In an unknown place a maid was seen tied up on a chair. Her face was covered with a sack. She was sobbing non stop.

"Why are you doing this? Why am I here?" The maid asked. "Please let me go."

"Don't you remember what you have done?" Dimitri asked. "Can't you remember what you did to the third princess' horse?"

The maid shivered after hearing Dimitri's words.

"I don't know what you are talking about." The maid denied. "I am innocent."

"Ohhh. You think no one saw you?" Dimitri said. "Too bad that one of the stable boys saw you come out the stables suspiciously."

The maid shivered even more.

"I-I made an errand inside the stables. Th-that's why I was there." The maid replied. "Please just let me go."

"Aren't you afraid of what we can do to make you talk?" Dimitri asked.

"P-please believe me. I didn't do anything wrong." The maid was crying.

"You won't tell the truth? Then prepare yourself." Dimitri said menacingly.

***

"Ahhhhh....please stop." Screams are coming from a wooden shed in the middle of nowhere.

Leon just arrived riding his horse. It was half past midnight already. A shadow guard appeared in front of him and took the horse's reins. Leon alighted from his horse.

"How is the interrogation going?" Leon asked.

"Your highness, sir Dimitri has started to torture the perpetrator." The shadow guard replied.

"Has she confessed yet?" Leon asked. A coldness was seen in his eyes.

"Your highness, the maid has been very stubborn. She is still denying any involvement." The shadow guard answered.

Leon emitted a strong menacing aura. The shadow guard felt it and shivered in fear.

'Our prince is really angry. I'm afraid the maid won't live until morning.' The shadow guard thought.

"Bring me to them." Leon commanded.

"Yes your highness." The shadow guard bowed and led Leon inside.

"Ahhhh..." The maid was screaming.

"Do you want me to stop?" Dimitri asked. "Then tell me the truth."

The maid was crying. "Yes, I'll talk. Please just stop."

Dimitri stopped torturing the girl.

"Yes it was me. I was the one who put the shard in the horse's hoof." The maid confessed.

"Who told you to do it?" Dimitri asked.

The maid was silent.

"You don't want to tell?" Dimitri asked.

Leon looked at the girl that was covered with a sack. She looked so pitiful. Dimitri saw Leon come.

"Your highness." Dimitri bowed.

"Remove her cover." Leon ordered.

Dimitri was shocked but do what he was told.

'It looks like the prince won't go of this girl alive. What a pity.' Dimitri thought.

The sack on the maid's head was removed. She opened her eyes slowly and adjusted to the light. Then she saw the men around her.

"Tell me, who told you to hurt the third princess." Leon said menacingly.

The maid saw Leon looking at her with such evil eyes. He was emitting a heavy aura that she wasn't able to breath easily. His stares were like daggers piercing her very soul. She shivered in fear.

"I-I can't. They will kill me." The maid stuttered.

"Then are you not scared that we will kill you?" Leon threatened her.

The maid was silent. She wouldn't want to betray the princess. Her life was in her hands.

"Dimitri, give me that thing." Leon commanded.

Dimitri took a metal like apparatus on the table and gave it to Leon. "Here your highness."

Leon looked at the apparatus carefully.

"Do you know what this is?" Leon asked coldly.

The maid just looked at the apparatus in fear.

"Hold her!" Leon commanded. Two shadow guards held the maid by her arms.

A flash of fear was evident in the maids face. "What are you doing?!"

Leon slowly walked near the girl and took her hand. The maid was trying to resist but the two shadow guards were strong.

"No, please no. Nooo!" The maid screamed in pain.

After a while of torturing the girl was now left without strength.

"You are a loyal servant, I praise you for that." Leon said.

"P-please, j-just kill me." The maid said weakly.

"You are willing to give your life for your master? You are very loyal indeed." Leon said sarcastically. "But I want to ask you, are you willing to give your families life for your master as well?"

The maid's eyes went wide with surprise.

"I have heard that you have a younger brother. He is six years old correct?" Leon asked. "And your father is a farmer in the outskirts of the city. Your mother is a sickly person and needs medicine occasionally."

"Please don't hurt my family. They have nothing to do with this." The maid was crying.

"You came inside the palace to work as a maid inside the royal kitchen, to help your father buy the medicine of your mother." Leon continued. "You don't have a sworn master, so finding the master mind is hard. If you don't tell me then I am sure to take on my wrath on your family."

"Please I beg you, sir." The maid was begging.

"You hurt my future wife. The future queen of Grandcrest. Do you know what the consequence is?" Leon asked menacingly. "It is death to you and to your family. And also your family until the fourth degree."

"Future queen of Grandcrest?" The maid said in disbelief. The maid knew about the Grandcrest kingdom and the crown prince was said to be a bloody devil. She looked at Leon in surprise.

"It looks like you have put it together." Leon said with a regal voice. "If you tell me the mastermind, I will promise you that safety of your family and the whole life supply of medicine for your sickly mother."

The maid looked at Leon with surprised eyes.

"And I will also grant you a swift death." Leon said finally.

The maid have thought there wasn't anywhere for her to get out of this. At least she wants her family to be safe and sound. She is prepared to take this deal.

"I will tell you if you give me your word." The maid said defeated.

"I will give you my word as the crown prince of Grandcrest kingdom, Regaleon Yosef Astley." Leon said with pride.

"The master mind was no other than my lady, second princess Elizabeth." The maid confessed. "She wants princess Alicia to have an accident. If she doesn't die then at least she wants the princess to be crippled."

"Thank you." Leon said and turned around. "Dimitri, you know what to do."

"Yes your highness." Dimitri bowed and Leon exited the shed. He looked at the shadow guards made a gesture. The two shadow guards nodded.