8 : THE HAPPENING

CHAPTER 8

NEOLA

"Your grace, you can't just ask a stranger to marry you just like that!" I stared at him as I tried to appear taller than usual on the chair I was sitting on.

"Well, you are not a stranger to me anymore," his voice slither down the nape of my neck as he whispered on my ear. "Oh really?" I push his head off and he let out a sigh.

"It was true, love , you weren't a stranger to me anymore...in fact, you remind me of someone I really knew. Someone that I have known from the past," His fingers paused beneath my elbow before he draw them back to himself to thread them on his hair.

I gulped. Is it possible that he finally figure that I am who I think he knew I am? The Neola West that he hated because I can't be with him which is also the reason why he left me in the first place?

"You know what? Forget it." I snap out of my trance as I hear the irritation on his voice. I watch him walk back to his seat and lean on his table. "Gran-I mean the King, wanted me to marry you soon to secure the royalty but because of the reason that you refuse my proposal then I concluded that I should just let you go..." His words cut through my heart but a part of me felt relieved. Not because I would be able to live as Neola again but because I'll be able to ditch the responsibility.

I started to back away from him and to the direction of the door when I realise that he was already beside me and is already holding my right hand. "Not so fast, love. I need you to take this off..." He pointed at my ring finger and I just sigh.

I started tugging at the ring but to no avail, it still wouldn't budge. Seeing my struggle with the damn thing, Luke moved closer and tug at it gently at first but soon, both of our hands are struggling to pull the ring off my finger.

"Bloody hell! What did you do to make it stick so bloody tight? Did you ate so many?" His voice is tinted with irritation and concern as he stared at my finger which is already turning pink.

"I didn't, I swear. I have tried to take it off for a couple of times but it just wouldn't budge of my finger!" I snap at him with my lips curled, my frown deepening as I concentrated on removing the damned thing off.

I stole a glance at him and almost pull his hair off as I saw him fiddling with his phone. Soon enough, he showed me the screen only for it to project an image that look like a store. "This is five blocks away from here. We could walk from here to there in less than ten minutes and get that thing off. I'm pretty sure that they've handled things like this." He muttered more to himself that it appears that he is only assuring himself the solutions of taking the ring off my finger and not me. "Argus shan't know about this. We'll do this secretly. I don't want my grandfather knowing about this for he'd surely wring my head."

He push the door open and we both went out of the mansion. He gave me a hat and a scarf to cover half of my face as he wore his pair of sunglasses. "Don't look up. Some media men and paparazzi's are spying everywhere specially now that they know my fiancée is with me. Just bow your head, and follow me." He whispered on my ear which cause shivers to run down my spine.

Without anymore complaints, I skip the puddles and follow him like a lost puppy. It was true that it only did took us about seven minutes to reach the shop. A man not older than fifty is tinkling with some jewelry. I watch in amazement as he fiddle with an earring.

Luke cleared his throat which made the man stop what he was doing. He offered me a smile and a slight bow to Luke as he recognised his face. "What can I do for you, your majesty?" His voice slightly quivered as he look back at me and to Luke.

"Not for me. I need you to assist on taking off the ring on her finger." He pointed at me and shrugged. The man asked for me to show him the ring and I did not hesitated. The lights reflecting from the glass shone down on the diamonds of the ring making it glow. The man shook his head and look at me before looking at Luke. "This is the royal ring given by the king to his wife....I, I'm very honoured to have seen it in real life! I was only an apprentice then, it was so amazing to see it after all these years."

Luke just nodded at him, looking bored as he scratch the back of his head. "I've never had seen it like this. It was very--"

"I do not care on what you have seen or what you haven't. Just work on it already! You are wasting my precious time..." Luke snapped at him making the poor man tremble with fear as he poured a liquid on my finger. He pushed some kind of a wire between my finger and the ring. After a couple of minutes, the ring slipped off and twirled before it completely stopped.

Luke took some money from his jacket pocket before he wrapped the ring with his handkerchief. The poor man bowed his head and I watch Luke as he made his way out. Before he completely had gone out of the door, Luke turned around and said, "We don't have all the time in the world m'lady...we still have to break the engagement and I'll ask you to be the one who will assist me on looking for a bride."

And with that I find myself treading my way out of the shop and back to the mansion.

I guess I'm not as free as I thought I would be.

