Izzy was walking through the hallway, trying to catch her breath. She had left Alex and Zachariah in Alex’s room but she wanted time alone. She had left her mother’s journal in Alex’s room, unsure if it was respectful to look into her mother’s things. After all, she was dead and she didn’t want to disrespect anything left by her.
Izzy found herself walking towards the king’s throne room and flinched at her choice in destination.
Suddenly, a soldier came running, his sword strapped onto his belt and his hair messy and wet with sweat. Guards surrounded him with worried looks but let the soldier catch his breath. His eyes met with Izzy and she knew. They were falling back and Timothy was in danger.
“The Vauldins,” he wheezed, coughing into his fists. “They’re coming. Gather the remaining men.”
Izzy’s heart thumped loudly although she expect those words to come out of his mouth. Timothy will have broken his promise by now. They was no way he could hold them all off. He was only human.
“Alert the king,” one of the guards ordered and the other soldiers nodded and opened the throne room. Izzy also stepped inside, needing to know their plan of protection.
When King John was informed, he sunk low on his throne. His eyes were tired and puffy and only Izzy could have guessed that he might have been crying two hours ago. She knew him like he was her own father. She knew him too well than to let that detail be trivial.
“Isabelle, go and protect my son,” he ordered. She had not even tried to argue. She knew he wouldn’t be able to take an argument with her. He was too busy with other things.
Izzy bowed instead and made her way back to Alex’s room. She informed them of what had happened and they both grew pale. They said nothing more but a grunt and a nod in response.
Zachariah’s bodyguard came in and took him away to his room where he would be guarded.
“Isabelle, there will be more guards stationed near Prince Alexander’s room so do not fret. We will be near,” the bodyguard said and Izzy thanked him. He nodded with a grim look in his eyes before he led Zachariah away.
When the two men were gone, Izzy quickly locked the doors, checking the perimeter of the room and made sure everything was normal. Izzy’s eyes went to her mother’s journal which laid on Alex’s old desk, waiting for her to read. She knew she couldn’t yet. She had to be on high alert and do the job that she was born to do. To protect.
“Izzy, you look distraught,” Alex said worriedly. He walked towards her and stretched his arms out but Izzy didn’t let herself be wrapped in his embrace. She took a step back and held in a sarcastic laugh.
“Your kingdom is being attacked and you are telling me I am looking distraught?” Izzy thought Alex was crazy.
“I am only worried about your well-being,” he said innocently as he lowered his head. Izzy felt her heart lurch. She didn’t mean to offend him.
“Zander, I’m sorry.” Izzy spoke softly as she moved towards him however it was a mistake.
She saw his mouth move into a grin but it was too late to move. He lunged for her and wrapped her in his arms, holding onto her tightly.
“Zander, what are you doing?” Izzy yelled, trying to get him off her but he laughed out loud.
“I cannot believe you would actually fall for it, Izzy!” He brought her struggling body to the bed and pinned her down with him on top of her.
“Are you oblivious to what is around you?” Izzy hissed. “We have to be alert. I have to protect you.”
“I am not harmed at all although you squirming under me is slightly bruising my body,” Alex said nonchalantly but she could see his eyes flicker with mischief.
“I’m sure you are stronger than that.” Izzy found herself smirking. She wasn’t sure if she should feel happy about the proximity of his face or extremely guilty.
“I did not know you had so much faith in me,” he grinned, hovering over Izzy. Izzy wrinkled her nose.
“You’re right. I do have too much faith in you.”
“I take back what I said,” Alex laughed and Izzy found herself laughing along with him. Their breaths slowed down as they tried to quiet their rapid beating of their heart but it was still beating erratically. Their presence made their hearts even more excited.
It was only when there was a knock on the door that Alex grew himself away from her. The slap of reality hit them hard and they both seemed fazed as if they had woken from a nice dream.
“Yes, hello?” Izzy asked behind the door. It was locked but she had no intentions of unlocking the door. It was precautionary for the visitor to reveal themselves first.
“Isabelle, be careful,” a heavy breath said, panicking. She recognized the voice of one of the guards. “Three Vauldins are said to be spotted going into the castle. We’ll stay on guard but stay put and hold tight.”
