ADELAIDE'S POV
"Why are we bringing the students of the special class to Ostria?" I asked Asha since I can't contain the curiosity any longer.
"Because the principal says so. I don't want to go against her orders like my sister and brother." Asha replied to my question. She seems to be having fun knowing there's feud between her siblings.
That's just how she entertained herself, with drama.
"Anyway, seems like the ride to Ostria's royal palace taking its sweet time. Where are we going? I noticed that you whispered to the driver before he drives." Oh, I forgot to mention something crucial.
"My parents had prepared us a more comfortable accommodation while you're here. Also, they just don't want to cause an uproar at the royal palace. Seeing these many guests in the palace will raise curiosity among our people." I look at the time before looking out the window.
"We're almost there." Asha too looks out the window and nod in agreement.
"Nice scenery. Hmmm ... a mansion in the middle of nowhere? Well, leave it to the royal family to do everything in discreet after all." Asha patted my shoulder. I sigh.
"Asha, what if they die in the war? My brothers went too far this time. And I never thought that my father would agree to it." I look down on my thigh, knowing that if one or both of them perish, it's all my fault.
When we arrived, we waited for the other cars that carried the students from the special class to be here before getting inside the old mansion.
"Anyway, where is Elra?" I asked.
"She's with our parents, Sasha and Durov. They're going to the palace for their briefing. Tomorrow, they will be joining the soldier at the frontlines." How can she be this calm knowing her siblings going to be in constant danger?
"Aren't you worried? Even a little?" Asha shakes her head no.
"Why should I be worried? I should be worried about the enemy soldier since they will be killed in such a cold-blooded murder. Look, Adelaide, Sasha is a trained assassin but she had her fair share of horror. She can handle herself in any situation, trust me. For Durov, he's been trained by the best while he was serving the army for half a year. I know his capability. This is all piece of cake for them." Is that her way of making me feel calm?
If so, it's not working!
After the last car had arrived and we've done some headcount, I lead them inside the old mansion, giving them a short tour. Went we gather back into the living room, I noticed a familiar figure sitting on the couch reading a book.
"Sasha?" Sasha looks up with a smile.
"Is my student adjusting?" She asked when she look up from her phone. The briefing are probably done.
"They're fine." Is she worried about her students than her own life?
"What's wrong with you?" She asked after she talked to Clayton.
"I'm worried of course." She chuckled before she took a seat next to me.
"Why are you worried?" She asked with a smile.
"God knows what my brothers are planning. They want Durov to be my groom, not you as my bride. They're planning something, Sasha." Sasha keeps her smile on her face while resting her chin on my shoulder.
"Don't worry. I can handle myself. This is something I normally do." She whispered into my ear that sends shivers down my spine.
"Miss Sasha." We both heard Alyssa behind us together with the rest of students of the special class.
"Yes, what can I do for you all?" Sasha removed her chin from my shoulder, leaning back to the couch with her hands crossed on her chest.
"What is the purpose of us coming here? Do you know we had plans ourselves? It's the school holiday after all." Sasha chuckled at her students before offering them to sit.
"School holiday? Are you joking? We're here to learn. There's no way I'm letting you have your sweet time away from school." The students were speechless.
"The principal saw the results from your last test. She's not happy at all since you're all graduating this year. It's beyond bad, that even Alyssa's grade seems slipping as well. This trip will be you special cram session where I've invited the world-renowned genius just to help me." I smiled when the professor walks into the living room with her suitcase.
This was her plan all along?
"Boys and girls, meet Professor Hynera Volin, the world-famous scientist, and the head of Volin Research Lab. She will be your teacher while I'm away." This is my first time meeting her up close.
She doesn't look like most mad scientist, at least.
***
OSTRIA ROYAL PALACE
"Sasha."
"Valentine."
Wow ... is this supposed to be a heartfelt meeting between a father and his daughter? Why do I have to be here of all places? I did say that I wish to see Valentine Van Doren but I never expected him to be this ... HOT!
