Alexander had barely finished his drink when his eyes drifted towards the staircase. Elysia had refused his invitation to dinner. He had expected her to be difficult. That part wasn't surprising. What bothered him was how little he understood her.
Most people were easy enough to read. Give them enough time, and their motives usually became obvious. Elysia was different. She could be stubborn one moment, sarcastic the next, and then disappear into her own thoughts as though the rest of the world had ceased to exist.
He had seen that look several times now. He had no idea what she was thinking. And he wanted to know.
"Your Highness?"
Alexander looked towards Gabriel. His friend was watching him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"
Gabriel glanced towards the staircase. "Where is Princess Elysia?"
"Asleep."
Liam, sitting beside Gabriel, frowned. "Asleep?"
Alexander picked up his drink. "Apparently."
"Weren't you supposed to have dinner together?"
Alexander took a slow sip. "She said she was tired."
Gabriel and Liam exchanged a brief look.
Alexander noticed. "Don't."
"Don't what?" Gabriel asked innocently.
"Whatever you're about to say."
Liam leaned back in his chair, looking far too amused. "We weren't going to say anything."
"Good."
A moment of silence passed.
Then Gabriel said, "You look disappointed."
Alexander gave him a flat stare. "I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
Liam laughed.
Alexander ignored them and looked towards the window.
Outside, Evergrove was still alive despite the late hour. Music drifted through the streets, mixed with laughter and the occasional cheer from the taverns. The Moon Festival had begun that day, and the town showed no sign of settling down anytime soon.
He had told himself Elysia needed rest. That was reasonable. After everything that had happened, perhaps she really did need a quiet evening. Still, something bothered him. She had looked at him differently since their conversation about her ability.
Not afraid. Not exactly. Suspicious. As though she were trying to fit him into a picture that only she could see. Alexander rubbed his thumb along the rim of his cup. He didn't understand her. And that was becoming a problem.
Later, when the tavern grew louder and the conversations became more boisterous, Alexander quietly excused himself. The cool night air greeted him as soon as he stepped outside. He stood beneath the lantern hanging over the entrance, listening to the sounds of the festival. Then something caught his attention.
A hooded woman was walking down the street. He couldn't see her face. He didn't need to. There was something familiar about the way she walked—the slight impatience in her stride, the way she occasionally looked around as though everything she saw demanded her attention.
Alexander sighed. "Elysia." He followed.
***
I was wide awake. Lady Evelyn had fallen asleep beside me some time ago, but sleep refused to come anywhere near me. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared towards the balcony. Soft lights spilt through the thin curtains. Somewhere outside, music was still playing.
Evergrove was awake. And I was curious. That was probably a terrible combination. I glanced at Lady Evelyn. She didn't move. Good.
I quietly changed out of my nightclothes and into one of the simple dresses she had packed for me. Nothing elaborate. Nothing that would attract attention. I pulled the hood over my head and slipped out of the room. The men guarding the inn barely looked at me.
I stopped in the lobby. Seriously? Was nobody going to stop me? Apparently being a captive princess came with remarkably relaxed security. I covered my mouth to hide a laugh and walked outside.
The streets were quieter than earlier, but Evergrove was far from asleep. The Moon Festival had filled the town with lanterns, music and people. Stalls remained open despite the late hour, and small groups wandered through the streets carrying food and drinks.
Children were still awake, running between adults with glowing paper lanterns in their hands. Someone was playing a flute near the square. Another group had formed a circle around a pair of dancers.
I slowed down to watch. This was what I had wanted. Not another conversation with Alexander. Not another explanation about my ability. Not another reminder that I was apparently someone's valuable magical resource. Just a few hours where I could walk around and pretend I was an ordinary person. I continued deeper into the town.
Every now and then, a strange rotten smell drifted through the air. I wrinkled my nose. "Okay. That's disgusting."
The smell disappeared almost as quickly as it came. I decided not to investigate. For once, I didn't need another mystery. I crossed a pedestrian bridge overlooking a narrow stream that ran through the town. Lanterns had been hung along the railings, their reflections trembling on the dark water below.
I rested my hands on the railing. For a moment, everything was quiet. Then I heard laughter behind me.
Loud. Unsteady. Drunken. I turned. Four men were approaching from the other side of the bridge. They were clearly drunk. One of them noticed me.
"Hey."
I immediately knew I was in trouble.
They started walking towards me. "Where are you going, pretty lady?"
I stepped back. "I'm just passing through."
One of them laughed. "Don't be shy."
Another looked me up and down. "She's probably from the brothel."
My stomach tightened. I had no idea where the nearest guard was. I could fight. Probably.
But four drunk men were not exactly the sort of opponents I wanted to test my luck against, especially when I still didn't know the extent of what my body could actually handle in this world.
