"Where did you get those from?" Aleksander pointed to her bleeding arms.
Elys was confused for a short while, but then realized Prince Aleksander meant the injuries she got from fighting with him earlier on. The princess held them out for him to see clearly.
"I got them from you," she spoke without remorse in her voice.
The bastard prince grimaced, "I attacked you while under my father’s spell, didn’t I?"
Princess Elys raised a brow at him, her voice sarcastic as she pointed out, "The audacity to even ask a question which the answer is self-explanatory."
"Well forgive me for being weak, I didn’t ask for my father to be stronger than I am," Aleksander snapped back.
The prince realized too late that he got mad at someone who did her best to help him. Even as he had been quite a jerk towards her up until now.
"Being weak can be cured," Elys retorted.
Elys then turned back to her search for Cordelia. She was beginning to worry for the woman’s safety. Even though she knew Cordelia was well and capable to survive on her own, Elys still worried – there was just so much that could happen.
"Wife," Aleksander called out to her.
Elys turned around and said, "What is it now? I already answered all of your questions. Well, the ones I am comfortable answering anyway."
The prince merely shook his head and then said, "No, I am not going to bug you with that now. I just want to say that I can help you find where Cordelia is. My senses have been well now from your earlier healing."
"Right," Elys replied, a bit skeptical with the prince’s change in attitude.
Disregarding the negativity in her response, the prince concentrated as he listened in for the entire palace’s activities.
Prince Aleksander closed his eyes, focusing hard as he tried to search with his ears where their servants have gone since he lost control of himself. He wanted to compensate from the things he had done wrong, and he wanted to start with the princess by helping her out.
It was a crazy turn-around for him, but Aleksander couldn’t help it. He was slowly being invested in her.
His ears twitched as he listened in all around the palace. The Eastern guards and the werewolves were finally rounding up the vampires that attacked their kingdom.
The prince was about to give up when Aleksander heard something familiar – the sound of Henry’s pocket watch.
The familiar ticking of the pocket watch’s hands was all too easy to pick out from the rest. Aleksander has heard of it since Henry came to serve him for the very first time. He was just a young boy back then, and up until now, Henry still used the same pocket watch.
Zoning in on the area where he heard its ticking, Aleksander was able to pinpoint their exact location. He also heard several other voices speaking, perhaps some of the citizens that were evacuated from the palace at the time of his attack.
The prince opened his eyes and saw Elys staring at him intently, her arms crossed over her chest.
"You found them yet?" she asked him.
"Yes," he replied, pointing back to the palace, "They are at the opposite side. It seems like they are with company too. They are discussing battle tactics, which is led by Cordelia."
Elys found herself smirking. Even with the face of danger, Cordelia still found the time to educate people about battle strategies.
But as soon as Aleksander told her where to find Cordelia, the princess did not waste time and immediately sprinted. She turned around and went back to the palace, Aleksander following her closely.
He noticed after she healed him, Elys’ hands trembled badly, her face stiff as cold sweat dropped from the side of her cheeks. Prince Aleksander noticed how she paused once in a while, quite unsure of where to go and was too prideful to ask him again where he had pointed at.
Aleksander reached out for Elys’ hand. As soon as his cold skin touched her, the prince winced at the burning sensation that traveled to his palm. But disregarding the intense heat, Prince Aleksander pulled Elys back and just offered to go first.
"Let me lead, it would be a lot faster since I could locate them even when I am blind," Prince Aleksander said.
Elys who was too tired to even argue with him decided to let him be with his decisions. She followed him around as they sneaked inside the palace, avoiding Eastern citizens knowing the fact he had killed a few of them as well as their beloved animal companions.
When they came into what looked like another open space where several people were gathered, Aleksander quickly hid and told Elys, "That is where they are. Just past that door, a conversation is ongoing."
Elys nodded in acknowledgement, and then opened the door just a crack to peer in. Just in case Aleksander had been wrong, she wouldn’t have to enter fully.
The princess scanned the room. She noticed how there were several palace staff that gathered inside the said walls.
’This must be where they brought the evacuees,’ she told herself.
She hasn’t seen Noa ever since she told him to go and help the Eastern citizens. She wondered if these people were saved because of him.
From the corner of her eyes, Elys suddenly caught sight of Cordelia with Henry in tow. They were thankfully walking towards the door, and when they opened it, Elys stood a few steps away with a slight grin on her face.
"Your highness!" Cordelia yelled in surprise. "Thank goodness you are safe! Forgive us, we were forced to flee and fight the vampire knights that turned on us – those pricks surely got what they deserved."
"Where is the prince?" Henry asked.
Elys beckoned for them to turn around the corner where Aleksander was hiding. Henry was thrilled to see him again, but for the sake of his safety, they kept quite and searched for a safer place to gather and speak without interference.
As they sat down after blocking the door, Henry turned around and asked, "What now?"
The prince and princess looked at each other.
Things were going to be a lot difficult now for them to leave.