It has been three days since we returned back from the mountains and all did Elias did was practice. He was really hard working once he gets the mind to that thing. At night he will sit with bunch of books and read till late. He was that all star guy who could do everything and look good as well.

Now that I accepted that I had feelings for him they just grew stronger. And I realised that almost every girl in the palace either had a crush on him or some of them even wished to be the next Princess. He had those flirty smiles for every female around keeping them on their toes.

Tomorrow was the day the tournament and I have to keep my life and secret safe. I was well prepared for the battle and I have to make deal with Norgivia to represent them so I made to way to the quarters where they resided now as all the guest were here and surprisingly ..not really with their daughters.

"I am here to meet the King," I said confidently.

I wore the official robe of the Kingdom so he did not stop me and let me in. I was covering my face as I wanted to be the male representative here. In the battle, I will be wearing a helmet so there was nothing to worry there.

"Yes?" The princess met me outside the door before I could meet her father.

She was really beautiful and I regretted impersonating her. I just connected Elias and her somehow.

"I am here to represent your kingdom in the tournaments," I stated and she nodded letting me in.

I told the King the same thing who seemed baffled.

"Why do you want to help me when you are from this kingdom?" Kirk, you old man you didn't tell me a way around this.

"Well, our kingdom provide warriors to those who do not have children to represent in the battle." I lied yet again.

He thought for a moment and then said, "I already brought someone with me."

"Well, we can always see who is better." I offered him a solution.

"Okay, let's try this."

I had a short round of sword fight with the warrior he brought and he was nowhere close to talented. He would have been kicked out in the tournament early on.

"As you can see I am the best option you get."

"At least can I see your face so that I can recognise you elsewhere," King asked.

"No, I am not allowed to do so."

This annoyed him a bit but he agreed to this for the reasons I didn't know.

He handed me the Kingdom uniform and a badge officially making me a warrior for Norgivia.

***

"Where were you?" Elias asked as soon as I entered the room.

"Library," I told the partial truth.

I visited the library daily to find the mystery behind Agnes.

"So now you want to study. You do everything besides protecting me." He scolded me something he has never done before.

"What is wrong Elias?" I asked.

"Nothing." He snapped and I thought this was not the time to mess with the Prince.

So I just sat down in the corner. After a while, he said, "Your presence is somehow calming to me Arthur."

His words were something that made me my heart thump loudly inside but it was meant for his bodyguard not the girl me.

"Thank you," I muttered.

"No, don't think it in a weird way. It's just I feel safe when you are around. With so many guests in the palace, I don't know when I will be attacked."

"I think you are trained enough to handle even me now." I encouraged him.

He smiled as if he knew I was joking.

"Let's see." He said and got up with his sword.

"A challenge , now?" I asked shocked at his level of energy.

It was already dark and tomorrow was the tournament.

"Yes, are you ready?' He walked out and with no choice so did I.

As soon as we got on the ground, he attacked me without any notice but I blocked it well. He smirked at my surprised expression. I was so familiar with his fighting technique that I dodged his each and every hit easy. But he was not giving up.

He learned to play dirty with me and with a little distraction he came closer enough to corner me to a tree. I blinked fast at our proximity and looked away for an escape. But his eyes rested on my face as he concentrated with a frown.

"See, I told you are getting better." He was but not good enough to beat me.

My feelings and distracted mind were his strength right now.

With a slight head shake and a confused smile, he pulled away.

"You are distracted Arthur, I wonder why?" He said and I realized that he knew I was not at my best.

***

The next day I was supposed to accompany him to the ground as well as fight when it was Norgivia's turn. It was complicated, messy but somehow exhilarating.

The fights started with archery. I left Elias while he was busy playing his round and played for Norgivia with a perfect score shocking the crowd and other Kingdoms.

The day ended with archery matches between thirty kingdoms putting Norgivia in the first place and Elias' in second place followed by other Kingdoms. Elias' almost perfect score displeased the King a lot but Elias forgot all about his bodyguard now that he was surrounded by princesses now.

I decided to join him discreetly before he noticed I was gone.

"Where have you been Arthur? You were missing during the whole tournament." He complained as soon as we were alone.

After the tournament each night there was a formal dinner and dance.

He had to get ready for that. As the host, he had to attend even if others skip it for practice.

"I was pushed away by your cheering girl fans."

He laughed at my words, "Well, next time make sure you stay there. But did you see Norgivia is on the top. That means the princess I met at the dance is here and she said I can't find her."

I almost stopped breathing at his words.

"Well, you just focus on the tournament highness."

"She is the one that started all this. I think I should give her a little surprise." He started giving me surprise as he took his shirt off.

"I will take a bath and then we discreetly check out the quarters where King of Norgivia resides." He said and even before I could refuse or protest he went to take in the bath.

I just paced around panicking about the whole situation. What should I do ? Should I try to stay behind and then meet him later as a princess?

He came out after the bath and my worry notched up higher, "Let's go."

"I think I should stay behind. You two better meet alone." I tried excuses.

His eyes hardened, "With many kingdoms around I want my bodyguard more than ever."

"Okay then, I will be in the shadows guarding you. I don't want to hear the cheesy stuff you say to her."

"What stuff?" The word cheesy didn't make sense to him.

"Flirting." I cleared it in a single word.

"Fine, be in the shadows or darkness or whatever but you are coming along. Norman told me about the attackers among the Kingdoms that support my father." He confided his reason for fear.

"How was your real father?" I asked suddenly curious.

Question surprised him and he stopped in the track.

"He died when I was nine and then my mother became the second wife of the King somehow. But as much as I remember he was really kind. People came to our house for problems and help of any kind. I don't remember but my mother told me that I didn't talk for almost a year after he died."

"I am sorry for your loss," I said with sincerity because somehow my heart ached with pain on hearing this.

He gave me a pained smile and accepted my condolences.

We walked in silence after that and my head was spinning with confusion on what I should do.

"I will stop here now," I said in panic mode but gratefully did notice that as he himself seem a bit nervous.

"No , you can't. You distract the guards so that I can get undetected." He said.

"What? I was never told about this plan?"

"I am the Prince here Arthur, remember." So he was giving orders now.

So I just went forward without another word and started talking t guards. They knew me because I came to represent Norgivia earlier. But Prince didn't know that and he thought I was just fooling them. As soon as I saw Prince leap over the iron gate as I asked guards about today's tournament and about my win.

After that, I bid them farewell and hurried inside with excuse to meet the King of Norvigia. I started searching for the princess in the quarters before Prince could. It was a good thing that he used the longer part while I was in through the door.

"She is asleep." A voice froze me right there.

I turned and found Agnes there smiling at me.

"What?" I asked since that didn't make sense.

"The real princess is asleep. So you could dress up quick and meet Eli." She did not just say that.

"You knew?"

I whispered not sure what else to ask.

She threw women's cloth in my hands, "Of course, how could I not?" Her words sounded like there was hidden meaning behind them.

And then I found the nearest dark room to change but before I could thank Agnes, she was gone. At least I was sure she was not normal. I changed the dress as quick as possible and used the same bag to put my bodyguard clothes in it.

As soon as I stepped out in the backyard of the quarters, I saw Elias standing under the tree picking up stones.

Really? Was he turning Romeo and throwing pebbles now.

"No need for that Prince," I said walking closer and trying to breath normal after all the double identity crisis.

He looked up and I saw the smile in his eyes as they gazed into mine.

.