Letting the Prince take her hand, she then walked with him and into the palace gathering as a couple. The power to make this man do this much, really did make her rethink her pros and cons¡­ Should she just run? Because if she continues, she¡¯d have to get much closer, much faster¡­To¡­To the Prince¡­ Just letting the Prince led her, she found that he already wanted to do the dance, making the musicians have to change what they were doing. It was obvious the Prince wanted to get it over and done with and so¡­She went along with him¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t befriend my sister.¡± Alison frowned, ¡°Why not!?¡± Oops, it was just¡­Dammit! Alison took a deep breath, while the Prince answered, ¡°Excuse me!¡± The Prince even stopped dancing, glaring at her. How embarrassing, they had only just started dancing together, to stop soon after! ¡°Your Highness.¡± Alison stated, but she was getting angry with this man¡­She really didn¡¯t want to do this! ¡°I also want you to try and find a way to go back to your home.¡± The Prince added firmly, after they started dancing again. Alison told herself not to get angry, but it was getting harder and harder as the seconds went by! ¡°Understood?¡± The Prince asked yet smiled at the crowd as they continued to dance. ¡°Pfft, my home¡­¡± Alison let out. She was thinking of her broken and wrecked home. She even thought that it would be nice to go back there, she hadn¡¯t been back since before she went into the palace to steal. ¡°Where are your manners!¡± The Prince again stopped dancing and spoke this angrily. Alison tuned around and left, ¡°My Prince, you also have no manners.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With that the whole place went quiet! Prince Elton blinked and couldn¡¯t believe that his ploy to make her look bad just reflected and went to him instead! That woman! Quickly, he went up and grabbed her and then pulled her into a corridor, ¡°How dare¡­¡± Alison interrupted him, ¡°How dare I what!? You tell me to not befriend your sister, but she is lovable, I adore her! Then you tell me to try and get back home? Well tough! I¡¯m not here for you¡­¡± ¡­Actually, she thought, she was here for the Prince¡­Oops¡­ ¡°You¡­You!¡± The Prince was so furious that he didn¡¯t know what to do! ¡°I what!?¡± Alison asked through the veil over her face. For a moment it felt like time stopped by not just Alison, but that of the Prince too. She sounds just like¡­She¡­Could she be the little Pillager? He¡­He¡¯s cute when he¡¯s furious¡­He¡¯s pouting¡­His mouth is pouting! Letting out a chuckle, Alison covered her mouth, and the Prince was suddenly very positive that the person in front of him was the Little Pillager! ¡°Oh, there you are Adaline!¡± Alison stopped lightly laughing and looked up to see the master. ¡°¡­Grandfather.¡± The Prince¡¯s fury all but vanished as he watched the woman walk over to the advisor. The advisor watched the Prince and smiled¡­His plan was indeed working! What had happened just now on the dance floor had worried him, but it seems¡­It seems it might just be the Prince¡¯s way of dealing with this woman who has him hooked onto her little finger! For this one day, he will be lenient and not say anything to this so-called and undeserving Adaline¡­That didn¡¯t mean that tomorrow was not a brand-new day! She must work hard to obtain the Prince¡¯s heart and then work even harder to keep it! He only hoped that her worthless street rat ways were not seen by the Prince¡­ The rest of the gathering passed by in a blur for both Alison and Prince Elton. Prince Elton found himself in a bit of a pickle because he was so obsessed in wanting to know what the lady looked like under that veil of hers. The Little Pillager had been dirty, with little specs that might have been clean, but he knew that she wouldn¡¯t be like that right now! No, she probably had makeup on, and her skin would be clean¡­Smooth¡­ That veil over her face was most definitely in the way! And with that said, his mind went to work next upon bringing the lady out for a late-night stroll later tonight¡­ ¡°David.¡± David stopped drinking and turned to the Prince, ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°We are meeting tonight so tell Cid and Bethany, I¡¯ll bring¡­Lady Adaline¡­¡± Prince Elton didn¡¯t want to call her that but there was no other way¡­No one but him knew that she was his fianc¨¦ from all those years ago. He wasn¡¯t even sure how many knew that she used to be a thief either¡­So, all he could do was just accept her new identity for now. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go tell them. Actually, I think it¡¯ll be good for the two idiots getting married.¡± The Prince frowned, then smiled, ¡°Bring Mahjong.¡± ¡°What, no! I don¡¯t want to play Mahjong!¡± ¡°Tough!¡± The Prince stated, then walked away. It wouldn¡¯t be long now that he could leave the palace gathering politely¡­ Alison pulled off the earrings and bangles, the hair ties and ribbons. She rubbed at her face with a slightly wet clothe and then brushed her hair. It seemed that she was unintentionally doing a good job. Her new grandfather praised her today, saying that she wasn¡¯t so worthless after all, of course, this was said in humor. But now, after tonight and what was said, Alison wondered if she was doing the right thing. Because this¡­This was lying! But¡­What Alison hated the most was that she was working with the person that had killed her family. Watching Milo move some items around, Alison opened a container to the side and placed down some food for him. It wasn¡¯t worth it, was her thoughts, just as a noise entered her back-veranda area. Quickly putting on her veil, Alison turned around to find the Prince standing there with hooded eyes. ¡°Your¡­Your Highness!¡± What was he doing here!? This was a maiden¡¯s bed chamber! ¡°¡­My Lady.¡± Speechless, Alison just stood there, as the Prince couldn¡¯t help but smile, it was good to surprise her, then she wouldn¡¯t speak back to him! Taking her hand, the Prince raised his eyebrows, ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Alison said, but then she was pulled along as Prince Elton took her away. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Elton turned to her and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a surprise!¡± It was rare for a few of them to get together, as they were people around the same age but two belonged inside the palace and the others didn¡¯t. They found out a while ago that it was easier to hold these small gatherings just between them at the palace, instead of outside of the palace¡­Well, David had permission to enter the palace, along with Cid, but Elton and Bethany couldn¡¯t just leave whenever they wanted to. The last time they disappeared at night, it nearly became an uproar. It was mostly about the Prince having disappeared when he was supposed to have been somewhere else inside the palace, so Bethany was not even known to have left at all¡­ So, since then, they have had the gatherings here, once every few months. Walking down a few corridors, Alison started to get more and more angrier as she continued to get tagged along by this irritating man! She stopped walking and pulled her hand away from him, placing both her hands then across her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Prince Elton turned and smiled, ¡°Trust me, mmm?¡± Trust you? Not in this world! You¡¯re a horrible man that always makes me mad just by looking at¡­ Through her inner words, she was unintentionally taken into the next room, making her a bit shocked. There was Princess Bethany! ¡°Adaline!¡± ¡°¡­Princess!¡± Suddenly she was taken into a hug and was pulled away. Looking at the Prince¡¯s hand, which had pulled her away from Princess Bethany, Alison looked at Prince Elton, who cleared his throat and looked away. The Prince took a drink and returned his eyes to Alison. ¡°Would you like a drink¡­My Lady?¡± Prince Elton stared at Alison, not wanting to call her Adaline¡­No, he wanted to call her by her real name. Taking the drink with surprise, Alison couldn¡¯t help but feel strange to the sudden event, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Pulling on her hand lightly, Elton brought her to a chair and became a gentleman to push her in afterwards. ¡°It is not like we can just pick up and leave so¡­We have some fun time¡¯s here ourselves!¡± Fun times? There was alcohol, a game on the table and people¡­Almost like a small gathering elsewhere. Do royal people really do stuff like this? ¡°Set em up!¡± David stated, having a sip from his alcohol. ¡°Do you know how to play, My Lady?¡± Elton asked, as he too was helping set up the game. Alison nearly wanted to cry¡­It was a game that she watched her parents play from time to time. She had only watched, having never played it. Shaking her head, Alison didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Good, more chance of me winning!¡± David stated, making everyone look at him. ¡°Haha, David, you are so bad at it that you¡¯d probably lose against Lady Adaline!¡± Bethany said, then laughed. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m good at chess!¡± David stated. ¡°Shame that this is Mahjong¡­¡± Cid stated. ¡°Shut up! All of you just shut up!¡± David said, almost like a child. Alison looked from one to another and then looked down at her hands. These people, there were acting so¡­well like commoners, like she was a part of the group or something. Was this what it was like to be in among friends? How¡­How could she call them friends though, one of them chased her down just for taking his hat and coat! Princess Bethany was alright, but she had never really met this David before¡­He did look slightly familiar but at the same time she was sure she had never met him before. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Suddenly seeing how close the Prince was, Alison moved back a bit, ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡± ¡°Then are you ready to be taught how to play then?¡± He asked. Alison shook her head and smiled, ¡°I think I¡¯ll just watch¡­If that is ok, Your Highness.¡± Prince Elton frowned, thinking that he may have done wrong but suddenly seeing her turn her chair and get closer to him, he went blank. He had not expected this¡­ This¡­Was not¡­What¡­ Just a normal night of playing a game in among some strange people, but now¡­Now¡­She was¡­ He could smell her natural smell, he could see the shape of her face that would be under her veil and¡­ ¡°Oi! It¡¯s your turn!¡± David shouted, making Elton jump in his seat. ¡­They were already playing? Prince Elton could hardly remember getting the game started! Bethany whispered into Cid¡¯s ear, ¡°He is really acting different¡­¡± Cid nodded, looking at his soon to be wife, ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°So what!? Am I supposed to pay you now¡­¡± Bethany stopped and smiled, ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll hold your hand in my payment then!¡± With courage, Bethany stole Cid¡¯s hand and Cid went a bit stiff. He knew of the Princess and her ways, but they still surprised him til this day! Alison laughed and thought it was really cute that the two got on so well. It was then that under the table her own hand was discretely taken by another, making her laugh no more! Turning to look directly at Prince Elton, who acted like nothing was happening in his actions, she could see a slight change of color to his cheeks. What is he doing? The game went quiet for a while, and if Alison was having troubles concentrating, perhaps the others felt similar as well. The Prince would not just hold her hand, he was also playing with each of her fingers, touching her nails and interlock their fingers¡­It was so sensual that Alison felt her breath slightly quicken. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­How could this be? Why am I so bad at this!?¡± David stood up and pulled at his hair dramatically, stunning everyone else in the room! Alison quickly took her hand from Prince Elton and looked anywhere else but back at him! Why? She asked herself, why didn¡¯t I even think of taking my hand back until now? What was I thinking!? ¡°Play one more game.¡± Prince Elton said, taking Alison¡¯s hand again. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to!¡± David stated, putting his hands across his chest. ¡°Sit down!¡± David made a sound but sat down, ¡°Fine then, you aren¡¯t playing but the Lady is¡­And you can¡¯t tell her how to play! If I hear any words, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Alison smiled, ¡°I agree!¡± David smiled. He lost his biggest rival and so he dived in and started the game, along with Cid and Alison. Princess Bethany stepping out of the game this time as she shyly stayed next to Cid, just sitting there and holding his hand¡­ Alison eyed David and watched as he smirked, ¡°You think you can win when you don¡¯t even know how to play?¡± While his eyes were on her eyes, she stole a piece from the table and then shrugged, ¡°I should still be able to beat you!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± David said, smiling with what he thought was a good move! Cid shook his head and continued playing silently¡­He already knew that Lady Adaline was cheating¡­Not only with the Prince picking the pieces and secretly telling her how to play without words, but he saw it himself that she was stealing tiles! Chapter Six
