AllenVex2020

Originally, Isaac only partook because he could never get over the thought of being a king. He also wanted to further investigate the death or Kozert, but those were all selfish reasons. Each situation he was put in drew him closer and closer to the princess. And over time he had realized he was developing feelings for her.

Right now, all he could do was rip a piece of his crimson red jacket and wrap it around her forehead. The fabric had done a great job soaking up the juicy red blood, due to its thickness. But if somebody with a higher experience didn't help soon, she could end up losing her life. But he wondered who could have done this to her. And due to how heavily guarded the castle was, how did they bypass its security?

Slowly, Lusilla's blood dripped onto the furry pastel gold carpet that was extremely furry. The patterns on it were white making it look appropriate for the castle standards. But slowly her life was fading away. At this point, there had been nothing he could do other than screaming so he made sure his voice would screech around the castle and be heard like a horn blown.

"Somebody help, the princess is dying!" he could have chosen better words but he didn't care, he just wanted to hear those footsteps of a slave running up the stairs to treat the princess's wounds. He looked at her, and her eyes were opened. Her pupils were wide and her eyes shone brightly, then soon flooded with tears.

She studied Isaac's face and looked at his neck before she felt the blood on her forehead and mumbled a few words before her eyes closed. Isaac didn't hear those words because all the sounds of the thoughts in his head were overpowering the sounds of the real world. But whatever the words were that she mumbled, they seemed to be important.

"I'm here," a voice said gasping with air to breathe.

Looking to his right, Isaac saw a young servant girl with a white gown, and underneath it a yellow shirt. A pale piece of white fabric covered her hair, and in her hand, she had a tray with many medical supplies along with other footsteps trailing behind hers.

"Over here, please help her! The wound is on her forehead."

She advanced towards Lusilla and knelt down stretching out her gown. She grabbed a cloth with alcohol and treated the wound by first dipping the cloth in the alcohol, then putting the cloth on her forehead. The wound stung and Isaac could tell because when the alcohol and cloth were applied, Lusilla clenched her teeth.

"Hang on in there..." Isaac said with a worried face.

After thirty seconds of applying for the medicine, the blood that dripped down her face began to fade away as the chemicals in the alcohol sealed the wound. A few minutes later, the second floor of the castle was flooded with men and women. Most trying to move her into a bedroom so she could get rest. Isaac stood by Lusilla before she was taken away to a bed, feeling more useless than ever. If it weren't for the servant who came to rescue her, the princess would have been gone. Forever.

The same servant who treated Lusilla approached Isaac and held his hands gently. Then with grace, she bowed down and thanked him. "Thank you, sir. If you hadn't placed the fabric on her forehead. The blood would continue to pour out and she would die from blood loss. Thank you once again." she said.

He nodded. Even though he helped a bit, she did most of the work, and she was to be applauded for that. But in the midst of the crowd, Isaac noticed a familiar face. And one that was very dear to him.

"Dad!" he exclaimed, running towards his father.

Erick hugged Isaac, almost squishing him together but he couldn't help it. They hadn't seen each other for a while now.

"So, you made it past this round, huh kiddo?" Erick said.

Isaac nodded, but he felt guilty. He didn't escape the labyrinth. He found a secret passage and got knocked out, then the next thing he knew was he was tucked in his bed. But he didn't want to worry his father, he also didn't want to worry him with the fact his brother-in-law had gotten murdered and his wife was sick... The time wasn't right.

"I'll try my best to win this and all," Isaac said,

"Well you better be prepared for what hits you next." he lowered his voice. "I was told that next you'll be trapped inside a room that will be flooded with water. If you don't make it out, you'll drown."

That had been good news and bad news. He could not swim but the good news was he was warned. This gave him the upper-hand because he could find ways to either learn how to swim. Or learn how to escape the room fast, however, this would be hard because he didn't know the details. And he was certain that because many people were still trying to find their way out of the labyrinth, and the princess needed to recover from her current state. That challenge would be delayed until next week.

