AZALEA

After dinner, Prince Dion invited me for a walk in the garden. The night was so chilly even though I was wearing a long sleeved, turtle-neck layered dress. Prince Dion was wearing a simple thick black coat, buttoned sleeved shirt and black trousers and leather shoes.

The gentle and sweet fragrance mixed in the air invaded my sense of smell as my eyes admired the full bloom of the snowdrops, irises and daphnes. Some mandevilla gracefully climbed the arched trellises. The garden was surprisingly well kept.

Our footsteps echoed in the cobblestones as we slowly strolled in the garden.

The silence was gripping but I didn't know how to open a conversation. When I secretly glanced over Prince Dion, he was silently enjoying the view. His blue eyes were trained on the flowers. He had a mysterious glint on his face. Maybe I should blame it on the moonlight.

I uncomfortably fidgeted on my hand. I didn't like it when I was paying attention to him.

Why did he even ask me for a walk if he didn't plan to speak? It was just a waste of our time.

He stopped at the end of the garden where there were full bloom red roses. He carefully picked a rose, cutting it from its stem. He faced me and offered the red rose to me. I liked red roses but I didn't want to receive it from anyone, especially from him.

"This rose is for you, Lady Azalea." Prince Dion had a small smile tugging on his lips.

I frowned. "Don't give roses if you don't mean it. Or others will misunderstand." I still accepted the rose in spite of myself. At least, I didn't want to be rude.

"Why do you have to spend this time with me when you can just rest in your room? You're doing something unnecessary. It will be best to keep our distance from each other," I added.

A smile registered at the corner of his lips. "You're good at ruining the almost romantic mood."

I glared at him. "I'm just stating a fact that what you're doing is unnecessary."

Prince Dion grinned. "You're not aware yet but you're already undergoing another trial."

My brows knitted in confusion. So this is a trial? "What trial? But is it okay to reveal it to me?"

"I'm telling you this because I want you to get the Crown Princess seat. I want you to stay on guard against everyone, even against me."

I gulped. This felt like cheating and I felt bad. But I wanted to know because I didn't want to break. My survival instincts were stronger than my principles. "What's this trial about?"

"A trial that involves the heart. If you fall, there's a chance you will break. The queen ordered me to spend some time alone with the candidates. To capture your hearts. Of course, we need someone with the strongest heart out of all the candidates."

He had a serious look upon his face as if he didn't come here to play.

I gaped in surprise. "So you mean you'll also do these kinds of things with the other candidates?"

He nodded without smiling. His eyes looked straight into my eyes. As if he didn't plan on hiding anything from me.

I suddenly had the urge to puke. There was an invisible force tightening on my heart and it was so hard to breathe. I had a feeling that my heart would crack if I didn't stop the nauseating feeling rushing in.

I took a deep breath to compose myself. I see. So everything he had shown me was just for show. I shouldn't believe in everything and expect any sincerity from him. I felt like I was suddenly kicked in the gut which woke me up from reality. I felt sober even though I was not drunk.

The erratic beating of my heart slowly calmed down. This is the way of the selection. Nothing was genuine. Nothing was real. I had to keep that in mind. I must always keep my feelings and emotions in check.

This prince would never be real.

Because I didn't speak he continued. Maybe he was not interested in what I was thinking at all. He continued to act nonchalant. "I will be leaving tomorrow. It seems Woodcrest no longer needs further monitoring. You really did a great job on keeping the residents together. I will head to Southwoods. I will also leave some knights behind to monitor the distribution of the reliefs."

I nodded. My hands tightly clasped on the side of my dress as I lowered my head. "That will be helpful. Thank you."

"It's already chilly out here. I will accompany you to your room," he said with concern.

"No need. I want to return on my own. Without any company," I said in a stiff tone. I kept my expression blank as I stared back at him. He didn't say a word so I turned my back and walked away with heavy steps.

Damn! I was acting out of character. And my heart was in slight pain. The royal family was treating our hearts with such low regards. I actually wanted to tell them to just fuck off but I couldn't.

The next morning, we stood in front of the Crown Prince's carriage. The knights were already riding their mighty horses to travel to Southwoods.

Prince Dion turned to Count Samuel. "I hope Woodcrest can move forward and prosper. I will leave everything to your good governance."

Count Samuel smiled and nodded with respect. "Thank you, Your Royal Highness. Have a safe trip."

Prince Dion turned to me with a small smile. "I'll see you in the palace, Lady Azalea. Once I'm done with the pre-winter inspection."

I nodded sternly. My amber eyes stared at him blankly. I hated his gentle eyes like the calm ocean as he bade me farewell. It was so unreal so I kept my guard up. I would no longer believe his words and compliments.

