Chapter 17 - The Wish (2)

Elleryn quickens her step, gripping her dress and runs towards the garden, the cold wind bites her pale skin, but she chooses to ignore it. She could now make out the figures of the Crown Prince standing in the middle of the garden, after asking around each servant she sees, she manages to find the exact location he is right now. He is standing with both his hands behind his back, raising his chin staring towards nothing in particular.

Elleryn wondered, what was he really thinking right now?

"Crown Prince," Elleryn whispered.

Rydan can hear her footsteps even before she whispers his title, but he doesn't want to turn and see the girl at the moment. Not after making a conclusion of hating her or caught in the middle of thinking on how to abruptly stay away from her. But he must face her anyway, so he chooses to turn around and stares at her with cold eyes.

Elleryn was taken aback by his sudden cold treatment towards her, this expression on him makes her uncomfortable. She takes a step back, unsure of how to face this Crown Prince. Although he never displays a type of kindness towards her, she was sure that he was never this blatantly looking at her this way, not after he apologizes to her last time.

Is she the only one thinking they are now on good terms?

Is she too delusional to think the Crown Prince would be on her side?

At least?

"Qye," he uttered as if the word was a poison that was forced out of his mouth. Elleryn could feel it. The distaste and hate directly sent her way, she didn't make a false assumption just now, he has decided for sure, to keep hating her.

But she doesn't want to give up. She wants to keep trying, wishing.

"I... can you please convince the King, I... saw a vision this morning," Elleryn begins to crumble, she was just so sure that he would somehow try to talk to the King. But now his stare has turned empty, she didn't know what to say, or was it even a good idea to come to him.

Rydan can put two and two together, the reason she barged inside the room, bravely challenging the King with determination and even threatened to harm the Royal Family. She saw a vision, a vision that isn’t clear whether it will happen or not. As much as he wants to help her, if the King says something along the line of 'not happen', he can't really do something about it.

Besides... he had just decided to stay away from her. So helping her wasn't step one of staying away.

He is going to regret the thing he said next, he knows he is.

"And what makes you think that I would help?” he said coldly and loudly.

Elleryn's eyes widen, she can't believe the word that Rydan just said or even predicted the thing he said after.

Rydan sighs, he closes his eyes and runs his finger through his hair, looking tired, as if he had to deal with a child and wasting his precious time.

"Do you think I would go against my father? Can you be more realistic?" he said. Venom leaks out his mouth, and he is looking down at her with disbelief in his eyes.

Elleryn takes a step back, she is far more than just stunned. She feels a little scared, having to face the Crown Prince looking like this, she never felt like this before. She had used to the way the servant looked at her or the way Lorra glared at her, but the way he looked at him now had stricken her.

The way he looks at her, somehow sends a direct slap on her face.

It's a declaration as well, that he will never be on her side.

Rydan regrets it, the way her eyes turn wide with surprise and hurt swirling inside those beautiful eyes.

How is he supposed to deal with this from now? Having to deal with this now has somehow made him hurt inside.

With a deep sigh, Rydan takes a step and leaves Elleryn behind, hoping to erase her expression from within his mind, but he can't.

Her scarred face will forever haunt him until the day he died, he knows.

• • ⊱∘────·❅·────∘⊰ • •

Elleryn can't move.

Not because her feet decided to shut down on her, but because her mind chooses to stay on exactly where he left her, she can't really believe what just happened. However, her mind would shout at her, reminding her that he is a Suttern, and she is a Qye. Of course, it's more reasonable for him to take the side of the King rather than a fairy from a little Kingdom that looks like a child, the child that had barged into the dining room and 'threatened' the King.

How stupid is she?

To think perhaps the Crown Prince would take the side of his future wife, his future protection of the world.

But no, he reminds her once again that she meant nothing inside the palace beside a prisoner.

Elleryn was about to turn around and leave when she heard a few steps coming towards her.

She turns around and faces him.

Aevin.

She takes notice of the way Aevin rubs the back of his neck, his eyes wandering around Elleryn but never looking at her directly. He takes a deep breath before staring at her eyes.

"I... I heard Rydan just now, I mean... you and Rydan", he whispers, looking warily at her.

Elleryn raises her eyebrow, questioning him in silence.

"I don't mean to eavesdrop or something... but-" Aevin eyes look uncertain. As if the words he was about to say would contradict everything he has been told. As if his good intention could actually have the same meaning as pushing a sword on his father's heart, and perhaps laughing on top of that.

He is scared actually, but he had begged him to help. Beg was never inside his mind, for him beg means weakness, and power doesn't need a weakness. Imagine Aevin's face when he begs in front of him, and that will never happen again. So yes, Aevin took the honor of being the first person he ever begs to.

"I'm not sure if it will assure you or not. But on the wedding night, I'll ask Ahron and Deair to keep an eye on your family. I will help too, you know, make sure they're safe? I don't know about Lorra, but I'll ask her as well, but no promises. She will probably laugh at me and make fun of me and everything but-" Aevin shuts himself, not because he doesn't know what to say next, but because Elleryn cries at that moment.

She closes her eyes with both of her fingers, covering her face from Aevin, but he can see the way her body shaking, the tears that she tried hard to hold in.

She cries because she felt grateful at that time.

It's not guaranteed her family will be safe and sound by the end of the night.

But somehow, there's a big heavy rock that's now taken away from her shoulder, letting her breath for a moment before taking on the real problem.

She felt strangely relieved.

At that time, she had someone who would help her.

Well, three people actually.

She wipes her teary eyes and red cheek, before smiling towards Aevin and takes a step to stand in front of him, within a second she takes his hand and smiles warmly at him.

"Thank you" she whispers, then let out a deep breath.