Yelena get ahold of herself and brushed away the Prince's caring and gentle hands. She wished to tell him all her worries and fears; but she didn't want to lean on anyone, not again.

She used to lean on her brother. But when her brother was gone, she felt like she was going through hell! Her fiance whom she thought would be with her forever, also easily changed his heart. So she learned that nothing was promised for forever. She must be just strong on her own. ​​

"There's no such thing. Let's return to the Guest House now, Your Highness." She said, drawing a clear line between them.

Prince Felix understood that he should stop for now. He should not pushed so hard at once. He agreed and followed her quietly.

The ride back to the Guest House was occupied by complete silence. Yelena drove her jeep car with the Prince sitting beside her.

No words but both minds were occupied by one another.

* * *

"Lt. Morris Flavian. Tell me the duties of the Vice Captain when the Captain is not around." Captain Yelena asked the Vice Captain of her team.

As soon as she returned to the Guest House, Yelena get changed and gathered her team members who failed to fulfill their duties that day. All the four members stood at ease before their Captain, who never tolerate any mistakes due to negligence and was known for being a perfectionist.

Lt. Morris stood in attention with both hands tucked to his side. "To supervise the other members and carry on all the responsibilities of the Team Captain." He replied firmly.

"Then did you do that today?"

"No, Captain!"

"When you realized that the VIP was not here, how much time had passed since he left?"

"Atleast two hours."

"If someone is very adamant in sneaking out, he will surely find a way. I can understand that. But you only notice after two hours of his disappearance? How useless!" Yelena scoffed.

"We apologize, Captain!" The team members answered their Captain at the same time.

"What will happen if something happens to the VIP? Our team will be doom! But the most fearful thing that could happen is not you or me being severely punished, but our country which will lose its pride once again! Do you wish to be the cause of such humiliation?"

"No, Captain!"

Yelena also knew that her team members were not to blame completely. Who would have thought the respectable Crown Prince of a country would sneak out alone? It was beyond their imagination!

But still a soldier couldn't go unpunished if making a mistake. That's the rule.

She glanced at her wristwatch. There was still plenty of time before sunset. She then shifted her gaze to her team members. "Team Delta, receive my order."

"Present!"

"Dress up in combat along with your headgear and rifles. We will run until the sunset." She declared her command.

"We? Are you joining us, Captain?" asked Lt. Morris. The other members also looked at her with a confused face.

Even though they knew that their Captain never excluded herself in a punishment, she was completely innocent this time.

"A leader is responsible for the mistake of its members. No more questions! Gather at the ground in ten minutes. I already asked the standby company to help us out during the punishment." Captain Yelena commanded.

This was the reason why Captain Yelena was highly adored and respected by her subordinates. Though she was a woman, even male soldiers were willing to completely submit themselves to her for her courage and dignity. Besides, gender was never the issue in Army. Hierarchy was based on ranks irrespective of gender.

While Team Delta spent hours running around the huge ground under the hot sun, Prince Felix observed them from afar. All his attention was focused on the woman who didn't seemed to be tired at all even after hours of running.

He then recalled their conversation in Belden when they climbed up the small mountain for half an hour. Though Yelena was wearing heels at that time, it doesn't troubled her at all. Besides, the path to the mountain was smooth and clear though it was tiring.

When he told her that he was amazed by her fitness, she responded by saying that it was nothing for her.

"So this was what you tried to say that time. No wonder your fitness level was so high!" He muttered as he chuckle to himself. He finds himself falling for this unique woman more and more!

* * * * *

In the Arista family mansion, Mrs. Vanessa Arista and Maj. Gen. Ethan Arista were on their room doing their own job.

Mrs. Vanessa Arista look through some files when the scenes she witnessed on the day crossed her mind. She put down the files and take off her spectacle.

When Yelena was about to leave her office today, she followed her and overheard all her conversations with Prince Felix. Their comfortable bickerings, the Prince feelings towards her daughter, her daughter's carefree smile and how her daughter let her guard down before the Prince.

All of these were a miracle for Mrs. Arista. She sit still, thinking about how long it had been since she saw her daughter behaving like that!

Maj. Gen. Ethan Arista didn't fail to notice how his workaholic wife was completely distracted from her work. "Is there something wrong?" He asked as he sat next to her.

Mrs. Arista was a bit startled by her husband's voice. She smiled when she saw him sitting next to her. "It's just that I miss our daughter."

Maj. Gen. Ethan Arista sighed. "Didn't you meet her today? Was she harsh to you again?"

Mrs. Arista shook her head. "I met her. She was quite different today."

"How different?" Mr. Arista asked curiously.

"She was quite good to me." She recalled how her daughter tried hard to not humiliate her in front of others. "She's considerate too."

"Does that brat even know how to be considerate of others?" Mr. Arista scoffed as he looked at his wife with a doubtful face.

Mrs. Arista ignored her husband question and simply smiled. "What will we do if Yelena love someone?" She asked him.

"Did she say she love someone else?" Mr. Arista asked without much thought.

"No. I'm just curious."

Mr. Arista laughed at his wife. "You think too much. Don't worry, my dear. I doubt that our daughter will ever love someone. She is busy with work and missions all the time. Besides, she already has a fiance."

Work and missions? But what if the man she love was her work and mission? Mrs. Arista really wished to say these words to her husband; but she resisted the urge to do so.

She decided that it would be best to wait and see what would happen.....