But then that brought more questions to his head again. Could it be that the same cult who had murdered his uncle attempt to murder the princess? Was it because she knew something they couldn't risk getting exposed. Whatever the case was, they failed, but the pieces were slowly filling in together.

Then he spoke quietly saying, "Well, I thank you for the information. But if you don't remember I cannot swim..."

"Then learn, you've got quite some time to learn. I can teach you since the shift in my schedule but after a few days I have to get back to work."

He was thankful for his offer but he wanted to do it himself, but he knew the best option was to listen to the words of his father.

"I'll need you to teach me the basics... I can go on from there" Isaac said.

With him training him, he could be a better swimmer in just a few days and when the room would flood with water, he wouldn't drown straight away and he would probably not last a while because he couldn't hold his breath for a long time.

"I thank you for the offer, father," he said while bowing down with his head down, but then Erick told him to get up so he got up.

Looking around him, he noticed the drastic change in the crowd in, and within minutes everyone was gone. Erick and Isaac changed their clothes and went to the ocean that he had almost died in before. They went into the water and Erick taught him the basics.

"Let's start with the basics," he said, then he began moving his arms in legs, making him float over water. "Move your arms like this, and your legs like this."

Following what he said, he did as his father commanded and moved his feet and legs like Erick and noticed that instead of being on his tippy-toes he was floating.

"This helps because you're constantly removing weight and adding back, which will help you float," Erick said.

"Oh, I get it!" Isaac replied.

"Now moving onto the harder things. Swimming straight up and learning how to get more breath underwater." Erick said.

They trained for two hours before wrapping it up and moving onto practicing with swords. This time, Isaac used a real sword, and he had to get used to the difference in weight but he could manage.

Erick dashed leaning forward to save up stamina. His sword was straight in front of him, so Isaac could easily deflect it. "Not so fast!" Isaac yelled, but Erick rolled over and slashed near Isaac's leg. He didn't slash him because Isaac couldn't access any armor in the castle so they agreed to no armor but no slashing.

Isaac quickly leaped forward before he could be tripped and put his sword to Erick's neck. It had been embarrassing putting his sword to his father's neck. He felt like a rebel and he felt as if he was opposing his father. But it wasn't all that bad.

"You did good, but if I were really trying I could easily slash your chest, and you would be gone. You must never leave anybody part open because the slightest slash can make you lose a whole battle, so work on that."

Isaac nodded and put his sword back in its sheath. Then they wrapped things up and Isaac went back to his bedroom and finally, Elijah was there with a scarred face, along with Nazar.

Elijah waved at Isaac and Isaac motioned for Elijah to come with him. They walked around the castle talking for minutes which soon turned into hours. After telling Elijah everything including the injury of Lusilla he was extremely shocked.

"Wait, so the princess wants you to win this competition?" Isaac nodded "And she got injured!? I had no idea I only found the way out of the labyrinth a few minutes. After I lost you, I thought you had died, but it's glad to see you alive..." he said.

"Well, I'm alive and well..." Isaac replied.

"So what else?" Elijah asked,

He remembered his father telling him about the next challenge and told Elijah about that. He trusted him and knew he would never tell anyone about it. But if it were to come down to that... he could be disqualified, and he or his dad could be executed. Most likely, his father would bear the pain, and he would be cursed. So he hoped Elijah wouldn't tell anyone.

"So you found a tunnel, and that's how you got out correct?" Isaac nodded. "How's the princess..." Elijah asked.

"She's hopefully gonna be good..." Isaac replied.

Then Elijah said, "Ok, well I got to do something, tell me if you find anything else out," Elijah said walking to a room and gently opening the door. His footsteps became quiet and he sat on the bed, which was beside the princess. "How are you, he said in a calm and gentle voice."

She struggled to open her eyes but when they were finally opened she gave no response. "How badly hurt are you?" he said, continuing on the conversation.

"I'm fine... but why are you here," she replied.

"Because I want to comfort you. Is your wound alright." Elijah asked again.

"You're not supposed to be here..." she said with her tone getting deeper.

