It was like staring at a body double. Norman one and Norman two were both dressed in similar attire to keep out any suspicions. Norman two who willing came here seemed brighter than Norman one who was not sure what the hell was happening in that moment.

"We need to find Agnes first," I told Elias who was explaining the whole deal to his Norman.

"Why her?" He asked with a frown.

"Because she is the solution to this." Or I was hoping she was.

"Whatever you say." He agreed easily.

"So this is your bodyguard, the girl?" Norman one asked sounding surprised.

"Why, a girl can't do this?" I felt offended at his tone.

"No-no. I flirted with you remember?" He said with a sheepish apologetic smile.

While I held back laughter Elias look outright angry.

"When I walked in that dance where you first met me as the Princess, I needed a date to get in," I explained and saw him calming down.

"How can I help?" Norman one asked.

He was looking a little disappointed and pained. He loved his brother as far as I can tell and his father just tried all the ways to get him killed.

"Does father know I don't need the throne?" His voice was filled with pain.

"You should know I need you so don't think about doing something stupid Norman," Elias warned him.

"Wow, so much love is making me nauseous." Norman two just ruined the mood.

"We split up and do a different task. Someone need to meet Agnes and someone needs to meet Kirk." I said and once again Elias looks displeased.

"Kirk is someone dangerous right?" He asked as he saw his doppelganger was no good.

I nodded.

"Fine then Norman and this person here," Elias said.

"Excuse me, I am Norman as well." He said and Elias just ignored him.

"You two go and find Agnes while I and Alisha are going to meet Kirk."

"Are you sure about that?" I confirmed.

"We can handle him, right?" He said with utter trust in me.

"There is nothing we can't handle," I answered with a smile.

Norman two made a gagging noise pulling me out of our little world.

"Norman you go find Agnes and take him along. Find mother, we will be needing her help." Elias instructed his younger brother.

As we separated and set out for our tasks, I said, "Kirk knew that I am a girl when we went there before."

Elias face hardened, "I have trusted him since I was a kid."

"Maybe this one is good, did you see the stark difference in two Normans." He smiled at my words and nodded.

We mounted the horse and I escorted the Prince riding towards the danger most probably.

***

"I gave you an option to leave," Kirk said with a sad smile.

"And now I am giving you an option to live," I said with fierceness in my tone.

"I am not the enemy here Alisha." He said with a truth in his words.

"Are you not?" Elias' eyes were narrowed at him.

"I am just one of the many shadows of him."

"And you are powerless?" I asked him the trick question.

His sly smile answered my question.

"What do you want?",Elias asked.

"To kill you." He stated to clearly that I was shocked.

"Why haven't you done it till now?" I asked not sure it was that simple.

"Who said I wasn't?" What did he mean by that?

"All those attacks?" Elias caught on before I did.

"I was helping your father and everyone against you."

"Why not kill me directly?" Elias was fuming with anger now.

Angry Prince was dangerous.

"Agnes is protecting you. And now she is." This time the hate was visible in his tone.

"Me?" Dude, I am just a human in this scenario.

"Yes, you. Agnes tied the souls together and now your love for him strengthens it." He hissed out his words and I felt the big power of his words.

If I was here to protect him even the magic was ineffective. I was literally his shield from the bad.

***

Stop wondering how we came back alive after our meeting with Kirk. He was still under orders from Matthew and apparently they both wanted Elias dead because he was the blood line of two powerful magicians in the world. Matthew did not want Elias to grow more powerful than him.

Kirk bid us a sober farewell instead looking at Elias with something similar to pride and adoration.

Back to the palace, another issue was in the place. With Norman (both of them gone) it was difficult to put King in his place. There has been a rebel attack on the commoners making them believe it was from Prince side to make them support him instead of the King.

Elias was venting out his anger of the things in the room as I quietly observed him.

The odds were already against him since he was the ruler with magic which will make people wary of him and now this attack. I t was a clever move and this instant I had no solution to it.

King might use this chance to marry Elias to some princess with an equally notorious father so that Elias remains powerless even if becomes the King.

So I decided to play another card instead.

"Let Queen speak for you. She can declare that she is alive and her words can easily demean the King."