Alison smiled, seeing the Prince¡¯s finger come from under the table, pointing at a tile and then played it. Actually, the Prince really acted different right now¡­He was more conniving, more¡­Sly. It was a side of him, a Prince, that you never would have thought existed, but it did, and it made her blush to the sudden similarity as herself¡­ At first, she had been uncertain on what to do with how to play the game to the best of her capability, but now she was playing like she had been a professional player for years. Hearing his quiet chuckle from beside her, she tried not to think of his hot breath as she peeked under the table at the tile that she had just stolen. ¡°Keep it.¡± The hot breath said. So she did¡­Exchanging it for a tile that the Prince pointed at. Now she used her next turn in discretely disposing the useless tile out onto the table and upside down. ¡°The lady wins.¡± Prince Elton stated after another minute. ¡°Wait! I haven¡¯t had my go yet!¡± David said. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not very good at losing, are you?¡± Alison asked David. David glared at her, ¡°Someday, I¡¯m ganna run away. I¡¯m going to run away from all you nasty people!¡± ¡°You say that all the time.¡± Cid stated, leaning back and kissing Bethany¡¯s hand. ¡°I mean it hey, I¡¯m not sticking around to be treated like this!¡± David said, getting up in the next second. ¡°I¡¯ve decided!¡± Everyone looked at David, wondering what he had decided. ¡°I¡¯m going home!¡± David stated, finishing his cup of drink and then put on his jacket. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Cid said, also getting up. ¡°No, not yet!¡± Princess Bethany mumbled, taking more of a hold of Cid¡¯s arm. Alison looked away from the couple across from her and no longer knew what to do. Playing the game, she was able to divert the attention from her hands, but now¡­Now the hands playing with hers under the table seemed to take her full attention¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave too. Cid, go with David!¡± Prince Elton said, not wanting to leave Bethany and Cid alone together. It was getting late anyway, in fact if they played another game they might as well not sleep until the next night! ¡°Why can¡¯t he stay here!?¡± Bethany asked in a huff, not wanting to let Cid go. Both Cid and Elton cleared their throats, ¡°No.¡± Looking from one to another, the girls then looked at each other and shrugged. ¡°I will then take my leave, Your Highness.¡± Cid bowed to Prince Elton and left, only for Bethany to follow after him. Alison chuckled lightly and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see they like each other.¡± Prince Elton blinked and took the hand he craved once again, ¡°Come, we¡¯ll go to another place.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯m not some type of dog!¡± Alison muttered as she tried to keep up with the Prince. ¡°Mmm, I know this.¡± Was all the reply she got. ¡°Then why do you treat me like one then?¡± She mumbled, still following him¡­ Prince Elton stopped and stared at her, ¡°Would you like me to carry you instead?¡± Whoa! ¡°¡­It¡¯s ok¡­Please show me the way, Your Highness.¡± With a chuckle, the Prince continued, and they were going up some steps, then some more steps and then through a corridor then¡­Up some more steps! Alison wanted to stop! ¡°Here¡­¡± Alison looked out into the distance, to what was over the wall of the palace, and saw such a splendid sight below her. It seems that they had made it to one of the highest points in the palace and it was a place that overlooked the capital, even beyond that! ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Alison muttered. ¡°Funmil is that way¡­Helasert over there, see?¡± Looking at where the Prince was pointing, Alison nodded. ¡°Lupis is that way.¡± Alison nodded again and looked, to be shown next to another area¡­But this time Prince Elton didn¡¯t speak. It was where her house used to be¡­ Why did he point there? ¡°Where¡¯s Milo?¡± Alison frowned and then nodded, ¡°He was eating when you arrived.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Alison suddenly became aware of what she had done and quickly took in a breath. Without any warning, Prince Elton removed her veil and smiled. ¡°I knew it was you!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± She tried to take the veil back, but the Prince threw it¡­Both of them went silent as it blew away and down¡­This would have been absolutely terrible if it were her only one¡­Luckily she had another one, it was just in a different color¡­ When the Prince turned to face her, she looked elsewhere. ¡°There¡¯s no point in denying it now!¡± The Prince said, in a bit of amusement. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Alison said. She was completely caught, she knew it but¡­It doesn¡¯t mean she has to agree to it with words! ¡°Oh? You have no idea?¡± The Prince moved her closer to him and he put a hand around her waist. ¡°Where have you been, Little Pillager?¡± ¡°I am not a Pillager! I¡¯m not even little! I¡¯m a lady! I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m¡­¡± Silence then came next as he took her lips with his. Putting a hand to her face, her very pretty face, Prince Elton couldn¡¯t help but take the kiss a bit deeper. This woman, this silly woman¡­ Pulling away from her, Prince Elton couldn¡¯t believe that he had gotten to such a state! Alison opened her eyes as she went into his embrace and sighed, ¡°After I left the palace, I was taken to the¡­¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Advisor¡¯s?¡± Alison nodded. ¡°He had been watching us, he knew that we had seen each other.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Prince Elton stated, then asked, ¡°Why are you doing what they want?¡± Alison looked up at him and wondered if she should tell him¡­Tell him that evidence was here to state her family as innocent. Then, that would mean that she¡­ It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea. ¡°Tell me, Alison.¡± Prince Elton said, putting a hand lightly under her chin and making her look at him longer. Alison went wide eyed and held her breath for a moment¡­ He knows my name¡­ Swallowing, Alison went to look away, but found that her face turned back to him, ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back.¡± Alison pulled herself away from him and started going back a way that she wasn¡¯t sure was the right way. ¡°Straight ahead¡­To the left¡­¡± Alison held in her anger and her tears until they were down all the stairs then stood there. Without a word, Prince Elton took her hand and walked slowly in a direction, and she followed. They walked for a little longer this time, making Alison hardly able to bear it. She had so many questions, but she didn¡¯t know where to start¡­She didn¡¯t know if she wanted to hear the answers! Did the prince know that she was his fianc¨¦? Did he know that his father was the one that had hurt her family? Upon coming to her back veranda, Alison went to keep walking but was suddenly in his embrace once again. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy, Alison. Trust me¡­¡± He¡¯s not? Can she really trust him? Can she? Once again, her lips were covered with his and she let it happen¡­Why did she let it happen? Doesn¡¯t she hate this man!? She was Lady Adaline, Lady Adaline! Feeling his arm around her waist, Alison nearly let out a groan when he pulled away. Quickly, she pulled herself together and bluntly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Your Highness. I am the granddaughter of Advisor Rick and prefer if you stopped confusing me with a person called Alison!¡± Letting her go, Prince Elton smiled, ¡°¡­Let¡¯s make one thing clear!¡± Alison swallowed and thought that she would have to come up with something else to make him see that she wasn¡¯t Alison. The Prince was going to state one thing but changed his mind. It seemed that she was worried, so he couldn¡¯t bring himself to go against her wishes. ¡°¡­It was indeed a very beautiful sight tonight¡­Lady Adaline!¡± Watching the Prince leave, Alison put her fingers to her lips and even found herself wanting to smile. He had finally stated that she was beautiful! And¡­She got kissed, twice in one night! It was like a dream¡­ Her dream quickly vanished though, as she remembered what her role was here. She was supposed to woo the prince to the point of making him a puppet¡­Instead, it seemed that the Prince already knew who she was! As much as she claimed she wasn¡¯t Alison, does he even believe her? Does that mean he knew why she was here? ¡®I¡¯m not your enemy, Alison. Trust me¡­¡¯ Her heart¡­Her heart was already willing to trust him¡­Her head though, it was trying to figure it out, trying to figure out how much that man knows! *** Two days later, when nothing was ¡®seen¡¯ as in any change upon ¡®Adaline¡¯s job of wooing the Prince¡¯, Alison was forced to leave the palace for a day. In no time, her new master had asked for her permission to leave, in silence he took her away¡­With no words spoken between them, Alison felt like she really should worry upon what was going on. This old coot had let her be lately, but it seemed perhaps he wasn¡¯t happy right now. Was he going to hit her? Perhaps yell at her? It would make sense to leave the palace so that he could do so, if he was seen to do this at the palace, he might get into trouble. In silence and making Alison more and more nervous as the time went on, her master brought her to the place that she left from a quite a number of days ago. except¡­ Upon her arrival at a place to the rear of the property, that looked like a dirty and low hole in the ground, she was suddenly pushed into it. It wasn¡¯t a cell for a person¡­It was more like a dog cell! No, it shouldn¡¯t be something that should hold any kind of living thing! It was a strange cell though, considering that the door was above her head and around the outside and the bottom was walled off or something. ¡°Just leave her there for now.¡± Advisor Rick said to his men and turned. ¡°If one is disobedient, one needs to be punished! Turn on the water.¡± Alison inwardly scoffed at the old coot and let out a deep breath. She had not wanted to be in the Prince¡¯s presence, so she had not seen him¡­Even when he had wanted to see her¡­ Having not made up her mind upon how much he knows and how much she should trust him, Alison didn¡¯t know what to say to him. She also had a bad feeling that she was¡­Being taken by him¡­ Not wanting to fall for the son of the person that had ruined her family, Alison felt ashamed. It really was tempting to just get out of this¡­Cage and run¡­ Just as she thought of doing this act, the cage started to fill up with water¡­ Quickly, Alison tried to move about to get a tool out for herself, to help herself get out of the cage, until she looked up¡­To see someone standing on it. ¡°The master tells me to stand here¡­Hehe, I¡¯ll get to watch the little girl drown!¡± Clenching her hand, to which was holding her tool, Alison started to really panic upon how she was going to free herself from this cage¡­ Swallowing hard, she looked up again and came to the conclusion that going up was not going to work. Looking from side to side, then where the water was coming from, even though it was already under water, Alison used her hands to poke around, not finding anything to help her out! This was getting scary! Breathing harder, she felt her waist now wet, and she put her hands to the top and pushed at the cell bar entrance. It¡¯s not going to work but, I don¡¯t know what else to do! She thought. ¡°Let me out!¡± Alison yelled. ¡°Haha! She¡¯s scared!¡± The man standing on top of the cage laughed. ¡°Let me out!¡± Alison then screamed, pushing at the bars and feeling the water now near her shoulders. ¡°¡­Please¡­Please let me out!¡± Alison said, feeling the water now up to her neck, tears running down her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please let me¡­¡± With a deep breath, she held it and saw that she could no longer get any air¡­The cage was full of water! No! I can¡¯t die like this! I needed to¡­I needed to¡­My family¡¯s innocent! My¡­Milo! Milo will need food and water! He¡­ The advisor came out then, seeing the water trickle over the edge and said, ¡°Get her out!¡± They opened the cage and out flopped a wet body. In mere moments, the wet body was coughing and breathing deeply. Bending down to the girl on the floor, the advisor said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Alison put her hands around her body, nearly shaking¡­ ¡°Next time I will get a man touching that luscious body of yours, my dear¡­So I suggest you take this seriously!