Gwen woke up earlier than normal the next morning and did all important chores right before it was time for breakfast. She had a plan in mind and hopefully it works out well.
After dropping a few things in the store room, she headed down the stairs, with one place in mind. The kitchen. She usually avoids going there everyday, but today she knew her entire plan depends on it.
"Sorry, oh- hey." She bumped into someone, immediately realizing it's Nikolai. They don't see each other often again, since she has a lot of duties and work now, considering the fact Luciano isn't helping again but locked up in his room, they were given loads of work.
She remembers their conversation yesterday, a quite heated one though. Her first plan was to try to make Nikolai tell Luciano the truth, she knew for sure Luciano would listen to him but he refused, bluntly. Giving an excuse it was for the sake of Eleanor's safety. Gwen knows well it wouldn't affect her, she hates to see him this way, considering the fact he's hurting a lot of people. It was the only way to save him and the people but he refused, didn't even give her a chance to explain all her ideas to him.
"How're you doing?" Nikolai asked, scratching his hair nervously.
"I'm fine." She replied in a low voice, looking down at her feets.
"Ermm..." He drawled, making her look up at him, noticing his nervousness. "I want to apologize for yesterday, my actions, you must've been hurt. I realized I acted so stupid. I'm really sorry." Gwen only looked up at him plainly, blinking her eyes slowly.
"Okay." She said in a small voice.
"Okay? You've forgiven me?" He looked shocked, seeing she wasn't hurt or angry.
"I didn't say so, but yes." She replied, looking behind him down the stairs impatiently.
"Okay, thank you so much." He kept looking at her confusedly as she stared down at the stairs. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Well yes, I got work to do." She replied with a small chuckle.
"Hey." He held her jaw, gently pulling her to look up at him. "I understand how concerned you might be but this isn't the right time, I'd tell him when the time comes okay? Don't do anything yet."
"Sure." She gave a short reply, taking her eyes away. "Okay I have to go now, see you later." She did not wait for his reply but hurried down the stairs to the kitchen.
"I'm volunteering to serve prince Luciano." Madam Helen turned to look at Gwen, her face mirroring shock.
"What?" She asked in disbelief, she had come to realize how the other maids feared going to him and sometimes she had to do it herself, with just a few maids with her. But Gwen? She also noticed she avoided the kitchen a lot so as not to be called.
"Yes." Gwen replied, standing with her head up high.
"Are you sure about this?" She had a feeling something was wrong but couldn't place her hands on what exactly.
"I am."
"Okay, you can tell the others to go with you, if you need a little assistance."
"No, it's fine. I'll go alone." Now that was one sentence that made Madam Helen suspect her. Why on earth would she decide to go alone to a room of a man who snaps every single second.
Gwen didn't wait for another word from her but grabbed the trays, in her hands, walking out of the kitchen.
It wasn't so easy climbing those stairs but with one determination in mind, she could focus less on the pain in her legs. She walked fast, making sure she didn't see Nikolai along the way.
Her heart was thumping fast against her chest as she walked into the hallway leading to his room. "I'm here to serve the prince his breakfast." The fact these guards at his door didn't let her immediately annoyed her. They could clearly see she was here to give this to him, what's the basic point of questioning her against.
She walked into the room as soon as they opened the door for her, her eyes strained a bit as she tried to see in the dark room. The curtains were down and she wondered why he'd love staying in such a dark room.
Her breath hitched when she sighted him sitting behind the table, his cold gaze on her. She didn't notice him sooner to know better than checking out his room.
"Your high..ness." She bowed and walked to the table, gently dropping the tray on it. Her skin itched and she could feel his cold gaze on her. She turned around to leave suddenly forgetting why she was here in the first place. Maybe because she couldn't stand his deadly look so she had to leave. But as she approached the door, her determination came again and she knew she better do this. Rolling her palm into a fist, she turned around swiftly, walking to his table.
"Uhmm... Your highness. I have something very important to tell you." Ignoring the fear and panic rising in her she raised her head up high, staring eye to eye with him.
"Okay." She muttered to herself, rubbing her palm together when he didn't reply but kept looking at her. "This is really important and I know you might be shocked to hear but I couldn't keep it any longer and decided it's bett-" She paused and stared at him, deciding it was better to skip that speech and go straight to the point before he throws her out or worse, kill her.
"Eleanor didn't die." She waited to see if they'll be a shocked expression on her face but it seemed his cold gaze got deeper. "I mean Eleanor's alive, she escaped." She heaved out a deep sigh when she said that, finally taking her eyes away from him. Hopefully he believes her.