"Then why did you let me in?" Elijah asked while arching an eyebrow.

"Because I thought you were!-" cutting her off Elijah said, "because you thought I was Isaac. That's what it is isn't it."

"..." Lusilla remained quiet but then Elijah advanced closer to her and said, "Just what is your connection with Isaac, princess?" Elijah asked.

"Stop you're making me uncomfortable!" she yelled.

In a calmer approach, he said, "Listen, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable but I want to know who tried to kill you."

"How do you even know I was here!?" she asked.

"Isaac..." he responded,

"Why would he-"

"Isaac doesn't matter right now, what I want to know is who tried to harm you so I can do something about it!"

"Don't involve yourself in my matters! If you do, you'll be targeted. Because of me, I endangered him and I can't let him lose his life." she said.

"Him?" Elijah said.

"Isaac...," she said quietly.

"I'll find whoever did this, and I can stop them," Elijah said but he had some doubt in his words.

"No, stop. You won't now please don't get yourself involved... focus on the games." she said.

Elijah got up and had a sigh of disappointment. Then he left the room and went back to the door. Isaac had been outside of the room looking so stressed-out than ever before.

"Yo, what's wrong," Elijah yelled out,

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Isaac responded,

When Elijah got closer to Isaac he said, "That tunnel you found in the labyrinth, where is it?" he asked.

"Well, there's one in the castle that connects to the one in the labyrinth. That's located in the top floor library section "N." Isaac said.

"Thanks!" Elijah said running to the library.

While Elijah ran to the library, Isaac decided to check on Lusilla. So he went up to the second floor and into the room where she was being kept and he immediately heard somebody crying. It was her. Her face was flooded to tears and she had been screaming out of pain.

He sat beside her and said, "Woah! What's wrong!?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she said, Then she looked up "but promise me you won't get yourself involved in my matters anymore."

"I'm not going to promise you that, but what I will promise you is that I'm going to protect you." he gently and gracefully grabbed her hand and kissed it. Then after bowing down he got up and said, "I'm here for you..."

She hugged him and wiped away her tears. "Thank you, I really need that," she said.

⥊⥁⥋

As Elijah came out of the tunnel he then saw a big building which projected beside a field. "So this is the cult, huh?" Elijah said, running his fingers through his hair.

He had just gotten out of a tunnel, during his exploration and he found a blocked pathway but crawled under it. Then, it led him to the building.

"So the castle is connected to this place huh? Just what are you hiding Isaac..." he said while walking forward entering it.

The inside had been glowing and was well presented. There were many horses and carriages parked out outside of the factory so it must have been a popular place. But then a man approached Elijah.

"Hello, what brings you here... sir," he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just wanted to help. With all that's going on, I know a way to help you guys defeat the princess," he said but his true intentions weren't so, because he wanted to find out who harmed her.

"Oh..." he said.

Then he cocked his head motioning for Elijah to follow him and he walked with him to a secret room, they went underground where the real cult was. It was very nice and there were many people there. But also, there were some bodies who had no life contained in them. They must have died testing something, or were they attacked just like the princess? All of these were in the mind of Elijah but the more they spoke to him, he began changing his thoughts towards them.

⥊⥁⥋

After Isaac and Lusilla put themselves back in place. Isaac left the room and walked down the stairs but he had this feeling that she knew something he didn't which she did. He also thought he could have known her more than he thought but he would have never guessed the truth.

He wanted to also help her in any way he can so he decided for the sake of her, he would not investigate, until he actually got more information on everything that was happening that is. But he decided to ask about her dead brother. Prince Kozert.

He walked back to her room and opened the door again and sat on the bed. "So, I don't really want to bring apart this subject but..." he paused and took a deep breath. "Tell me more about Prince Kozert, your brother.

She sighed then said, "What do you want to know?"

"How did he die? And why was his body never found."

"His body was never found because the murderers supposedly drowned his body in the middle of nowhere, and the way he died... he was stabbed to death," she said in a gloomy tone.

"That's horrible but-" she cut him off and said, "sometimes I see bits of you that were in him."

