A Hard Goodbye

Prince Liam, Elan, and I successfully made it out of the Earl's Manor just in time before the guards woke up. We traveled far into the forest without knowing where to go. The path through which we were dragged to the Manor looked entirely different that night. Soon we made it farther away from the Manor and got to a cave.

"I think we should stay here the night. We'll find our way back home at dawn." Liam said to Elan as he dismounted his horse and carried me on his shoulders.

"Do you think it's safe here? It's a cave and a lot of creatures live in caves." Elan said.

"Come on Elan, don't you believe in your prince? Don't be scared. No creature is ever going to hurt us." Liam reassured Elan.

Liam carried me into the cave along with Elan and we settled deep into the cave, put on a fire, and sat around it. Liam tried to heal me with his powers but it didn't work easily as it used to. He put in a lot of energy before Elan stopped him.

"Liam stop, you need to save all your strength." Elan said.

"But she needs all the strength she can get Elan. My wife is dying and I may not even be able to help her? Why is this happening." Liam lamented in frustration.

"She'll be fine. Princess Nardin is stronger than we all think she is. Give her a little time and she'll be fine." Elan reassured Liam. "And I think she should be like this till we get to Akalon. Remember, She's not with us now and if she awakes, traveling with her might be impossible." He added.

Liam nodded affirmatively.

"My Prince, what happened? You looked like death a moment ago. I thought I'd finally lost you but here you are. What happened?" Elan asked.

"A woman appeared to me. She introduced herself as my mother's enemy." Liam said.

"Enemy. But she helped you?"

"Yeah, I'll find out why."

"You know, I think she was the one who told me you wanted to meet me at the back gate. For some reason, I believed her, even though I didn't know who she was." Elan responded.

"She also called me the son of the devil." Liam said and sighed. "Do you think she did this to Nardin?"

"Princess Nardin might just be asleep. Maybe her sleeping spell affected her. Did she tell you how she became enemies with Queen Charlotte?"

"No. She only said she was once a goddess but Charlotte took it away from her. Don't worry my mother has a story to tell." Liam said

Soon Liam and Elan also slept off. Just a few hours after we did, there were footsteps in the cave.

"Liam, did you hear that?" Elan whispered.

"Shh. Stay here, I'll see what that is." Liam responded in a whisper.

Liam sneaked around the cave to see what was going on and quickly ran into a guard from Earl Nero's Manor. They started to fight and as soon as Elan heard the clanging and clinking of sword, he lifted me to his shoulder and put off the light then made his way out through the back entrance of the cave, with me hanging effortlessly on his shoulder.

After Liam successfully took down the guard, he met us behind the cave, Elan already tied me to a horse and had his sword ready to defend me from an oncoming enemy.

"Quickly, get on the horse we have to go." Liam said to Elan.

Liam got on the horse I was tied on while Elan got on the empty horse and our horse spurred into the forest but the other guards followed us.

"How did they find us?" Elan asked.

That was when Liam remembered my amulet and when he looked, I still had it on my neck. He quickly pulled it off and threw it out. Meanwhile, the guards were almost upon us.

"Elan, take Nardin back to Akalon and make sure you protect her with your life. These men won't back down until they get us." Liam said.

"What are you saying?" Elan asked.

"Someone has to stop them." Liam replied.

"You're losing your powers Liam, you are no longer that devil who defeated a thousand soldiers in a battle alone."

"I'll use what's left off my powers to hold them back."

"I'll be a fool to let you do that. I'm just a guard, but you are a future king. You have a higher calling than I do your highness. Please, Princess Nardin will never forgive you if she wakes up to realize you left her but me, no one would even know I'm gone. Let me fulfill my oat your highness please." Elan said.

Prince Liam wanted to retort but he already had me in his arms and Elan did not even give him a chance to speak, he started to gallop back towards the oncoming guards. Liam was left with no choice but to run to save my life. That was the weakest choice he ever made. Prince Liam Eldrago never ran away from danger but now he did and he will never forgive himself for being such a coward.

We traveled back home to Akalon and Queen Charlotte and Zed received us with open arms and then started to treat me.

In Earl Nero Markz's Manor, he was so furious when he realized we had escaped and Maya was going to pay for it.

"Noone has ever escaped my dungeons, and especially not a one that was scourged brutally. Two hundred strokes using a metal whip could have easily killed a man." Lord Nero said, laying emphasis on the Two Hundred. He shot an accusing gaze at Maya and she quickly realized it.

"What's that look for? I wasn't the one who lost a prisoner who had taken me over a year to capture, was I?" She said in defense.

"What are you saying? I didn't say anything to you." Lord Nero said.

"Your word says it all. You think I have a hand in this?"

"I caught your sister, Nardin trying to help her devil husband escape the dungeons, are you swearing that you had no hand in it?" Nero asked fixing his gaze on Maya.

"I did everything you ever asked me to. I risked my sister's life because of you, I was a loyal servant to you, and you actually think, I have a hand in all this?" Maya said angrily then but her lips and continued, with her eyes darting in rage "You know what? I wish Nardin is safe. And I wish I had a hand in this. I would never have betrayed my sister just to get some stupid freedom."

"You have no freedom Maya, Very soon, you'll meet your fate just like your sister Gwen." Lord Nero said, smiling mischievously.

"What did I hear you say now?" Maya asked calmly but her anger was boiling up inside.

"Don't worry. I killed Gwen swiftly. Way better than scourging Liam, eh."

Maya could feel a surge of anger exploding and soon she had Lord Nero pinned to the wall with her eyes darting outrageously. She looked like a vampire that was about the drain up the blood of its prey.

"Guards...!" Lord Nero shouted but was only greeted by the red-hair lady we met earlier.

"What is this?" She asked fiercely.

"Save your Earl, Machi." Nero said, struggling to get out of Maya's grip but it was too tight for him to make an escape.

"My Earl?" Machi asked and scoffed. "I've been nothing but your little slut, your bed warmer." She said, then stepped close to Maya. "You're wasting so much time." She said and quickly stabbed lord Nero with her blade.

Just then another gigantic guard entered the castle.

"Announce to the people, that they have a new master." Machi said.

"Yes, my lady." He bowed and left.

"Have you..." Maya started but got interrupted by Machi.

"No, he pushed me. He swore on his life that I'll be by his side till death do us part. He crossed his heart on that promise but broke it last night, and now he has to pay for it.

LAST NIGHT

After Machi and Lord Nero slept together, they were lying side by side sweating.

"So, tomorrow you shall proclaim me your wife." Machi said smiling.

Lord Nero chuckled. "The time has not come yet." He replied.

"But you promised it'd be the day you'll finally get justice for Nina. How is the time not right? You'll kill Liam tomorrow." Machi said.

"Listen, girl." Nero started and took Machi's hand off his body. "An Earl is expected to present a worthy bride. I'm a man and you are a woman, we have urges and satisfy each other but that doesn't make you worthy to become my wife." Nero said nonchalantly.

"You crossed your heart. It's me or death, Nero."

"I'm your Lord, and you'll address me like one. Now, pick up your clothes and leave my room."

PRESENT

"Leave and never return, Maya." Machi said and without a word, Maya left.