"You look happy, Your Highness." I said now back as Arthur a few minutes later after the 'princess' me bid Elias farewell.

After the kiss, Elias showed me around but his hands rested on the curve of my waist holding me with certain possessiveness. He told me about the time when his mother used magic for fun. She never harmed anyone. Instead, she countered all the bad energy in the kingdom.

She even helped healed some soldiers who returned with fatal injuries. But the present King came to knew about this and threw her in the dungeon declaring it to the young Elias that his mother was dead. He was naturally scared that Elias will have the benefit of magic somehow.

But he still didn't know that Elias can do some magic himself.

"I kissed her." He told me with a smug smile.

I had to bite back a smile myself. Even though it was the first and best kiss of my life, I was more cool about the thing. Or maybe my mind was ready for the situation if the Prince suddenly got bored of me.

"Where were you the whole time? How can I never even get a glimpse of you?"

I was right next to you.

"I am good at hiding, the advantage of being a skilled bodyguard," I answered with absolute seriousness.

"Anyway, did you see her? She looked beautiful even in maid's outfit." He bragged about me.

"I doubt that," I mumbled more to myself but he heard it.

"I want to see what kind of girl you will choose." He scolded me and I found it really funny.

"If I get a chance with all the bodyguard duties," I answered back.

At this Elias was left silent probably feeling guilty at my non-existence love life because of him.

"Don't worry too much you still have the final round of the tournament." I tried to divert his mind.

"And one of my competitors will be from Norgivia." He contemplated the thought.

"So you could beat him easily." I had made up my mind to loose since Elias was doing this to make a mark on his people and Kingdom.

And the kiss just solidified the fact I liked him too much.

"Have you see him fighting?" He asked, curious at my sudden predicament.

"I just trust that you will win," I said in an encouraging tone.

"What should I use as my defending weapon? I don't even know what my strength is?" He asked sounding worried.

I wanted to say magic but I can't since this will be a drastic step and instead of making a good impression on the people present, he might be branded as an outcast or worst King will get a chance to throw him in the dungeon.

"Let your mind work then and see what happens," I said at ease because there will be only three people in the fire ring and only one of them wanted to beat Elias.

"Can we practice a little?" He asked and I obviously agreed to this.

But as soon as I stepped out of the room, Agnes was waiting for me. She even asked Elias' permission to take me away.

"What is it?" I asked rather harshly after what his husband said I was angry at them.

"Even though Queen and I do not want you gone but I will give a choice like my husband wants so I am giving you this." She handed me a scroll.

But when I was about to open it, she stopped me," Not now, only when you need it."

She said in an ominous tone like she knew well enough when I will need it.

"Are you the one who sent me here? Are you Mel?" I asked the question I wanted to ask when I first saw her.

She looked at me with a cynical smile as if I was not the sane one here.

"Do I resemble her that much?" She smirked at me and I understood she will never give me a straight answer.

"Whatever. Just let me know if Queen is okay?" I asked for Elias.

"She is living and well." She answered.

Mel didn't talk like that. Serving the gangster family she had a harsher tone than Agnes who was kind of Shakespearean.

"You know I got some first-hand prophecy in the market." I was testing her now.

"And did it make much sense?" She was mocking me.

"The fortune teller just said that I was going home soon." I wanted to see how she will react to this.

"I hope you do just forget that without you Prince is vulnerable." Her eyes flashed with a warning.

I was skilled at everything but I know I cannot survive against magic.

"Unfortunately, I care for Prince more than you do now."

This made her smile and she nodded, "That, we all know Alisha."

***

The week passed by after that and Elias practiced hard. He said he will meet the Norgivian princess only after he won the tournament. Norman, on the other hand, surprised me by helping brother through everything. Not only he worked to teach Elias the political and other boring shit he also made friends with most of the ministers and helped other Kingdoms ambassadors meet Elias.

I would have doubted the brotherly love but now I can see they cared for each other.

On the day of the tournament, I was not nervous. For some weird reason, the scroll that Agnes gave me was reassuring and I set for whatever happened in the last round. In the previous round, the minister played dirty.

And like think of the devil and devil appears, I saw him walking past me. I was wearing a helmet now getting ready for the round and for now, I was the Norgivian warrior now. He was surprised me with a sinister smile and gave a nod of approval. I had no damn idea what that meant so I just passed along and didn't respond to the vile human.

Three of us were made to stand on an elevated ground and gradually a cage was put around us. The dangerous thing being that the cage was set on fire. It will not be lifted till a winner is declared. Elias was in the cage as well with a helmet on but I can recognize his eyes anywhere. He was equipped with a sword and a buckler. He was choosing the simple weapon since he was best with it.

Suddenly I realised that the third opponent was different. He was leaner than the one I fought before. He was not the same person that was supposed to be present then. As he maneuvered his daggers skillfully it and flipped right in between me and Elias, I came to a conclusion/ He was a trained assassin rather than a rough warrior. He was fast and vigilant. He planned his attacks way before we could defend it.

He was here to assassinate Elias. If the Prince dies or be fatally injured here no one will be blamed. This was a smart plan but they don't know that Prince's bodyguard is right here next to him.

The fight began and I was using needles as my best option. It was quick and will not do fatal harm but the assassin was quick and wanted to kill Elias. He dodged the needles and ruthlessly attacked the prince. I kicked his legs from behind and for a moment he shifted his attention to me. After that, it was really difficult to dodge his dagger. I got three cuts and lost my needles trying to harm him.

He was handling two top notch opponents fine enough.

"You killed my father and I will have my revenge." He said that to Elias and I realised he was here because I killed that assassin in the market that day.

I don't know if Elias realised that because his face was well hidden in a helmet. My eyes found the foul playing minister and he smiled at me yet again.

I know what he wanted me to do, help their assassin to kill Elias. I did exactly that. I kicked the shield from Prince's hand which shocked both assassin and Elias. I nodded to the assassin as if I was encouraging him to attack the Prince.

He thought this was his chance and charged but I threw the shield on his head. The sudden attack caught him by surprise and his head started bleeding. His legs wobbled underneath him and he was about to stumble to the ground.

So just to be sure I jumped ahead and inserted a needle on his neck nerve that will slowly render him paralytic for a while. But as he stumbled on the ground, he pulled out a sharp blade like thing from his pockets, two from either side and threw it at Elias before blacking out.

I did manage to deflect one with the buckler on the ground but I was too late and another one hit Elias right on his chest. Blood oozed out from the injury and Elias collapsed. I blinked and tried to clear my vision that was going blurry with tears forming in my eyes. The crowd was devastated and I was not sure what just happened. This kind of injury was fatal in 1735.

I directed my hate to look at the evil minister and the jerk King and just for the sake of it, I pulled out the scroll I had on me.

I was making my choice right then and keeping the future telling guy's opinion I was taking my responsibility with me to keep him safe. There was look of shock and defeated on King's face as I was about to open the scroll and I know this was the right thing to do. I kept my hand on Elias' shoulder and opened the scroll.

The same feeling hit me when I first drank the water Mel gave me when I ran away from home. Everything rumbled inside my stomach and I opened my eyes trying not to puke my guts out.

Unconscious Elias lay next to me in a forest area and honking of a passing car made me realise, I was finally back home.