"What did you say?" She almost shivered when she heard his deep cold voice ask, it was almost scaring her from talking.
"Eleanor's alive."
Her eyes were down on her feets when she heard him stand up swiftly and before she could look up she felt hands roughly grab her neck, slamming her against the wall. "What the fuck do you think you're trying to do?"
"Deceive me huh? Make fun of me." She struggled against his hand as all air cut from her lungs.
"No... No.." She managed to speak, her eyes already watering.
"You think this is funny??!!" He yelled, his hands going tighter around her neck.
"No..." Gwen felt weak as it was hard taking a breath, she began regretting why she was here in the first place. "Stop." Now she had no choice but to be with him or he might kill her. His eyes held so much fury she thought it might be futile begging him.
Suddenly the door burst open and Nikolai stepped in, in a rush. "Luciano!" Luciano glared at him as if warning him to stay back.
"Brother put her down." For the first time she saw Nikolai glare back at him. He looked like he wouldn't take it if Luciano hurt her. "Now." He added, glaring hard at him. "She's right oky, she's telling the truth." He looked so desperate now, seeing Luciano wasn't stopping. "Just put her down if you wanna where she is."
Luciano looked at her and back at his brother before dropping her down roughly. Gwen immediately scurried away from him, standing behind Nikolai. "Are you okay, why would you do that?" He asked her while scrutinizing her to see if she was fine.
"I'm fine, I had no choice and you weren't helping either." She replied with a frown. "Go on, tell him." She inclined her head to Luciano who stood before them, staring as if waiting to hear all they had to say.
"I helped her escape." Nikolai began taking a deep breath, and in just a few seconds, he explained everything to Luciano.
"Eleanor's alive." For the first time in these few days, a look of hope flashed on his face, all coldness already disappeared. "Where is she now?"
"Erm, Luciano I think you should-"
"Nikolai shut it and tell me where she is." Luciano snapped, cutting him off.
"Daekhram." Nikolai replied, rolling his eyes.
"You knew just the right place, I'm going to her."
"Wait what?"
"Yes Nikki, I'm going to bring her back." He replied with so much determination in his voice.
"But-"
"No buts Nikolai, leave I better get prepared."
Seeing there was no way he'd change his mind, they had to leave.
"I knew he'd act this way." Nikolai muttered as he walked into the hallway.
"Well I had no choice. Besides, he is happy now." Gwen folded her arms stubbornly with a triumphant look on her face. She swears she had never felt so accomplished ever before, in a meantime she'd see her friend again.
*
"So what did you do here before I came?" Eleanor asked Nalia as they sat in her room, staring outside the window.
"Well, nothing much. I follow Sophia sometimes to the market and go meet Kyla."
"Who's Kyla?" Eleanor asked with brows raised in confusion.
"Just another older woman." She replied with a small chuckle. "She's been sick for a long time since she came to our village some months ago. So a lot of us joined hands to help her but she's getting better though."
"Oh, can I go with you to see her?"
"Sure, but that would be tomorrow. Today we have a lot of work to do and I have to help my father with a little work."
"Okay." Eleanor replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Tomorrow it is then."
*
"What are you doing?" Ariel asked as she walked into Luciano's room, seeing him moving around the room at a fast pace, his wardrobe open and some clothes on the bed with a bag.
"Nothing." He replied plainly, not paying any attention to her.
"Well this says something."
"But it is nothing."
"Luciano-"
"Mother can you just leave?" He snapped, stretching his hands to the door.
"I only came to talk to you about Sabrina-"
"And I don't want to hear it, just leave."
Ariel took a deep breath and shook her head slightly before she turned around exiting the room.
The least he wanted to do was talk about Sabrina right now. He wanted to focus more on his plans to leave for Daekhram, which he'd do tomorrow or probably at midnight.
.
"You're leaving now?" Nikolai asked as he walked into his room by evening, seeing him all prepared.
"No by midnight."
"So how'd you leave, without letting our parents know?"
"I already told them I'm leaving to have a quick break somewhere not too far away." He replied, sitting on the bed.
"Really? And they believe?"
"They had no choice but to." Luciano replied, running his palm on his face. "You're coming with me right?"
"Yeah sure."
"Then better get prepared. We will leave soon."
.
At midnight exactly, they sneaked out of the castle to the woods where Luciano already arranged a chariot. Gwen came along with them also, though Luciano refused after a few minutes of trying to convince him he finally agreed.
The chariot started and Luciano swears he has never felt so much relief, knowing he'd see her again, in just a few hours.