"I heard that you decided to ask the princess to be your partner, how bold." He is so ... expressionless!
"Yes, I did. I'm going to fight for it." He scoffed at her answer before facing me with his cold ... intense eyes.
"You must be the princess." Should I offer my hand? Should we shake? I smiled when he offered his hand for me to take before he kissed the top of my hand.
"Pleasure to meet a member of the Ostria Royal family." What a gentleman! Now I know where Sasha gets her charming trait, it's from him.
"Why are you here?" Silas suddenly appeared.
"I am here to see my daughter in action." Silas scoffed.
"Hah! My son will kill her easily." Sasha sighs when she heard Silas said that. Valentine hummed.
"I have faith in Natalya for raising her. I'm not like a certain someone who uses his wife's influence to get their dead family name to its glorious time again." Valentine was being savage! He made Silas face redden from anger.
"Well pussy boy, want to settle the score from 21 years ago? I would love to wipe off that smug face of yours." Silas was cracking his knuckles while Valentine keeps staring at him without doing anything.
"I don't have time for childish games. If it's not because of the promise your dead mother told Natalya to swear on her life to keep, I would be the husband rather than you, a weakling and so does your children. No offense, Asha, Elra." Asha raised both her hands and so does Elra.
"None taken," Asha smirked and so does Elra.
"Natalya loves me! She doesn't love you! She hates you for ruining her life. Sasha was a mistake she wishes to forget but she doesn't have any say in it!" Silas yelled before ...
"SILAS!" We all turned to see Natalya fuming in anger. She probably heard what Silas said.
"Sasha may not be your child but she's mine. I was the one who carried her for 9 months! As far as I know, she made herself presentable on her own. She doesn't need our help like the rest of our kids. Even Durov have to agree with me since he's constantly asking for my help, Durov?" Durov looks away.
"Yes, Mommy." He's such a Mommy's boy. I don't know if that's the kind of man I want to marry.
"Adelaide, I wish that after this sick test your brothers had prepared for them is over, you should choose wisely to whom you wish to marry. Because you shouldn't make the same mistake as I do." She suddenly glares at Silas.
"You shall be punished for looking down on my daughter, Silas. COME!" She literally pulled him by the ear, leaving us alone with Valentine.
"Hmmm ... I see she's still as evil as she is 21 years ago. Anyway, good luck, Sasha ... Durov, you too. I'm looking forward for this." He smiled before asking Asha and Elra to show him to the official room where this test will be shown live.
I look up to both of them before leaving to the official room without saying a word. I don't know what kind of pep talk to say to them. I sigh when I enter the official room. Without a care in the world, I took the nearest seat and just slumped down, sighing even harder.
"Are you sure you're a princess? If so, this is the first time I met a princess who doesn't care about her image in front of others." That voice, it's Valentine Van Doren. I smile at him when I look up at the seat next to mine.
"I'm sorry for my rude behavior. I didn't notice that you were in the seat next to mine." When he smiles, he looks exactly like Sasha.
"It's alright. So, what does your heart say?" He asked. Huh? My heart?
"I'm sure by now you have the answer. Is it Sasha?" He asked, making me blush.
"Is it that obvious?" He chuckled before nodding his head.
"It's like your soul were shouting at everyone but your mouth stays shut because you care for your ... dysfunctional family." Did He just call my family dysfunctional?
"I want Sasha to be my partner, but my family wants to be with an Irisha, a pure Irisha." He leaned back before lit his cigar.
"Well, Sasha will make sure that you will be hers when this test is over. She's my daughter with Natalya. If she's like her mother from years ago, you don't have to worried about it." He patted my shoulder before Asha hugged him from behind.
"Uncle Valentine, we need to talk ... in private." I heard Asha said while being seductive. Day by day, she's exactly like the principal from head to toe, and even with her attitude.