¡± With that, the advisor got up and left! Without anyone helping but with looks from both men and women, Alison had no choice but to take herself back inside. It was so¡­Humiliating¡­Terrifying¡­ Her clothes stuck to her and she tried to cover herself because of the males that looked at her with hungry eyes. Stop looking at me! Alison held in her tears, she held in her fury, never had she been treated like this! Never! Only given towels to wipe herself down, Alison quickly got new clothes on in a place where no one could see her and was directly led to leave and go back to the palace. Obviously, they had only wanted her to leave the palace so that they could ¡®remind¡¯ her of her position, of their plans and what she had to do¡­ They won¡­ As much as she was angry with what had just happened, it was more scary. She had swallowed water, she was still shivering and the memory of being nearly drowned was still with her so vividly! No, I have to survive, I have to! She thought, clenching her hands together. Upon entering the palace gates, inside the carriage with her ¡®master¡¯, Alison had not said a word as she was just about to get up to get out. ¡°I will send someone to collect a letter that you write to get the Prince to come directly to your quarters. Be ready!¡± Alison got off and stood there for a moment as she heard the carriage start to leave. Whatever the circumstance, she needed to return to her quarters inside the palace anyway because she could feel herself shivering more and more. Her hair had been fixed, but it was still a bit wet. Not only could she feel that she was probably not properly dressed to be outdoors, because her dress was slightly wet, but she was feeling the cold a bit more than usual right now. Winter was still cold, even as a thief, so it wasn¡¯t like she was immune to getting sick¡­ Without a word to anyone and trying not to gain any attention, Alison finally made it to her quarters and took a deep breath. Wrapping her hands around herself, she held back her tears and walked towards the wardrobe. She needed to dry her hair and redress, before she got sick! Knowing that she probably didn¡¯t get much time, Alison quickly got dressed and gave her hair a quick dry, then got into making a letter. Sitting there for a few minutes, Alison still didn¡¯t know what to write. She didn¡¯t want to seduce him, yet she had to get the Prince here. She didn¡¯t want him to think that anything was going to change yet¡­How could she¡­ When a knock on the door came, Alison started to panic. She really was being watched! Quickly getting up, putting an extra piece of clothing on over her dress, she opened the door. ¡°My Lady, I have been told to pick up a letter.¡± Said a maid. Alison nodded, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll finish and give it to you in a minute.¡± The maid bowed and stayed there, as Alison quickly went to write the letter. All that came to mind was, ¡®Come to my quarters.¡¯ There was no reason given, no polite words either. Alison didn¡¯t like the message herself, but she didn¡¯t know what else to do. If she were to make the maid wait too long, or if she made the maid to go away, she might be dragged out of the palace¡­No! Yes, she couldn¡¯t deny it, she was slightly worried about her predicament. She did want to leave, she wanted freedom and to act who she was but¡­At the same time, the evidence was here, and she still hadn¡¯t found Noel Price¡­ All she could do is do as she is told¡­For now! Giving the letter to the maid, Alison said, ¡°Take it to the Prince as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± The maid said, then promptly left. Closing the door behind her, Alison leaned against it for a moment and then became aware of what could possibly happen. The Prince might not come¡­What if he doesn¡¯t come!? Perhaps she should have written a better letter! If he doesn¡¯t come, the maid, most likely one of the advisor¡¯s people, will probably tell straight away! Alison began to pace the room with worry and put a hand through her hair. If¡­If the prince doesn¡¯t come, that would be it then, I will have to run¡­It would probably be better that way anyway. Through all this, Alison didn¡¯t really consider the other option¡­And that was that the Prince would come¡­ Then, a knock on the door made Alison frown. Chapter Seven
Was it¡­ Alison swallowed as she pictured her ¡®master¡¯ behind the door, ready to take her away¡­ She didn¡¯t think things would happen so quickly! Remembering the last threat that the old man had said, Alison quickly went to find a bag, wanting to put things into it. She needed to change her clothes into something more suitable to run¡­She needed Milo! ¡°My Lady?¡± Stopping to the male voice, Alison widened her eyes. The Prince? Alison took a deep breath and realized that she was panicking. She wasn¡¯t normally one who panicked but¡­ She couldn¡¯t deny it, nearly drowning like that had scared her! The threat after drowning had scared her! A knock sounded again, and Alison raced to the door, not wanting to lose this chance! If the old man knew that the Prince had come to her door and she hadn¡¯t accepted him, that was also a failure! ¡°Your Highness!¡± Alison stated in a rush. Prince Elton blinked and stared at the woman in front of him. He hadn¡¯t really thought much into being called to her quarters¡­Right ¡®til this second! Her slightly wet hair was down, and she seemed to be excited to see him¡­This sight was doing wonders to him, making him unable to think properly as she pulled him inside. ¡°Thank you for coming, Your Highness!¡± Alison said, then stood there, even starting to play with her hands. Now what? How do I keep the Prince here? The Prince seemed to lose all rational thoughts as he took the beautiful woman into his arms and kissed her. It seemed that he was a normal man after all. He had always wondered why he didn¡¯t care for women like other men did. He put his lack of enthusiasm for women towards the reason of being too busy, and Prince Elton no longer question it too much but¡­This woman seemed to stir something deep inside him! Never did he think he¡¯d come to a point in his life that he would be willing to do just about anything to stay in these quarters for the rest of the night! ¡°Wait!¡± The sudden voice stopped the Prince and he pulled back, becoming more aware of what was going on. Having been so engrossed into what he was doing, he was surprised to find them already on her bed! Getting off the bed, the Prince knew that he had to keep his distance away from her, so he went to the other side of the room. ¡°Sorry.¡± He was not sorry at all! He was actually even upset that they had stopped! ¡°I¡­¡± Alison looked anywhere else but the Prince. It really wasn¡¯t all his fault, she too had been swept away! How was this fair! It was clear that they were both attracted to one another! ¡­They really weren¡¯t meant to be though because of certain circumstances¡­But¡­ What does it matter right now! She told herself. She was surviving, she was also trying to regain innocence to her family! Her feelings for the Prince aren¡¯t even worthy of being looked upon! Her feelings¡­They needed to be stopped! Her job was to keep him here! But¡­Does she have to use her body to do that!? Surely there could be another way¡­ ¡°What¡­Tell me about your father.¡± Alison wondered what the Prince will say in return, considering that he was after all the son of that man! The Prince let out a breath and put a hand through his disheveled hair¡­He already missed her hands going through it! ¡°I will take him off his seat!¡± ¡°What?¡± Alison was taken aback but¡­So too was the Prince! He had been thinking of her hands and just blurted out the truth! Turning, to finally look at her again, the Prince frowned, ¡°¡­Why do you ask, My Lady?¡± Alison nodded, thinking that perhaps this might be another way to keep the Prince here¡­Perhaps they could talk, somehow get to the topic of Noel Price! ¡°Tell me, Your Highness, is it really true?¡± Alison didn¡¯t know how to get proof that he was telling the truth about forcing the King off his seat but if it was¡­ Those words of trusting him came to her again and Alison went to the edge of the bed in excitement¡­Could they really be on the same side!? The Prince frowned again and tried to pay attention to the conversation, instead of her look¡­That excited look on her face, and how she was ready to jump up at any second was doing crazy things to him! ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Alison got up and walked to him then, ¡°Why, why do you want to do that to your own father?¡± She was going closer and closer to the Prince and the Prince¡¯s heartbeat rose, he even stood back in a bit of a panic. Without even realizing he answered her questions, simply stating that his royal father was not doing as a ruler is supposed to and that he had even committed crimes, and Alison smiled at him. ¡°So, I can trust you?¡± Alison asked him. The Prince nodded as he stared at what he thought as big eyes at that moment¡­He was lost¡­He¡¯d lost his soul completely! How was he going to get it back!? ¡°Hey! Are you even listening?¡± The Prince took his gaze away from her and found that they were sitting down. ¡°So, if you heard of him, then, where is he?¡± Where¡¯s who? The Prince narrowed his eyes to wonder what they were talking about. ¡°You weren¡¯t listening, were you?¡± Swallowing to her being upset, the Prince let out a deep breath and took her hand, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was losing my soul to you. Now tell me who are we talking about?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Alison was stunned to his sudden words and stared at him for a moment. She must have heard wrong! Taking her hand back away, she cleared her throat and said, ¡°Noel Price. You said that you had heard of him but that he wasn¡¯t by your father¡¯s side anymore.¡± The Prince could hardly remember that man but¡­He had indeed answered correctly, he had not seen him for quite some years. ¡°He had died. It was a sad accident.¡± Seeing Alison lose her enthusiasm like that made him feel uneasy, ¡°Why did you want to know about Noel Price?¡± Alison looked away and even sat into the corner of the chair, bringing her legs up, ¡°He was a witness.¡± ¡°A witness to what?¡± The Prince asked, wanting to be of any kind of help, whether it be knowledge or even warmth¡­ ¡°A family¡­The Truvelle family were wrongfully killed and Noel Price was a witness to the King making a demand or something.¡± Alison also lost some enthusiasm in her voice while speaking. What was she to do now? The Prince couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pulled her over to his lap, taking her completely by surprise. ¡°Wait!¡± Alison said. The Prince held her there, ¡°Just sit here while we talk about this.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Sighing, the Prince looked away, ¡°It is¡­It is no surprise that Noel Price is dead then, if he was a witness.¡± Alison was still quiet, and the Prince continued to talk, ¡°The Truvelle family. You know they were wrongfully killed?¡± Now looking at her, the Prince saw her shyly look away and he could feel how easy it would be to lose his senses once again¡­No, they were talking about something important right now! ¡°Yes¡­¡± Was all she said, more aware of the Prince right now, instead of that of the conversation. Feeling confident, the Prince put his forehead against hers, wanting to see if she squirms, and said, ¡°How do you know? I haven¡¯t found anything, only recently feeling like something was a miss.¡± Alison blinked and stared at him. ¡°Mmm?¡± ¡°What?¡± She simply asked. How great was this, the Prince thought, she is simply so entertaining! ¡°How do you know that the family Truvelle was wrongfully¡­¡± Alison was paying attention this time and interrupted, ¡°I found evidence, I know it!¡± The Prince pulled back, also paying more attention now, ¡°Evidence? Are you sure?¡± Alison nodded, ¡°The crown that was supposed to have been stolen and gone from even the capital¡­It¡¯s in the palace!¡± The Prince could remember what had happened and never thought that the crown was actually still around. ¡°You saw it?¡± Alison nodded, ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Where?¡± The Prince asked. Alison went to talk but then suddenly wondered if she should trust him. She had trusted him ¡®til now, but if she were to tell him this, what if he was lying and got rid of the evidence? Could she take that chance? ¡°Do you still not trust me, Allie?¡± Hearing ¡®Allie¡¯, Alison stiffened up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Adaline¡­Adaline¡­¡± The Prince quickly changed his words, hoping to not make her run away from him. Alison knew now that the Prince was just doing as she wanted, but he knew¡­He knew that she wasn¡¯t Lady Adaline, in fact, it seemed like he was sure that she was Alison¡­Even calling her Allie¡­ He hadn¡¯t stated anything when she had brought up the Truvelle family so perhaps he just thinks her as the thief Alison¡­ The Prince waited for her to think, but held onto her, not wanting her to run away. If they had to act, he¡¯d act¡­He¡¯d do whatever she told him to do¡­Does she know that? Alison swallowed and stayed silent. ¡°I¡¯ll get David to see about Noel Price, perhaps he left something at his home. I¡¯ll also make sure that nothing in particular leaves the palace. Do they know you know about this?