The Princess With A Pure Heart

When Elaine Vernimiere quietly met the gaze of the ever-playful Crown Prince, the fact that he wasn't supposed to be here dawned on her.

He was supposed to be at the palace but... he managed to leave without her knowing?

Ensuring his safety during his stay here and escorting him whenever he go was the task of the Royal Guards!

"How did you leave the palace, Your Highness?" she asked, ignoring whatever he said before. "Did Vice-Captain Lucian know about this?"

Helias Casteveron simply shook his head. "I come out with Evan. You know him."

"What if -"

"You don't have to worry, Captain Elaine," the Eslore Crown Prince interjected. "Unlike the Duke who came before I do, I'm capable of keeping myself safe. Besides, I don't want to be placed under strict security all the time. That's not me."

Elaine Vernimiere stood still at her place, struggling for words to say. Her failure was mentioned once again and for someone like her who devoted herself to her duty, it was always hard to accept failures.

Like always, Cayden Avary saw through her and he quickly chimed in.

"Let's have a seat first." He looked at his younger cousin and added, "You shouldn't stand for too long."

Shifting her gaze to her cousin, Elaine Vernimiere nodded and they all took a seat. Elaine sat next to the General who often glanced down at her leg.

It's still serious but she acted as if it was fine now. She never listened.

"Did you meet with Crown Prince Helias before you escort him to the palace?" Cayden Avary finally asked Elaine as curiosity took the best of him. If it was just the escorting, he didn't think they will talk to each other like that.

Elaine Vernimiere briefly glanced at Helias Casteveron, only to be annoyed by that same mirth in his eyes. Without even thinking much, she replied, "He is that so-called hunter who shot at me and caused all these wounds."

Cayden Avary practically blinked when he heard Elaine. Then he shifted his gaze to the Eslore Crown Prince. "What's the meaning of this, Helias?"

Helias? Was her cousin close to the Crown Prince?!

"It's an accident," Helias Casteveron quickly clarified. "It was still dark and I don't know that there will be another person in a forest at that time."

The General frowned at his response. "I'm not that happy with it. We will have to sort this out later."

Helias Casteveron let out a chuckle. "Just go easy on me. If I had known that she is the cousin you often talked about, I will surely be good to her."

"So... are you saying that apart from shooting an arrow at her and making her roll down the slope, you still treat her badly?"

This time, Crown Prince Helias blinked. He quickly shifted his gaze to Elaine who didn't even seem like she was listening to them. Then he inwardly sighed and turned his attention back to the General whom he considered as a friend. "It's not like that. You know... she has quite a temper and... "

His voice trailed off when he heard the laughter of General Cayden Avary. Then he watched as the General turned to his cousin. "I know it. She never let anyone off the hook easily," he remarked with a wide smile as if he was feeling proud of her.

For what?!

Shaking his head, Helias Casteveron sighed. They took after each other so much!

"It's unfair, Cayden," Helias pointed out. "At the forest yesterday, I was the one having a harder time. I apologized to your cousin but she yelled at me and even threatened to kill me. Do you even know how hard I tried so that she could calm down?"

"Maybe you deserve it," Cayden Avary simply remarked with a smile, making Helias sigh even deeper.

"Cousin over friend... I will surely remember this," he said yet there was an amusing smile on his lips.

Maybe because the daring Captain was unusually quiet since she realized his identity. He still had a few days here and... it will be fun to see how long she would be able to hold out.

He wished to see that daring side of her again. It's priceless.

* * *

Eslore

It was still early in the morning but Princess Vivien Casteveron was excitedly getting dressed up for the day.

As a royal, she grew up under strict rules and protection in the palace. So, she rarely got a chance to explore outside the palace walls no matter how much much she enjoyed doing it.

As a lively and free-spirited person, being a royal didn't suit her that much. Besides, she was really bored of being stuck in the palace all day.

At 18, Princess Vivien was known as a problematic Princess but her beauty was also what made her stand out. With long shining golden hair and sapphire blue eyes, she was regarded as one of the most beautiful ladies at Eslore. She wasn't that tall compared to other ladies of her age but she was always full of energy.

Known as someone with a pure heart, there was always a smile on her face and she easily get along with almost everyone.

The Eslore Princess quickly finished getting dressed for the day with the help of her personal maid, Jocea. Then with an exciting smile on her face, she opened the door, not even waiting for the servants to do it for her. However, she abruptly halted when her gaze landed on the man standing before the door.

It was Nicolin with the same calm face that was devoid of any expression. At the sight of the Princess, he bowed.

Vivien Casteveron gave a side glance to Jocea who quickly walked closer to her. Leaning closer to the maid's ear, the Princess whispered, "What is this woodblock doing here?"

Jocea shook her head and Princess Vivien sighed. "Why are you standing here?" she asked Nicolin as she shifted her gaze back to him.

"His Majesty told me to escort you on your today's activity. Are you ready to leave now, Your Highness?"

"Urien and the other guards can escort me like they always did," Vivien Casteveron argued.

Though she can easily get along with almost everyone, the man standing before her was an exception. Maybe because of the calm and expressionless demeanor which he always carried himself; she even dreaded him at times!