44 Viciousness has No Bounding Line

'Arihan?' As far as Zander knew, Arihan swore to be Alora's knight and serve her. And little Alora was saying the same thing, 'Lord Arihan will be my knight.'

Anyway, Zander shrugged, "There is no place General Darwin hasn't visited in the mountains." Arihan was a son of a military commander. His training was hard, on top of it, he was working harder to reach the pinnacle where he is.

Alora was glad that they might not be connected. If she becomes the next in line to reign after she cultivates her power, she will trust Arihan with the military but live with him? A shiver ran down her spine.

Alora recalled, 'My Princess,' and her lips twitched. 'He couldn't be in Anka.' She wanted to ask directly to her father but…

"Father, were other kingdom kings and their young princes visiting the palace? Did I bring them here?" She managed to ask calmly.

Why was she so active and made friends so easily?

Zander couldn't understand what was going on in her head. One thing was clear, she didn't see anything critical. He patiently responded to her as he nodded, "In the foreign lands, they betroth kids at a young age so that nations can form a strong alliance."

The kingdoms across the nation were visiting the palace to form a marriage alliance through Eleanor or Alora but everyone would fall for Alora instead of arrogant Eleanor. However, Eugenie and Zander turned them down because they hoped for love marriage for their daughters.

Alora: "…"

She didn't want to think anything baseless, but she was already considering the possibility of Agost being the boy from the past. She stood up and hurried to her father, "Father, let's go back."

Zander: "…"

It would always be others who have to bring her indoors. The first time she was so eager to get away from the outdoors. "Alora, don't you want to try again?" He probed as she didn't get a response to any of her questions.

Alora gave a thought but shook her head immediately. Firstly, she believed her parents. She trusted them when they said she didn't have any special powers. It's a different thing she was hoping to be strong enough to protect herself.

Without a speck of doubt, she accepted what her father just told her. Hence she wouldn't blame them for trying to protect her.

A part of her had blamed her parents when she was abused in the palace. After knowing the reason, she wasn't angry or upset anymore. Now, everything was depending on her and her confidence in herself.

Secondly, she wasn't ready to try the forceful recalling as she might end up calling the boy's name, wouldn't that be too awkward to face the man now?

Her mother always told her that love takes its course in everyone's life. Some fall in love at first sight, some will be unaware of it for a long time, a few falls in love after marriage, and some couples even fight, being reluctant to accept their feelings.

Alora always hoped to fall in love like her parents instead of knowing somebody has a crescent mark and she was a crown princess.

Zander saw her complex expression unsure how to put her words. He directly asked her as he approached her, "What's wrong? What did you see?"

Alora avoided the topic as Agost kept appearing in her mind, Or was she hoping it to be Agost? But she hardly knows him.

"Father, how did you say I am the next crown princess? After that accident, there are chances I lost the ability." Thus the crescent mark might not be hers.

Zander didn't ignore her speculation as there could be such changes. "You are right." He led her towards the teleportation gate as he guessed, "Looks like, you want your sister to be the crown princess."

Alora smiled sheepishly, he was right. She wants Freya to get the throne. In her view, nobody else befits the throne but her little sister. "Then I can help Freya to take care of the Royal Palace."

Zander smiled helplessly. Among the princesses who were eyeing and training hard to be eligible for the throne, his elder daughter was wishing for freedom, unwilling to be bound to rules like her mother.

He wouldn't mind whoever becomes the crown princess unless his daughters will be happy and healthy.

——————

At the palace,

Fidgety, Eugenie was holding her breath and waiting for her daughter and husband. She expected to see Zander carrying Alora in his arms, just like how Arihan had to carry her every day to her chambers after meditation.

Nevertheless, she saw Alora walking on her feet, and Alora looked lighter and calmer. She looked at Zander in confusion.

Alora paused in front of Eugenie and hopefully said, "Mother, when I break through my powers, I will bring you to a beautiful place. You will like it there." She was proud that her plants had grown into big trees and bloomed so many flowers.

