"Maybe, not so quick," Maxi said, barely seconds after she exited Aldric’s room, only to return with a we-have-a-little-problem look on her face.
"What is it?" Issac asked, concerned, having thrown Aldric over his shoulder, ready to depart the room.
"We have a patrol team heading our way. The noise of the fight might have attracted attention, or Aldric, the sneaky bastard, might have sent out a secret alert. I wouldn’t put it past him," she said.
"Oh shit," Issac’s eyes widened, especially when he picked up the sound of footsteps heading their way.
"Put him to bed. Be on alert. I’ll handle this," Maxi instructed, putting on a brave look.
Issac quickly placed Aldric on the bed and then moved to a hidden position, ready to spring into action if needed.
Maxi took a deep breath, steeling herself for the confrontation. The footsteps grew louder, and moments later, a knock sounded on the door. She waited a moment before heading over to open it, finding a group of guards standing at the doorway.
Maxi stepped forward wearing Elena’s face, her expression stern and authoritative. "How may I help you? Prince Aldric and I don’t remember calling for security backup. Do tell, is anything the problem?"
The guards looked toward the lead guard, who wore an expressionless face. "Excuse me, Lady Elena, but I may need to see the high lord for a moment."
He took a step forward as if to enter the room, but Maxi blocked the entrance with her body. "I’m afraid Prince Aldric and I are busy with some conversations and do not want to be interrupted."
"It would only be a moment," the guard said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Maxi said to him calmly but firmly, "Perhaps if you would tell me the reason for the sudden visit, I would relay the message to him. After all, we all know Prince Aldric doesn’t like to be interrupted." She hinted at his scary reputation.
"I just want to check up on the high lord. If he intends to punish me for doing my job, then so be it." He had no intention of leaving anytime soon.
Maxi could have refused him entrance, but the guard was beginning to get skeptical, especially with the way he seemed to flicker all around, as if searching for something weird.
"Fine, you can come in, but on one condition," Maxi told him.
The lead guard raised a brow, eager to know her condition. "What is it, Lady Elena?"
"You will be the only one entering this room. After the human Islinda’s betrayal, your high lord Aldric has been in a volatile mood, and I don’t think he’d appreciate all of you filling his space and setting him off. So what do you say to that?"
The lead guard hesitated, looking at Maxi and then back at his team. "Alright, I’ll go in with you."
"Good." Maxi smiled at him.
One of the team members said to him, "We’ll be just outside if you need us."
"Alright," the lead guard said, his eyes communicating secretly with the rest of his team members.
It was clear to Maxi that the guards knew something was up, and her best bet was that they heard the commotion during her fight with Aldric and had come to check up on him.
"Lead the way," the guard said.
Smart Fae, Maxi thought as she led the way into Aldric’s quarters. She could have easily taken him out if he had his back to her.
Maxi could feel his gaze searching around the environment, taking in the mess in the room.
"What happened here?"
"Your high lord went crazy," Maxi answered, twisting the truth. Their high lord went gaga fighting her.
"How? What do you mean?" he inquired further.
Maxi stopped at once and gave him a stern look, "Do you want to see your high lord or not?"
It was obvious that the guard had a lot to say, but he saw the fierce intensity in her gaze and knew that she was in no mood for more questioning.
"Let’s go," he said.
As they continued their walk to Aldric’s bedroom, the guard followed along, his suspicion growing. If Maxi was going to act, she needed to act fast.
They came into the room where Aldric lay, and the guard rushed over to his side and checked his pulse.
"He’s resting," Maxi explained to him, wrapping her arm across her chest. "I told you, he had a tough day."
"And what about you?" the guard fired back, "Didn’t you have a tough day? Are you even supposed to be here with him all alone? You are a Summer Fae, after all."
At once, Maxi straightened up, trying her best to put on the haughty air Elena exuded. "Excuse me, but why do I feel like you’re suspecting me of something I have no idea of?"
"Really? Are you really innocent?" The lead guard said, and without warning, hurled an attack at the corner of the room where Issac had hidden, exposing his location. Issac barely escaped, missing the attack by mere inches.
The guard got distracted by the move, and before he could recall Maxi was by his side, she had already grabbed his face and looked into his eyes, intruding into his mind.
"You will leave this room this instant and communicate to the others that there is nothing wrong and Prince Aldric is deep asleep."
At first, the Fae resisted, his mind was strong, but Maxi was determined, and in no time, he succumbed to her manipulation.
The guard turned on his heel and began to head out of the room while Maxi coolly followed after him, but not without exchanging looks with Issac. He was okay.
"The prince is fine. We should leave," the lead guard said to the others, who couldn’t refute the orders.
They turned to leave just as a familiar voice said from behind them, and everyone turned only for a shocked gasp to leave their lips because standing right there was another Elena. There were two Lady Elena.