"People think she has magic, they will not trust her." He said in an agitated tone.

"No, actually she is as human as I am."

"No, she is not." Elias didn't seem convinced.

"She is, the actual magic holder is Agnes. She just helped herself stay away from execution and helped your mother to stay alive." I stated rather dryly.

"Then why can I do magic?" He asked.

Isn't that the big question Prince?

"Because you come from the most powerful bloodline of magicians even normal human parents can't erase." Even though in this time his parents were normal human King and Queen.

He could still do magic.

Before I had to answer the hard question Norman one and two came in.

"We found Agnes and seems angry." Norman two informed.

Now, why the hell was she angry?

***

"Why did you bring him along?" She yelled at me, practically screamed on my face.

"Because he needed help?" I offered a lame answer in a tone of the question.

"He is going to die here." She said in a stiff voice.

"What?"

"Yes, you are bound to Elias so you can travel time and stay alive. Did you think it was this easy and painless? It requires complex magic. He will perish soon."

"How can we get him back?" Norman one surprised me with his tone of worry.

"Only Kirk can." There is said that Norman two was as good as dead.

"He will not help," I said in an angry tone.

"He will if Elias gives up his power that means he can live too and Norman will be sent back." Agnes offered an option.

I looked at the conflicted Elias whose eyes almost shook with emotion. He was a King, protector of his people.

"Why does everyone want him to give up on power? He can't be the heir to the throne or to the magic he is legitimately getting?" I snapped surprising everyone around us.

"Kirk will do it. He has not been threatened yet." I said in my gangster Alisha's determination.

"Threatened?" Agnes sounded surprised.

"Yes, because why not make Elias what everyone doesn't want him to be just because they are scared." I looked with a raised eyebrow at Elias who nodded in agreement with a sly smile.

***

"Mother, can you do that for me?" Elias asked the hidden Queen to make a statement in front of the people and court about her fake death and how the King kept her in dungeons.

"You are my son, I will do anything for you."

Great that was set and done.

Tomorrow morning Elias will call a general council, with few important commoners and the court ministers. Till then we just have to keep Queen alive.

But trust me it is easier said than done with so many enemies around us.

"I can help you know." Norman surprised us yet again, Norman two this time.

"Well, he does look identical to the second Prince." Agnes pointed out smiling suddenly.

Why didn't I think of this?

"What are we thinking?" I asked in a sullen tone.

"How about one Norman stays with us to protect the Queen while the other could keep the attackers at bay and pretend to be with the King for a while."

"As much as I am not liking this, I want the misunderstanding on Elias to clear." Norman one said.

"We will not let your father die." Elias made a silent promise to his brother, a foolish one I must say.

I wanted to kill the King.

***

We all scattered around and were told to gather after midnight. It was fun again and I felt powerful with Elias by my side who himself had no idea how powerful he was.

But I missed my father immensely.

"What is wrong Alisha?" Elias said too comfortable with me now.

He had me facing him, his arms around my waist and his eyes scrutinizing my face trying to figure out my emotions.

"I miss new album release," I said with a rueful smile.

"I wish I know what that is." I missed my chance of letting Elias listen to some BTS songs.

"Really but what is wrong?"

I can't say I miss home, my father because he already holds himself responsible enough.

I just stepped closer to him and hugged him. My head rested on his firm chest and even though I was all kickass but it felt safe to be there. It was the burden of life depending on mine, my father who must miss me and lot of things that made a tear fall from my eyes.

After a moment I calmed down while Elias stood patiently hugging me back.

I tiptoed and kissed him lightly and looked in his eyes, "You have magic, Your Highness, let's put it to good use."

His eyes widened at my words.

"You want me to use my magic which I kept hidden and well in place for so long?"

I nodded with a sudden pride for him.

"You are born to be King Elias and we need people to see how you can protect them. If you love then you have to protect. Let's threaten Kirk and Matthew and however, the hell wants to hurt you." He looked at me with awe and then a smile crept on his face.

Elias the not to modern prince gave me the most intense kiss of my life leaving me breathless, hot and bothered. As his thumb traced my lips after the kiss, he smirked at me and said, "Fine let's do what you say since I am all yours now."

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