Alex: (Alright, now we're getting closer to what happened to me. But let's continue the story before going back to the execution scene.)
After the knights arrived, they carried Alex away and locked him in a cell deep in the castle's dungeons. By bad luck, neither Arthur, Iris, Silone, nor even Furious were there. The only person Alex knew in the castle at that time was Ella. So, she was the first to come visit him.
Ella: (Behind the bars) Hold on a second, Alex—can you explain what's going on with you right now?
In his cell, sitting with an annoyed look, Alex answered Ella:
Alex: It's not that complicated. Seems like I'm one of the unluckiest people on the planet. But it's fine, you know—there'll probably be some even more ridiculous situation coming up to piss me off.
Hearing that, Ella let out a strong sigh before bending down to look at Alex through the bars, saying:
Ella: You know, this time you're really in a tough spot. How can we help you? I don't know what happened, but something tells me you're the victim of an injustice.
Blinking and raising his eyebrows, Alex said:
Alex: Why don't you just destroy this door?
Hearing that, Ella asked:
Ella: Are you serious?!
Alex: Yeah!
Ella sighed again and said:
Ella: It's not that simple. We'd be hunted down immediately. Escaping from here would be impossible. I may be powerful, but I can't take on all the castle guards by myself.
Alex then stood up and said:
Alex: I was joking, don't worry. I don't want to cause you any trouble for nothing—and besides, I'm used to getting out of messes on my own.
Alex's words echoed in Ella's mind. She straightened up and said:
Ella: Your story's frustrating, but I'll see what I can do.
With those words, she left before she could say more. Alex watched her go for a moment, then turned toward the small window in his cell and thought to himself:
(Alex): (Alright, time to get moving. I need to find a way to get out of this mess. The question is—how?)
That night, Alex spent the whole night locked up. King Nestor, furious, had every corner of the capital searched. Meanwhile, Ella—being helped by a servant as she got ready for bed—was thinking:
(Ella): (Why does this have to bother me so much? How am I supposed to just abandon him now? Ugh... damn it!)
But at that very moment, Alex—who had dozed off, his back against the wall—received a visitor.
A man approached the cell in the dark. The only sound was the harsh scraping of armor. Alex woke immediately but didn't move, simply asking:
Alex: And who might you be, disturbing my sleep this late at night?
A sigh was heard, and then the man stepped closer to the moonlight coming through the small window of the cell, illuminating half his face. Alex recognized him.
With an empty look, Alex simply said:
Alex: Weren't you supposed to be at death's door?
The man: Just listen to me. I won't take long.
Alex: Fine, if you say so, Karden.
The next morning, around 9 a.m., the knights brought Alex to the judgment hall. He was forced to his knees, and two large executioners in armor, each holding a massive axe, stood to his right and left. The King, looking down at Alex from his throne, said:
King: Well, it's been a while, son of Andreas. Tell me—this time, what drove you to lay hands on my daughter?
Alex stared straight into the King's eyes and said simply:
Alex: Whoa, what's with that killer look, Your Majesty? Careful, that's not good for your mental health.
Alex's empty blue eyes met the King's brown eyes filled with hostility. It was clear that each wanted to push the other to the edge—but Alex knew he was skirting death.
END OF CHAPTER
Notes to Readers:
Sorry for the delay, dear readers. I had to finalize the publication of this work on another platform, and I'm also waiting for your feedback.
It was Ben. See you soon.
NEXT CHAPTER: The Princess's Assassination Attempt (3)