¡± If this was all he could do, he¡¯d do it, but was there really nothing else that he can help with? Alison still didn¡¯t look at him as she understood. He wasn¡¯t asking where the crown was hidden, instead stating that he was going to make sure that it doesn¡¯t leave the palace¡­Not only that but looking into where Noel Price used to live might be a good idea. Maybe he left some kind of evidence¡­ Really, she should be able to trust him! Looking at him, as he put some hair behind her ear, she said, ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, they think no one else knows.¡± The Prince smiled at her, ¡°Are they making you do something soon?¡± ¡°I have to¡­Woo you, they want to¡­¡± The Prince laughed, ¡°They have always wanted to tell me what to do!¡± To woo me, he thought¡­Well dam¡­ ¡°As for the job that they gave you, you¡¯re doing a fabulous job¡­¡± With that, the Prince kissed her. Alison raised her eyebrows, so, it not only sounds like he already knew but he even said¡­ With his hand to her face now, she found herself succumbing to the Prince¡­ Pulling away from those lips of hers, the Prince smiled, ¡°I think it¡¯s about time that you had some good luck, mmm?¡± Alison opened her eyes and closed them as she was pushed to his shoulder to relax. Why did it feel so natural? So good¡­So perfect¡­It was like his arms were made for her, his shoulder, his eyes¡­ Whether his royal father or the advisor were behind the idea of him being called here to her chambers tonight or not, he was going to stay here and he even wanted to bet that they¡¯ll demand her to be his Queen in no time! Perhaps if he was to do as they wanted him to do, they might slip up¡­Well¡­That wasn¡¯t the only reason! *** The Prince did not leave until early morning, making it obvious upon where he had been that night. Not only will the advisor be happy about this, but that of the King as well. So, what was there to lose? Having called for David, as soon as he was out of Alison¡¯s quarters, the Prince was happy to see David not long after he had bathed, dressed and written two letters. ¡°Why so¡­Quick in the morning, Your Highness?¡± David pretended to yawn then. The Prince picked up the two letters and gave them to him. ¡°One is for Cid but as well, you are to tell Bethany that she may be needed to substitute Lady Adaline and leave the palace shortly.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± The Prince went on then, ¡°The other is for you, it¡¯s a name I want you to find where he and where his family had lived. Perhaps anywhere where he may store anything of importance. This person may be very important to my main goal so do take this seriously! Give any information you then have to Cid, I will have to get it...¡± Before the Prince could even speak another word, a knock on the door sounded¡­ Within no time at all, before he was even ready, the Prince was called to go and see the King. It seemed that they were keeping a very close eye upon Lady Adaline! The play was on! The Prince thought, as he walked in to see the Advisor kneeling and making a sound that sounded like a sob. He laughed in his mind to this, as the King and advisor acted out upon a Prince ¡®taking a woman¡¯. And just like the Prince thought, no one else was here, it was going to be a ¡®secret¡¯! ¡°Please, Your Highness, since you have taken my granddaughter¡¯s virtue, you must give her what she deserves! Please, Your Majesty, give her justice!¡± The Prince waited patiently for the perfect time to speak. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very surprised, my son¡­I had never thought that you¡¯d act like this!¡± The King stated. He was slightly honest here and showed true shock. It happened too fast! The Prince looked away, he wanted to give the look of a guilty man¡­ ¡°If I knew this was going to happen, I should have not sent her here!¡± The advisor once again hid his face towards the floor and let out a light sob. The King hit the arm of the chair and said the words that the Prince was waiting to hear, ¡°This cannot be, no, since you have taken her innocence, you must marry her!¡± ¡°Royal Father¡­¡± The Prince started to say, not surprised that he got interrupted. ¡°No! You should have known this would happen if you did something like this! I will not take ¡®No¡¯ as an answer! Since it has come to this, you must marry and marry quickly!¡± The Prince smiled inwardly and even mocked them. Yet, on the outside, the Prince clenched his hands and went down to his knees in front of the King, ¡°How¡­What proof¡­¡± ¡°We have proof! Do you think we are blind! I will get the Queen to notify the capital within the day! Now go to your chambers, you are confined there for the rest of the day! There will be no nightly visits tonight!¡± With that, the King walked off, smiling openly when no one could see. He will want to see the woman that finally made a man out of his son! Advisor Rick didn¡¯t leave, still acting to the loss of his daughter¡¯s virtue¡­ The Prince left in haste, like he didn¡¯t want to be seen by the advisor because of the ¡®shameful¡¯ act that he ¡®committed¡¯, and made his way back to his chambers, like the good son¡­ They got what they wanted. The woman they brought in to try and control him was now going to be his bride. The Prince was sort of displeased with how far they wanted to take this but luckily the woman they choose is not working with them. Now, it was time to get everything ready¡­For when the King finally steps down! It can¡¯t be helped¡­Now that things have happened like this, and that he had fallen for Alison, he wanted to make things right for her as soon as possible. It seems that they will have to get things ready very soon! Which is where Bethany might come in handy! She had not only one job to do, but two! You have my trust, my good sister! Make me proud! Just like the King said, the Queen did as she was told and stated to the capital that the Prince was getting married. The Prince did as he was told as well and stayed in his chambers. He had tried to send a letter to Alison, but the King acted out and said that she will not receive it. Whether that is a ploy to go along with the play or something the Prince wanted to do honestly, is a good question¡­ On the other hand, Alison remembered what the Prince had told her the night before and had everything ready to disappear within a moment¡¯s notice¡­Just in case¡­ Yes, they had come up with a plan, or plans, to get her free from them, but they had to take care. They wanted them to think that they were ¡®winning¡¯, first, which would help bring down their guard against the Prince. If something goes wrong, well¡­Too many things could happen, and the Prince just couldn¡¯t let this chance go by. While the King and advisor might be letting their guard down, it was a perfect time to get everything ready to expose the King¡¯s crimes! Alison was ready¡­Ready to go into hiding or what would be required of her, but her mind was in turmoil. She repeatedly told the Prince that she was not Alison but now¡­Now that she apparently was marrying the Prince, she felt like perhaps she should tell him. But¡­It¡¯s too late¡­ Lady Adaline was the one getting married to the Prince, not Alison Truvelle¡­ With a knock on the door, Alison only turned, to see that the King just come in unannounced. The King with no manners¡­The murderer¡­ ¡°Well my dear, so far, it seems to be working!¡± It was the first time that the King was not acting, being more like her master instead. Alison watched as he sauntered in and walked the room like it was his. She tried ever so much to keep her fury to what he had done to her family inside. She mustn¡¯t make a face, she mustn¡¯t lunge herself at him and attack him¡­She mustn¡¯t act out¡­Yet! Chapter Eight
¡°How is it? To be Queen! Is it a dream you never thought possible?¡± The King was now just a metre in front of her and Alison nodded. ¡°You can¡¯t relax though, my son isn¡¯t dumb, you must always keep him under wraps!¡± The King walked one more step towards her and Alison bowed her head, feeling his hand then on top of her head. Don¡¯t touch me! Oh, how she wished she could scream these words but¡­She did not act out anything that she so dearly wanted to and just stayed there¡­ ¡°You know how easy it is to get rid of you? You know that your life, and even that of your children¡¯s lives are on the line, so¡­I suggest, little thief, that you just do as you are told¡­¡± Shivering slightly to the King¡¯s words and touch, Alison didn¡¯t know how she held in her anger. This man killed her family, destroyed her home, stole from them what was there¡¯s and now wants her to do his bidding, no questions asked! ¡°Has he happened to tell you what he likes about you?¡± The King asked. Alison shook her head after a moment, even if she did know she didn¡¯t want to tell him! ¡°No, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Mmm, I suggest you find out so that you can keep it up.¡± The King stated. Alison continued to bow, as the King ranted some more and then left, leaving her breathing heavily. Was the Prince really going to make that man leave the throne? Holding onto her chest, Alison squeezed her eyes shut and wondered what to do. What type of predicament was this! How does she get released from it!? Falling to the floor, Alison continued to hold onto her chest, like it might fall out if she didn¡¯t¡­ What do I do? She continued to ask herself. She felt like she was torn, she wanted to trust and help the Prince with anything he wanted but on the other hand, something filled with anger¡­How could she want to help the Prince, the son of the man who killed her family!? *** The Prince could hardly sleep that night, there was just way too much going through his head! Plans, actions, ideas¡­Alison¡­ He needed to think ahead, think of how they would act or deal with something. He needed to make sure that he did things that wouldn¡¯t get them into trouble but get the King in trouble instead¡­It was¡­A mess¡­. Then, there was Alison. Clearly, she was still not trusting him a hundred percent. She might still be working with the advisor too¡­He knew all too well that she was a thief after all, so perhaps she could lie or act easily against him¡­ As much as he wanted her to be on his side, he still had to keep in mind that she may not be as well¡­ What made him feel pathetic though, was that he didn¡¯t care if she was not on his side. If she were to make things harder for him, to make things go backwards, to take more time¡­It felt like he could deal with it¡­ What was wrong with him? It¡¯s like he couldn¡¯t live without her back chatting and her thieving ways! Was he going crazy!? Yes¡­He was crazy! That had to be it! Wiping his hands on his face, grumbling out upon how pathetic he was, the Prince sighed. ¡­He knew that King Lewis¡¯s reign must end, which also meant Lady Adaline also must end, for him to marry Alison. He knew that her identity needed to be brought to light, her family needed to be released from its false accusation of being stealers and¡­Forgiveness¡­ Alison is bound to be angry at his family¡­She was once a fianc¨¦, she was also a daughter of a family killed by his father¡­Which meant she needed to forgive him. The chances¡­What are the chances that she will stay with him? Even if he loved her? Even if she had all the rights to be his Queen? Even if¡­ The Prince tossed and turned, which didn¡¯t only happen one night¡­No, it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t have a proper night¡¯s sleep now without a certain person in his arms¡­ David had never been so busy! He even had to get not only his father to help him help the Prince, but also that of the black market, who will be most upset to know that they were ¡®forced¡¯ to help royalty! This was not right! David thought, as he walked through a certain door. A scream was heard and then heavy footsteps¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t hurt us¡­Please¡­¡± He had gone to Noel¡¯s parents¡¯ original home, to find nothing. He was now at a sister¡¯s daughter¡¯s house. ¡°Did you know your uncle, Noel Price?¡± David asked. ¡°We¡­We haven¡¯t done anything wrong¡­We¡­We don¡¯t have anything for you to steal!¡± ¡°Did you know your uncle?