The heavy fragrance was making me nauseous but I kept my head .... and heart in place. Elias was concentrating on a dusty brown scroll, his eyebrows scrunched together.

I would not say it out loud and make a fool of myself but he looked cute, really cute.

Feeling the familiar uneasiness creep up my nose, I sneezed too loud and looked up to apologise but Elias was too focused on the scroll. We were in the secret hideout cave which Elias showed me earlier. It was filled with different kind of books, scrolls, brewing potions and a lot of other sparkly stuff I had no clue about.

Norman one was assigned next to his father to play the dutiful son while Norman two was handling the rumours in town since his word could sooth the people as he was the younger Prince. The Queen was on hold since we didn't want to attack the King until we were ready so for past seven days we have been coming to this cave and let Elias practice magic.

He did come to realise that his mother had no magic and was angry at Agnes until I told him how she kept him alive and brought me to him. Even though this made him less angry, he was still not ready to take lessons from Agnes herself and therefore the process of learning magic was going slow.

"If you have to marry right now, which Princess will you choose," I asked.

You see what i did there, I was awfully worried as to how a King should grow. What if marrying me did him no good and his kingdom will not expand?

His head raised up quickly looking at me with a confused frown.

"Are you not well Alisha?" He asked walking towards me giving a rest to the books.

I giggled unlike myself and sneezed again.

"Walk away from that potion first." He said with an amused look on his face.

"I will walk away from here but tell me first, what if me loving you damages history somehow." I was pouring out my worries to him.

"Oh Lord, you inhaled the truth smog." He mumbled to himself.

"Are you insane? Give this to the King and see him speaking all the truth." I giggled again feeling lighter for some reason.

"Magic comes with boundaries Alisha." He said and I sighed.

"I love when you call me Alisha," I whispered to him like this was a secret.

His eyes widened at my words, "What? Don't look so shocked. I am in madly in love with you, madly being the key point since I willingly time travelled."

He cupped my cheeks and kissed me softly on the lips. I sighed again feeling amazing in that moment.

"What if marrying a princess will be better for you?" Again, the fear spoke out.

He chuckled and kissed my forehead, "I will marry no one but you."

"Did you just propose to me Highness?" I grinned at his words though my eyes watered at the same time.

He kissed my eyes softly and said, "I am not allowing you to say a no."

"Why do you even love me?" I blurted out.

"Is that even a question?"

"You have rich and gorgeous princess around you."

"And you are my bodyguard." He stated as if this was supposed to mean something.

I chuckled.

"Yes, I am your bodyguard who fights, have scars, disrespectful and impulsive. How did I make the cut your highness? Why did you not hate me for lying to you?" I asked whatever there was in my head.

"God, you are a troublemaker right now Alisha and make me want to do all kind of things to you." He said in an amused and agitated tone.

"I can never hate you. And scars, I want to see all of them , they are more like a medal of honour and why I choose you over all the princess around me. Because there is no one that made me feel I can't live without her." His tone was soft and serious.

"Literally, I can't live without you. You protect me." This sounded wonderful as he said with the amount of love and gratitude in his words.

I love how he respects my rash and impulsive ways.

"Elias," I sighed again saying his name and probably giving him a dreamy look because his lips lifted up lightly.

"Alisha." He said and butterflies raided my stomach.

"I will always love you no matter what time I am in now," I confessed with a hint of worry.

But he didn't seem bothered.

"And I will be with you no matter what time you are in." And his long fingers carefully caressed my hair.

"You can't say such things and then not kiss me, Prince," I commanded again surprising myself.

"The truth fog I see is effective. " And brought his lips down to mine. But this time he didn't restrict them to my lips as he traced my jawline to the back of ear which I didn't know was my weak point as I gasped out at his touch and felt his lips lift in a smile.

"Are we using it on the King then?" He asked me while I was still half drunk on a drink called Elias.

"Boundaries then?" I asked like a confused person.

"Boundaries should be crossed since they started it."He said like he was ready to break few rules for me.

My company was destroying and spoiling the nice Prince.

"Will it harm you in any way?" I asked immensely worried.

He laughed heartily and said, "No but rules say we never use magic for our personal use. It comes under a punishable crime. Have you noticed I have never used it for anything."

I know that magic comes with a price but even for the son of two powerful magicians? What kind of price is Mel paying then?

"Well, it is not for personal use. It for common good of your people. Right, highness?" I said with a convincing innocent smile.

"That's what I thought." And with a final peck on my lips, he got back to his work.

***

Since we thought keeping Norman one out of this will be safe, we decided Norman two should do the task. King happen to love his son and will never refuse a round of drinks with his son but the drinks will be induced with the truth fog liquefied and made fragrance free. As per my experience, this was a dangerous kind of magic and I was still reeling from after effects of it.