One of them reached towards me. I stepped away. "Don't touch me."
He laughed. "Come on."
I raised my hand instinctively. Then someone grabbed his wrist. The man's laughter stopped. A familiar voice came from behind him.
"She said no."
My heart sank. Of all the people who could have appeared… Alexander.
The drunk man tried to pull away. Alexander didn't move. His expression had gone completely cold. "Leave."
The man looked at his companions. They had already sobered considerably. One of them muttered something about not wanting trouble. Alexander released the man's wrist. "Then leave."
They did. Quickly.
I watched them disappear down the street. For a moment, neither Alexander nor I spoke. I knew I should probably thank him. He had just prevented a situation I wasn't certain I could handle alone. But gratitude wasn't the only thing I felt. There was irritation.
A lot of it.
Alexander turned towards me. "What were you thinking?" There it was.
Not Are you all right? Not Did they hurt you? No. A lecture.
"I was walking."
"Alone. At midnight."
I shrugged.
"Without telling anyone."
"I didn't think I needed permission."
His jaw tightened. "You are a captive, Elysia."
"And apparently a very poorly guarded one."
"This isn't funny." His voice was sharper now.
I looked at him. "Who said it's funny?"
He took a breath, forcing himself to calm down. "This town may look safe, but you don't know the people here. You don't know what they are capable of."
"I know enough to recognise drunk men when I see them."
"That's not the point."
"Then what is?"
He stepped closer. "The point is that you keep acting as though nothing can happen to you."
I stared at him. "Something already happened to me."
He fell silent. I continued before he could interrupt. "I was kidnapped by Frostbane. Then I was kidnapped by you. Now you're telling me I need to be careful because someone might take advantage of me." My laugh came out bitter. "Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?"
Alexander's expression hardened. "I'm not the same as those men."
"No?"
"No."
He reached for my shoulders, his hands closing around them. I stiffened. "Let go."
He didn't. His voice dropped. "I'm trying to keep you alive."
"And I'm trying to understand why."
His eyes searched mine. "Because your ability makes you valuable."
I gave him a humourless smile. "At least you're honest."
"Elysia—"
"No. Let me finish." I pushed against his hands.
He loosened his grip slightly, but didn't release me.
"You kidnapped me because you want to use my ability to find Aetheron. You told me that yourself. So don't stand here and tell me you're protecting me as though you suddenly became some noble hero."
His face tightened.
"I'm protecting you from people who would use you without hesitation."
I stared at him. "And what exactly are you doing?"
He didn't answer. I waited. The silence said enough. "That's what I thought."
His expression changed. Not anger this time. Something closer to frustration. "I'm not trying to control you."
"Then what do you call this?" I gestured towards his hands.
He released me.
I stepped back immediately. "You're keeping me away from my kingdom. You're deciding where I go. You're deciding who I speak to. You want me to use my ability to find a creature that has never even threatened my people."
"Aetheron isn't harmless."
"How do you know?"
His expression became guarded. "Because I know enough."
"That's not an answer."
"It is the answer I can give you."
I folded my arms. "So you expect me to trust you while refusing to tell me what you're actually planning?"
"I'm asking you to trust that I have reasons."
"And I'm asking you to understand why I don't."
The words hung between us. The festival continued around us. Music drifted from the square. Someone laughed nearby. It felt strange that the rest of the town could continue celebrating while my entire life had been turned upside down.
I looked at Alexander. "I don't believe you."
He looked away for a moment. Then he said quietly, "You don't have to believe me tonight."
That surprised me.
He looked back at me. "But I won't let you walk around alone at night when I know what could happen to you."
I shook my head. "That's exactly the problem."
"What is?"
"You keep deciding what is best for me."
He opened his mouth, then stopped. For once, he had no immediate answer.
I looked past him towards the lights of the festival. Maybe he really did believe he was protecting me. That was the part I couldn't understand. Because from where I was standing, there wasn't much difference between being protected and being controlled when I had never been given the choice.
A sudden breeze moved through the bridge. I pulled my hood tighter.
Alexander glanced towards the street. "We're going back."
I frowned. "I can walk by myself."
"As you wish." He stepped aside instead of reaching for me. That small gesture caught me off guard.
I started walking. After a moment, I heard his footsteps behind me. Not beside me. Behind me. Watching. Still watching. I sighed. Damn that narrator.
As if things weren't confusing enough already, I could almost hear the invisible voice in my head turning the entire encounter into some romantic scene beneath the moonlight.
Two people. One bridge. A dangerous night. A mysterious connection.
Please. I wanted to wring its neck. Because this wasn't some enchanted love story. I was a captive trying to figure out whether the man walking behind me was protecting me, controlling me, or somehow managing to do both at the same time. And I still didn't know which possibility frightened me more.