Chapter 20: I Feel It

"Why does my parents wants to see me?" Inara inquired, clearly furrowing her brow in rage; they were in the garden eating breakfast, "Apparently for something important, as the letter proclaimed," Alexander responded, causing Inara to become further angrier.

"Act as if you didn't notice the letter; I don't want to leave. I don't want it anymore, "If I had wished to keep you from going there, I would not have accepted the letter; you should go. They are your parents, and no matter what, you are still their only daughter,"

"But, how about you? I don't want to leave here," she pouted unhappily. Alexander got a good look at her and could tell she's truly terrified of going to see her parents. However, she believes he is going to abandon her.

"I won't abandon you there, "The last time this happened, you vanished and then returned me. You will undoubtedly do the same, "Eat; within a few minutes, you'll be on your way to your Kingdom. However, no one would follow you except the guards who would accompany you there because it is unnecessary," Alexander replied, his voice icy but authoritative.

"I said I'm not going there; I won't go to them," Inara cried angrily, as Alexander climbed to his feet, "Let's see if you're really going to escape, wifey," he scoffed, and eventually walked away.

—------

Inara was joyfully welcomed by her Father; he sought to hug her but she declined; however, he was less pleased that she came, "Today's my birthday, have you forgotten, daughter?" King Theodore inquired with a radiant smile.

Realization struck her; she remembered how she used to ask her parents to let her make them happy on their birthdays, but they refused, claiming that staying in her room would be more pleasurable.

"Happy birthday, so may I leave now?" Inara questioned anxiously, and King Theodore was taken aback by her confessions; he arched his eyebrows at her, wondering, but Inara gave him no gaze.

"Do you hate me that much?" King Theodore asked in a sad and sorrowful tone, and Inara narrowed her eyes at him, perplexed by the question, "I don't hate you, should I celebrate with you?" she asked with a lighthearted tone, just like she used to say when she was younger, this was something her Father was looking for, "I feel so very delighted to hear you says this after so many years,"

Inara agreed to reconnect with her parents, even though it wasn't what they had hoped for, and they were thrilled. Following the feast, a man approached Inara with a dazzling smile, "Long time, no see my bethrotes,"

"Who are you? I don't know, "I heard you were already married. Is that correct?" the man asked bitterly, and Inara nodded affirmatively, "Yes, I am. I wouldn't be here unless my husband wanted me to," Inara said cheerfully, attempting to be pleasant.

"Are you satisfied being with him?" this time, the man questioned, lifting his eyebrows in anticipation of a positive response, "Yes, of course; we're couples, shouldn't we?" she remarked gleefully, and instead of responding, the man went closer to her, making her feel terrified, but she masks her worry, "You should be, I once loved you, but I let go of you. However, could you follow me somewhere? I want us to catch up on old times,"

"Did we know each other before the bethrotement? What old periods are you referring to? Perhaps I forgot that we…, "Yes, Your Highness. So, can you follow me somewhere? I can make you remember, Your Highness," the man said, interrupting her short.

—----

Inara awoke to find herself in a new environment, surrounded by women of her age. Five men approached her and said, "You have been purchased, count yourself lucky," Inara was stunned and weakly obeyed, dragging her into a dark room, pushing her in, and locking the door. Inara cried bitterly, wondering if she had seen something bad would happen if she come to her Kingdom that why she refused?

For hours, no one entered the room, and Inara searched for a conceivable route of escape, but she found none. She believed she had lost hope, then she heard a voice in her head say, "My darling?" the voice spoke quietly, and Inara searched around for Gwen, but she couldn't see her anywhere.

"Gwen, are you here? I can't see you, "I am with you, but I would rather be in your head. You're perplexed about how you got here, right? Your bethrotes sold you on the Black Market, and you were purchased to be given to someone here, "Who?"

"My son, "What? How come he is here as well? What's going on…, "After my mother saved me, she caused him internal agony, and now that he seeks the witches' assistance; his miseries cannot be endure. However, he is currently hurting himself in his room," Gwen said sadly, "What's happening to him?"

"He may experience memory loss shortly, as he loses his mind and control every minute. Maybe he shouldn't have come here for aid, but the act has been done, "I want to see him; please take me to him," Inara begged, with agony, grief, and dissatisfaction, "I'm afraid you really have to do something stupid; his condition right now is really scary, "I don't mind, I want to see him," 

—---

Gwen teleported Inara to Alexander's room, and as soon as she opened the door, she noticed someone groaning in pain: it was none other than him. He wasn't just groaning in pain, but actually hurting himself.

"Alexander?" she yelled frantically, and Alexander turned to face her, expressing his fury and surprise, "What are you doing here, wifey? How come…, "Why are you asking them for assistance? What exactly is going on with you?"

"You shouldn't bother about that…," Inara couldn't contain her terror any longer, and she unconsciously slapped him hard in the face. Alexander was astonished, but he didn't act as if it was painful, "What was that for, wifey?" he questioned, his voice seeming more calm than usual.

But Inara chose to do the weirdest thing of all; hug him. Alexander appeared unconcerned, while he doesn't want her to know his two hands were severely bleeding since he couldn't resist the impulse to hurt himself.

"My husband, please stop hurting yourself. I know this seems strange, but whenever you're badly hurt, I can sense those pains--I can feel your innermost sufferings, and I wish I could assist. I feel it, too, my husband," she mumbled, prompting silence to break out in the room.