I was determined not to die.

He just smiled knowingly when he noticed the guarded and determined look upon my face—as if he was quite satisfied and relieved with what he was witnessing.

~~~

Two weeks passed by quickly. Now it was time to go.

I bade goodbye to Count Samuel. They smiled gratefully on us. The remaining budget was spent to buy some blankets for each family. There were still two weeks before the first fall of snow so they could still continue with the preparation.

"Thank you for all your help, Lady Azalea. We learned a lot from your supervision. We will continue the preparation and ensure that the winter plan you left us will be executed timely and properly," Count Samuel said with a kind smile.

I nodded. When I turned to everyone, they slightly bowed their heads to pay some respect. Maybe it was their kind way to bid me goodbye. I actually enjoyed my time here. I suddenly missed my dress shop. I suddenly missed handling a business. My stay here was unexpectedly fulfilling. My heart seemed full even though I shouldn't feel this way.

"Thank you. We will be leaving now. I wish abundance and prosperity to Woodcrest."

They all slightly bowed their heads.

I rode the carriage, heading to the palace. We passed by the towns and the people were still active, diligently doing their tasks. A small smile crept on my lips. I will be leaving this state without regrets because I knew I gave my best to help them.

We passed by the bumpy roads of the forest which I endured. It was peaceful until we reached the state of Fleur. It was already dusk and the knights decided to stop in the woods to camp. This was the fief of Duke Veare and tomorrow night, we would definitely arrive at the royal palace.

The knights set up a campfire. It was a peaceful night and the sky was full of twinkling stars while I was covered by a blanket. It was calming and I felt like I wanted the time to stop so that I could be free for a while—free from the tiring selection—free from my self doubts and thoughts.

The knights prepared our tents. They decided to take turns for the night watch. It was hard to travel because I must endure the hard ground and chill and I just realized how exhausted I was from the last two weeks.

I closed my eyes and let myself fall into a deep slumber when a loud shriek of the horses abruptly woke me from my sleep. My eyes slammed open from the eerie noise outside my tent. Even the maids rushed inside to check upon me.

"What happened?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows. I combed my messy red curls with my hand and tied it up in a messy bun. I was wearing a white long dress but I didn't mind as I quickly went outside even though Yumi tried to stop me.

Aaron stood outside my tent with an unsheathed sword in one hand as if he was ready to fight anytime.

"A group of bandits attacked. We will handle them," Aaron said in a dire voice. Worry was visible in his voice and when I looked around, we were all surrounded. There were too many bandits.

"It will be better for the lady to ride a horse and escape," Gabriel suggested. He pointed in a specific direction to the east. "Head straight to that. You will arrive at Duke Veare's castle. You can ask for their help, my lady." They were still calm and collected. "The carriage can no longer continue because its horses were shot with an arrow."

Yumi and Sabrina had a frightened expression upon their faces. The coachman was even afraid. We didn't bring any money with us or any luxurious item. I did have some jewelry. Maybe I could just give them what they wanted?

"Won't they accept money or jewelry?" I asked, a little hopeful.

"I don't think they are actually after the money," Aaron said in a stern voice.

The bandits had their faces masked under a black fabric and some of them were holding bows and arrows while the others were holding sharp swords which glinted under the moonlight. It was still early dawn, probably around two to three in the morning.

When my gaze landed at the horses, some of them were already dead.

Dennis approached with a horse.

"Please excuse me, my lady. You need to escape." Dennis immediately placed me on the horse's saddle, lifting me as if I was just a light weight—like a feather.

"What about the maids?" I asked in disbelief. I was still processing what was happening but the events already escalated to this. Before I could even protest, Dennis already slapped the horse on its side and it dashed straight to the woods.

I gasped for breath.

The horse riding lessons really came in handy. I immediately held the reins. I didn't know what I was going to do. But maybe it would really be wiser to ask for someone's help first. Good thing we were in Duke Veare's territory—the state of Fleur.

I was familiar with Ross. Even though he was aloof with the ladies, he would treat me differently since we knew each other from childhood. Though I couldn't say that we were friends.

I was startled when some of the masked men followed me from behind. It seemed that their target was only me. They were also riding their horses while holding swords in their free hand. They were only aiming to kill me.

Some released arrows. I tightly shut my eyes and lowered my head as much as possible. I was just glad that the horse was running so fast that it could evade the arrows. The horse ran straight as if it was also scared of the people chasing us.

