Proof number one

"Not a step forward!" Ava exclaimed.

With streaks of lines on their foreheads, Elle and Kinsey who had proceeded to leave turned around to see who the heck that was.

" And, who are you?'' Prince Kinsey asked with a quirked brow.

" Someone who knows you enough to tell you're too naive." Ava replied.

" He's a Prince miss." Elle countered, still maintaining her innocent front.

" A naive one." Ava replied. " And I'm sure you can attest to that." She added.

" What's going on? Are you okay miss?" Prince Kinsey asked.

" If you don't return to the palace this minute, I'll be asking you the same question, moments from now." Ava replied.

" I don't understand, what do you mean?" the prince asked with a genuinely confused look.

" The lady standing next to you understands fully well what I mean, right 'Elle' ?" Ava asked with an air quote.

" Prince Kinsey don't listen to her." Elle suggested to the prince, with her face threatening to give away her minutes of nearly flawless facade.

" Candy Davidson, I suggest you keep quiet." Ava countered.

" How do you know my name? Who are you?" The dumbstruck 'Elle' asked Ava who folded her arms, looking at her fictional character with a smirk.

" Your name is Candy Davidson?" Prince Kinsey asked, as he turned to Elle who had just realized her terrible mistake!

" No, it's not_ I mean yes. My name is Elle but_"

" I bet she told you her name is Elle Sampson." Ava chimed in with a never fading smirk.

" That's not true. My name is Elle Davidson and_ "

" Elle Davidson?" Kinsey asked with his brows deepening in confusion.

" Elle Sampson." Candy answered. By this time, she was feeling highly strung.

" Candy, I suggest you drop the act and walk away." Ava advised.

" Don't pay attention to her. I'm sure she is an opponent. Maybe someone sent her to_"

" Don't be so naive Prince Kinsey. I know it's my fault all of this is happening but, I'm willing to help you through it." Ava countered.

" I don't_ I don't understand. What the heck is going on? What are you saying miss? What is your fault?'' Prince Kinsey asked. Turning to Candy, he asked, " Elle, what is she saying? Do you know her?"

" No I don't know her Prince Kinsey." Candy replied, after shaking her head.

" Oh but I do know you Candy. I know you well enough to know what you have in store for this innocent and gullible Prince." Ava replied.

Turning to Prince Kinsey, she continued, " If you want to know what I mean, then follow me."

" Why? Why should I trust you? When you're trying to plant mistrust in me about Elle who I've known for_"

" 10 Weeks?" Ava chimed in with a quirked brow, startling Prince Kinsey and Candy. Since Ava knew she rendered the both of them speechless, she spoke up again.

" Her name is Candy Davidson. The Illegitimate daughter of the famously executed assassin, Towers Davidson. And she's out for revenge over the death of her father. Isn't it, my dear Candy?'' Ava asked with a sly smile before she continued, without waiting for a response she wasn't going to get.

'' She killed the Prime Minister's son and now, she's out for the King's." Ava added, shifting her gaze from Candy to Kinsey like she was born to intimidate.

" That's not true your highness!" Candy shouted.

"Your highness? Isn't it 'my prince' any more?" Ava asked Candy who was short of words.

Prince Kinsey on the other hand was already growing weak. Everything Ava said was too bad to be true.

" Please tell me she's lying." Prince Kinsey said to Candy who nodded. " Of course she is Prince Kinsey. Do you really think I'm capable of killing anyone?'' Candy asked with an innocent look, even though her heart was hammering against her chest.

She couldn't bear to let all her efforts go down the drain, because of a stranger who popped out of nowhere and spewed literally, her darkest secrets.

" And do you think she's gonna say no? Not now at least." Ava said.

" I swear she's lying." Candy countered.

" I'm not, and I can prove it." Ava said. '' Wanna know how?" she asked.

" Your highness she is trying to_"

" I asked the prince, not you." Ava butted. Brushing his curly hair backwards, Prince Kinsey replied

" How can you expect me to trust you enough when_"

" Yes or no? That's all I want to hear from you...your highness.'' Ava added. Exhaling deeply, the young Prince exclaimed,

" I don't know okay! I don't know what to say."

" I'll take that as a yes." Ava said. '' Come with me." she added after a while.

" Don't go with her Prince Kinsey. She might be an assassin! I don't want you to get hurt." Candy exclaimed, almost as if she was ordering the prince.

" I won't hurt you your highness. You can pat me down if you want." Ava said, raising her hands, with her phone on the left.

" But I also suggest you do the same to your supposed plus one." Ava added before dropping her hands to her sides.

" Why would I do that?"

" Only one way to find out." Ava responded.

" Answer me." The prince demanded. '' I did'' Ava replied.

" Don't listen to this manipulating witch your highness." said Candy. " Why? Cause it's too early to get caught?'' Ava asked.