¡± David repeated himself, grasping the top of his sword in irritation. They shook their heads and stayed in the corner, one of them being a small daughter¡­ David sighed and turned, there was one more place to go but¡­ ¡­There was one shroud of news that stated that Noel Price originally was not from the Price family at all, but that he was a slave. He had been taken into the Price family, to be the one that entered the palace, simply because they had no other heirs to do so. It really was a mass of daughters that were born in this particular family! Getting onto his horse, David raced towards a temple and hoped to find something for his friend. He could feel it¡­Feel something big happening just over the horizon. His friend had really changed but this had nothing to do with that¡­No, this was the long-term goal his friend had ever since he could remember! Was it really time!? ¡°No, we don¡¯t know a Noel Price.¡± Came the reply¡­ David sighed. ¡°What about a boy from the year of¡­¡± David looked at the paper and gave the year, T1765, saying that he would have been about eight in that year. A nun came down then, having been listening. She was old, probably ready to¡­ ¡°Leon. It must be Leon.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Leon? ¡°Leon? That¡¯s right, a family took him in, they didn¡¯t have any male heirs¡­¡± David nodded, ¡°That¡¯s it. Did he come back and give you anything by chance?¡± The nun that came late smiled, ¡°He had not mentioned that his name had changed but yes, Leon did leave something.¡± David was ecstatic, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± In no time, David had a nice-looking box in his hold. ¡°So, you are the one that was going to claim it, he said that you would come to do so.¡± David looked at the old nun and said, ¡°¡­Uh?¡± ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t too specific, I suppose.¡± The nun stated. She was old but it looked like she had a great memory! ¡°Ah, that boy. Such a sad fate¡­¡± David nodded and then went to leave. It was already late¡­Very late, but his job wasn¡¯t finished yet! First, he had to get a message to Cid! *** Since his confinement was only said to be one day, the Prince spent a quick moment, after his morning routine, to see his sister. Then he did not only what was expected of him but what he wanted to do and secondly went to see Alison. Only when seeing her form in front of him does it make him all the more certain that he had indeed fallen for the girl. ¡°Alison!¡± With a rush, he was pulled into the room and a hand went over his mouth, ¡°What are you doing!¡± The Prince went wide eyed then shook his head, yes¡­What was he doing!? Holding onto her waist, while they glided down the wall to the floor, he mumbled through her hand, so she took her hand away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Alison shook her head and stared at the idiot. ¡°Stupid!¡± He put his head into her neck and apologized again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡­I told you I wasn¡¯t Alison!¡± She stammered out, now finally realizing how close they were. He really wasn¡¯t playing fair! Did he know how much he made her blank? How much she liked his touch and his smell? Naughty boy! ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. Letting out a yelp to his quiet words to her ear, making her get goosebumps, she pushed him away, ¡°Stop it!¡± The Prince chuckled, not letting her get too far away. ¡°Did you worry?¡± He asked, watching her very closely. Alison shook her head and looked away, ¡°No!¡± Sighing, the Prince suddenly pushed her into him and quietly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be startled but my sister will leave here as you.¡± Alison was originally going to push him away but seemed to sense the seriousness from the Prince, ¡°The Princess?¡± ¡°Mmm, as soon as something goes wrong for them, I have a feeling that they will try to get you out of the palace to use you as bait. To get me to do whatever they want¡­¡± Alison was a bit shocked, ¡°Are you going to put Princess Bethany in danger¡­¡± ¡°No! Silly! Princess Bethany will have not only her title to help her but someone there will by her side to keep her safe.¡± The Prince pinched her waist to her silly question! Alison yelped and glared at him, making the Prince smile. ¡°You will instead be another diversion, with less guards!¡± Elton said, while touching her nose. ¡°It also gets you away from this room where they might want to pick you and take you away!¡± Making a face, she continued then to glare at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It was troubling me upon who they would follow the most, fight the most and¡­I think what David found last night will be better protected in the hands of the Princess but¡­!¡± Alison shook her head lightly at first, then harder, ¡°You are putting her in danger!¡± The Prince sighed, making her fall forward. ¡°I need you to do something for me. And trust me, if anyone is going to be in danger¡­It¡¯s going to be you!¡± Alison nodded involuntarily, her mind was more occupied upon the idea of them kissing¡­Since they were suddenly so close. ¡°David has a box outside of the palace¡­He¡¯s waiting at The Fox Inn, the inn is on the main stretch of road leading outside of the palace¡­¡± The Prince flicked her gently on the forehead to get her attention. ¡°You want me to go and get it?¡± Alison asked putting a hand to her forehead and rubbing it. Actually, she didn¡¯t even know that she was smiling right now¡­The idea of leaving the palace and doing something else sounded great! The Prince gently looked upon the woman in his arms and nodded, ¡°You should be able to know how to get in and out of the palace, I can¡¯t leave without a more valid reason and¡­¡± He wanted to let her know how much he trusted her. There was only one catch, it¡¯s that she couldn¡¯t get caught! ¡°I know¡­¡± Alison said, like she heard his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll get the box and come back without anyone knowing!¡± The Prince smiled and brought her in for a hug, ¡°Good girl!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a girl¡­¡± Alison said, smiling into his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re my girl¡­¡± The Prince whispered¡­ Not long after they had this conversation, Bethany came in. Having quickly changed, to become more like that of ¡®Lady Adaline¡¯ and to pick up another box outside of the palace, Bethany left soon after, right through the palace front doors. Cid was currently waiting outside of the palace, so that he would not show that Bethany was Adaline. Cid had been up for hours already with Benjamin, busy preparing for this hour¡­ The Prince hoped that anyone that would follow Alison would actually all end up following after Princess Bethany instead, so that Alison would return safely. It was a chance, a scary chance, but if all of Alison¡¯s secret followers left, then she would get some time out of the palace and her and David would be able to connect on another level. Just the smile on her face, her obvious excitement made it all worth it¡­ The Prince left her quarters, while Alison discretely left another way. She had changed into thieving attire, put her hair up and even dirtied her face a bit, looking completely different but¡­She was so excited! She never knew how much she missed being a thief until she left the palace. Ah, freedom! Alison smiled and rushed around the corner and then jumped onto a higher ledge to run across one roof to another. Looking across the road, to see one of the windows in, Alison saw David¡¯s side profile and so she slid down a side tree pole and hid, before crossing the road like a normal person¡­ Upon crossing the road, Alison took two steps on the side, up the building, then jumped to an outstretched timber ledge and brought herself up to the second tier, to go through the window and sit down¡­Completely stunning David. He stood up and the chair fell over, ¡°You! It¡¯s you!¡± Alison frowned, then remembered, that¡¯s right! David was there too, on that day that the other man got stuck and she freed him! She totally forgot! Laughing to her memories, Alison saw David look around and then hold the box to him tightly, ¡°I know people, so don¡¯t you dare even think about it!¡± He must think that she was¡­ Really, Alison still wanted to laugh but she should not linger here too long. Her laughing stopped, as Alison sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve come for the box.¡± ¡°A box? Indeed, I¡¯d like to see what¡¯s inside this box! I¡¯d also¡­Like to know why you are here¡­¡± The words were not spoken by either David or Alison, as they turned to the doorway¡­To find Advisor Rick staring at Alison with a bit of concern in his gaze! She had been sure that no one had followed her! She wouldn¡¯t have come if someone had been following her! The Prince trusted her so easily, trusted her to come back! Why was the master here!? Panic filled her, making her bow and say, ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Master? You calling me master? Let¡¯s see about that! Give me the box!¡± Advisor Rick glared at David and in a moment, there were five black hooded people surrounding the box. In a bit of a rush, Advisor Rick knew that something had gone wrong in his plans¡­He needed to make contact with his other men and find out what has happened! David looked at Alison and was so angry that he nearly spat at the floor! ¡°You¡¯re with them?¡± Alison didn¡¯t do anything, she had been caught, she¡­Had been caught! ¡°Wait¡­If you came for the box¡­¡± David looked at Alison confused and then widened his eyes. ¡°Lady Adaline¡­¡± His Highness had said he was sending her, and David had thought that she would come in a carriage¡­Perhaps it might have been better if she had! ¡°This poses a problem¡­¡± Advisor Rick stated. Now that David openly said who her other identity was, it had now become even more serious! ¡°Take them both, we can¡¯t kill them here.¡± With that, Advisor Rick left, leaving five people to capture two. Alison felt like she had betrayed, not just betrayed David, but betrayed her Prince, Princess Bethany and even herself¡­She was in such a defeated state of mind that she was caught easily¡­On the other hand, David took out his sword and tried to defend himself, while desperately holding onto the box. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you for this!¡± Alison swallowed and walked out, a tear dropping from her eye at the same time. Everything was so¡­It was such in a lousy way, a terrible way! David fought by defending the box and himself but in no time the four remaining people had both the box and him. Much to his surprise, once he got down the stairs, in front of the few people at the inn, no one did anything when he said that he was being taken without his consent. After he left, there were claps, like a play had just been done and David glared at the inn as it got further and further away. ¡°Where¡¯s the girl?¡± David asked the men holding onto him. ¡°Gone.¡± ¡°Gone?¡± He asked. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Why should we tell you!?¡± A man in black said, before hitting him in the side of the neck. David didn¡¯t have time to fall unconscious! He had to make sure of Lady Adaline¡¯s safety! He had to get¡­He had¡­ Blackness overtook him¡­ David was indeed a loyal servant, so loyal that he knew he was a diversion. He accepted that he had to act like he was looking after something extremely important but never did they realize of what they might do if David came to see Lady Adaline be known as someone that called Advisor Rick as ¡®master¡¯ and that she was instead working for him instead of being his real granddaughter. That small detail had not entered into the Prince¡¯s plans and so¡­David¡¯s future become a lot more critical than ever imagined! The Prince waited¡­And waited¡­ After two hours had gone by, he was pacing his quarters, wondering if something had gone wrong. David, he would be upset but¡­Since I sent her, he¡¯d trust her¡­ Perhaps David was just fighting and grumbling with Alison¡­ The Prince came up with many different types of ideas but did not want to support any kind of theory that suggested the idea that Alison was caught. Just the idea of Alison being caught was not something he could deal with but¡­He just couldn¡¯t trust anyone else and if he left the palace, he was most likely going to get followed¡­He¡­ What if David was being followed? The Prince stopped and put a hand through his hair¡­He had not contemplated David being followed! He had only worried about Alison being followed! If David had been followed all this time, the two boxes might be known of as a ploy! His whole plans¡­ No, he needed to stay calm and think properly. He knew that Alison may still get followed, so the only problem laid upon the boxes, where one was a ploy¡­If that was known, then would his plans still work or not? There was just no choice but to wait and see upon what happens next¡­That is all the Prince could do now¡­Is wait! He had to wait for the King and the advisor to act and take that first step! Chapter Nine