Eugenie could sense Alora's presence getting stronger, which meant Alora believed in her powers. There was confidence when she uttered about her powers.

Wishing them night, Alora returned to her room.

Eugenie watched her daughter in a daze. Sometimes she felt she was unnecessarily worrying about Alora but after whatever happened to Alora in the evening, Eugenie wasn't ready to drop her guards down.

Zander wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he guided her inside. Eugenie asked, unable to grasp the situation, "What is going on?"

Zander hadn't shown his worry while facing Alora. The crescent mark appears when the man falls for the crown princess and vice versa if their love is true.

Yet Zander was thinking, 'Did somebody fool my daughter?' She was just 4 years old then.

Thinking which brat got the crescent at such a young age. "Our little Alora knew who had the crescent mark. Has she spoken about this with you?" There was visible disfavor for the young man he didn't even know yet.

Eugenie frowned at first. Knowing the man who has a mark and falling for him wasn't love but an attraction or obligation to the throne. Neither of them would be able to entirely commit to each other.

Anyway, she looked at Zander in amusement, trying to hide her smile, "Zander, our daughter is grown up." Alora will get married soon and Zander has to accept that.

Zander grumpily refused to accept it, "No." She was still the little girl for him.

Eugenie chuckled her way to their chambers. She was curious how Zander was going to give hard time to the man Alora will fall for.

—––––––

At the west side palace,

Edward and Catherine were seething in anger. Eleanor poured more fuel into the fire, continuing to corrupt their minds.

Helena uneasily sat on the armchair, looking outside the window. The complex expression on her face was hard to read. As always, she didn't bother to share what was going on in her mind.

Edward was standing on the balcony, looking at the silver line of the far away mountains. He entered inside and coldly questioned Eleanor, "Where is your husband?"

Eleanor's annoyance was replaced with hatred recalling her husband. "He is drunk and chanting that witch's name."

Her anger started in the banquet hall because she had caught her husband staring at Alora. Losing to Alora was her trigger from a young age.

None of them ever really liked Evander, Eleanor's husband who came from a humble aka poor background. However, Edward and Catherine always treated him like a son-in-law so that they could make use of Evander.

However, they couldn't use him if he was foolishly admiring Alora's beauty or lusting over her body. Edward left hope on the man and turned to Helena.

Edwards had many children from his mistresses. One he could never understand was Helena. One moment she would help them and another second, she would condemn them for their vileness. Nevertheless, she never stabbed them in the back.

"Helena." The hint of softness from his voice disappeared when speaking with Helena who had disrespected them a few times due to contrasting views. And Edward needs puppets, not opinionated people.

Helena turned to her father who sat down in front of her. "Yes, Father."

"Would you like to be the crown princess?" Edward directly asked. He knew Catherine craved to sit on the throne and rule over the people.

Eleanor loves getting ready in expensive outfits and jewelry and being admired by people. She could get it by being a crown princess.

But Helena? She was a hard puzzle.

"Tell me, who doesn't like to be a crown Princess?" Of course, Helena liked to be a princess. Not to rule over but to be respected by the mass. She had seen how Eugenie gets the love and attention from everyone. She had imagined all of it for herself.

"Did you like the Second Prince of Crisal, Agost Wilburn?" Edward was direct. He couldn't arrange the marriage as Agost might reject him. But his daughter could get the prince to her hands.

Helena watched her parents who anticipated her response. She could guess they were cooking up something. Their viciousness had no boundary.

Yet she responded promptly, without taking her eyes from their expression, "I wouldn't say no." But she was discontent that Agost's tenderness, attention was directed to Alora. So she wouldn't say as she likes him.

Edward's lips curled to a cunning smirk and looked at his wife. Catherine snickered as she nodded at him, giving her support to the next plans against Alora and Agost.

What if she won't be in the royal palace, she wasn't going to end the chaos in the palace or outside the palace.