Chapter 43

Their recovery didn't last long at all as the strange dusty place they had teleported to suddenly started to shake. The wood screws screeched and crackles throughout the flooring and walls were heard. And then a loud bang as the wall beside them broke open to reveal the man.

"Thought you could run? From me! Ha!" He laughed, just then while concentrating her mana sensors Alexis saw the blast of mana he released coming towards her. She only knew how to heal and feel mana, not manifest it, but she did know one thing.

Apologising to Hector, she released the dark mist which didn't at all stop the mana surging towards her, understanding that it wouldn't she pushed it as fast as she could towards the unnamed boy. It wrapped around him, covering every part of his body.

"Stop right now!" She said and heard a voice that seemed to be muffled by the darkness.

"Sleep! Go to sleep!" She tried hoping it would work as Hector said it could, she received no answer and carefully, carefully, released him from the darkness.

It doing so she realised two things, one: none of his mana currently surrounded them and two: he was fast asleep.

Alexis gasped in relief, her body drained as she dragged her shaky legs to an embrace she really needed. An embrace she really wanted at that moment.

She reached for Alastair like he was a healing cushion and slumped against him. She felt his shaky hands gently pat her head and grasped onto him tighter.

"Alexis. Alexis you did good. Very good. But never ever do that again. That type of magic has no place in this empire", he spoke sternly despite the situation and Alexis nodded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't have anything else to use", she felt depressed at her words.

It was college all over again. And just like before, she was completely useless.

If this was a test, then she had failed her first semester.

"Your majesty!" Damien Cordonia, one of the five knights rushed in looking fraught.

"I'm fine". Alastair, who still couldn't stand from his earlier mana exhaustion, spoke. He didn't look fine at all, in fact, he looked worse than Alexis.

Damien walked to the sleeping boy carefully, checking his pulse and then swiftly wrapping him in some strand sort of glowing rope he had pulled out of nowhere.

"That should keep him from using any mana", he muttered as Alexis watched him carefully flipping the boy over his shoulder, she felt Alastair stare on her face and turned to him.

He furrowed his brows at her.

"Stop staring at Damien like that".

"Like what?" She tilted her head, distracted from her pain.

"Like he looks interesting. He isn't. In fact the only person you should be looking in interest at is me", he spoke so confidently, Alexis forgot the whole ordeal they went through and laughed, then quickly winced at the throb in her stomach.

"Oh no, is Alastair's pride hurt?" She teased and received a playful glare.

"Be careful now Plebeian", Amidst their unconscious flirting they didn't notice the bewildered soldiers that stared at the notoriously evil emperor.

'This guy is that emperor?... there's no way'

He looked to be in pain and still spoke gently. At that moment they all recognised the falsehood of those rumours and decided to dedicate their lives to this new emperor.

Soon the man who was later identified as Adam Wolfe was locked up in the main palaces dungeon. At some point on the ride back he woke up and caused such a loud ruckus that Alexis who slept against the cushioned seats of their separate carriage, a hundred metres in front of the prison carriage, woke up startled and Alastair who also seemed to have shut his eyes in exhaustion felt a throbbing headache.

Sooner, rather than later, he was locked in one of deep champers, well below sea level, of the dungeons. Alastair had felt pity for any prisoner who had to endure his awful screeches and so he ordered such.

The Emperor had then quickly retired to bed, with Agathus encouraging him like a mother hen and Alexis staring at him in guilt. She wasn't over what Adam had said. It was completely true.

She was useless. Unworthy. She could heal, and did herself but it did nothing to help Alastair who had mana exhaustion.

She had originally detested Emilia's arrival but now she wished it were sooner.

When she arrived in her room to see an unexpected guest she wasn't amused, especially when he was in her bathtub enjoying her small luxuries extensively. He didn't cover himself with the curtain and just smiled at her appearance, waving a hand at her and shamelessly speaking.

"Miss Mage, I thought you'd be a bit longer if I were completely honest", she didn't reply to him and just lay on her bed, depressed.

He carried on speaking.

"Rumour goes that you got attacked and just barely managed to save yourself, and by that Wolfe too. He must've really given you a good beating", he paused to see her reaction and when she didn't react he irritatedly stood up and threw on a robe.

Alexis thankfully paid him no mind and didn't notice his approach.

"I told you. I warned you. And I can't receive even a measly thanks? What a shame", he clicked tongue and sat without a care on her bed, moving his hand which he intended to pat her head except it was slapped away by her. "My offer is still open Alexis, join me. I have much more power than brother and I could easily make such events a death sentence for all who take part. No one will harm you. My brother wouldn't care at all. Whether you die or anyone one of his subjects do". It was only then did he receive a reaction.

"Take that back". She glared at him.

Dwayne felt surprise at her unexpected reaction.

"You know it's true".

"It's not! You piece of-" she bit her lip at the spurge of insults that might leave her mouth and then naturally followed by her head rolling on the carpet floor.

"Piece of what?"

"Of- of- ", she sighed, unwillingly releasing her anger, "princely wonder".

'What the hell even is that?' She frowned at the smile she received.

"I had no idea you thought such about me".

'Die you scumbag!'

A sudden thought intruded her mind as she recalled all the insult she had said to Alastair, yet he never threatened her like this scumbag prince does.

'At least not sincerely' she hoped.

She frowned at his generous behaviour to her utterly useless self. And thus followed another series of self-loathing.

"So what do you say Alexis?, join me or continue to await your death".