The Prince tried to calm himself down, even by going back to Alison¡¯s quarters to be there upon her return¡­But a knock on the door sounded and then a voice came, ¡°We know she¡¯s not there, little Prince, so come out like a good boy!¡± A bad premonition came to Prince Elton then. That perhaps¡­He had he lost¡­ Dammit¡­ Yet, the biggest worry he had¡­Was if Alison was okay. Everything else can be endured! And¡­If there was one way to find out what was going on, it was to go out and see what they had planned! In silence, the Prince followed the advisor out to the King¡¯s throne room and found the room filled with people. This was¡­They got the box¡­The question was¡­Which box did they obtain? The Prince halted just a few steps into the room, not that it mattered because they continued on anyway. ¡°And here he is, the one trying to conspire against His Majesty the King. Prince Elton, do you plead guilty in the charge of treason!?¡± The Prince saw a box in front of the King and stayed silent as his eyes traveled around to not see his sister. It must be the box that David had¡­It was plan B. He had not wanted Plan B to happen because that would have meant that Alison had come to trouble¡­ Where¡­ The Prince now just searched to where the advisor just moved from¡­Seeing¡­ Alison¡­ There she was, in her thief attire, being held like a prisoner! The Prince¡¯s heart ached to free her from her binds, but he was in a very harsh predicament right now and really needed to focus. How did things end up like this!? Where had they taken David? They would have thought him as someone who wouldn¡¯t help their claim so they probably would have just taken him somewhere else for now. Would they really go as far as to kill someone as close he is to a Prince? No, he had thought of this earlier. They would wait until he lost to kill David. The Prince was certain that David was still alive, just¡­Where was he? King Lewis did not look at his son as he completely took in this news that the advisor gave him. The King and a number of his advisors and Councillors, who had already been here hours ago, had already even questioned upon where the advisor was at such a time when a meeting was on earlier. Only to find evidence of the Prince¡¯s friend ¡®David¡¯ had been holding, something that could be claimed as evidence to support him, the King, as a criminal. Having opened the box himself, to find the first piece of paper a written testimony of something that he had done a couple of years ago had made him close the box, to have it sit there until now. Granted, the Prince knew that he had to put at least one thing that was real in that box but¡­A lot of it was just plain letters that didn¡¯t mean anything at all. He was giving up two criminal acts in the place of many, simply because he had wanted the King to act and to think this way. One way to get the King to do what you want him to do¡­Was to give him what he wanted. They could have waited until everyone left but the King was not only angry but also thought that the Prince had nothing left, so¡­He fell right into the Prince¡¯s trap! Clenching his hands into fists under his desk, King Lewis now glared at his son. ¡°Stop!¡± Everyone turned to Princess Bethany, with the veil over her face now removed, who was coming in with a box. Right beside her was Cid and two of Prince Elton¡¯s royal guards. The Prince knew that at least twenty elite guards of his had been with his sister all this time that she had left the palace gates¡­And they were probably just outside the room now. Princess Bethany glared at her father, bringing the box out in front of her, ¡°Looking for this?¡± Not only was she a female, who was entering a male dispute, a male area, she spoke to the king like this? Her glare and lack of manners totally infuriated the King, ¡°Get her out of here!¡± ¡°Those who tried to capture me, and this box, are already in the dungeon. This!¡± The Princess held up a piece of paper, ¡°This states that they were paid to obtain anything important and to kill ¡®the woman¡¯ by Advisor Rick!¡± The Prince was startled. Looking over to Alison, he wondered where he went wrong in his calculations! ¡­The advisor must have thought that she had run away¡­ That¡­Her being alive right now¡­Was it because of the diversion box? Perhaps he wanted more evidence of the Prince¡­That was it¡­Thank god¡­Thank god that Advisor Rick thought Alison would be more of a burden to him and kept her alive! The crowd let out some gasps. They were thinking more along the lines upon the Princess nearly being killed! She had been attacked! Royalty under attack, wasn¡¯t that treason!? Regicide? Both? What was going on!? ¡°Nonsense!¡± Advisor Rick stated. What could they have done to get one of his men to tattle so quickly!? Of course, he completely underestimated Princess Bethany! Not only was the advisor¡¯s men already scared because they found out that they had attempted to kill royalty but Princess Bethany was like some demon woman that scared the hell out of them when she put a knife in between their legs! Since she was getting married, she had to learn what it was that made a man a man and she had the courage to use that knowledge in a threat! ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, take this girl out of here!¡± The King barked. The Princess walked forward, Cid staying close by her side the whole time, and she said, ¡°This box has evidence of my father¡¯s treachery! Noel Price, a former servant of the King, died several years ago, kept his own box of evidence. Originally, he was only going to use it to get what he wanted, is what this note here says¡­But he never got that far, did he father¡­¡± ¡°Preposterous! Why are you still here!¡± The King finally stood up from his chair, then started to descend the stairs in front of him. The Prince moved to be in front of his sister, and said, ¡°You are also the one that was behind the Truvelle family stealing, are you not father?¡± ¡°Truvelle family?¡± ¡°Truvelle¡­I haven¡¯t heard that name in a long time!¡± Advisor Rick could see that the Prince was trying to turn everything around and had to stop him! ¡°This is getting out of hand. As you see people, the Prince and Princess are just trying to stop the truth, look, they even used a thief and made me think of her as my own granddaughter!¡± The crowd now all looked confused¡­ The Prince sighed and walked towards Alison, guards stopping him from unbinding her.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°It is time to decide. Are you a criminal¡¯s guards or mine?¡± The Prince stared at the guards and even turned into a circle, looking at the rest of them in the room. Upon turning back to Alison, he wasn¡¯t stopped when unbinding her, holding her to his side. ¡°She is a thief, an impersonator!¡± Someone yelled. The Prince turned and smiled towards the noise, ¡°Perhaps but¡­Her real identity is a victim, which I will rectify as innocent! This woman here¡­Is Alison Truvelle, my original fianc¨¦!¡± Again, the crowd let out a few gasps¡­Especially that of Alison¡­ He knew¡­ As the Prince frowned and looked at Cid, to see him shake his head, the Prince then looked at Advisor Rick, ¡°Where¡¯s David?¡± Advisor Rick was thinking terribly hard upon how to get out of this mess. With the crowd here, it could still go both ways but¡­It seemed he just couldn¡¯t come up with anything to tip the board in his favor¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s David!?¡± The Prince yelled. Advisor Rick looked at the Prince and shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m still trying to understand how you think you can make everyone think of you as innocent when you are really the criminal.¡± ¡°Likewise!¡± Said Prince Elton. Prince Elton only had one thing left at this moment. Well, at least one thing he could think of in this instant circumstance. Looking at Bethany, Prince Elton saw her smile cheekily, and so he said, ¡°Royal Mother, I promise you as not only your son but as the next ruler of Rangcew, that you will be unharmed and will remain a royal with whatever you need, tell us of what you have seen or heard¡­¡± The Queen suddenly entered, making the crowd a bit displeased¡­This was a meeting for men! Why is there two women here now! No, now there was three! ¡°Silence!¡± Prince Elton stated. And just as he thought, the Queen brought out a crown, ¡°I was told to lock this up and never get it out, this is what the King used against the Truvelle family to gain their wealth.¡± A servant came in then and threw three books on the floor. ¡°And this is what the money went too.¡± Advisor Rick fell to the floor and wished that he had just stayed silent. He wished that he had not become so popular in the last couple of days, so that he could just disappear right now¡­ With the King being found guilty, the crowd will lean towards what he¡¯s doing with the King as guilty too and so¡­ It was time to run! ¡°Don¡¯t let him get away!¡± Prince Elton yelled at the guards. Alison pushed the Prince away, ¡°Go, get him!¡± The Prince frowned and wanted to tend to her, but she shook her head. He didn¡¯t leave, having faith in his guards but no longer held her in his arms. Alison walked two steps forwards, towards the King. ¡°Kneel and apologize to my family!¡± There was an aura about her that seemed to suddenly stand out and now that they had been told of her true identity, people started to try and remember the little girl that was ever so doted upon all those years ago. ¡°Are you asking a King to kneel, little girl!?¡± The King asked, hardly containing his anger. He simply did not believe that he had done anything wrong, let alone believe that she was of the family of Truvelle. ¡°Yes!¡± Alison easily answered. ¡°Do you see, gentlemen, how I am being treated here?¡± The King asked the crowd. Alison took another two steps towards the King, and then said, ¡°If you will not apologize, I will grant you what you deserve for your crimes.¡± ¡°You will¡­Grant me?¡± The King then went into hysterical laughter¡­To him, it was the funniest thing that he had heard in a long time. Someone was granting him to do what!? Alison¡¯s desire to directly kill this man was so hard to contain that she had clenched her hands enough to start bleeding in her palms. The man was not going to apologize¡­ She wanted to yell and scream at him, tell him that he was a nasty man who deserved nothing! That he needs a particular part of his body cut off and should be put in a dungeon with a small one meal a day, and unable to kill himself! Her eyesight grew blurry and Alison fought to stop a sob from coming out. Her family memories finally came back to her and she remembered them. All these years she had put these memories away, not wanting them to taunt her. She was such a cry baby after they had left, and she had to put them away otherwise she would have died through starvation! Now¡­They streamed to her mind, making her fall to the ground and tears fell down her face. Mother, Father¡­Finally, our name has been changed to that of fallen stealers, to that of¡­Innocence¡­ While Alison cried, practically unaware of the King getting into such a furious predicament, where his title isn¡¯t saving him, he even ended up saying, ¡°So what if I did those things! I am your King! I am going back to my chambers!¡± It was practically all over now¡­Well, in the way of who was a criminal and what they had done. Yet, for Alison, who cuddled up to Bethany, she knew it was just one big mountain that she had climbed, this mountain had been long and hard, she was finally able to see the end of the path, which was putting her family to rest properly¡­ She knew though, that she still had at least one more mountain in front of her. That mountain in front of her were answers to her questions, it was a path that would require forgiveness, a path that held her heart¡­Did she really want to travel that mountain? *** ¡°Nothing?¡± Elton asked, a hand to the window. ¡°Nothing, Your Majesty.