Theodore

TW: Gore

The knight leading the magical carriage halts before Wreigh Academy, situated in the neutral part of the capital—a place frequented by low-ranking nobles and commoners alike.

Glancing somewhat uncomfortably around me, I take notice of the dozens of students gaping at the kingdom’s crest engraved upon the carriage, announcing that a member of the Royal Family is within. They cannot discern that Josh and I are inside, thanks to a magic spell obscuring the interior from outside view, yet I still feel restless, for it is the first time I have ever been in this part of the capital.

“These people are strange. I fear they might kill us and steal the carriage,” Josh murmurs beside me, just as nervous as I am. “This is a dreadful mistake. Let us return to the palace and raid your father’s wine cellar instead.”

After a brief moment of thought, I decide to comply. However, just as I am about to instruct the knight to take us back to the palace, a red-haired girl with brown eyes draws my attention. Even though she is departing through the academy gates alongside the other students, she appears alone and somewhat distressed.

I observe her intently, curiosity stirring within me.

“What? What are you looking at?” Josh follows my gaze, and it is then that he sees the commoner girl for the first time. “Is that redhead the girl who collided with you this morning?” he asks, surprised, before breaking into a slow, knowing smile. “Now everything makes sense. That is why you did not punish her and chose to keep her books. The commoner girl is stunning,” he remarks.

“Why is she wincing? She seems to be in pain,” I observe, still watching her as she walks slowly, ignored by those around her.

“Well, that is none of our concern,” Josh replies, shrugging. “Let us return to the palace.”

Before I can stop myself, I leave the carriage and stride toward the girl, frowning. In the blink of an eye , a vast tumult rises at my appearance, causing the commoners and low-ranking nobles to panic, scream, and rush toward me in an attempt to express their admiration, some even flirting shamelessly. I give them a stern gaze in return, causing the commotion to immediately cease as everyone drops to their knees, their heads bowed low to the ground.

I turn my attention to the girl, who does not appear to notice the chaos around her as she continues to walk with her head bowed.

Is she crying?

“You were not exaggerating when you said the girl does not care for you,” Josh comments, laughing.

“Mikaela?” I call out her name.

Finally, she lifts her gaze to meet mine, tears streaming down her cheeks. My immediate reaction to the sight is to frown as a flood of worry surges through me.

“Why are you crying?” I step closer to her.

Her tears continue to fall as she opens her mouth in confusion, her eyes widening when she sees me standing before her and speaking to her. She immediately drops to one knee, but the moment she does, a low cry of pain escapes her trembling form, and she winces, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Are you injured?” I ask, gently taking hold of her arm to help her rise. Yet she winces again, opening her eyes only to lower them toward the ground.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Are you here to punish me for knocking into you this morning?” she whispers.

I scowl at her question and raise her chin to meet my gaze, but she immediately averts her eyes. I cannot blame her, though, for it is considered disrespectful for a commoner to look directly into the eyes of royalty, often resulting in severe punishment such as death.

“Look at me, girl. I am not going to harm you,” I command, my voice firm yet steady. When she does not obey and continues to stare downward, irritation and confusion well within me—it is the first time in twenty-one years that anyone has dared disobey me.

How dare she ignore me? I am the crown prince. She must heed my commands.

“Mikaela, it is an order. Look at me,” I say, my tone graver and colder this time.

She flinches and slowly lifts her gaze, our eyes meeting at last—her haunting, sorrowful brown eyes, drained of life. I find myself taken aback by how empty they appear.

“Why are you crying?” I press, unable to mask the urgency in my voice.

“Is that blood?” Josh suddenly interjects, pointing at her tunic, which is stained red and dripping.

Horrified, I swiftly turn her around and freeze, my chest tightening with disbelief and rage as her tunic clings to her back, revealing deep, jagged wounds carved into her skin.

For White Dragon’s sake. What are these wounds? It is no wonder she is crying.

I turn her to face me, gazing deeply into her eyes. “Who did this to you, and why?” I demand.

Once again, the stubborn girl refuses to answer. Though, at least she maintains my gaze, exhibiting a courage I have never encountered before, even amongst the nobility.

“Answer me, girl. Who did this to you, and why?” My voice grows more insistent, filled with a fury at her defiance and anger toward whoever is responsible for inflicting this pain upon her.

“Why do you care, Your Highness?” she finally speaks, her voice distant, indifferent, and unsettling, much like her eyes.

She is right. Why do I even care? She is a commoner, a nobody. So why?

Unfamiliar emotions swirl within me, leaving me confused and perplexed. I cannot understand why I feel such anger, as I do not typically concern myself with commoners, and I certainly do not care when one is hurt or sad. Yet, there is something about her indifference toward my presence that intrigues me, and I cannot help but wonder why, because that has never happened before.

I glance around and see the royal knights arriving on horseback, quickly dismounting and rushing toward me to restore order and keep the stunned crowd at bay. They are undoubtedly questioning why I am here at Wreigh Academy, why I am conversing with a commoner girl who appears so alone and neglected, and, of course, why I am touching her while expressing concern.