She winked before leading Valentine Van Doren to the corner of the room.
***
I yawn as I'm walking down the hallway towards my room. Being back at the palace brings a lot of old memories. It's when I walk out to the main balcony of the palace that I noticed a figure standing against the stone railing.
"Lady Natalya?" She looks up before facing me.
"Adelaide, just call me Natalya. There's no need to be so formal with me." She smiles before she turns her gaze at the majestic view of Ostria capital city.
"Can you believe what my kids got themselves into? They're going to war ... in such modern era, why there's a need to have a war in the first place." Hold on, she's been alone all this time because she's worried?!
"I'm sorry that I cause such trouble. My brothers ... my father ... they can be quite a handful to handle." Natalya chuckled.
"Oh trust me. My family can be quite a handful themselves. Especially Silas and Asha. They like to do things without consulting me beforehand. In the end, if there's something wrong, I will be the one who'll fix it." She sounds tired.
"Why don't you have a moment to rest?"
"I will, after this. Why aren't you sleeping yet?" She asked.
"I was having some conversation with Sir Valentine before retiring for the night. He's quite a man." I smiled.
"Oh, he is. He's quite a gentleman and always fix his own problem without any of my help even though he's working for me, as my right-hand man. He's a true gentleman." She seems delighted talking about Valentine.
"Natalya ... ma'am." I can't just call her by her first name, it's weird.
"You're still in love with sir Valentine, am I right?" She snickered.
"What makes you think that way of me?" She asked as she quirks up a smile.
"Because whenever you talk about him, you smile, glad that he's around. I saw how you talk highly of him earlier as well. Your eyes ... it shows happiness while looking at him. Why did you marry Sir Silas instead of him?" I asked just to feed my curiosity.
"You're right. I still love Valentine ... not more than friends. I choose Silas because I promised to be by his side after his mother died in my arms. I am a woman with my words so we marry each other. When Valentine learned about the wedding, he went to see me and asked me to think about the wedding over again. He said that marrying Silas is a mistake that I'll soon regret." She faces me.
"He was right. As soon as Sasha was born, Silas ignores her very existence even though he promise to treat her as his own. Sasha has been living her life like a prisoner in the Irisha household." she does? That's awful.
"Sasha never took that to heart. For 21 years, she's been living her life by following our orders but now ... since this involves you ... both of your futures, she's becoming more daring to voice her thoughts to us. There's no doubt one or both of them could get killed because of this horrendous test but they don't care as long as they can have what they want and that's you." She smiles before taking my hand into hers.
"Like I mentioned before, Adelaide, choose wisely. This is your future, you decide it. Not your parents or brothers." She patted my hand before letting go.
"And if you choose Sasha, I'm sure Hynera can do something about getting you two a child." She smiled before retiring for the night.
Now that I'm alone on the balcony, I can't help but to wonder ... how will Hynera help us in terms of procreate? As far as I know, it's anatomically impossible.
"Honey, why are you up still?" It's my mother.
"Mother. Can we just stop the whole thing? I made up my mind. I want to marry Sasha." My Mother reaches out and hugs me.
"Honey, I know. But your father, you know how annoying he gets when he doesn't get what he wants and he wants Irisha to be in our family." Ugh! I pulled away from my mother and just sigh heavily.
"Whats so important about marrying an Irisha?!" I shouted.
"Wealth, power ... influence." We were both surprised to see the king crossing his hands on his chest, glaring at us.
"And if you refuse, I'll force you to marry him whether you like it or not! END OF DISCUSSION!" He yelled.
So ... my freedom of choice doesn't mean anything to him?
***
"No no no! If we let them through the jungle, we're at disadvantage. We should just let the commander leave her at the foot of the mountain and let ... nature do all the work for us." Albert smirked.
What's the meaning of this?!
"Albert ... how could you." My brothers were surprised when they notice me walk in on them.
"Adelaide, what are you doing here?! Get out! This is not your concern!" Albert ushered me out but I pushed him away inside.