¡± The guard answered. There had been no official crowning day, but the Prince had indeed become King within just a few days after the former King Lewis was found guilty of his crimes. Since then King Elton had been busy but there were always two things that plagued his mind the most and that was... Alison and David. Both had disappeared, having not returned, along with his soul. He knew already that Alison may not want to be his bride, he knew that she may not want anything to do with him at all but¡­It hurt¡­ She had left him at her first opportunity. He had wanted to formally get her family buried, he was already fixing up her old residence¡­He¡­He had wanted to marry her at the same time Cid and his sister were getting married but¡­ She had not returned¡­ David was the other big problem. He was last known to be protecting a box on his orders, and since then there was no news! Advisor Rick had been detained but had not given any kind of information down upon the whereabouts of David, laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world! Well, Advisor Rick had many things on his plate now, being involved in a number of crimes himself, so he had nothing left to lose¡­Perhaps he was a sadist and liked the Prince suffering at his friend¡¯s disappearance¡­ It was actually a bit worrying when David¡¯s father had come to him personally, completely upset about his son¡¯s disappearance. Elton had to settle Benjamin, yet in his heart he was also in turmoil! David had fought with his parents the last time that he had seen them. They had tried once again about telling him to not be in the black market and that he had lied to them¡­So, the last time that they saw each other the words had not been pleasant and they had also been tired making a substitute box, which makes it all that much more regrettable, especially for Elton¡­ It¡¯s understandable how they want him back again! Hell, he himself wanted the angry child back too! He was the most loyal person that he had ever met and¡­It was his fault that David was a part of the black market. Why hadn¡¯t David just told his parents that, to get them to blame him instead? Now¡­How could he tell that to them? How could he tell them that not only was he in the black market on his orders but that he was taken while doing a mission on his orders as well¡­ King Elton did not have the courage. He had let his best friend down completely¡­ ¡­But Alison¡­He cannot forget her¡­He can¡¯t forget how he first met her again and how she had stolen from him. He can¡¯t forget how she had wanted money just to tell them some information. How she had stayed in her family¡¯s home all this time. How, when she was young, that she had laughed at him! He wished to touch her soft skin, make her smile, to see her excitement¡­ The hardest thing, yet also one of the easiest things that he wished for¡­Was for her happiness. He knew that she may be happy being away from him and he was not going to beg for her back if she were¡­He just wished that¡­Her happiness was with him though, that was all¡­ Milo found it difficult to go without Alison as well¡­ For one day a mouse near him had been hard to tolerate, but it seems that the similarity, of them both loving Alison, made a bond between man and mouse. Milo often stays with Elton day and night, simply because of that one night that he had stayed with Alison. Alison¡¯s disappearance happened to Milo as well and so all Milo seems to look like his thinking is, ¡®If I stay close to him, will Alison return?¡¯. They both missed her, they both wished for her happiness, for her sorrows to pass and her life to be full, yet¡­She seemed to not include them lately in her plans. Both man and mouse were miserable! Just another day in the throne room, yet it was starting to get more and more louder as the days went on. The Advisor¡¯s wanted the Prince to have a Queen. So far, King Elton had been able to prolong the discussion of a new Queen because his mother was still there helping him happily but¡­It seems he might not be able to wait too much longer. ¡°Finalizing the previous King¡¯s acts is first, Advisor Burke. I¡¯d like close the book and have the country move forward as soon as possible.¡± King Elton stated. He had many advisors listening to him already, having secretly shown himself to them before King Lewis lost his throne but¡­He of course did not have all the advisors or councilors on his side¡­Well, nothing was perfect but still¡­It is them that is making him angry! He doesn¡¯t want a Princess from another country! He wanted Alison! ¡°But¡­They already sent word, Your Majesty! They arrive within the week¡­Actually, it seems they already were on their way here¡­¡± Said Advisor Burke. Prince Elton considered the time of travel between the countries and frowned. The advisor was right, they must have left earlier. Then, a Princess was on the way and there was no way to stop it¡­ Could it be that they had been told by the previous King? ¡°Seems a bit rude to suddenly turn up in another country without that of an envoy to state it first!¡± And so, another discussion was started, and Elton sighed¡­ In the end they had to let it go, simply because the wedding was just too close and they did not want to have political problems with other countries at the present point in time! *** Chapter Ten
Alison got up from the edge of the mountain and nodded. It had been at least a week since she had left, probably two. She gave herself some time to mourn her family, to say goodbye once again. After her tears ended, leaving her a bit empty, she was finally able to start thinking about what she wanted to do now. It was¡­A big decision. Her family were special to her and she did not want to put them to shame. She also didn¡¯t want to do something that she would regret either so¡­She had to put everything into consideration. She could stay away from¡­Him. The son of the man that had killed her family¡­ She could stay out here, free and perhaps steal if she wants. She could perhaps, in time, find another man and marry one day and do whatever she wanted until then. She doesn¡¯t even have to steal now if she didn¡¯t want to, maybe she could travel instead. Then¡­On the other hand, if she were to go back to¡­Him. Would he marry her still? If he does, would he marry another as well? Would she be stuck in the palace? His friend David didn¡¯t seem to like her, so she¡¯d have to gain his trust back. It just¡­Seemed so¡­Confusing¡­ Then without those questions, in the depths of her heart where she just felt feelings, she felt lonely. ¡­One thing was clear¡­The idea of any other man being with her was blasphemous! And the idea of him being with any other woman was also wrong! Completely wrong! He was hers! He was it! Even though he was the son of that dreadful King, he was it¡­ ¡­Already, she knew that there was nothing to forgive. He hadn¡¯t done anything wrong¡­In fact, Elton had done many things to help her¡­ That was that! That was it¡­ Upon seeing the sun come up, Alison was only more and more determined to know of Elton¡¯s thoughts. So, she was going to go back and ask! He can forget marrying anyone else if he marries her! He will have to accept that sometimes she will become a thief and leave the palace! But of course, she needs to know what he thinks and feels about her first! Her identity of being Alison Truvelle should be enough¡­Or did she wreck her chances when she left? It¡¯s just¡­ Alison might have made up her mind upon returning to the palace, and even started walking in that direction, but that didn¡¯t mean that she was still unsure about what will happen and how someone or some people may feel¡­ Coming in front of an abandoned hut, Alison was sort of happy for the change of thoughts. Her mind was dizzy and perhaps thinking about an abandoned hut would free her up a bit. Moving the door slightly and peeking inside, Alison innocently said, ¡°Hello?¡± The sight of a man laying their lifelessly made Alison move further inside and then race to his side. ¡°Hey! Hey! Wake up!¡± The man looked almost skin and bones and had been chained to the pole in the middle of the room. Dirty¡­ Seeing that David wasn¡¯t dead, Alison quickly got some water out and tried to get some down his throat, waking him up. David took the water forcefully and drink like he was full of life once again. ¡°Slowly, slowly!¡± With hardly enough strength to move, David just stared at her when he dropped his hands and the water container. Alison looked away, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get you something to eat¡­And something else to wear¡­¡± With hallowed eyes, David shook his head and looked away as well. He had thought that he was going to die! In fact¡­He had accepted it¡­He was just waiting for it to come. Too weak to find something to break the chain and get away, after seeing that the people weren¡¯t coming back, what else was he to do? Then, now, to come across someone who betrayed him to help him? He might as well be dead! Why hadn¡¯t he been found by now? Where was his friend? Had they all forgotten about him? Did he really get taken that far away? He was a man that didn¡¯t cry but he almost did! He already had too many troubles with people, had enough of people and their troubles! Even his parents were on his case a lot lately! He was used by his best friend! He didn¡¯t see Cid a lot anymore! He was now the outsider because it looked like his friends found their girls. It just¡­Wasn¡¯t fun anymore¡­In fact, it¡¯s been harder and harder to endure lately. Even he himself knew that he had threatened to leave a lot more lately¡­It used to only be once every couple of months, now it was nearly every day! He knew that it was a ploy, that he had carried a box that didn¡¯t have the real evidence in it. It had been all made up but¡­He had not slept, been trailing after Noel Price, not slept again, only to be attacked after the shock of finding out Lady Adaline was that damned thief! Yes¡­He had enough! No more just saying that he was leaving anymore¡­ If he was to leave this hut and be able to walk again, he won¡¯t be walking home¡­He had decided, finally, that he was leaving! Alison returned with a bunny, never liking to kill them but¡­David was the best friend of that man and so, she was going to do her best to bring him back to life! When she had gotten to the stage of being underfed, when she had been much younger, she remembered that she couldn¡¯t eat too fast. It was some kind of medical type of thing but she intended to make a soup, giving David a small amount and make sure that he doesn¡¯t eat too much too quickly¡­Which meant that she was not going to return back to the palace just yet¡­ There was just one thing that seemed that went right at this point of time when it came to David and Alison. Both of them were not in the talking mood and did not speak another word¡­Neither of them wanted to hear what the other would want to say! They were worried, one was worried that he might be left for dead when he had finally decided to leave, the other was worried that he would state that she was not good enough for the a particular man¡­So¡­It was right not hearing anything! In the time that Alison looked after David, so that he had enough strength to walk once again, David could only accept her effort. He wished several times that it was someone else, but it never was, it was always the one that the Prince seemed to have fallen in love with, the one that was a thief¡­ Perhaps he just needs to accept it¡­So, he did¡­ As soon as he could walk, he started to walk, even though sometimes he didn¡¯t get far and hated sleeping on the hard-rocky floor in the bush but¡­He wanted to get away from that place! Alison wanted to ask where he was going but didn¡¯t know whether to ask or not. If she asked, would it change the direction that they were going anyway? Would they get there any faster? Probably not! Upon finally making it down to the cove, Alison was stunned to see David go up to the boats and ask if they needed any deckhands. The determination that he had¡­It was to leave on a boat? Seeing that someone said yes, to taking David, he came back and gave her something that she could only thank him for. Truly, he was going to be missed¡­The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Come back soon.¡± Alison stayed there, just in case, and watched David go out to sea a few hours later¡­It seemed, there was a lot more to that man that she ever thought. What would she tell Elton? Would he blame her for David leaving? Again, she had questions, which still didn¡¯t change the way that she felt. She still wanted to be with him, she still wanted to see him again! Alison locked the palace window, that she just went through, and again missed Milo. She had thought about the mouse several times, but it always made her sad, so she tried not to. Discreetly, Alison went down the hallway, hiding on two occasions, then continued down another hallway, then¡­Finally, she came to a certain door. She had come here to get the Prince to take her to the gathering, just a couple of weeks ago¡­ Well, it felt like ages ago¡­ Opening the door, Alison didn¡¯t see anyone in there and she went through it, closing the door after herself. She never came into the room, so she stood there for a moment and looked around. The room¡­Something was amiss¡­ It felt like it wasn¡¯t being slept in¡­Like there was no one that lived here¡­ What was going on? Alison took a moment to think and then she suddenly hit her head in idiocy. Of course! She had heard about Elton becoming the King! He¡¯d probably be in the King¡¯s chambers now! King¡¯s chambers¡­ She knows where to go from the library, and she knows how to get to the library from the window¡­She didn¡¯t want to go all the way back to the window! But¡­ When she had stayed at the palace as Lady Adaline, she had not been close to the King¡¯s chambers and so the quickest way that she knew how to get to the King¡¯s quarters, was to go back to the window! Was this a sign that she shouldn¡¯t be here? Maybe she was asking too much by coming here and thinking that a future with Elton was something that she could have, when in fact she probably couldn¡¯t¡­As much as she might have been born a Truvelle, she was now a thief. How can a thief become¡­A Queen? She knew that she didn¡¯t need these depressing thoughts! She had her feelings, she had her wants! But¡­Her thoughts were somewhat true, weren¡¯t they? The Prince¡­No, the King needed someone¡­ Alison slid down the closest wall and sighed. What do I do? Bringing her legs up and then putting her head in her hands, Alison put her head from side to side in thought. Do I? Don¡¯t I? Do I? Don¡¯t I? The thief is fine, the thief is not fine¡­ The thief¡­ I¡¯ll steal his heart! He might have been acting before but I¡¯ll do it for real this time and I¡¯ll steal it! I¡¯ll never give it back! Besides, I have a nice gift to offer him if he marries me! Alison left while these good thoughts went through her! *** Elton walked into his quarters and went straight towards a corner that was for Milo. Milo raced down like he was crazy and before Elton could even open the food container, Milo hoped on top of it. ¡°I can¡¯t feed you if you are on top of the container, Milo.