(POV of Leon)

I looked around me. The ground was shaking so hard that it looked like an earthquake. The wind around us was so strong, like we were inside a storm.

"Ahhhhhh." Alicia yelled out loud.

My heart was thumping fast. I was searching for her amidst this chaos.

"Alicia!" I yelled out loud, trying to find her.

Then I saw her at the center of all this chaos. Her body was glowing with yellow light now. She was yelling as if she was in pain. My heart squeezed in pain seeing her like this.

Then fire came out of the ground, like red pillars. I looked around to see if Dimitri was okay.

"Dimitri?!" I yelled.

"Your highness!" Dimitri was at the edge of this chaos.

'Good, he was fine.' I thought.

"I need you to be prepared." I ordered. "Call the other shadow guards and have them stationed in the vicinity."

"They are on their way your highness!" Dimitri yelled. "What are you doing?!"

I was trying to get closer to Alicia. I need to stop her or her body won't handle this much power.

"Your highness, don't do it!" Dimitri said. "Let me do it!"

"Stand your ground!" I ordered him. "You cannot step inside her vortex. It will be the end of you."

"But your highness." Dimitri showed fear for my wellbeing.

"Do not worry. I will come out of this alive and with my future bride." I said with resolve. I smiled at Dimitri confidently.

I made a wall of fire around myself just to make sure any debris won't get in my way.

"Alicia!" I yelled out to her.

"Alicia, it's me. It's Leon!" I tried to call out to her.

Every step I take is heavy. The wind was against me pushing forward.

"Alicia, can you hear me?!" I yelled at her again.

I was getting near her. I saw her kneeling on the ground, crying.

"Leon, don't leave me." Alicia cried.

"I won't leave you. I'm here. Please hear me." I yelled to her. "I promise I will never leave you."

It was as if she can't hear me. I tried to get closer to her but the wind was even harsher around her. My fire wall was crumbling, debris was starting to come right at me.

I felt the debris on my body, it was scraping me every time it hits. I can feel my body is now filled with wounds and scratches but I pressed on.

Every step I take was getting heavier. But I can see Alicia just a few meters away. She was just within reach.

"Please don't leave me. Don't die, please." I can hear her crying.

Alicia was in arms reach. I hold on to her trying to wake her up.

"Alicia, it's me. It's Leon. Can you hear me?" I look into her eyes and I was shocked.

Her eyes where all white, her pupils was nowhere to be found. Her tears were flowing not stop.

"Leon don't die. Don't leave me. I haven't even told you how I felt." Alicia was having a monologue.

"Alicia, please hear me. I'm right here." I tried my best to reach her. "Can you not see me? Can you not hear me?"

My heart squeezed in pain. I can't stand seeing her like this.

"Leon, I haven't... I haven't even told you... that I love you." Alicia said between sobs.

Those words made my heart in pain feel warmth. The girl in front of me loves me. Never have I heard those words coming from others. I have only heard them from my mother when I was young and she was still alive. Hearing those words from Alicia made my heart felt joy and warmth.

At first I only thought of Alicia as a beautiful princess, worthy to be my official wife. She was an Atlantian that I knew I can use as a chess piece in my quest for supremacy. But now, after the days I spent with this young princess. I became her knight, her teacher, her mentor. And I know in myself I want to be her husband in the future. I want her to be always by my side. I want to protect her with all my power and I want to give her everything her heart desires.

"I love you too." I replied to her confession. Even though she can't hear me now, I want to express what I was feeling inside of me now.

I cupped her face and kissed her in the lips. Her lips trembled in mine. I savored her sweet mouth, claiming every bit of it.

I can feel the chaos around us subside slowly. The wind that was blowing hard a while ago has calmed down. The ground around us stopped shaking violently. And the fire pillars seized to exist.

I never left Alicia's lips. I savor the sweetness in them, wanting to devour them. I licked her lips and inserted my tongue on her mouth, exploring it and claiming every inch of it.

I don't want to end the kiss but I want to look at Alicia's face. So I parted my lips from her.

When I looked at her, her face was flushed. Her eye pupils have returned. She looked at me with her eyes full of affection and also curiosity.

"You're alive?" She asked me in disbelief.

"Yes I am." I smiled at her. I held her left hand and gave it a kiss. I raised her hand and let it press my chest. "Can you feel that? My heart is still beating. And it's beating for you."

Alicia's face flushed even more. This amused me even further.

"I will never leave you, I promise you that. I will forever be by your side." I promised her. "I love you."

"And I love you." Alicia replied but then fainted in my arms.

"Your highness." Dimitri was by our side in no time. He made a defensive stance.

"She just fainted." I said to him.

Then I looked in front of us and the Atlantian siblings were there, preparing to make a move.

"Do you think it's wise to still press forward even you are at a disadvantage?" I asked them.

Then my shadow guards came flying down and surrounded us.

"You are outnumbered. I suggest you surrender." I told them with a cold tone.

"Brother we can't do anything." The young woman said.

"But the princess?" The young man still insisted.

"We are outnumbered and you are poisoned. It is better to live and fight another day. Our priority now is to get out of here alive and report to the prince." The young woman said.

"I understand." The young man said in defeat.

The young woman put the young man's arm around her shoulder and supported him. She was holding something.

"Stop them!" Dimitri yelled.

But it was too late. The young woman threw the thing she was holding to the ground. There was a loud bang and we were blinded for a moment. Then black smoke emerged and covered the area.

I was coughing and so was the other people around me. When the smoke cleared, the siblings was nowhere yo be found.

"Dammit!" Dimitri yelled in irritation.

"Find them immidiately. They couldn't have gotten that far." I ordered.

"Yes!" My shadow guards said in unison and then vanished.

"Your highness are you all right?" Dimitri asked.

Now that the adrenaline stopped pumping, I can feel my body ached all over.

"Don't worry about me." I said. "What I am worried about is Alicia."

I look at the girl in my arms. She was like a sleeping beauty. Her face was so serene and calm. Her eye lashes was long and beautiful. Her cheeks wore a blush and her lips were pink just after the kiss we had made.

I caress her beautiful face. Looking at her made my heart thump like crazy. I really do love this girl in my arms.

"No one will ever harm you again, I promise you." Looking at her sleeping face made me smile.