Alexander closed his eyes to suppress the sudden feeling that was coursing through his body. He felt as if he could kill a whole battlefield. A hot sensation was coursing through his veins making his blood to almost boil. His sword was still flaming and his eyes bloody red. Damn! He was finding it hard to control this power.

"Your Highness? Are you alright?" One of the knights asked, though at a safe distance. No one wanted to go closer to where Alexander was. Smoke could be seen emanating from his skin. He closed his eyes tightly trying to control the power but it was all in vain. Veins popped on his neck and forehead creating a scary sight that would send fear down the spine of any person.

"Leave!" Alexander roared. It was becoming more harder and the temperature in his body made him feel like he would explode anytime soon. The knights hesitated for a while. They just couldn’t leave the prince in such a condition. If anything happened to Alexander, they would be held accountable. But still, the monster prince in front of them was scaring the heart out of them.

"I said leave!" Alexander said in the same guttural voice. The knights looked at each other, both in fear and confusion. And as if to scare them more, Alexander let out a shrieked roar that sent chills down their spines. And before he could open his eyes again, no one could be seen on the hallway.

His teeth rattled despite the heat in his body and his vision turned blurry. His head felt heavy and the world began to spin around him. He tried to remain awake but the dizziness took over and he was now falling. He braced himself for the pain to come and kissed the cold floor, so hard that his head began to bleed now.

"Alexander!" A familiar voice sounded across the hallway. Alexander turned his head to see a blurry figure of a woman. She was rushing to where he was with a worried expression on her face. She crouched low to where he was and placed her hand on Alexander’s bleeding head. And now that she was up close, Alexander made out her face.

"Roselyn?" He called her in what could be termed as barely a whisper. A sudden pain coursed through his veins so he closed his eyes in clenched teeth trying to suppress it. Damn! He cursed. His vision became blurry again and he was certain he would pass out this time.

"You are going to be alright," Roselyn said in a panic-stricken voice. She looked around to see if she would find some help but no one was around. Strange! She thought. Not even a knight could be spotted. She shifted her gaze towards Alexander and her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. Alexander had already passed out!

Gods no! She looked at his chest and a look of surprise formed on her face. Oh no! It could not be what she was thinking. She placed her finger on his nose and her face grew in surprise. Alexander was not breathing! She placed her ears on his chest and the situation was still the same. Not a dumb sound could be heard from his heart.

Fear registered on Roselyn’s face. She was not ready to lose Alexander when he had just promised to marry her. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed while placing her ears on his chest but still, there was nothing. She did this a few more times but still, there were no positive result.

Roselyn stared at Alexander’s lips and an idea ran across her mind. She knew Alexander might not like it but she had to do this to save his life. It was the last option she had now. She held his nose with one hand and his mouth with the other and after taking a deep breath. But still, no positive results.

Her heart now began beating in fear and anticipation. ’It has to work’. If this failed, her hopes of ever getting a brighter future with Alexander as her husband would all crumble to dust. And what would become of her? A disowned princess living in a neighbour’s kingdom! It wouldn’t take long before she would be kicked out of the kingdom since she would be useless. Not that she was useful though.

She breathed deeply again. She had to do this. After sighing for the nth time, she lowered herself and pushed the air through his mouth for a longer time than before until she became breathless. But again, nothing happened. Oh no! She shook her head in denial and tried again, but still nothing.

She couldn’t believe that this was happening. Where was everyone when she needed them the most? Where was Victoria or Lord Richard? She sat down beside Alexander, hopeless now. Why was the world so unfair to her? First, Alexander broke her heart and then her beloved father disowned her when she just got accepted by Alexander, and now, the person she was about to marry had... died! Tears began streaming down her face uncontrollably as she wallowed in self pity when someone coughed beside her, startling her.

"Alexander!" She exclaimed, almost crashing on him. She hugged him tight as if he would disappear in thin air the next second as tears of joy and relief washed over her face. Alexander stiffened at this. He had just woken and found her seated beside him sobbing uncontrollably when the air choked him, forcing him to cough. And now she was holding him so tight as if her life depended on it. Did she care that much?

After what felt like eternity, Roselyn broke from the hug letting her gaze sweep over Alexander’s body. When she was certain he was okay, she looked him in the eye with a genuinely concerned face. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I.. I thought you had left me. Do you know how scared I was? Thank God you are okay now," she said, caressing his face in a lovely manner. Alexander watched all of it in silence. Roselyn wiped the sweat on his face before she embraced him again when the clicking sound of heels in the hallway caught her attention. She broke from the hug again and turned around to only find a confused queen Victoria. She had now halted on the hallway looking at the scene in disbelief.

"Alexander? What happened?" She asked, walking closer to where the they sat.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her gaze travelling Alexander’s length. Anger boiled within her when she saw the disheveled look on Alexander. His clothes looked bloody and his usually perfectly combed hair was now a mess. His face was laced with injuries but she was glad he was not bleeding.

"Who did this? I’ll have them executed this instant!" She said and clenched her fists tightly. All this while she was just seated in her room thinking about herself when her son was actually at the brink of death? She cursed again and swore to have whoever who did this get killed in the most brutal way.

"No need, Mother. It was a duel, and you know the rules," Alexander said, struggling to stand up now. Roselyn helped him and he offered her a meek smile in turn. He could not protest for heavens sake. Every limb of his body felt heavier and it was now difficult to even walk. His muscled felt sore all over. Whatever that had happened to him, he himself didn’t know, and he sought to find it out. Maybe his mother knew it. It had something to do with his lineage. But again, he was Valorian, and Valorians never wielded such power. And come to think of it, did that mean...? Wait! Could it be that he was Crescian in the first place. But his skin tone was purely Valorian, and so was his looks.

"Even if it was a duel, you are a prince Alex. A crown prince at that! What if something had happened?" Victoria voiced her concerns. Little did she know that Alexander had already died, and come back to live! She would be turning the palace upside down now looking for Gareth. But truth be told, Gareth was not the course of Alexander’s current condition, though he initiated it. And that, Alexander knew more than anyone else.

"Alexander was on the brink of death Your Majesty. You should be glad that I came to save him on time," Roselyn chimed in adopting a prideful tone now. Victoria eyes widened in surprise at that. So it was Roselyn who had saved her son.

"Oh, I don’t know how I can thank you Roselyn. I’ll be forever indebted to you," Victoria said rubbing her hands together.

"No need to be Your Majesty. It was my responsibility and something that every woman would do to save their husband," she said and turned to Alexander for affirmation.