¡± Suddenly hearing a noise, Elton turned and stopped. ¡°¡­Alison¡­¡± As Milo tried to continue to get food, Alison took a step closer to Elton, staring at him, like he was her. ¡°Alison¡­¡± She had a chance! Just by seeing him this way, she knew that she had a chance to have him fall in love with her. First, she had to tell him everything. Opening the container for Milo, Alison smiled, seeing Milo fall into it completely. ¡°Are you starving my mouse?¡± Alison asked, looking back up at Elton. ¡°Alison.¡± The Prince didn¡¯t know if he was dreaming or not. He had worked hard lately and perhaps he wanted her so much that he was just coming up with images that weren¡¯t real¡­Or¡­If it were true¡­He was scared that she would just disappear once again¡­ Seeing him not do anything, she sighed and put the container, that Milo was still inside of, on the closest surface and then took his hand. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± As King Elton felt his heart beg for more, he really did just stand there. Guiding his hand to her face, Alison used her other hand to put it to his face. Losing confidence, Alison dropped her hand, as well as his, and looked away, ¡°Am I no longer¡­¡± Clearing her throat, Alison tried again, ¡°I¡­¡± Nothing¡­ ¡°I love you.¡± With Elton¡¯s words, Alison looked up in shock. ¡°Stay with me¡­Please! I know you probably hate me because of my father but¡­¡± Alison shook her head and again picked up one of his hands, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Elton. I¡­I know it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°¡­I could have looked after you better.¡± He bluntly said, finally letting himself touch her face. Inside he was jumping for joy! She doesn¡¯t hate me! ¡°You were still a child, besides, didn¡¯t you leave a year later? Stop blaming yourself!¡± Alison said, putting her other hand on his. ¡°Marry me.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s no others! Only me!¡± Alison said, looking at him sternly. ¡°Agreed!¡± King Elton said straight away. There was nothing worse than not having her in his life¡­Of course he¡¯d do anything she¡¯d want! ¡°Really?¡± Alison asked, finally smiling. Elton smiled back and pushed her into him for a hug, ¡°Of course! You are already my Queen!¡± Is it really that easy? Alison tried to think of the questions that she had but¡­After thinking of the question of him being able to love her being answered already, his lips had come into contact with hers and her mind went blank¡­ *** Alison¡¯s arrival back in the palace came at just the right time. The Princess that came from another country was not one that anyone even wanted as their new Queen! There were rumors upon her being very harsh, so Elton was glad that he now had Alison by his side to fend off any kind of words that she might have. The country of Melya seemed to be on the decline since their own Prince went missing a long time ago, leaving only Princess ¡®Medusa¡¯ as the heir to their throne. The King and Queen of Melya had spent such resources into finding their lost son that the Princess grew to think in certain ways and was never corrected by anyone. Their absence in her life, especially now that they have died, had made a big impact, such an impact that it would be hard for anyone to get through to her anymore. She was not known as a Princess in Melya¡­No, she was known as a beast! Medusa the Beast! The country thinks themselves as lucky that the Princess was not in charge, instead, her grandmother was in charge of the country. In fact¡­The Princess was forced to live in a very isolated castle¡­All alone¡­Through everyone¡¯s eyes, including that of herself, she was not only dismissed but abandoned by just about everyone, including that of her own country. So, why a beast? Perhaps she had nothing left to worry her upon how she would act¡­Perhaps it¡¯s because if no one cared, why should she? Questions should be questioned but¡­No one asked any. They just left her there¡­ The royal marriage was indeed something that happened within two weeks, bringing more people not long after the arrival of Princess ¡®Medusa¡¯ from Melya, and it became more than just that of a day for Cid and Bethany. The day involved two weddings now, which was also making Alison the official Queen of Commorda. But the day also represented the official day of Elton¡¯s crowning to the throne of Commorda. Upon an advisor from Funmil showing his happiness to the new King of Commorda, more and more bowed and congratulated the four that now stood up the front of the big wedding area. At the throne was King Elton, with Queen Alison by his side. Beside them, a step down, was Princess Bethany and her Prince Consort Cid. In the corner, to the very back, the Queen nodded her head to her children. Having Bethany come to her and plead for her help had really hit a spot that had felt untouched her whole life¡­Being surrounded by genuine care now, the Queen finally felt like her life was just a bit more meaningful then it used to be. It was a good day! Alison had kept a secret from her new husband, the King, and so now, just two days after becoming the Queen of this land, she left the confines of her new quarters and went to Lupis! Falling into the caves, wiping herself down only twice, she continued and smiled when she heard noises. She had placed notices around the caves, to tell them all to gather, even though thieves don¡¯t gather, and so now was the moment of curiosity for all of them¡­ Who would show up? Just this question was exciting! Walking into an area, to see three, then looking down the hall to see another two, Alison saw that some indeed have come, they just didn¡¯t linger in the same cave areas. ¡°You here for the poster too?¡± Alison smiled and nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s because no one ever tried this before. I¡¯m surprised how many of us showed up!¡± Letting out a small laugh, Alison stood where she was. Thieves sometimes didn¡¯t look at the time, or if they did, they didn¡¯t care about it. Late, on time¡­Time was their plaything, even if they were waiting. ¡°Allie? Haven¡¯t seen ya for a while, aye!¡± ¡°Chad.¡± Alison said with a nod. Chad stopped for a moment and then stared at Alison. ¡°Why do I have a feeling that you did the posters?¡± ¡°Because I did.¡± Alison didn¡¯t lie, what was the point? ¡°Why?¡± Suddenly she was surrounded, and Alison raised her eyebrows to the curiosity. ¡°I am in touch with the King of this land, he wants us on his side, stealing from other countries instead. I want to know who is interested!¡± This was her present to her man! He wanted the countries thieves, turned into the country¡¯s spies! And she will make it happen! ¡°I heard it already, aye. He told me this when I was in the dungeon.¡± Chad said. Alison looked at him squarely and shrugged, ¡°In or out?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s the pay?¡± So, for what Alison got for her present to her King for her wedding, was thieves that finally accepted to become spies for the him! She was going to be the ¡®messenger¡¯ from him to them and so she played quite an important part in the country¡­ What shocked Alison was that he also had a present for her, and it was so overwhelming to her that she cried. Her home¡­Her family¡¯s home was so grand once again¡­The front door works! There was no ¡®homeless¡¯ living arrangements in her room anymore, no, the place was fully repaired, and filled with¡­Everything! Arts, tables, chairs, tapestries, clothes, beds, sheets, plates¡­Everything had arrived like magic! Having Elton by her side, as he had come to show her this amazing present to her, Alison went into his arms, holding him tight¡­ ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Your very welcome¡­Little Pillager¡­¡± Alison let out a laugh and became ¡®Little Pillager¡¯ by going through his pockets and pulling out something. Showing it to his face, to see him smile and try to get it off her, Alison laughed and ran away! It was at this time that a lost, lonely person was taken, not even questioned upon where he went. Having taken the place of a silly brother who was sticking his nose into somebody else¡¯s business, Steven had been the one that was caught instead, taking Freddie¡¯s place¡­ He was taken by a specific Princess, not to return back to his home country for a long time. The sad thing is, no one questions upon him until he does return¡­ There was one thing though that was certain, and that was David had gone his own path. As much as his parents wish to see him again, they had no idea upon when that would be. They knew he talked about leaving, they knew he seemed to dislike people for some reason but now that it really happened, and he was really gone, it still felt like he¡¯d be back the next day to grumble¡­ They had all underestimated that loyal boy¡­Well, he wasn¡¯t much of a boy now was he, he was after all, getting to 25 years old now¡­ I know that it¡¯s not that long, but I immensely enjoyed writing this novel and look forward to continuing my fairy tale stories. The next one is David¡¯s ¡®Little Mermaid¡¯ trip called, ¡®The Free Man; Over the Sea¡¯. Sounds pretty funny but yeah, as you can see, he¡¯s a bit angry right now and he has the tendency to chuck tanties, so it¡¯ll be interesting upon how he goes on a pirate ship! Just a few Tid Bits
I don¡¯t know if you noticed this but ¡®Jafar¡¯ and the ¡®Lamp and genie¡¯ was the same person. Advisor Rick wanted to have the power but also granted Alison another identity, one that helped her get back into the palace. I suppose that can be taken a few ways¡­ Actually, Advisor Rick is not dead¡­He¡¯s ¡®detained¡¯¡­Does he still have a future? Jafar became a genie, someone with ultimate power but could not use his power unless someone wishes and/or wishes him free so¡­What could the Advisor become in a land without magic but with the same meaning? Lupis was desert to make up for the ¡®Arabian nights¡¯ type of scenery. I needed more sand in the story to make it closer to ¡®Aladdin¡¯. (Probably still wasn¡¯t enough) Obviously, Milo is like Abu. I really didn¡¯t know what animal to make and he did not even appear in ¡®Cid Rellah¡¯, so I was even considering no animal at all but¡­No way! I needed an animal that helped the MC! So, I thought Milo being a mouse was a great idea! (I¡¯m thinking Milo helped Alison a few times from even going into places at all because he did all the work¡­) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The time when they ¡®fly on the magic carpet and sing¡¯, is the time playing games in the palace. One, it is the reverse and two, I wanted the characters to spend time together. I wanted to show the difference between them. Cid being relatively quiet, David louder. A side to the Prince where he¡¯s sly¡­That sort of thing. The ¡®song¡¯ part was when they were up in the tower, I suppose. David did the ¡®teleport to the ice¡¯ part, instead of Alison. There¡¯s no ice but he did get taken away. The men that was supposedly been watching him disappeared because Advisor Rick was no longer a ¡®leader¡¯ to them. This was mostly all typed out in a week! (Not including editing) Suppose it is small, but it does start in ¡®Cid Rellah¡¯ and continues in the next books too. Probably a question you all want to ask: Did Elton and Alison sleep together before marriage? (It does say there was proof) Well, proof would obviously be the sheet but still, it doesn¡¯t mean that they slept together (As they could have just got their finger or something to bleed and never took any clothes off!) Hahaha, I wonder how many people want to know the real fact! Did they¡­Or didn¡¯t they!? And what about when she came back? Did they do it then? Hahaha¡­Yeah, this is fun, I¡¯m not going to tell! How I came across the title for the book: (This was written before chapter one) FOR THE TITLE: (Normally known as Aladdin) (Aladdin and the wonderful lamp) (Person and then the magic that fixes everything) Alison and the Scandal: A Prince¡¯s Wish Granted (?) Alison Alison: Her scandal, the Prince¡¯s Wish Granted. (?) < LIKE Diamond in the Rough (nailed it!) Anyway, tell me what you think of my ¡®Aladdin¡¯ type setting, in reverse, with no magic¡­