"You were going to let the commander send her alone in the midst of war! How could you?!" Albert covered my mouth so no one could hear me. I was struggling to free myself when he forces me inside, closing the door behind us.
"LET GO OF ME!" He finally let go of his hands and hold the bridge of his nose.
"For once, Adelaide, please, could you just listen to us? Marrying Durov will mean so much to you, we promise." Did he try to convince me huh?
"I don't want to marry him I want to be with Sasha! Can you just get that into you brain?! Why do you guys have to be ... such a pain in the butt?!" Martin force me to look out the window that oversees parts of Ostria that's are under development.
"Our people are suffering. The Irisha wealth can help us, help our people. If you marry that woman instead of the real heir of the Irisha, we are doom! We owed the Irisha almost $600 billion worth of money! How do you expect our country to pay such amount?!" That many?!
"Sasha is a Van Doren. She's not an Irisha. Silas would never let this go if you decided to marry that useless mutt." He added.
"If we pay the Irisha, our country will be doom. Our people will suffer. Please understand that you're the only one who can save us." Albert said as he rested his hands on my shoulder.
"But that doesn't mean you have to send her to her death. What's got into your mind?! If she died the Van Doren will kill us!" I warned them.
"He won't since Lady Natalya married to Silas. He wouldn't dare to touch us." Philip smiled. Idiots! It's official, my brothers are idiots. How am I related to them is beyond me!
"Please tell the commander to halt your ridiculous plan. Sasha is Natalya favorite after all. If the Van Doren didn't get your head, she will! Even if she married to Silas, she will kill you all." Martin sighs heavily.
"It's too late. They're out of reach. The plan will proceed, with our life depends on it." He said with a heavy heart. I can't believe this. They're sending her to the worse part of the war while Durov stayed in his comfort zone?!
I need to do something, anything!
Without further ado, I went out of the room just to hit Alyssa and the rest of the special class student who's touring the palace.
"You guys! You have to help me! Miss Sasha! She's in grave danger! We need to do something or she'll die!" They were speechless, surprised by what I just said.
"Hold on. What are you saying? I don't understand anything." Clayton asked me while Alyssa grabbed my body as I was losing the strength to even walk on my own.
Knowing Sasha will have to face danger like that, I just can't!
"My brothers, they told the platoon commander to leave Sasha all alone in the battlefield with no supply of food or water. She won't last long if they do so since it's the hardest terrain and it belongs to the enemy. We have to do something. We need to help her! She's going to die if we let this be!" They gasped.
"What?! They can't do that to miss Sasha! That's cheating!" I heard one of them said.
"We need to help ..." I was interrupted when one of my brother's butler suddenly appeared in front of me.
"I'm sorry." He apologized before carried me over his shoulder while the rest of the Special Class students being forcefully lead towards the palace dungeon.
"You and your big mouth, Sister." Albert?! That's Albert.
"I'm sorry because we have to do this to you and your friends. We need the Irisha's wealth to survive." The butler opened my door and place me on the bed. I watched as my brothers looks at me with pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry sister, we just have to lock you in so you won't be telling the Irisha and the Van Doren about our plan. Again I'm sorry." Albert and the rest of my brothers turned their heels on me and went out through the door.
"No!! LET ME GO!" Before I could reach the door, Albert closed the door in my face and lock it from the outside.
"OPEN THE DOOR! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU! OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!" I shouted while banging the hard wooden door with all my strength.
"Please ... I need to save her .. please ... let me go." I cry as I know my action is worthless right now.
"Albert, Henry, Martin ... Philip ... please ... open the door for me! OPEN THIS DOOR I SAY!" I kneel down as I rested my head on the door.
What should I do? I can't warn Asha, Sir Valentine or lady Natalya while I'm stuck in this room. Even the special class being locked in the dungeon.
How are we suppose to save Sasha now that we're lock inside this palace?!