Chapter 5 - Fear


    Thump Thump


    Her heart was racing, it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Ariana''s heart had never beaten


    so fast in her life even if it wasn''t her first time seeing the prince but it was her first time seeing him in


    such a handsome and well-mannered state. Her green orbs were captivated by the handsome figure


    standing in front of her, she couldn''t take her eyes off his golden eyes that stared back coldly.


    "Your royal highness it''s been a while" Duke Marcus greeted with a nod of his head.


    "It has, hasn''t it Duke" Damon replied, his tone was rather cold but respectful towards the duke of his


    kingdom.


    There was an awkward silence between the two when Alice decided to step in.


    "Ariana dear why don''t youpany the prince on his birthday while your sister arrives" Alice ced a


    hand on Ariana''s shoulder snapping her out of her daze.


    "U-uh yes"


    Damon rose an eyebrow at the sudden words Alice spoke. ''Diana hasn''t arrived yet? Tch what is this


    vile woman nning now.''


    Damon knew that Diana always had a trick up her sleeve to try and steal his heart but none ever


    worked and it always ended in humiliating her in the process.


    He scanned the huge crowd full of perfectly dressed nobles looking for any sign of the most ridiculous


    dress he can spot that might be Diana.


    Nevertheless, he wasn''t able to spot her in the crowd. ''so, she hasn''t arrived yet. Tsk she better not


    arrive at all, better for her own good''.


    Meanwhile, outside the castle entrance was a woman pacing back and forward, nibbling on her thumb


    nail.


    ''This was a bad idea. I knew I should have stayed at the mansion and slept through the whole thing''


    Artemis'' fear was growing within her making her hands run cold, her heart leaped into her throat


    blocking the airway making her unable to breath properly.


    The sounds of her heavy breathing echoed in her ears while the pounding of heart was loud.


    She wasn''t even in the midst of the crowd but the sounds and presence of hundreds of people


    gathering in the hall made her tremble.


    The memory of her childhood rushed in her mind causing her to cover her ears blocking the sounds to


    intrude in.


    "Mama" a little girl''s watery red eyes scanned the crowd looking for the woman who lost her.


    "Look at the child"


    "Oh my god she has red eyes"


    "shh keep moving don''t look her in the eye you might get cursed"


    "look a demon child"


    "I would rather kill myself then to have a child like her"


    "Her mother probably left her because she couldn''t bare having a cursed child"


    "Mummy where are you" she sobbed quietly covering her ears from the harsh words from the crowd of


    people passing her.


    "I''m scared"


    "Diana, Diana" Artemis memories faded away when she heard a voice call Diana''s name.


    Her icy blue eyes gazed upon the mysterious man standing before her. His glittering silver eyes


    showing concern towards her. He had white hair that shined under the light of the moon and his snow-


    white skin beamed with light. He looked like a man in his early 20s, tall figure and his face features


    were very handsome. His appearance reminded her the description in the novel of the crown prince of


    Ventus, Neil Vnt.


    -shback-


    Neil''s silver eyes watched the waltz from affair, watching them twirl around from the corner of the room


    with a ss of champagne in his hand. He had no interest ofmunicating with any of the aristocrats


    or royals that attended the crown prince of Aureum birthday banquet neither was he interested the


    celebration itself. He was forced to attend by his parents due to forming a friendship with the Kingdom


    to prevent wars in the future generation.


    Even if the ball room was huge with open air, he was suffocating from the hot venttioning from


    the crowd. He needed air before he passed out.


    turning his heels, Neil was making his way to a balcony nearby avoiding people on his way there


    because he was not interested in listening to fathers praising their daughters in front of him so he will


    choose one of their daughters as his future wife.


    He rather be single for the rest of his life then have a wife that will cling to him every day like a fly


    attracted to stinky shit.


    "Prince Neil" hearing a familiar voice he stopped in his tracks and span around.


    In front of him was none other then the princess of Drakon, Bedelia. Her long ming red coloured hair


    was styled beautifully in a crown matching her amber orbs on her milky white skin. She was someone


    he definitely didn''t want to see at the ball at all.


    He himself never liked the princess to begin with. She was short tempered like her brother, she has a


    rude and clingy behaviour something he despised about women.


    Yet the thing that made him destast her very existence was that whatever caught her interest she will


    do whatever it takes to have it and sadly for him, he was one of them.


    She was a spoilt 17 year old brat with a mindset of a 5 year old.


    "Bedelia" only royals were allowed to call other royals by their first names. It was prohibited for lower


    statues to call them by their first name as it will be a crime.


    "I was looking for you everywhere" she battered her eyes at him.


    His lips twirled in disgust although he hid it well "but I wasn''t" he turned around but to be stopped by


    gentle hand.


    Neil eye twitched while jerking his hand away from the blushing princess. "Please keep your hands to


    yourself Bedelia as I do not belong to you"


    The people around them stopped what they were doing to have their attention on the two royals.


    Bedelia blushed from embarrassment, sinking her head down.


    Quickly, Bedelia changed the situation around "Oh Neil my feet hurt from all that walking can you escort


    me to a ce to seat" she said innocently, fanning herself as she acted like a damsel in distress.


    The nobles assumed it was just a talk between the two so they ignored them and went back to what


    they were doing earlier.


    Neil however patted a nearby butler with a tray of champagne in his hand. "The Princess ims she


    has sore feet. Escort her somewhere she can take a rest" he ordered. The butler bowed, obeying the


    Prince''s''mand.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "Your royal highness, follow me"


    "No" She swatted his hand away aggressively something a princess should not do. "I want Neil to


    escort me not a puny servant"


    While she was distracted on the butler, Neil slipped through the crowds disappearing from her sight.


    Drinking alone on the balcony, feeling the cool breeze brush against his skin as he watched the stars


    shoot across the dark sky was what Neil enjoyed doing right now. Away from the nosy, gossiping and


    self-absorbed aristocrats especially the Drakon''s princess brat, Bedelia.


    It was sigh of relief for him enjoying the pleasant moment to himself as he thought of what he was


    going to do with his sick little brother.


    He was enjoying his peace and quiet when suddenly something caught the corner of his eye.


    Shifting his gaze away and to the far figure in front of the carriage he saw a woman in a navy-blue


    dress, hunched down and clutching her head.


    He squinted his eyes to get a better vision of the person.


    There was the familiar silver white hair that only the water user''s are born and were only born in the


    kingdom of Isvand. The only person that ever had the hair colour in this kingdom was the former


    Duchess of Aureum. Marianna Lanchester.


    Realisation hit him like a stone hitting the back of his head. The figure  was none other then Diana


    cies.


    "tch it''s just her" he stared at her in hatred. Neil knew what kind of woman Diana was. A shameless one


    in fact. So eager to have every prince under her feet because she was beauty.


    Gritting his teeth, Neil turned away from the horrid sight that made him gag and went back to staring at


    the night sky.


    ''Please make it stop'' the whimpering voice of Diana ringed in his ears. The wind had carried her


    whispers to his ears, an ability he had to hear from affair by just listening to the winds.


    ''I''m not a demon. I''m not cursed, I''m human just like you. so please stop'' her voice held fear.


    Neil gave her a side look. She looked pitiful standing there whimpering in fear.


    Giving in he leaped from the balcony, using his wind magic hended softly on the in grassy field as


    he made his way towards Diana.