"A test?" Elliana stepped away from Nathaniel, and the latter looked at her with a nod.
The disbelief and disappointnt in her eyes were clear, but it was better than her blaming herself for everything happening around her that was becoming painful to watch and feel.
"Your mom wanted to see if you would be able to protect yourself against normal attacks from a few witches and -"
"Did that woman ask these witches to call an evil cunning spirit?" Elliana asked, cutting Nathaniel mid-sentence, finally looking around herself, her gaze eting Azura, who shook her head with wide eyes.
Azura’s form trembled with sadness.
Her heart broke when her daughter called her ’that woman’ rather than calling her mom or mother. She couldn’t take this misunderstanding either.
"My daughter, I would never ask soone to call you -"
Azura stopped speaking and flinched visibly when Elliana raised her hand in the air.
"So it was all your plan," Elliana shook her head before her gaze fell on Nathaniel’s hands which had little bruising and were healing slowly since his focus was on her.
A mocking smile full of sadness appeared on her lips as she looked at the only man who stayed by her side no matter what.
"She hurt you too? To keep you away from so that you couldn’t co here to help , right?" Elliana asked.
Nathaniel wanted to shake his head to tell her this wasn’t the truth, but the realization in her eyes indicated that she knew what it was and he didn’t want to lie to her knowing how much she hated lies.
"It was for your welfare, Elliana," Nathaniel grabbed her shoulders, but Elliana jerked his hand away, stepping away while shaking her head.
She couldn’t believe that he was taking that woman’s side.
What if she hadn’t retaliated and decided to go along the way? Till when those witches would’ve stopped? After hurting Prince Vincenzo? What if they had ended up killing him?
It would’ve been fine if she were alone, but knowing all too well that she had company, and she might not use her powers... They still did that. Elliana wiped her rogue tears furiously.
"What welfare, Nathaniel? Hmm? Please make understand because it’s getting really ssed up in my head. What welfare are we talking about?" A tear rolled down from her eyes again.
"No, wait. Let break the events for you to make it easy," Elliana placed her hand in front of her in an indication to stop everyone from nearing her.
She pointed her finger at her so-called mother before scoffing sadly.
"This woman cos to et in the na of being my well-wisher with a hidden agenda of sacrificing for so kind of spell. I Later found out that she was my mother and she probably found out at the sa ti. But after that, rather than trying to co and and things with , she sends witches to attack in the na of so test," Elliana turned to Azura, looking straight into her eyes.
"Was sorry so hard to say for your ego, Queen Azura? Was it against your principles? Even if it wasn’t sorry, coming to and saying ’beta, I want to explain everything to you’ was too hard?" Elliana asked Azura, who bowed down in sha.
She knew she was wrong here. It wasn’t like she didn’t try. She didn’t even rember how many tis she practiced the sorry and explanation speech in her head, but every ti she would appear near Elliana, she lost the courage to say it.
She couldn’t bear to see the hatred in her daughter’s eyes for herself. She already lost everything, she couldn’t lose her daughter too.
Azura’s eyes brimd with tears that she quickly blinked away. She wasn’t allowed to cry. She was the queen of the dark witches for god’s sake.
Elliana smiled sadly when she noticed her mother was still not saying anything and just standing there like a statue.
"You can’t say sorry? But I can. I am sorry, Nathaniel. I am sorry that I can’t seem to understand the logic behind what you guys are doing. It’s hurting . In two days, I will be separated from Mr. Marino too. Please show so rcy. Please," Elliana fell on her knees, covering her face with her hands.
She didn’t want to cry in front of the lady who wanted to kill her. They didn’t deserve to see her breaking like this.
Nathaniel extended his hand to hold her, but Elliana’s whimpering form stopped him from doing anything as he saw her breaking in front of him.
"I don’t expect any humanity from anyone towards . I am not a human anymore, but please show so rcy as a living creature. That’s the least I expect from my friend, who turned out to be my brother," Elliana raised her gaze to et Nathaniel.
"I am sorry if my words are hurting you and your stepmother, Nathaniel. I am sorry that you have to suffer along with , and I swear if it was in my hands I would end it all. Your miseries that start with , I will end them all. I will go far away from -" Elliana didn’t complete her sentence and vanished into thin air, making Nathaniel’s throat clogged with sadness.
"Elliana!" Nathaniel’s pupils dilated when he saw her vanishing and clenched his hands by his side.
"Are you happy? Your daughter passed the test. As you had expected her to, she stood by your expectations. You can celebrate now," Nathaniel said to Azura before leaving her with her witches, making the lady fall to the ground.
She didn’t want things to turn this way either. All she wanted was to prepare her daughter for the worst. Her sisters won’t stop at anything when it cos to hurting her daughter and using her, and they would keep sending witches to attack her now that their secret was out in the open.
She just wanted to test her daughter and nothing more.
"I just want to prepare you for what is coming, baby. I know I won’t be able to beco a good mom to you anymore. No matter how hard I try, but even after that, I will do anything in my power to protect you. I am ready to take all your hatred if it ans you will be safe. That’s the least I can do for you," Azura whispered, wiping her tears.
anwhile, Elliana, who didn’t know where she wanted to go, imagined in her mind what peace would feel like at the mont and let the powers lead her.
Unknowingly, she appeared in front of Sebastian’s main office, behind the pillar, and her heart ached painfully when she recognized the dress of the guards as she looked up.
She looked down at her clothes and once she ensured she was dressed properly, she left a ssage for Vincenzo that she left the place and was at the palace and he didn’t need to worry about her.
With a soft sigh, she touched her cheeks which were wet once again.
"Princess?" She heard a familiar voice, and she warily stepped out from behind the pillar and looked at Garry, who raised his brows at her.
"I was making a wild guess, but it’s indeed you. Are you here to et the Prince? He is in a eting," Garry paused.
"But he will make ti for you for sure. This way, princess," Garry said, but Elliana shook her head.
She looked at the building behind him with a soft sigh when she saw Mr. Marino walking in the corridor.
"I don’t want to disturb him," Elliana smiled softly, but Garry could see the tears in her eyes and he stepped forward to block her from everyone’s gaze, keeping a respectful distance from her.
"Did sothing happen, Princess? Do you want us to deal with it? If you don’t want to worry the prince with it, you can tell . I vow my loyalty to you and will protect you," Garry gave her his best reassuring smile.
Elliana smiled.
’I swear if I ever saw a dark witch, I will shred her with my bare hands,’ Elliana rembered Garry saying once, and she couldn’t help but smile at the irony of the situation.
Will he plead the sa loyalty to her once he finds out his princess was a dark witch and probably belonged to a clan that planned the recent attack?
"It’s nothing worth worrying about. I just missed him a bit. I am acting a bit too girly, no?" Elliana wiped her tears before she nodded at Garry and turned around to walk away.
She walked for so distance before hiding in a dark alley and imagining where Dexter might be so she could go and talk to him.
No matter how much pain she was in, the least she could do was ensure her close ones weren’t hurt.
Reviews
All reviews (0)