Unmasked

~ Belle, Luxeville ~

" So what now your highness? Do you still think she's innocent?" Ava asked Prince Kinsey with a quirked brow, slightly tilting her head towards Candy at the same time.

Prince Kinsey felt a major shift in the rhythm of his heartbeat which was irregular already.

Candy on the other hand repeatedly shook her head, while she muttered a couple of words under her breath.

Turning his head to look at Candy, Prince Kinsey opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't filter through the questions in his head, so the words that would come out of his mouth will make any meaning.

" Want me to help you with the questions?" Ava asked Kinsey with a look of 'I told you so'. Since she got no reply, Ava turned to Candy, raising the syringe to her face she asked, " Would you mind explaining how and why this was under your shirt?"

" I don't.... I don't_"

" You don't know?" Ava asked. " You don't how you managed to have a syringe under your shirt? Have you forgotten you explained the 'rules' of the competition to the prince and that there was no mention of the use of a syringe. Or was it just in case of necessity?" she asked.

Taking a step further, Ava looked intently at Candy who seemed very tensed up. Exhaling, Ava continued, " I mean, since you didn't bring a disguise along, so the prince wouldn't think you expected him to agree, there was no need in bringing something as irrelevant as a syringe, right Prince Kinsey?'' Ava asked, turning to face the Prince who stood like a picture frame.

Moving closer to the prince, Candy grasped his hooded sweatshirt by the arm. " Please don't listen to her my prince. It's not what you think, I swear." she pleaded.

" What is it then? Huh?" Kinsey asked in a weak voice as he looked down on Candy with a nearly unreadable eyes. If not for the fact that his voice gave away his bare desolate mood, both ladies would've thought he felt indifferent.

" I... I don't know... it's_ It's just that_''

" Don't worry Candy Davidson, we're not done yet.'' Ava butted in.

" What do you mean?" Prince Kinsey asked, turning to look at Ava.

'' Have you forgotten the reason why I patted her down in the first place your highness?" Ava asked, expecting the Prince to recall vividly.

Without waiting for a response, Ava continued, " Don't worry because she's gonna pat me down as well. I'm the reason for the whole thing, aren't I?"

Suspending her hands in the air, " Go on." Ava urged Candy.

Due to the pretentious show Candy was putting on, her gaze flickered from Kinsey to Ava before she bent her head as a tear dropped.

Ava simply scoffed, while Prince Kinsey wondered why she was crying when he had neither confirmed anything nor had he decided what he was to do if Ava's claims turned out to be true.

But he said nothing anyways.

'' I'm waiting." Ava stated.

Candy, realizing that she had no other option, then wiped her face with the back of her palm before she took two steps to stand right in front of Ava.

Prince Kinsey was about to turn around when Ava stated, " You don't have to look away your highness."

The prince however did not find it ideal, so he turned nevertheless - not like that was the only reason.

Candy on the other hand began touching Ava in a rather suggestive manner, so she could pin something on her as well.

While all of that was going on, the prince began to process all that was unfolding before his eyes, then took a daring decision.

*

After what seemed like a minute or two, Candy spoke up, " I'm done." she said.

Prince Kinsey then turned to face the both ladies. They were both still in one piece, so he didn't bother to inspect either of them.

" Let's go." Prince Kinsey said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Ava, knowing she was very much the one to lead the way nodded slightly before she proceeded to leave through the direction Kinsey and Candy intended to take earlier. Without a word, the pair followed behind.

Prince Kinsey also ensured that he was behind Candy.

-

When they got to a garden after a couple minutes, Ava came to a halt. Candy almost sighed in relief, seeing that it was not the building she arranged to carry out her plans.

" Don't sigh in relief yet." Ava advised, disrupting Candy's thoughts and startling her as well.

" Why are we here?" The prince asked.

" A minute your highness." Ava said. '' Give me your phone." she went on to instruct Candy.

" Why would I_"

" Just hand it over...please Elle." Prince Kinsey said, without meeting her gaze.

Exhaling deeply, Candy handed her phone to Ava. But Ava did not receive it immediately, instead she asked Candy to input her password first. Candy sluggishly did that before she handed the phone to Ava.

Taking a deep breathe, Ava hoped her plan would not turn against her. And so, she began typing away.

A few seconds later, after Ava was done typing, the phone pinged. Her lips curved into a smile while she read the message.

" A minute, your highness." She said with a bright smile that greatly bothered Candy. Since Candy handed the phone to Ava, she had been clenching her fists in anger.

But she still kept her cool because she thought Ava might not have known everything, and so she still had to convince the prince to make him trust her again, so her plans would see the light of day.

She also hoped her men would not be so foolish, since she was sure Ava was texting them in her name. Candy very much intended to kill Ava after she was done with the prince.

Prince Kinsey on the other hand stood like he was a wall. At this point, all he was waiting on was the actual truth - proof, actually. He wanted proof, from Candy especially. He wanted her to be proven innocent, he wanted everything to be all a misunderstanding. That was what he wanted.