“Can I go now, please?” the girl pleads.

Why does she not obey me like everyone else? Why is she not shaken by the fact that I am the crown prince of this kingdom? What is wrong with her?

“No, you cannot. You shall come to the palace with me, for you require medical attention,” I declare.

What am I saying? Why am I insisting she accompany me to the palace? I have never taken a lady there before, not even Yasmin has ever been invited.

“What?” Josh gapes at me, clearly in shock.

The same disbelief reflects in the eyes of the knights and the students gathered around us.

“No, Your Highness. I won’t come with you,” the girl murmurs, her gaze distant.

Did she just refuse me?

Gasps of surprise ripple through the crowd, and I am equally stunned by her audacity.

“By the White Dragon. That strange girl just disrespected the prince. She’ll surely be thrown to the crocodiles,” one girl sneers, her voice dripping with disdain. “Her death would suit her because she’s nothing but a nobody anyway.”

I scowl at the venomous whispers circulating about her.

“Are you going to punish her, Theo? She actually said no to you,” Josh wonders aloud, his curiosity piqued as he waits to see how I will respond.

I glance back at the girl, my frown deepening as I struggle to decide what my next move shall be. To be honest, I am so disoriented, shocked, and enraged that I cannot think clearly.

Perhaps I ought to send her to the crocodiles after all, for she is defying me in public, and her stubbornness is infuriating.

“Please… just let me go home. My dad will kill me if I arrive late for dinner,” the girl pleads.

“No. You shall come to the palace with me,” I decide. “Josh, you will ride with one of the knights, and the girl shall ride in the carriage with me.” I glance at Josh, who looks utterly stunned.

“Are you serious? Are you truly taking a commoner girl to the palace and letting her sit in your carriage while she is bleeding?”

I disregard his question and turn to the girl. “Come,” I command, taking her hand and beginning to walk. However, she resists and pulls it away.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Your Highness, but I told you I can’t because I must go home,” she protests, her voice shaking.

I am furious now, and what little patience I possessed has entirely evaporated. I seize her hand once more, pulling her with me, my grip tightening as I fix her with a piercing stare.

“Theo, why are you doing this? Have you lost your mind?” Josh walks beside me, glancing at the girl, who winces and pouts at the same time.

“This girl needs my help, Josh. I cannot just leave her like this. Even though I do not know her, I can tell she is stubborn and will not seek medical attention. Furthermore, my mother would kill me if she found out I ignored a commoner in need.” I try to explain my actions, but Josh knows me well enough to see that I am not telling him the full story.

But that is the question—what is the real truth? Why am I taking this injured commoner to the palace with me? Why am I holding her hand in public? I have never held a lady’s hand in public before, not even Yasmin’s.

“You are insane. The entire kingdom will be in an uproar once they hear of what you are doing. The gossip will be relentless,” Josh states, shaking his head in disbelief and clear disapproval.

“Stop speaking nonsense and help me,” I snap, glaring at him.

He sighs and, with reluctance, nods. “As you wish, Your Highness,” he replies.

He helps me lead the reluctant commoner toward the carriage and opens the door, attempting to make her sit in the passenger seat. However, not unexpectedly, she resists with every ounce of strength she has left.

“No! I can’t risk damaging your carriage, Your Highness. Please, just let me go home,” the girl cries.

“I swear by the White Dragon that I will have you thrown to the crocodiles if you continue to disrespect me, girl,” I warn her through gritted teeth, my gaze unwavering.

She hesitates for a moment before reluctantly climbing into the carriage, recognizing that I am not jesting and that I am, in fact, utterly furious.

“Theo,” Josh says, attempting to grasp my arm as I motion to close the door. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Yes,” I respond coldly, closing the door.

With a final sigh, Josh mounts a horse alongside one of the knights, still clearly displeased.

I instruct the knight on the coach to take us to the palace as swiftly as possible, and before long, the carriage glides through the streets at an impressive speed, aided by the magic spells cast upon the horses pulling it.

Satisfied, I glance at the girl beside me. As she remains unnervingly silent, a wave of concern washes over me, intensified further when I notice she is losing an alarming amount of blood. Her face has drained of color, and tears continue to stream down her cheeks.

“Are you all right?” I ask, tilting her chin up gently.

She meets my gaze for a brief moment before closing her eyes. Then, suddenly, her body goes limp and she collapses into unconsciousness.

“Blast,” I exclaim, panic overtaking me.

It is fortunate that the inside of the carriage is cushioned and remains perfectly stable; otherwise, she would have collapsed face-first onto the floor or struck her head against the window.

I command the knight to increase speed, a sense of urgency overtaking me as I hurry to reach the palace and summon the royal physician, my mind racing with the fear that I might be too late.

I have never forced a lady to do anything before—until now, that is. What is it about this one that compels me to behave so out of character?

I glance at the unconscious girl, my expression softening for a fleeting moment. “Hold on. Do you not dare die on me,” I murmur, cradling her fragile form in my arms and resting her head against my shoulder.