I was too embarrassed to meet Prince's eyes and wanted to bury myself in the ground for a while but Elias, on the other hand, was enjoying this a bit too much.

Agnes and Norman one were keeping an eye on minister and Kirk for the next move. It was weird to even think this but I missed Mel. 

Elias was busy giving final touches to the drink and for the precaution, we had more than one flask in case one gets broken or stolen or whatever can happen in worse case scenario.

Norman two was calm even though he knew coming here was not right for him and he might die.

"We will get Kirk's help," I said so that we do not look completely oblivious to his pain.

"I hoping you would." He said with a light smile.

"You don't hate me right? For bringing you here." I asked just to be sure.

"I cannot hate a beautiful face." And he flirted even in this situation.

Elias gave him a deadpanned look and pulled me away from him.

"He is just doing this for fun." I defended Norman.

"Boys never do such things for fun." He said through gritted teeth making me grin in amusement.

"I hope you don't go around marrying many girls like most Kings do. If you are this jealous imagine what I will do with her." I said it in a light tone but the message got through as he nodded with a shocked face.

"Make sure he drinks it." Elias almost ordered Norman two who didn't like much even though he looked like his brother.

"I will bro." He answered and Elias brows scrunched at the word 'bro'.

"It is short for brother," I explained holding back my laughter.

Surprisingly, Elias didn't look displeased or angry at being called brother.

***

The drinks were not served only to the King and Norman since this would do no good. We had to invite few important ministers, Elias had to be there as the next heir and I was there because I was not going to leave his side in the place filled with enemies.

An hour passed since the drink was placed in front of all the present members and I was started to get numb legs and impatient. Elias kept giving me glances of apology since he knows how reckless I am.

While my jaw ticked with annoyance as the King laughed and chatted. The only other suffering person here was Norman two who looked equally bored. Finally, I straightened up in my position as King lifted the glass and was ready to drink it.

"Why don't we share this drink, Elias." He said and I inhaled sharply.

That sneaky little bastard.

Norman two looked taken aback and I felt hopeless. I knew our plan could never work without dramas.

"Sure, you take the first sip though since you are the King." Elias was playing it cool and I was holding my breath just in case I have to go all ninja on them.

King just smirked at him and I knew that he had an idea about the spiked drink. We are doomed.

Well, that was an exaggeration since we can't be doomed. We still have our own Merlin called as Elias.

"Drink it Highness or are you afraid of something." I blurted out partially from the frustration of standing so long and partially because I am cranky when I am hungry.

The crowd expectedly reacted with a gasp but Elias was calm this time and didn't glare at me for my words.

King on the other hand looked outright murderous.

"Stop right there Your Highness, this drink is not safe." Walked in the devil spawn, Kirk.

Yet again, Norman and I looked terrified. this was not happening like in movies. Not everything or should I say anything was happening according to our plan.

"Who are you?" A minister still sane enough asked Kirk.

"He is on of my most trusted men." He said with a smug smile.

Go. Die. Right. Now.

But all my mental wishing didn't affect Kirk who walked in like he owned the place.

He took the glass from King respectfully and offered it to Elias.

Now all who troubled Elias earned a really bad place in my heart and then you must know how I am when I go all gangster. 

Before I could attack him, Elias took the drink and drank it in one go.

I gasped and froze on the spot. He did not just drink that.

But he looked completely calm about the whole deal and he should be because he has nothing to hide except that he did that magic and people here were too shallow to accept that.

King's smile widened as he lifted another glass and looked at Kirk for confirmation. But at this point even Kirk was confused. He was observing the calm looking Elias who by the way looked really handsome in his princely attire.

"Disappointed father?" He said with a sly smile I knew too well.

He was planning something. He can't bring the queen in since it will endanger her life even though she agreed to confess about the King and his crimes.

Ministers were busy chatting and drinking when suddenly Elias turned to the minister whose name I didn't even know now but who threatened us most frequently.

"Would you like to have a drink as well with me?" It was an honour and no matter you cannot refuse a drink from Prince.

King can't stop him since this will clearly show his hate for Elias.

I bit my lip from laughing out loud as the minister took the drink handed by Elias and I realise, he was getting the truth but not from King. Kirk seemed taken aback while King was terrified.

"So, Sir Sebastian, how do you feel?" Elias asked with his own smug smile now.

He chuckled and looked at the King," No matter what we do, we can't kill this guy."

Elias looked up to me and winked. I gave him a thumbs-up sign since he can't see me six inch wide smile behind my cover.

Truth Fog was working fine, it seems.

It should be because I am writing it with severe cold .... *not threatening at all*