“Okay,” Izzy replied, trying to sound brave but in reality, she was scared. It was finally her time to fulfil her job to protect Alex and the realization frightened her.
She wouldn’t hesitate in taking the sword for Alex but the fact that the Vauldins were in the castle made her extremely uneasy.
“Alex, stay close to me,” Izzy said, backing up to meet Alex’s body while taking out her sword and swinging it to get a feel of her weapon.
“I should be the one protecting you,” Alex said when a few minutes passed by of complete silence. Izzy was well aware of Alex’s body right behind her. She felt his body heat inviting her in and many instances she fought the temptation to oblige.
“What are you saying? You are royalty. I am born to protect you.” Izzy said those words as they were engraved in her head since she could learn to walk. Her own existence was for the purpose of protecting Alex. It was her duty.
“I do not care about what social status I am and what you are!” Alex bit his cheeks from growing any louder than he already was. “I should be the one protecting you. I am the male!”
“Stop mopping around, Zander. We’re here right now and I’m protecting you,” Izzy gritted her teeth. She didn’t mean for it to sound so harsh but she had to say it. Otherwise, she would have hugged him right then and let her heart have what it desired.
“I can fight too. I have learned,” Alex defended but he couldn’t say no more.
Someone knocked on the door again forcefully, making them both flinch.
“What was that?” Alex grew weary but the adrenaline kicked in. Was it a Vauldin?
“Get in the bathroom and lock it behind you,” Izzy ordered, pointing to the bathroom with its double doors.
“I want to fight them with you,” Alex replied but Izzy gave him a dirty look. When he didn’t move she changed her tactic and gave him a sad look.
“Zander, I need to protect you. Please just don’t make this any harder and go lock yourself in there,” Izzy whispered and Alex’s heart melted. Her words were so full of caring that Alex felt physically hurt, as if his heart was squeezed and twisted.
“Please be careful, Izzy,” he whispered as he regretfully moved to the bathroom door and closed it. However, he made sure he hadn’t closed it completely or lock it in that case. He wasn’t going to listen to her yet.
The door rattled again, harder than before. Izzy gritted her teeth and twirled her sword in her hands, knowing that it was the Vauldins behind the door. No guards would have been that forceful if they only wanted a word with her.
Suddenly a few moment of silence betrayed them, any sounds of footsteps or violent shaking of doors gone. Izzy felt herself relax when suddenly a huge blast came from the door, finally knocking it down.
It was the three Vauldins that Izzy had been warned about and she held her stance as they took her in.
Where were the guards? Izzy thought. She didn’t hear the sound of battle in front of the door so the guards were either surprised or left their post to try to find the Vauldins. Izzy didn’t expect to be taking three Vauldins by herself.
The Valudins must have understood the situation because they all grinned at each other and lunged for her.
Izzy fought the first strike easily, but as they continued to harass her with blows from each side, she knew that these were very skilled men.
As the next blow came, she countered it her sword and kicked the man in the chest, sending him to the ground. The other two lunged for her again and she barely was able to keep both of them off her tail. She knew with three men on her at the same time, all she could do was be on the defense. She had to get Alex out of there. It was only time that will eventually allow the men to overpower her.
“Zander, get out of here!” Izzy shouted, gritting her teeth as she defended another blow. Her wrist bent incorrectly and she could feel it throb as she gripped the handle of her sword tighter.
“I’m not going without you,” Alex grimaced, looking lost without a sword.
Izzy didn’t have time to argue with him any more as she fought off another blow from the Vauldins. She countered another attack and lunged for the killing blow.
Izzy’s sword met one of the Vauldins and as the man fell back in surprise, the blow she threw caused her wrist to bend again and pain shot through her whole body.
She stumbled to gain her stance again but all it took was one moment for the other Vauldins to see their chance of attack and they took it.
Izzy held her sword and tried to counter the blow but the other Vauldin had his own sword and stroke. Izzy screamed in pain as the sword made contact with her shoulder and a hot, searing pain encompassed her entire body.
“Give up the Prince now and maybe we will save your life,” one of the Vauldins sneered.
“Go to hell,” Izzy spat and they both laughed at her response.
