When Hillary took a peek at him, she saw how his pair of red and blue eyes glow with an intent to kill.
This man... Why is he looking for me? Is the story progressing on its own?
"Mora!" Matt called suddenly, waking Hillary back to her senses. "Take my wife to a place somewhere safe..."
"Yes, Crown Prince..." A nearby voice said but no one appeared. No matter where Hillary looked, she could not spot a single person.
"Come with me, Princess Consort..." Out of nowhere, a hand suddenly appeared near Hillary, scaring her for a moment.
"Go with her. You'll be safe..." Matt reassured before Hillary hesitantly took that hand that popped out of nowhere.
When she touched that hand, a bright light covered her whole before she vanished into thin air. Only the Crown Prince and the Dark King were left, entangling in a battle that would be forever imprinted in the minds of the elves, both noble and of common hierarchy.
When Hillary opened her eyes, she was met by familiar cold eyes that stared intently back at her. She was surprised and didn't hesitate to run just to hug him.
"No." Devon said as he evaded the Princess.
Hillary looked hurt but when she fully saw that Devon was merely a lingering spirit, she gasped. "A-Are you d-dead?"
"Of course not." A high pitched voice sounded which attracted Hillary's attention to it. To her another surprise, she had finally meet the heroine of the original story together with Prince Drake, the younger brother of the heroine's betrothed - Prince Duke. "We're only on our spiritual form in order to visit you here. Shame on you to curse us to our deaths--" Before Cynthia could even talk for more, a sudden knock bolted over her head which quieted her down.
"Aw, stop it!" Cynthia whined.
"Quit talking." Prince Drake reprimanded. "As a Princess from the Avalon Kingdom, you should know how to show respect from someone higher than you..."
Cynthia pouted and refused to abide as she said, "Aside from being my older cousin, what position could she have. Her kingdom already perished so she's just a lowly commoner now. Though the rumors of her outstanding beauty is true but what can it do to help her. What kind of Princess is she if she doesn't have --"
"ENOUGH!" Drake shouted at the tip of his extended patience as he scolded her. Cynthia could not help but to get misty-eyed as she was embarrassed from being shouted in front of few people. Especially in a place like this where she dreamed to be part of.
"Princess Cynthia, you should thank your companion for reprimanding you like this. If I was to do it first, you will receive more than just a reprimand as punishment for disrespecting the Crown Princess of the Forest Realm..." Like an invisible blanket being slowly opened from one side, a figure of an old elf woman appeared little by little.
"No way! How could she become--" Drake covered Cynthia's mouth and whispered something on her ear before Cynthia obediently nodded and childishly zipped its own lips.
"In behalf of Princess Cynthia, I would like to ask for Your Grace forgiveness..." Drake turned to Hillary and bowed like how nobles do.
"Nonsense. Let's forget it. We have more crucial matters to attend to..." Hillary turned to Mora. "Can I do something to help?"
Hillary's first plan was to escape away from this place. But now that the situation is like this, no matter where she hides that Fiero guy will surely find her easily.
Would violence be the best thing to do at this moment? Though I know some judo and other protective skills, but how could I beat a man with impressive powers? My profession is a writer for goodness sake! I'm not some kind of intelligent military strategist...
"Crown Prince only wants your safety the most, Your Highness..." Mora smilingly rejected my hint on helping in a subtle way.
Hillary deeply sighed. When she wanted to escape from here, several guards were on patrol just to catch her back. And now that she wanted to extend her help, they also stopped her from having such thoughts.
What do they take me as? Though I'm human and don't have any magic powers, I can still do something. I'm not an invalid but they're making me act as one...
Before Hillary could retort back, Devon called her. "Princess..."
She turned to him. "Devon? What is it?"
"Open your palm, Princess..." Devon instructed which Hillary got curious about so she complied. "I'll be leaving this in your care, Princess..." Devon said when suddenly a shining green light appeared on her opened palm. The object that attracted everyone's attention was a shining green jaded necklace which was so warm under Hillary's touch.
"This is...?" Hillary asked, looking bewildered.
"This necklace is what my parents left for me when I was a child. This has helped me a lot in enduring the cold winter and hot desert when I was still training as a guardian under your father's supervision... I want you to have that..." Devon explained. This was the first time he had talked so much compared to before.
"Thank you, Devon..." Hillary was feeling emotional. Even her ex did not gave her something sentimental and valuable as this one. "I like it..." She gave him the sweetest smile she could offer.
Mora stared at the scene with an unreadable expression. When her gaze focused to Hillary, she saw a vision.