" Because you're a manipulator and an assassin." Candy shouted at Ava. " You sure about that?" Ava asked.

" I know somebody sent you. That I'm sure of!" Candy exclaimed.

" Are you sure I'm not a girl from the slumps who is envious of what you have with the Prince. I mean, he's THE Prince Kinsey of Duskhill after all." Ava added before taking two steps forward.

Folding her arms again, she continued, " Maybe I just got too envious, so much so that I couldn't help but miraculously dig out your secrets - the ones with no traces." Ava added before her lips curved up in a small smile.

" That's it your highness! This lady has just exposed herself!" Candy exclaimed.

" Oh yeah I just did." Ava commented. Turning to Prince Kinsey she continued, " Your highness I hope you listened to the part where I said 'I miraculously dug out her secrets' That's a part of it too, right Candy?" Ava asked with a scoff laugh.

" But she just_"

" ENOUGH!" Kinsey shouted.

* Ear deafening silence *

" ... That's enough!'' He exclaimed again, this time in a soft voice.

The young Prince had enough of the drama already. How the stranger threw him into a pot of dilemma was surprising to Kinsey himself.

He was supposed to be on Elle's side but for some reason, maybe because of his skepticism about her proposal earlier, he couldn't bring himself to completely mistrust the stranger.

Besides, he could somewhat see the glint of fear in Elle's eyes and the sudden transition in her response to the stranger. He was foreign to that side of her. But he preferred to tag it as being dumbstruck or in shock. Maybe she didn't know how best to react to such weighty allegations. Or was that not the case?

Sadly, there was only one way to find out.

If Elle had nothing on her, that would be a great opportunity to side with her and clear his doubts...

But Elle would feel embarrassed and let down if Ava's claims turned out false, right? And if it turned out that the stranger was amongst Elle's peers then... No, he shouldn't think about it from that perspective.

Yes, he was going ask Elle to do as Ava had said, so she could prove her innocence. Not because he didn't trust her. The last thing he wanted was for Elle to think that way because that was going to hurt him if it was the other way round. Her anger would be justified.

And more importantly, it wasn't the best way to mold a foundation together. That would make her feel anyone could easily come between them.

Groaning, the young Prince convinced himself that it was all to prove her innocence. He needed to convince himself that that was the case, before trying to convince 'Elle' as well.

Saying that inwardly a couple more times, the prince cleared his throat slightly before he turned to Candy,

" Elle, I trust you. I really do."

" What do you mean your highness?" Candy asked, trying to convince herself Kinsey wasn't insinuating what she thought he was.

Holding her shoulders, " Listen to me, I trust you and the last thing I want is for people to have the wrong image of you in their heads." Kinsey said.

" There's no assurance that if we refuse..." Kinsey said before glancing at Ava. "... this stranger..." then returned his gaze to Candy. "...she's not gonna tell everyone you're a bad person and that you used me to protect yourself." he added before moving his hand to her face, caressing her cheeks.

" She's just gonna pat you down, that's all. Okay?" said Prince Kinsey.

Both Candy and Ava noticed how Kinsey refrained from his typical compliments like 'okay beautiful?' to Candy, especially since he was trying to convince her.

It sent the same message to the ladies, but they both felt differently. For one, it was a positive thing, and the exact opposite for the other.

" Okay?" Prince Kinsey said again.

Candy felt like she was going to fall to her knees at any moment. Prince Kinsey was by far her easiest target. Gullible and innocent, just like Ava had described.

Candy even felt like nodding in agreement when Ava said that earlier. But how was she going to_

" Can you hear me Elle?" the Prince asked for the second time.

" She needs time to cook up a lie your highness." Ava butted in, causing the prince to glare at her.

" Please stay out of this." the young Prince said, almost raising his voice at her.

" My bad." Ava replied, raising her hands again as if in surrender.

" Come on Elle, say something. I need us to be on the same page." Prince Kinsey urged.

With no other choice, Candy nodded slowly. Normally, the prince would've asked her one more time to reconfirm her stand but he didn't.

Prince Kinsey then straightened up, before looking at Ava with a look of displeasure. Then he slightly tilted his head towards Candy as a sign for her to go ahead.

Without hesitation, Ava took giant strides and stood right in front of Candy.

Before Prince Kinsey could give her a final look of warning so he could turn around, Ava slid her right hand under Candy's shirt.

Candy flinched in surprise and fear. " What do you think you're do_ "

Before she could complete her rhetoric question, Ava pulled her hand swiftly, and it didn't come out empty. Because in her hand, was an empty syringe.

With a smirk, Ava raised her hand up so Prince Kinsey could take a good look at what it was, incase he hadn't already seen it.

Looking from Candy to Prince Kinsey, Ava stated, '' Proof number one."