The horse was recklessly running that my dress was caught in some branches, tearing some of my dress' laces and sleeves. It was an awful experience and my heartglass wildly slammed against my chest that I feared that it would suddenly crack.

The men chasing me galloped faster than I could handle. They managed to get closer to my horse and I didn't notice that tears were already falling from my eyes and I was already biting my bottom lip so intensely that the metallic taste of blood already reached my taste buds.

I was silently praying for someone to save me.

Damn! I should have asked for a weapon but maybe they knew that I couldn't carry or even lift a heavy sword. The weapon would only be a burden.

Some men tried to slash me but I managed to avoid the sharp edges of their swords although a part of my dress was torn apart.

The woods were dark and scary and I was only heading straight without any idea where it would lead me at all. My horse jumped over the bushes obstructing the way. The horse had no plan to stop. It was actually running for its dear life. He had the same urgency as me to survive.

I ducked my head when I saw branches ahead which slowed the men chasing me. I managed to leave the forest and a wide grassland with small grass flowers welcomed my eyes. It was easier now to follow me because there was nothing obstructing the way.

But Duke Veare's castle was already up ahead!

One of the men already caught up to my speed. He was already about to slash behind my back when I saw that he was shot by an arrow in the arm. To my horror and relief, he fell from his horse.

Arrows continued to rain down at the bandits or maybe the proper term should be assassins.

And then I saw a horse rushing to meet me from afar.

My eyes flashed—relieved. Duke Ross was riding a horse with a sword placed in the holster tied on his waist. The arrows came from the castle up ahead—probably from the Duke's stationed skilled knights.

Duke Ross dashed to me, followed by some of his knights. His furrowed brows were visible and he was also surprised when he recognized my messy appearance.

"Lady Azalea? Is that you?" He had a deep baritone and mature voice. I heard the title of a Duke was successfully passed to him so he was the current master of this state.

The assassins were completely shot to death but I was having a headache. They should have left someone alive or we would lose our lead. I wanted to know the mastermind behind this assault.

"Your Grace," I panted heavily. I was still out of breath. I tried to stop the horse but it was still in a frenzy. I shrieked and panicked a little because it wouldn't listen to me.

Duke Ross rushed to my side and helped me tame the horse. He successfully stopped it from its track with his soothing voice and command.

"What happened?" His gray eyes inquisitively stared at me.

I gulped. I didn't know where to start but I did my best to organize my mind. "We were attacked by bandits but it seemed they were only after me. So I assumed this is actually an assassination. The knights, the coachman and the maids are left in the forest. Can you please help them, Your Grace?"

Duke Ross turned stern. "Where?"

"Just straight ahead. We camped inside the forest, near the road which leads to the capital. I can accompany you," I eagerly answered. A shot of adrenaline was still kicking in my system.

"You're already worn out. Let the knights handle this," Duke Ross answered in a dark tone. "These assassins dared to enter my fief. I won't let this go."

I bit my bottom lip. "Please leave someone alive. I need information."

Duke Ross stared at me for a while and sighed. "Alright."

He turned to one of his trusted knights. "You hear that, Matt? Head straight to the forest and capture the assassins. Bring Lady Azalea's maids, coachman and knights to the castle when you're done—dead or alive."

I secretly gasped. I wouldn't want a dead body from my own people. My head suddenly spun. I hoped everyone was safe.

The man he called Matt nodded obediently. "Understood. We will be on our way, Your Grace."

The knights dashed to the forest. I was left with Ross and he hopped down from his horse. He checked the dead bodies and uncovered their faces. I didn't recognize any of them. Ross inspected them for a while until some other knights approached us.

"Carefully inspect the body. Maybe we can get a clue about their master," Duke Ross ordered.

The knights nodded and collected the dead bodies.

Duke Ross turned to me. "Let's head to the castle first. I know you're already tired. You can rest while waiting for your aides."

I nodded. I just noticed how my hands were trembling when he held the reins of my horse and guided it to the castle while he was walking on the wide grassland. The air was suddenly chilly, sending shivers down my spine.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience I caused you, Your Grace."

"No worries. You don't have to be too formal. I was just training with my sword earlier when the night watch informed me about some intruders. Good thing my knights noticed that you're being chased." When I looked down at him, I noticed that his white tunic was wet with sweat that revealed the perfect build of the muscles on his chest and arms. He probably trained too hard.

Duke Ross had black silky short hair, sharp pointed nose and gray eyes which looked enticingly mysterious.

I gulped and looked straight up ahead. It would do me no good if I continue to pay attention to his looks.