Izzy wasn’t sure how it was going to end but she promised herself that she would fight until the end and make sure Alex was safe.
“What has such a pretty lady done with herself?” the Vauldin chuckled. “Such a pretty face, you are.”
Izzy growled and reached for her dagger but one of them shoved his foot onto her fingers, making one of them snap. Pain coursed to her swelling fingers but she willed herself not to cry no matter what her torture scheme was.
“Do not go near her!” a voice yelled and Izzy saw Alex fly into view with a sword in hand. He had taken the sword from the dead Vauldin’s body and he looked like a dark furious prince.
Alex had met his target and stabbed one of the Vauldins straight into the back, severing his heart. The other Vauldin let of Izzy and sprang up, sword in hand.
“Well, if it isn’t the little Prince. You think you’re so brave but you just brought a curse on yourself. Now I have to kill you,” the Vauldin sneered as he went for Alex.
Izzy was still on the ground, fighting consciousness while Alex tried to put every effort to use.
“You’re not actually all that bad, Prince. But enough fun. It’s time to die,” the Vauldin smirked and lunged towards Alex.
Izzy stood up and blocked the sword with her own. The Vauldin kept pressing into it, not giving up on the blow. He pushed down where it was dangerously close to Izzy’s neck.
The Vauldin let go and kicked the weapon out of Izzy’s hands and placed the tip of the sword on her neck. She winced at the sharpness of the sword but she wasn’t afraid of her situation. She was more fearful of Alex. What would he become of him after his bodyguard dies?
As the Vauldin raised his sword, getting ready to kill a helpless Izzy, Alex intervened and placed his body before Izzy. The massive pain came later but he dwelled on the bold move to sacrifice himself for the woman he loves.
Izzy’s scream became evident to Alex’s ears as the white hot searing pain began to settle on his chest. Black dots welled up in his vision as he laid on the cold stone floor. He couldn’t see what was happening around him as darkness tempted him to give up but he let out a small twitch of a smile. He had broken the social status. He had finally protected Izzy.
Anger boiled in Izzy’s blood as she saw Alex take the sword for her. The strength came from nowhere and it surprised her at what it could do. She stood up despite her injuries and swung her sword towards the Vauldin while he was distracted with Alex.
Her broken fingers hurt and ached as she brought the sword up but anger seemed to numb the pain. She held up the sword and plunged it in his heart. A quick flinch and a twitch of his body followed by stillness made it positive that the Vauldin was finally dead.
“Please don’t leave me, don’t do this Zander,” Izzy cried as she flung herself down to Alex’s body. The front of his shirt was already stained with dark red and his eyes kept fluttering to stay awake. Izzy continued crying, her tears falling gracefully down her wet cheeks. He looked at her with such sorrow in his eyes.
“Izzy,” he whispered, his hand out to hold her cheeks.
“Don’t do this to me,” Izzy whispered back angrily. Her tears soaked his shirt as she tried to help him.
Izzy examined the wound but it was deep and severe. She wasn’t knowledgeable in herbs and healing and she felt all hope was lost. She had one chance to protect him and she had failed him.
“Zander, stay with me. Don’t fall asleep,” Izzy commanded.
“What’s happening, Isabelle-” a guard came in with blood in his hands but it wasn’t his. He looked at the two Vauldins lying dead on the ground.
“Get a doctor now! The Prince is injured!” Izzy yelled like she never yelled before. Her voice was desperate as she felt Alex’s life slip out of her hands.
The guard, afraid, went out of the room and was yelling down the hallway to get the castle’s doctor. Izzy kept her focus on Alex.
“Izzy,” Alex rasped but Izzy shushed him.
“Don’t,” she said, tears still free falling from her eyes.
“No, just in case I can’t tell you later. I love you.” He whispered so quietly but Izzy knew what he said.
Izzy muffled her sob with her hands as she heard his confession. He loves her. She thought he was playing with her but now her heart gave into him.
“Come here,” he whispered, finding it hard to breath as he tried to hold in the pain. Izzy obliged for once without a comeback.
Alex leaned forward with all the energy he had left and let his lips brush hers before he fell unconscious.