Aselia was all set to leave with Jaguar. They stood in the living room. Jaguar held her bag. Yurian was apprehensive of the idea and had tried to talk her out of it but she insisted on going. He decided to hide the information from Xiran and Frila.

"Partner! Keep your ears covered at all times. Drink your scent-subduing potion every eight hours and stay in contact with me at least once in two hours. If anything goes wrong, call me. If I don’t hear from you every three hours, I will be coming to get you," he repeated the same instructions for the umpteenth time.

"Jeez! Yuri relax. I am not a child and Jaguar is with me. Why are you fretting so much?" Aselia knew about the looming threat but Yurian seemed too stressed out. He was nervously tapping his foot on the floor and his hands were fidgeting.

"You better keep her safe and return her as you are taking. If my sister gets hurt or you broke her heart, I will annihilate you," Yurian threatened with his hands balling up to Jaguar, a low warning growl escaping him.

"Woah! Easy there tiger. It’s only going to be two days filled with fun and activities. Besides, Emeradius is one of the safest cities to exist in our world. She will be safe there and I will guard her with my life. You have my word."

Jaguar kept his tone light so he won’t aggravate Yurian more than he already was.

"Son! Have faith in them. She will be safe, let her have some fun," Esma thumped his back and warmly smiled at Aselia as they hugged for one last time and headed out.

Rony had his tail between his legs as he whimpered in pain, seeing Aselia leave. She bent down and patted him.

"I will be back soon, be a good boy in my absence."

"Woof!" he acknowledged and nodded his head.

Yurian and Jaguar placed the luggage in Yurian’s car as he had decided to take them to the airport.

Jaguar opened the back door for Aselia and she settled inside, waving her hand to Esma who stood in the doorway. Once all of them took their seats they headed off.

Aselia was using black contact lenses and a bandana to hide her eyes and ears. She wore a simple yet elegant lilac dress which fell a little below her knees and an overcoat on top as it was cold.

Reaching the airport, they exited the car and Jaguar grabbed all the luggage. Yurian held her hand and took Aselia to a side. He held her by her arms and whispered so Jaguar won’t hear.

"You can still change your mind. I don’t have a good feeling about this," his agitated hues roamed her face for any signs of reluctance to leave with Jaguar. He found none.

"Yuri! I want to do this. I am tired of being scooped up and being dictated to. I am tired of being alone. Let me have some freedom," she pleaded, her hand patting his shoulder, as a sliver of a smile tugged at her lips and stayed.

"We can enjoy ourselves here, I don’t trust him," he gestured with his hands, his voice falling low seeing her face fall.

"I do and I want to work on this relationship with him," she sighed and closed her turquoise hues, hiding the torments she faced every day. Yurian was stunned, he hadn’t realised she had grown that close to him. This scared him, this will not end well and he knew that in his bones. Xiran will kill him when he finds out. He was going to kill all of them.

"If that’s what you want, then ok. Be safe," he then pulled her into a bone-crushing hug and Aselia squealed in his embrace.

"C...can’t breathe."

"Sorry!" He finally let her go and took a step back from her. It was time for her to leave.

Jaguar reassuringly smiled at her as she joined him. She turned around and waved back at Yurian who seemed extremely glum as if his favourite pet had died.

Soon they were settled in the first-class seats of the plane and Aselia relaxed. She noticed that it was empty except them, which was odd. Jaguar fastened her seatbelt and soon the plane took off.

"Why is it empty?" she asked.

"Because I booked all the seats," he nonchalantly replied.

She found it odd but before she could dwell on it the plane became airborne, Jaguar smoothly took her hand in his and lightly kissed the back of her hand before clearing his throat:

"There are a few things I wanted to tell you, I hope you can hear without ripping my head off for not telling you before. But I was afraid you wouldn’t come along if I did."

Aselia, who had her eyes closed and was trying to relax, found herself stiffening and her head darted towards him, her eyelids fluttering open, giving him a strange look.

"Don’t tell me you have kidnapped me," she joked.

"Nah! The only thing I want to kidnap is your heart," he leaned closer and whispered, his tantalizing gaze instantly falling on her cherry lips. She was nervously nibbling on them.

"Don’t be cheesy. Tell me what you wanted to say," she playfully scolded and he lifted his gaze so their eyes met. He held this longing for her that she had to lower her eyes.

"Leia!" her name felt strange on his tongue. He never used her name before. He gripped her hand tightly so she won’t escape his hold as he began:

"I am King Zohane’s son and I am taking you to meet my family because I like you and hope that you will reciprocate my feelings too. The event is a masquerade ball, held only for us brothers to find a suitable life partner. And I think I have found the one in you, my heart has never beaten for someone like it’s beating for you."

The gravity of his words sunk deep in Aselia and with each word he uttered she wanted to just lower herself in the seat and disappear. This can’t be happening, he was a prince?