•

It was drizzling when we went out of the shop. I wanted to scold Luke for acting so rude awhile ago but I decided not to. Scolding him might give him some clue on who I really am. Based on the way he's acting before we even have our conversation awhile ago, I know that snapping at him won't do us any good.

Clamping my mouth shut, I was surprised when a man suddenly bump at Luke and soon enough, we are surrounded by three more men.

"Give it to us." The shaggy blond guy snapped at Luke and tried to slip his finger on Luke's pockets.

"What are you saying?"

"Don't act like a fool! We saw you." The man beside me shouted at Luke before he laugh.

"I'm sure we could make a deal out of this, mate. If only you could allow me to go back to the mansion..."

"Like I would be bloody manipulated by you stinky fuck! You ain't a bloody god to be heed upon." Spat by the pale man on my right.

They push their way nearer to us that it made me and Luke cornered. Luke stare at me and I look back, my eyes felt like they're pleading. Luke stared back at them before he slip his hand on his pocket.

"Fine, I will give it to you..." With one swift move I was shocked to hear a gunshot and another. I watch in amazement as two of the men who is cornering us, collapsed on the pavement. I was about to search the source of the gunshot when suddenly, a bullet slashed my arm and I scream in agony as I watch another man drop dead.

Finally knowing the source of the gunshot, I turn around expecting to see Luke just in time to see not him, but another man running towards me with a knife in his hand. I was frozen in place, my tears flowing down my cheeks as I closed my eyes. The impact didn't reach me but I felt something, or rather someone, slammed at me.

Luke and I fall down on the pavement before he turned around and shoot. He turn his head at me and smiled and I cried back in return. After a few minutes, I decided to try to sit up only to stop as I hear a groan from Luke.

"Oh my god!" I covered my mouth as Luke furrowed his brows, his shirt stained with his blood as he struggled to get the knife off the side of his stomach. "I'm fine..." His voice is weak as he whispered.

"No. Luke you are hurt and you are bleeding!" I help him sit up which made him cry out. "Help would come soon..." He blink before smiling at me.

"Don't you dare try to close your eyes, Luke!" I force the words out as my stomach churned on the sight of the blood. Gathering all the confidence I could get, I tried to find his phone. I push his thumb on the home button and it unlocked.

I hastily browse through his phone book and found Argus number. Stealing a glance from Luke, I was shocked to see his head tilted on the side, "oh no! Luke. Luke wake up." I slapped his cheek but he didn't reacted on it.

Still trying to wake him up and also dial Argus, I was thankful to finally see a tall armoured knight jogging his way to our direction.

"Do not worry ma'am. The prince will be fine. ."

And that is promise I'm really holding unto, I mean I cannot leave him in this condition. Even though I felt tempted to just get the hell out of here, I know I can't.

Staring back at the knight, I watch as he called for an ambulance. It was only about five minutes when the sirens blare near us.

Everything passed into a blur as I was asked who are the men that had attacked the prince. Several media men are taking pictures of me and I couldn't help but hide behind Argus as we tried to make our way towards the ambulance.

Once the door shut behind us, the tears flow down my cheeks that Argus pulled me in close and offered ne a handkerchief, "It's gonna be alright, ma'am"

I nodded at him and cried harder, "But there's so many blood lost. The king will be angered by this. This is all my fault. I should have agreed to be Luke's bride so he wouldn't need to get this thing off my finger!" I glared at the ring on my palm and wish I could throw it out the window of the ambulance.

"Shh, do not blame yourself. I, for one, is in very deep trouble. I had let the prince out of my sight. I should be very mindful of him specially now that he has you..." Argus confessed, bowing his head. "Your lives will be at stake the next few days because they know about the king's retirement and that the prince have finally found his bride."

"But we have broken it off. I--"

"You know that it is not that simple, dear."

"So I really can't escape this now?" Argus shook his head no before he transfer his gaze to look out. "There will be changes on your routine now for the sake of your safety. I believe that the princess--"

"Elle, you mean?" Argus nodded and continued, "She will be visiting the mansion soon. Your brother is part of this plan. We have talked things with your brother and he agreed that this will strengthen the ties between your family and the royals."

"Wait, you loss me here. How can my family be related to the royals?" Argus just sigh and opened the door out.

"I guess, it is not part of my job to discuss this serious matters with you. You have to ask your brother or the king about this, princess..."

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