"Ouch! That hurt!" Lucian groaned, as soon as the cotton, covered in a light yellowish antiseptic fluid, came in contact with the wound on his forehead. Actually, he had been groaning, complaining, cussing and what not, for the past fifteen minutes while Cynthia tried her best to treat the eighteen-year-old.

"Are you really an expert in medical treatments?" Lucian questioned, not forgetting to give a sidelong glance full of suspicion.

Cynthia shrugged lightly, "I do not have any degree or certificate, but I am an expert in this field."

"I doubt it," Lucian, who was close to tears, cried loudly when Cynthia deliberately pressed the cotton pad harder, "Why does it hurt so much?!"

"Because fool," another groan left the poor boy's mouth when Lena, who was trying to have a nap but continuously failed due to a certain groaning person, smacked him hard on his head, "Wounds and bruises are supposed to be hurtful, and application of medicine on it is supposed to be more painful."

"Why did you hit me?" The boy whined more in pain.

"For God's sake! Let me have one wink of sleep!" With that in mind, Lena jumped from the chair she was sitting on and stomped out of Alana's room.

"Are you two siblings?" Cynthia asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Nah," Lucian shook his head, "But yeah, we are more like siblings than friends."

"Discovered it from the bicker," Cynthia chuckled before concluding her work by wrapping up Lucian's forehead with the white bandage, "All done."

"Thanks," Lucian said, although it did not seem like he was actually trying to thank the girl. The pain was excruciating, after all.

Cynthia stood up from the bed and began to pack all the scattered medicines, bandages, pills, organizing each and everything in the cardboard box. The inn was such a shabby place that they could not even afford a first-aid or medical kit. These were all what the sixteen-year-old girl had been storing for emergency situations.

"How old are you?" Lucian asked, after a while of contemplation.

With a polite smile, Cynthia answered, "I am sixteen."

Hearing her age, Lucian's mouth hung open in utter shock, "Is the inn owner your father then?"

Cynthia shook her head in denial, even horrified at the thought, "Never in a million years would I acknowledge him as my father. My real father was a great man."

"Was? Did he...pass away?"

Cynthia retreated, evading Lucian's question, who immediately apologized to the girl for such intrusion.

"In these grave times, I cannot assume much," Cynthia exhaled deeply, "But I do hope and pray deeply every day that my parents are safe and sound, wherever they are."

"Oh," Lucian could not help but ask, "Then how are you—"

"I have been nothing but a slave," Cynthia said under her breath, taking Lucian by surprise, "First for the Dragonesians and then for these humans who are equal to the Dragonesians. I am simply happy that Cora, my sister, did not have to suffer as much as I did."

Lucian did not speak after hearing Cynthia's tale. He did not know what to say. Hearing words of sympathy or pity would be the least thing that Cynthia would have probably wanted. She seemed to be not the girl to want to hear words of consolation here and there. And thus, Lucian decided to ask no more, but eventually, he did.

"What is your name?"

"Cynthia Kiorsa."

"Well, you are very brave Cynthia, even at such a young age."

The sixteen-year-old turned around, a certain feeling of exhilaration surging through her veins. The compliment felt foreign to the girl's ears, and it felt like ages since she had last heard someone praising her. Alana and Leon were the first people after such a long time, and now Lucian.

"Thank you," the grin widened, expressing the adorable dimples of Cynthia.

Two knocks on the open door made the pair flinch. Alana entered the room, a smile full of appreciation carved on her lips for the younger girl.

"Thank you for your help, Cynthia. For now and for...back then too."

"It's all good," the girl who was quick to always pick up on things, read the environment before saying to the hesitating Alana, "I am sure that you two have a lot to catch up. I will leave you alone."

Alana nodded acknowledging, as Cynthia walked out of the room and the older girl closed the door behind her.

"Hey," Lucian waved awkwardly, while the girl with an unreadable expression took a seat in front of the boy.

"How are you feeling?"

"Would be a lie if I say good," Lucian winced when he touched his bandaged forehead, "So I guess, the condition is bad for now."

"Thank God Cynthia knows first-aid," Alana sighed when she remembered how the inn owner and his wife had refused to see to Lucian's wounds, although they were the main cause of the boy's numerous injuries, "Even the nearest hospital is situated hours away from here."

"Yeah, the girl seemed really courageous too."

"That is true," Alana agreed before asking, "Where is Lena?"

In response, the boy rolled his majestic blue eyes.

"You know how she is. Leave her sleep-deprived and she takes no long to turn into a cranky old grandma."

Alana chuckled. "Can't argue with that."

The two remained in a tranquil silence for a brief period of time, before Alana asked what she had been intending to ask the boy, all this time. "How did you two even end up here?"

Lucian leaned back on the bed, resting his head on the headboard, before saying something which none but increased Alana's confusion. "Now I know why you wanted to escape."

"And why would that be?"

"The Insurrection and Takeover," Lucian replied monotonous, making Alana's eyes go wide in realization, "I overheard some low ranked Dragonesian Guards' conversation. Being scared for our life, we ran away. And those stolen uniforms came in handy."

Alana glanced at the two neatly folded uniforms, kept on another side of the bed. The two had changed into casual clothes the moment they were given a room at the inn. Fortunately, they were smart enough to come prepared with normal clothes in their bags. Although Lucian did have some trouble stripping himself off the uniform, given that his injuries were raw.

"The Takeover, this is not small," Lucian continued, "It is going to be big. A revolution that will destroy both humans and Dragonesians. I am telling you Alana, bad days are coming."

Alana did not answer for she was already familiar with the plan. Although, she had not been apprised by the entirety of their evil schemes, it did not take long for the girl to understand that this plan was no playful stratagem. The outcome would be gruesome and hideous.

A blood war.

"He is not a human, is he?" Lucian asked, taking Alana by surprise. Of course it was not a new thing that a human trainee had identified a Dragonesian, given that they literally grew up in the presence of Dragonesians, "I meant that boy with crimson eyes, he is not a human."

"Yes," Alana answered, finding no reason to lie, "But he is not like others. He seems to hate his species as much as we do."

However, Alana did not disclose the fact that he was the second prince of Dragonesia, Leon Heirora.