Chapter Eleven

"Nicholas!" I called him while running towards him.

When I got close he turned around looking at me, and then I noticed that it wasn't Nicholas.

It was my half-brother, Prince Noah.

He had a surly expression on his face when he noticed it was me. "Huh. I remember about you. You were the servant boy Nicholas was talking to back then."

I quickly bowed respectfully and greeted him. "I greet Your Royal Highness, Prince Noah."

'I did it right?' I asked myself.

I've never had done this before. I have read how to greet nobles and the royal family in a book, Lena never taught me so.

When I raised my head, Prince Noah was still staring at me with his arrogant gaze.

"What is your name?" He asked.

It isn't surprising that he forgot my name.

"...I am Alex." I said.

"Alex what?" Prince Noah asked raising one of his eyebrows.

"It is just… Alex. I don't have a surname." I explained.

"Tsk. You are really a low life, aren't you? How could Nicholas even say you were his friend?" He asked with a disgusted face.

'I can ask you the same. How can I have such an arrogant brat as my brother?' Of course, I couldn't say that.

"I heard that you were calling for Nicholas. Did you mistake me for him? Even though he called you his friend he didn't tell you that he went back to his home? It has been more than a month already since he left and you don't even know that?" Prince Noah asked me crossing his arms, looking down on me.

I knew he was trying to make me feel bad, but I ignored it. "Nicholas told me that he was going back to his home before he left… I just don't know when he will be back. I am sorry for my mistakes, your Highness. I will leave now." I said giving a quick bow.

I tried to turn back, but Noah called me again. "Where are you going? I didn't let you go."

"Is there anything you need, Your Highness?" I asked politely, though I actually wanted to punch his arrogant face.

Prince Noah looked at me in the eyes, and with a scary smile, he answered.

"Yes, there is."

Prince Noah made me follow him in silence, without letting me know where he was guiding me. We were still on the outside, getting far and far away from the palace.

I noticed that Prince Noah was going in the direction of the forest inside of the walls of the palace.

"Are you… I mean, is your Highness sure to where you are going?" I asked, anxious.

Noah didn't even look back when he answered. "Just follow me."

In silence, I kept following him through the forest. It was getting dark, and I started to get scared, but I kept following him. I was hoping that I could get close to Prince Noah in some way before Nicholas come back, so Prince Noah wouldn't trouble us anymore. That is why I followed him, now I'm regretting it.

After a few minutes of walking through the forest, which seemed more like hours, Noah stopped walking and turned at me.

Crossing his arms and with a bossy tone, Prince Noah said. "I still didn't accept you as Nicholas's friend! So, to prove your worth, you have to spend five nights here in the forest. If you survive, then I will accept your worth to be Nicholas's friend."

I didn't say anything. I was too surprised to even react.

'Who does he think he is? Well, he is a prince, but still! Sentencing a child to be alone in the forest for five days, isn't a death sentence?' I thought in disbelief.

"So, good luck!" Prince Noah said that with a fake smile on his face, and then passed through me, walking back from where we came. But then he quickly turned back and pointing at me he said. "Don't follow me!"

Then Prince Noah walked away until I couldn't see him anymore.

I couldn't believe that Prince Noah just left me in the middle of the forest during the night, so he could prove my "worth".

"Does he think I am stupid or something? I won't stay here not even one night!" I said, mad.

Quickly I walked from where we came. But, when Prince Noah brought us here he came by a strange path, turning left and right so many times. Thinking on that now, he was making that on purpose, so I couldn't find my way back.

Though I didn't know the way to leave the forest, I knew that the forest was not that big. We walked for just a few minutes, so I wasn't that deep through the forest. If I keep walking in the same direction I will easily find my way out of here.

"Ouch!"

I shouted as I tripped over a tree root. It was too dark, it was hard to see where I was stepping to.

'Maybe I should use my light magic, no one is around so that is fine.'

But, when I was about to use my magic to light my way, I heard someone screaming.

"AHHHH!"

Curious I followed the direction from where the voice came, it was pretty close to me.

Then, I found who screamed before. It was him, Prince Noah.

"Prince Noah?! Are you alright?" I asked, worried.

Noah had fallen into a big hole, it was too deep for a child like him to climb the way out by himself.

"...I-I'm fine." Prince Noah said after getting up from the ground.

Quickly I stretched my arm as far as I could. "Here, hold my hand, Your Highness! I will help you."

For some reason Noah just stared at me, hesitating for a moment before he held my hand firmly.

"Argh!" Using both hands, with all my strength, I pulled Noah out of the hole.

"We…Did... it." I said panting, fallen on the ground, trying to catch my breath.

Prince Noah was sitting next to me, he seemed to be a bit shocked. But, then I noticed that he was staring at one of his legs. His right knee was bleeding.

"You are bleeding, Your Highness!" I said, worried.

"I know. Stop pointing the obvious." Prince Noah said mad.

I got up from the ground and then I reached out my hand to him. "But, can you stand, Your Highness? Here, I will help you."

Prince Noah ignored my hand, and just got up by himself. "There is no need. I don't need your help."

"A-Alright then… Let's go back to the palace, Your Highness needs to take care of your wound." I said.

Prince Noah just nodded. But, when he tried to walk he almost fell, but I held him.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" I asked, worried.

"I-I am… But my knee." Prince Noah said looking at his right knee in pain.

"Lean on me Your Highness, so it will be easier for you to walk." I said holding him tight.

This time, he accepted my help and did as I told him, carefully we walked together.

I know it would be better if I carried him on my back, but I know that I am too weak for that.

"Does Your Highness know the way out? So we could leave here faster that way." I asked him.

But, Prince Noah stayed quiet. Then, he said pretty low, I wouldn't hear him if he wasn't so close to me. "...no."

I couldn't believe that this brat tried to fool me, but then he fooled himself as well.

I sighed. "I see… So, Your Highness will have to endure a little longer, until we can find the way out of here."

Prince Noah gave a weak nod. And then, we kept walking, unsure of where we were going.

"...We did it!" I said, relieved.

It took us a while, but we finally found our way out of the forest. I was exhausted from having to hold the weight of someone else for this long, but Prince Noah couldn't keep going without me.

Now, without the trees blocking the moonlight, I could see him better. He was pale and his right knee was bleeding a lot, there was blood even on his shoes.

'He must be feeling a lot of pain right now.'

"Your Highness, maybe it would be better for you to stay here. I will run to the palace and call for help." I suggested.

But Prince Noah held me even tighter. "Don't leave me alone… Please."

It was the first time he looked into my eyes without an arrogant look.

"A-Alright. Then, please, endure a little bit longer, Your Highness." After saying that, I held him firmly and we started walking again.

"Prince Noah!"

"What happened to you, Your Highness!?"

"Your Highness is bleeding! Someone call the doctor!"

As soon as we got close to the main door, guards and then other servants quickly arrived worried about Prince Noah.

They didn't even care about my presence.

Taking advantage of the turmoil, when I saw that Noah was in good hands, I quickly left.

Back in my room, I was still worried about Prince Noah. Though, I knew he was a prince, so he should have the best doctors of this nation taking care of him, and his injury wasn't that worrisome.

But, I still couldn't stop seeing the image of him asking me to be by his side. He seemed to be in a lot of pain.

'Well, he is my brother after all. Maybe that's why I am so worried about him.' I realized.

At least, I hope that after all that happened tonight, Prince Noah forgets about me, and stops getting into me and Nicholas from now on.