"So is that why you want me to win?" he asked,

"No the reason I want you to win is completely different!" she yelled.

"If you loved your brother and you see bits of him in me, does that make you love me?"

"Listen... I was never loved, I never will be, my parents never loved me either. My dad at least didn't show it as much as my mother... All her love was for my brother... the perfect son anyone could ask for.

The whole reason my mother is rarely at the castle is that she doesn't want to see me. She's probably out having an affair with another king... but oh well. She can do whatever she wants, I'm not proud to call her my mother to begin with." she explained.

"But if you could change anything... Would you want to call her mother if she was different?" Isaac asked.

"It's impossible not to hate her, I'm not gonna be fake and say "I don't hate her but I don't like her actions," I hate her," she said.

"So you're jealous of your brother..." Isaac asked.

"You would imagine, the princess of a kingdom having the best life, but this really shows that you guys aren't gods. With all due respect, we're all human... and we all don't have perfect lives. My uncle got murdered the other day and I didn't have a proper farewell even. So if you choose to hate your mother, that's perfectly your decision but try and see things from her point of view. I'm not gonna make it sound easy but just try. You never know. Today could be her last." he said.

Then she said, "If it had been my life, instead of his..."

"Are you thinking about-" she cut Isaac off and said, "No, even if I did. There would be no point because in the end my brother and I would be dead,"

"I'm sorry I made you relive all this pain... Thank you for opening up about your past. But I seriously want to investigate this and I'm the type of person that doesn't take no for an answer." Isaac replied.

"If you choose to... then I allow you, but you better make sure your friend doesn't get himself in the middle of a war," she said.

"Elijah? What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"Just before you entered the room, he came in and asked if he could investigate," she said hesitating to tell him what else they talked about.

Then Isaac said, "Ok... if that's all that happened then..." then he leaned in closer to Lusilla almost pressing his lips against hers but out of nowhere, the room door opened then Lusilla and Isaac froze in time once they saw who it was.

"Elijah!?" Isaac said turning around and looking at him.

"Oh... you're already with her..." Elijah said to Isaac.

He had been holding something behind his back and when he finally revealed what it was, there was a basket of doughnuts. Out of anger and disappointment, he tossed them to Isaac and told him, "You might as well give these to her." then he exited as if nothing had happened and went down the stairs.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna go to my room as well, it's getting a bit late... I'm sorry for all of this" Isaac said.

"It's alright, I needed this conversation, it felt good to express my pain but I need to get some rest as well," Lusilla said.

"Well, goodnight I guess..." Isaac said.

Isaac got up and began to walk away but Lusilla said, "Wait... If I got attacked last night, it's possible they'll come tonight to try and finish me off so... Please stay with me, just for the night. I don't want to be attacked again." She said trying not to make eye contact while blushing.

Isaac smiled and sat on the floor, she tossed some pillows down for him to use for his head, and within minutes. The room was quiet and they both fell asleep. Or so, they thought.
Isaac quietly exited the room and rushed downstairs. He ran to the library and when he was finally there, the worker there questioned what he was doing. He responded that he was looking for some books to read but that wasn't the case.

He knew that doing this was risking her safety but he was securing it at the same time. He went to the second floor and moved the book that he had moved last time, but nothing happened. So, he kept on trying new books. This time it was a purple book and he immediately slid down the tunnel. He finally dropped to the ground, covered in dust. He got back up using his arms and began walking.

But there had been a path he had never noticed before, so he went down the long path.

It creeped him out, but then, he began hearing noises and as he walked forward the sounds became louder and louder. After a few seconds, two men came his way and he had nowhere to hide. His only option would be to run back, but he didn't want to run back if he wasn't sure they wouldn't decide to not come his way, so he hid behind the corner and waited to see if they would come his way.

Luckily, they went another path so he continued walking down the path. When he finally reached the end of the tunnel, there was a path leading to a building right in front of him, and an open field to the right with mountains all around. The area seemed very secret but he knew this was the place, the place everything would be answered.