The prince was stunned for a fraction of a moment.
He didn’t think the slave would actually slap him after he had made it a point that she would die if she attempted to repeat what she did after the wedding. Hadn’t he said enough?
Did she need another reminder? Something worse than a hallucination to scare her – a broken bone perhaps?
Maybe what she needed was some physical reminder. Maybe he had been too nice to her. That was a mistake he couldn’t put the blame but on himself.
Nevertheless, aside from the initial shock that hit him, Aleksander felt attacked.
The physical hit wasn’t the problem. It had been her words that stabbed him where it hurt the most – his ego.
He created this image that made himself believe he was doing what he can do despite the obstacles. But he wasn’t doing anything. Instead, he was just waiting without effort.
He didn’t reach out to potential allies, locked himself up in the manor, wallowed in his desolate world and let himself be mocked just because he had no one he could count on to back him up.
’What did I ever do to change my fate?’ the prince suddenly found himself questioning his actions.
"Your highness?" Henry called out to the prince.
Aleksander’s face was blank – a void that was confused with everything that has ever happened in his life.
Elys took this rare chance to make her move. The prince’s walls were cracking, and it was the right time to strike when the iron was the hottest.
Her eyes scanned the room, and they landed on a sword hung on the wall.
"Is that sword decorative?" she asked Henry.
"Huh? Oh, that’s a real sword, Prince Aleksander is excellent with all types of blades, specifically that kind," the attendant absentmindedly answered, too focused on the prince who was still motionless.
Elys signaled Cordelia, and the woman walked over to retrieve the sword from where it was displayed. She handed it over to the princess and she unsheathed it from its scabbard to find a fine blade.
"Step aside, Henry," Elys said with an authoritative tone.
The old man raised his head to see Elys with the sword and immediately shielded the prince from her.
"What are you going to do? Put that away! Hey - " Henry panicked but was cut short when he felt a sudden pull. He lost his footing, almost falling to the ground had not a strong hand held him upright.
Cordelia had grabbed the old man and caged him in her strong grip. "What the hell? Let me go slave! Know your place!" he demanded.
"Shut up or I’ll crush you with my bare hands," Cordelia threatened him, her brown eyes dead serious.
"Urk..." Henry gulped a lump that suddenly got stuck to his throat. His attention returned to the other slave with the sword in her hands, "What is she going to do?" came his scared question.
Elys walked closer to the prince, and Henry’s dread grew with each step she took.
Henry had served him since he was a child. He had somehow grown fond of the prince, like that of his own son. Despite the prince’s ill-temper, Aleksander was just someone that craved validation, a boy shunned by the people that should’ve taken care of him.
He couldn’t stand the thought that the prince would get stabbed by a slave.
"Prince Aleksander! Snap out of it," he called to his young master. "Don’t heed the slave’s foul opin - !"
"Shut it!" Cordelia clasped his mouth shut.
"!"
Henry swore if he would ever miraculously survive this, he would return to his training on self-defense and make Cordelia pay. His eyes focused on the unsheathed sword and his knees went weak; the look of the princess’ eyes reflected on the blade were merciless.
Elys raised the sword and swiftly brought it down. Henry closed his eyes, a tear beginning to pool at the corners.
SHHK!
’No,’ he begged silently.
DRIP DRIP DRIP
Blood dripped from the wound it had created, a tiny pool slowly coming together on the sleek floor, garments getting soaked red.
Elys looked at the prince with no remorse and smirked silently - she had said the right things at the right moment. It was a huge stepping stone in her plans.
The princess threw away the sword, a splash of blood splattering at the wall where the tip got stuck with a loud thwack.
She brought her hand over to touch the prince’s cold cheeks. Her eyes glinted, a sarcastic smile creeping in her lips and then she said, "Drink."
The attendant opened his eyes and was shocked to see the prince unscathed.
Elys held back a scoff she was supposed to give Henry. She didn’t have plans of killing the bastard prince just as what he had immediately assumed.
No, she wouldn’t do something as stupid as that now. Elys will use him to the fullest, take advantage of what little he had to wedge herself into the Western Kingdom’s society.
The ball invitation was addressed to the two of them, and she needed Aleksander alive for her to attend it without question.
As much as she wanted to kill him for being an enormous dick, she would rather wait patiently until he became worthless. Then and only then would she get rid of him.
"Blood," Aleksander muttered under his breath.
The prince took a whiff of fresh blood from where Elys’ self-inflicted wound had poured out. And just like magic, Aleksander was pulled back to reality. His mouth began to water for the thick red liquid of life.
"!" Elys held back a gasp as Aleksander reached out, his sharp nails digging deep in her arm.
"Drink, husband," she spoke between gritted teeth, "Talk when you are full and level headed."
Cordelia, deeming the situation had sufficiently deescalated, let go of Henry. The attendant gasped for air, taking in huge gulps of oxygen for his old lungs. Henry threw the woman an outraged side glance, to which Cordelia didn’t pay heed.
She was only doing what she thought was what the princess wanted her to do.