Chapter 23: Fight

They dropped their utensils.

I closed my eyes. I knew it. They're mad at the West King – I thought. But, I was shocked when they all suddenly cheered.

"Daughter!" my father cried. "I'm so glad you reconsidered it!" he said, happy.

"Huh?" I said, confused. "I thought you're mad at the West King - ?" I asked.

He frowned. "Well, I'm mad. But the prince has nothing to do with this." He explained.

I smiled. "Thanks, father." I said.

My mom sniffed. "Yelena…" she said, wiping her tears. "I'm so glad – " she said. "Either Vincent or Vice would do – " she told me.

I dropped my utensils.

"Yelena?" she called when she noticed my odd behavior. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Ah – ahahaha…" I said, laughed awkwardly. What was that? I thought, then picked up my utensils again. "N – nothing…" I said.

They smiled and we continued to eat. Vice… I thought. I nearly choked. Where are you now?

…

"Where could she have gone?" I muttered as we walked to the forest.

"What was it, Your Highness?" Emil asked as he followed behind me.

I shook my head. "Nothing." I said, then stopped. I looked back at them. "You can leave me now here." I told him.

"Huh?! But Your Highness – " Emil protested.

I sighed.

"Let's leave." Oril told Emil.

"Huh?!" Emil was shocked at Oril's response.

Oril sighed, then grabbed Emil's shoulder and pulled him back. "Let's go now. The princess would be fine in that forest." he said to Emil.

"Huh?! Wait… Your Highness - !" Emil cried, but Oril is stronger than him.

They're gone. I sighed and went inside the barrier. "Sure his lair is wide." I muttered as I walked, then sighed. "Where are you, Vice?" I muttered.

…

"Yelena?!" Rio exclaimed, shocked. "Wha – what are you doing here?!" she asked, surprised with my sudden appearance.

My forehead knotted. "What am I … this is part of our kingdom. I have the right to go here." I said.

"Ha – hahaha…" she laughed awkwardly.

My eyes narrowed. "Why? Are you hiding something that you don't want me to see?" I asked.

She gasped, her glow went orange. Indicating she's lying. I looked at her suspiciously.

"N – no! you've got it wrong!" she said, shaking her head and hands. "I, uh – "

"Rio, what's the commotion abou … t." she dropped the fire wood she's carrying.

My mouth fell open, then looked at Rio, frowning.

"Geez." Rio said, covering her mouth and flew away before she disappeared.

"Hey!" I called, but she's gone. I looked at Vice, who's shocked as I am.

"Ye… Yelena… why are you here - ?" she asked.

"This is part of my kingdom." I said.

Her mouth fell open. "A… hahaha… yeah. Right. This is your kingdom." she said.

Silence passed.

"Vice – "

"Yelena – "

"Ah." We both muttered. We looked at each other, then looked away.

I sighed. "So this is where you hid?" I asked, not looking at her. She didn't answer. I sighed. "Vice – "

"So you're reconsidering the marriage to that prince?" she asked.

I didn't answer. Silence passed.

I sighed. "Yes." I said.

Silence passed once again.

"I told you that my memories came back." I said. "I'm … really a … princess." I lowered my head. "But I am glad I finally came home." I smiled.

"You're not planning on going back to that world?" she asked.

"That…" I said. "I also plan to." I answered. "If I found the way to go back there, and after I resolved this mess." I explained.

"So you're still going back, either way." she said. "What about your family here? And the prince you'll marry?" she asked.

"I'm going to leave the kingdom to them." I answered. "I'm… my heart's already in the other world. I'm just fulfilling my duty here." I said.

"So you're still going to leave…" she muttered.

I looked at her. I can't see her face since she has her back on me.

"Why are you looking for me, anyway?" she asked.

"I – " I stopped. Why am I looking for her? I thought. I looked at her back. I felt my heart being crushed. Why? Why is my heart breaking just by looking at her back? I thought. "I, uh…" I stammered. "You're my friend." I said. "It's just natural to look for your friend – "

"I didn't say I accepted your friendship." she said.

I looked at him. She took a deep breath, then turned to me. My eyes went wide when I saw his face, full of tears.

"Yelena. I don't want to be your friend." She told me.

My eyes went wide. "Why – " I said, then my eyes narrowed. "Does this have something to do with Rio?" I asked, then scoffed. "Guess I don't need to ask." I said, my voice full of anger. "You even went out of your way just to hide from me. I don't need to guess how much you don't want to be with me." I said.

"Yelena, I don't – " Vice tried to explain.

"You're so nice putting all the blame to me of deceiving others." I said, stepping towards her. "Tell me. You hate me that much? You hate me, right?" I asked.

"N-no, Yelena – " she said, stepping back.

"You're the one deceiving me from the start." I said. "You help me, when in fact you actually hate me. Won't you tell me why?" I asked. "Won't you tell me why you hate me – " I said. "Vice?"

Shit! I'm so mad right now, I don't know why! I thought and pushed her. Is it because she hid from me? Is it because she doesn't want to see me? Or she hid in Rio's lair, out of all places? That I wouldn't have found him if I haven't gone to Rio? Or that Rio's hiding her from me? I thought.

Vice's tears fell.

Argh, shit! I don't want to do this! I don't want her to hate me – I stopped. No. She already hates me. That's why she doesn't want to be my friend, right? I thought, then bitterly smiled as I raised my hand.

Her beautiful face is stained with crystalline tears that streams down her cheeks. Her face is flushed from crying. "Yelena…" she called.

I ignored her and turned my back to her. I saw the fire woods that fell on the ground after I pushed her. I kicked the fire woods in anger.