Challenge

"Stop, I missed you a lot," he said, and I recognized the prince's voice. "What was he doing in my room? And missed me?" I quickly organized my thoughts and asked him to let me go.

He hugged me tighter. "Don't be so cruel to me, Nia."

I stopped resisting and let him hug me. His body felt soft and warm, and his scent was intoxicating. But then his hands started wandering, and I pushed him away in annoyance.

"Your Highness, please respect yourself," I said firmly. This time, he let go and told me to call him by his name.

"My name is Jesse. Don't call me 'my prince' or 'Your Highness.' Please, don't make us sound so distant, Nia."

As he let go, I moved away from him. "Your Highness is Your Highness, and I'm not Nia. My name is Bella, and I refuse to call my prince by his name," I replied, fuming inside.

He stared at me silently, then turned to leave. Before closing the door, he said, "I don't know why you're here, pretending to be what you're not, but I'll make you admit it." Then he closed the door.

I collapsed on my bed, tears streaming down my face. "Where were you when everything happened? Why are you acting like you don't know anything?"

The Prince's POV:

Leaving the room in anger, I called for my head guard, Joel.

"So how's the investigation going? Tell me everything you've gathered so far," I demanded.

"We're still investigating what happened years ago. A lot of key information has disappeared, but it appears her entire family didn't die in an accident; they were actually killed," Joel reported.

"What! What do you mean they were killed? No, there's no way."

"It could be the king who ordered their deaths," Joel continued.

"Why would my dad try to kill them? They were friends. We were friends."

Joel bowed. "We're still looking for more details, but this is what we've found so far."

"Alright then, you may go," I said.

As Joel left, I fell into deep thought. "Could she be here for revenge? If it was really the king, but why? There was nothing the king could have gained from it."

I woke up trying to put the events of the previous day behind me and prepared for the training session. When I arrived at the training grounds, I was surprised to find the prince absent. By this time, he usually would have shown up, but I pushed it out of my mind and focused on training. My days followed the same routine: waking up, training, and going to bed. Although I was relieved he had stopped bothering me, I couldn't shake this empty feeling inside.

This routine continued until one day, Joel came to get me and led me to the prince's chambers. I was very nervous but tried to stay calm. When we arrived, he told me to go inside and closed the door behind me. "It's been a while," the prince said, smiling at me.

He gestured for me to sit on the bed, and I complied. The room was eerily silent; neither of us spoke.

He then asked me where did you get that scar from?

I replied shakily, My prince, I got it while training at the academy. Why do you ask?

He responded, You got them when I mistakenly injured you, Nia. I can never forget them. Don't think your disguise can fool me. I know you very well.

I couldn't find my voice. Did he really know it was me? What would he do? Did he know his father was responsible for all my suffering these years? So many thoughts raced through my mind.

He then said, "Nia, my father didn't kill your family."

I stood up and shouted, "No, you're lying to me! He definitely did. I didn't just jump to conclusions—I did my own investigations and found out he ordered those men."

"Nia, listen to me. I don't have proof now, but it definitely wasn't my dad. I don't know who made it seem like it was him or what their motive was, but it really wasn't him."

I looked at him in utter disbelief. "Is that what you've made up to prove your dad is innocent?"

He grabbed me and pulled me into his arms, saying dangerously, "Don't do anything stupid, Nia. Just try to trust me."

I struggled to break free, but he was too strong. After a while, he let me go.

"You're dismissed," he said. I quickly kept everything I wanted to say to myself and left awkwardly.

Back in my room, I sat down on the bed and said, "No way. He's definitely lying to me. Now that he knows, I must move faster." Next week is the banquet of all officials. As long as I can be selected as a vice elite guard before then, I will be able to follow the prince inside the banquet. I took out a pack of drugs in a powder-like substance. As long as I'm able to put this into his wine, I will be able to end him and this blood feud between our families.

The next day, I made my move and challenged Ken, the current vice elite guard. Everyone was surprised and laughed at me. Even Ken didn't take me seriously.

I heard one of the guards say, "She just started less than a month ago, and now she's trying to defeat our vice guard of two years? She must really think she's something." I ignored their ridicule; what mattered most to me was winning.

I said to Ken, "Why won't you take on the challenge?"