Answers...

"So let's get down to business Jason, shall we" Ralph said with his glare.

"Why are you killing innocent people?"

"Isn't it obvious enough?!" Jason answered with a scoff.

"Sure you want to get to her highness, collect information about her..... the thing I want to know is why?"

Jason stayed silent not breaking eye contact with Ralph and Ralph raised an eyebrow at him.

"staying silent, are we now?.....how bad! we were getting along so well"

again Jason kept his mouth closed

"looks like I am gonna have some fun tonight" Ralph whispered with a voice loud enough to be heard in the empty cell and glanced at the table beside him which was filled with different kind of knives, nails, forceps and all different kinds of torture devices.

Jason followed his line of sight and looked at the table too, gulping hard....looks like he didn't think this through before he let himself get caught...

"Listen here carefully Jason, I want answers and I have my ways to get them out of you, and even if you kept shut, I am going to get these answers from someone else, so the only difference this makes is whether you are going to make this harder on yourself or not"

Jason seemed taken back with Ralph's last words. and he shared a quick look with someone behind Ralph but unluckily for him it wasn't quick enough.

I followed his line of sight just in time to see the guard that opened the cell for us nodding his head at Jason slightly.

looks like we got a little snitch here!

I kept my eyes at the guard for a while observing his behaviour and sure enough he was behaving oddly...

Jason's screams made me turn my head towards him again.

" So are you going to answer me now? how many of you are out there?"

Jason again kept silent while shaking his head and closing his eyes out of pain, but I could tell that he wasn't the one to tolerate too much pain, so later or sooner he is gonna talk.

I ignored the screams of pain coming from jason and again focused on the gaurds around us, I wanted to know how many rats I will have to deal with.

after observing for some time, I didn't find anyone else suspicious so I turned my attention to Ralph.

" This is the last time I am asking you this, how many of you are out there?" Ralph asked with an eerily low voice while shoving a thin piece of wood under what seams like the only nail left on Jason.

"Ahhhhhhhhh"

At this point Jason's screams where the only thing that could be heard in the empty cell

" Stop stop, I will tell you"

" Then you better start talking, you already know my questions" Ralph said while talking a step back allowing jason to have the tiniest hope that he would be spared.

Little did he know how bad this little hope of his is going to shatter soon enough.

" There is five of us" jason said in the most pained voice I have heard in a while.

" Five with or without you"

" Including me"

now that I have gotten what I came here for and that Ralph started getting answers, I had no need to stay here anymore.

I made my way out of the cells and up the stairs, I met lina near my office and asked her to tell Ren to come to my office in 30 minutes.

Ren is the youngest in my team, and Ralph's brother, he joined a few months back after finishing his training, but I still don't trust him entirely, so I don't put him in charge of anything confidential.

I made my way to Jacob's room and knocked softly, just in case he was sleeping, I didn't want to wake him up.

shortly the door was opened and behind stood a mess of Jacob.

" Princes..."

" What happened to you, why do you look like this?"

"Nothing, what are you doing here?"

I ignored his question and asked mine

" Can I come in?"

"go ahead"

Jacob opened the door wider and retreated into his room, I went in and closed the door after me .

I saw jacob setting by the window side, looking deep in thoughts, but there was also guilt in his face, the same guilt he has been trying to hide for ten years.

"Jacob, why aren't you resting? I believe I told you to get some sleep"

his face seemed to twist at my words

he turned his face, looking at me with empty eyes, empty...just like mine

"How can I princess, how can I, knowing that two innocent people died because of me, two young people who had long lives ahead of them who had people who loved them....people who are crying for them"

his voice cracked at his last words and he slammed his hand over his eyes.

Two people, one being the young lady who was killed earlier today, and the other....

I felt a lone tear drop from my eyes, and millions from my heart.

It was me, I caused his death, I killed him.

I shut my eyes tightly and willed my thoughts to still, not to go any further.

" Jacob, It wasn't your faul...."

" But it was Acelina!! it was and it still is, if only I haven't left his side that night, if only I had protectd him like I was supposed to do, It was my duty, it was my duty to die protecting the both of you, but I failed, I failed and he died, he died because of me!!!" Jacob snapped

I saw the tears running down his face, I saw his guilt wash over his eyes, till they weren't empty anymore, there were full, full of guilt.

" If only I had protected him like I was meant to do, he would have been here by your side today, you would have been happy"