"I thought you would be in the palace since you are one of the Crown Princess candidates. I was busy with the transfer of the dukedom that was why I was not able to congratulate you before," he continued.

I snorted. "As if I wanted this to happen. I was forced to join the selection. Prince Dion. . ." I sighed and decided not to continue. "Anyway, I went out for the first trial. I helped with the winter preparation of Woodcrest."

He stopped and tilted his head to look at me—gray eyes shrouded by curiosity.

"Did everything go smoothly? I mean your hair. . . they will probably despise you because of the color of your hair." Concern was visible in his voice. He continued to walk and entered the gates leading to the castle.

"I managed to overcome the hurdles."

We arrived in front of the grand castle. The butler was already waiting for us together with some maidservants with their heads kept low.

"Please pardon me, Lady Azalea." I bit my bottom lip when Duke Ross lifted my waist. My feet lightly touched the ground and he continued to support me when my legs felt wobbly. He held my waist until I could finally regain my balance.

"So Dion forced you to be a candidate?" Duke Ross quietly asked with knitted eyebrows.

I nodded with a frown. "He was impulsive to include my name in the selection."

Duke Ross grinned as if it was nothing new. "That's so like him."

"He didn't even consider my feelings! What if I unexpectedly meet my doom here?" I asked with worry and slight protest.

Duke Ross chuckled with amusement—his gray eyes dancing. "Are you already on the verge of falling?"

I frowned even more and rolled my amber eyes. "Don't make fun of me. Don't make fun of human emotions. You know the selection. He will act as if he cares about us—whether he's sincere or not. Damn! He would go to different candidates to flirt! It's sickening!"

"You sound jealous," Duke Ross said and a small smile tugged on his lips as if he was teasing me.

"No! I'm not. Never! Now I am even in great danger of losing my life," I insisted. "How did you even become his best friend? I mean we can't trust anyone with our hearts made of glass. How can you trust him? What if this friendship breaks your heart? Friends can break your heart too, you know!" Damn! I knew this wasn't the right time but I just wanted to defend myself for some unknown reason and continue talking even if I sounded nonsensical.

Duke Ross' expression softened a little with a small smile as if telling me he fully understood my point.

"Well, at first, I didn't plan to be his friend. But the Dukedom of Veare is supporting the Crown Prince, according to my father. And because of Dion's personality, I was just naturally drawn to him. He said I shouldn't be afraid of dying. If I am destined to die, I will die. So why not make the most out of it? It's actually lighter to have someone I can trust. I don't regret being his friend. And I won't regret it even if I die. I know he's impossible at times but if he personally chooses you. . . that means he would never hurt you."

My brows knitted in frustration. He was wrong. I was chosen but it would definitely hurt. And if I trust him, I will only overthink and it will cause me pain.

"You're wrong. Even if he doesn't intend to hurt me, I can't control how I feel. I can't control how these foreign emotions will attack me. And the Crown Prince probably only sees me as a pawn—not even as a friend—unlike you."

Duke Ross smirked. "But pawns can leave the board whenever they please and yet. . . you're staying."

My eyes sharpened at him. "Don't mess with my head. Did you learn this from His Royal Highness?"

Duke Ross chuckled lightly. "Maybe I did. Do you like him?"

"No! Never!" I said with finality and confidence.

Duke Ross smirked with amusement. "That's quite a response. You're too repulsive. If you bottle your feelings up, you'll definitely get hurt. It will hurt to keep it in and it will explode in time."

My face was suddenly flushed from embarrassment. I shouldn't have acted too strongly. I lowered my head as my hands tightly held the sides of my messy dress. I was so frustrated deep inside.

Duke Ross turned to his butler who was meters away from us.

"Cedric, arrange a room for Lady Azalea. She needs some rest. Ask the maidservants to serve her in the bath and change her clothes," he ordered.

Cedric nodded. "As you wish, Your Grace."

Duke Ross faced me. "They will call you later for breakfast. You can still sleep. I can't personally accompany you to the palace but it will be better to return with the Crown Prince. I believe he will be here tomorrow."

I was suddenly flabbergasted with the idea. "I don't want the Crown Prince involved. I must leave today," I insisted. I didn't want to see him. Not when I was such a mess.

Duke Ross gazed at me with gravity. "He can protect you if he knows. If they are really assassins, he can secretly ask someone to guard and protect you. You must talk to him. At least be rational. It's for your safety ," he reminded me.

I bit my bottom lip. I sighed. Maybe I should consider his suggestion. Maybe I should really speak with the Crown Prince regarding this matter. "Alright. Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace."

The maidservants led me inside the grandiose and sturdy castle. I let them bathe and dress me even though my head was still in a frenzy.

I probably couldn't sleep unless I confirmed that all of my people were absolutely safe and sound.

But then the big question is. . . who dared to assassinate me?

***