Just as Prince Kinsey was ruminating over that, Candy's phone pinged again. Ava then glanced at the lit screen with a smile and a bare sigh of relief, before handing it over to Prince Kinsey who hesitated to take it from her.

He understood the smile on Ava's face meant she had confirmed her... No. That was impossible! Or was it not?

Closing his eyes, the prince took a deep breathe before he turned his head to look at Candy who's brows were furrowed - an expression he did not expect to see on her face.

Nonetheless, Prince Kinsey proceeded to glance through the content of what Ava gestured him to look at. Barely 10 seconds later,

Prince Kinsey's eyes widened in shock as his chest heaved up and down, irregularly! With the same petrified expression, Prince Kinsey raised his head to meet Ava's gaze. What he had just read almost brought him to his knees.

Suddenly,

With undisguised displeasure and anger, Candy snatched the phone from the Prince's hand. Glancing at the screen, she then realized there was no need for the make believe act anymore.

Turning his head to look at Candy, Prince Kinsey tried his best to say something.

" Elle? You wanted to... you really....you.. wanted to..."

" Yes!" Candy exclaimed. " I was going drive a chunk of Ice through your skull so it melts and leaves no trace behind! And so what!? Huh!?" Candy asked, as she began to feel irate.

" There should be no surprise there Kinsey! Your father is a murderer and I'm gonna make him pay! His decision cost my dad's life and mine is gonna cost his son's!" Candy shouted.

Prince Kinsey who was finding it hard to breath, dug his fingers into the flesh of his palm. That was his own way of preventing a tear from rolling down his cheek.

Ava didn't know what to say at this point. But she certainly felt pity for Prince Kinsey and utter disgust at Candy's words.

" I will make your miserable father suffer!" Candy exclaimed again.

" Elle..." Prince Kinsey whispered weakly.

" Don't call me Elle. My name is Candy! Candy Davidson. That's the name my deceased father gave me!" Candy said.

" How...why.. How could you harbor such thoughts_"

" Oh they're not all mere thoughts Prince Kinsey! Killing is what I hallucinate! It's what I dream about every day! It's what I do! And I do it rootlessly!'' Candy announced with utmost pride.

" I know Candy. I've known you for...a while now." Ava chimed in.

Turning to her, Candy raised a corner of her lips before speaking, " And you, thanks for reminding me you exist."

" I think I'm going to have to kill you myself as well. You're a pain in the neck." she added.

" How? How do you intend to do that?" Ava asked with a quirked brow, like she didn't already see everything coming.

" My men will come looking for me, in no less than 2 minutes." Candy stated with a smirk. The message Ava had sent earlier was going to prompt them to do that. For a moment Candy wondered why Ava did that, but she was immediately distracted.

" And we'll wait for them to arrive won't we?" Ava who was the only one who could speak asides Candy, asked.

" You can't escape either." Candy countered.

" Why?" Ava asked.

" Tell me Kinsey can take to his heels in this state.'' Candy asked in a challenging manner.

" He can. He's a prince, and he's stronger than you think." Ava replied.

" Is that true... your highness?" Candy asked turning to Prince Kinsey with a sly smile before she went ahead to speak further.

" Listen Ava. I'm not an idiot, nor am I a fool. I made 'provisions' for a possible escape. And lucky enough for me, my nest is just around the corner." Candy said with a smile, looking from Prince Kinsey to Ava.

" So if you try to escape, you might cease to have a leg, just before you die." Candy added feeling proud of herself.

" I see you have everything planned out already." Ava commented.

" I do. Especially how you're gonna die. So, you can run if you like. You'll only make it fun for me." Candy stated.

" Tell me what you I don't know about you Candy Davidson. Tell me how darker you can get." Ava said with a straight face.

" Oh you don't even know_"

" Tell me how you lied to the Prince about how old you are. How you subtracted 6 years from your actual age, when you had just met him. Or how you lied about being from Luxeville, when you're actually from Auroria? " Ava asked with a quirked brow, while Prince Kinsey wondered if the lies had a limit.

" How do you know so much about_"

" ...when no one knows this much about you, isn't it?" Ava added.

" Let's just say I'm mystery herself." Ava stated. " And asides that, I have been of value to the Prince." she added before taking a step backwards, maintaining eye contact with Candy.

" Hands in the air!" one of Candy's men shouted. Prince Kinsey and Ava who saw it coming briefly exchanged glances before they both raised their hands, simultaneously.

" Don't move!" Another instructed. They were about 5 in number, so neither Ava nor Prince Kinsey tried to put on a show. They wouldn't have done that, even if Candy was the only one asides the both of them.

Candy then crossed her hands before jerking her head. Two of her men were about to sieze the Ava and Prince Kinsey when they heard the commanding voice of someone else,

" Hands in the air!"