CHAPTER 7

We turned into a corner and I saw Nate and the same went for him. Being the overprotective person, he is, he jumped and blocked Philip who was, by the way, towering him. I chuckled at his actions as he glared at the boy who practically dragged me here.

"What do you think are you doing?" Nate spoke as he crossed his arms over his chest. Philip looked at him, confused as to why he has stopped us. He turned around and looked at me before smiling sheepishly.

"My apologies, he's one of those people who likes me very much that they get jealous when they see me with someone, it's pretty known how I was a chick and dude magnet here-" I laughed out loud cutting him off mid-sentence. Nate looked like he was about to punch him here and then and Philip looked at me like a mathematical equation.

"H-he's my a-aid you i-idiot!" I failed to get the sentence out of me as I was gasping for air. Philip's mouth formed an "o" as he looked at Nate who was glaring daggers at him.

"Uh, I uh- I'm embarrassed." he said while scratching the back of his neck while his cheeks were crimson red. He turned around and looked at Nate before bowing down slightly, "My apologies." he said. Nate puffed a huge breath and walked over me.

"I will call His Highness to inform him about this. Everybody knows no one is allowed to touch a royalty without permission." he said looking blankly at Philip who looked petrified by the mention of my father. I chuckled yet again and was about to speak but Nate spoke again.

"But since you said I like you very much, I would like to express my feelings to you in the sincerest way possible. Would you like that?" he looked at Philip with a fake smile.

"Oh no! I am very much embarrassed assuming you were one of those people who really like me-"

"No. I do really like you. That's why I would express my sincere feelings to you by recommending to the royal guards that your name will be put on the beheading list and that's due to the violation you've committed. I like you so much that I don't want you to suffer doing community service." he said. Philip looked like his blood was drained out of him. I looked over to Nate and gave him a blank stare.

"But your majesty-"

"Nate." I said sighing. He grumbled some things and looked back at Philip who was about to cry.

"I-I was j-joking". he said but his face said otherwise. On the other hand, Philip released a breath that he was holding and looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"This is just between you and me, but your aid is terrifying." he said covering a side of his face as if attempting a distance whisper which was not close to a supposedly discreet conversation at all.

"I heard that!" Nate exclaimed, and Philip immediately straightened up. I started to walk onwards leaving the two behind, I heard Nate bicker at Philip for a second, but he was immediately at my side and so was Philip.

"So where do you plan to go?" he asked me. "I just wanted to escape from the both of you." Nate looked unbothered at my words and kept a blank face while Philip had his hands on his heart acting as if he was severely hurt by my words. He wiped his imaginary tears and I laughed at his action, but Nate sneered at him shutting him immediately. We were silent for a minute and was walking down this huge and empty hallway.

"I know a place! Follow me!" Philip announced excitedly and was about to drag me again, but Nate was quick on his reflexes and slapped Philip's arm in an instant.

"If you permit to do so, oh great Alexander." he said in obvious mockery while on his knee and this made Nate's nose flared up.

"Nate, he is a.... a friend." I said thinking if I could call him as a friend. Philip immediately smiled and looked at Nate with a teasing look.

"You hear that NATE? I am HIS F R I E N D. FRIEND. I am his FRIEND." he said with a smirk. Nate gave him a glare that stirred him up immediately. Philip looked at me and then grabbed me the running onwards.

"Philip!" Nate exclaimed as Philip ran even faster but I noticed his cheeks being in the shade of light pink.

Are you blushing because he called you by your name?" I teased him to which made him even redder.

"W-what are you even talking about? Just run faster or else death will catch up with us!" he said looking straight ahead.

"Whatever you say!" I said. I felt a hand on my wrist and looked around and saw Nate grabbing onto me.

"Philip, death has me!!" I said in a fake cry. We laughed as we were running down the silent hallway forgetting about the problems we have at the moment. Even Nate wore a sly smile.

"We're almost there!" Philip said but he stopped abruptly causing me and Nate to collide with his back. I groaned and looked up. My smile immediately dropped as soon as I saw Hade with his gaze telling me that we messed up.

I looked up to find Hade looking at us with an unreadable expression to which I find amusing. Nope, I changed my mind, nothing about him is amusing. I felt Nate and Philip stiffen on the spot where they stood. There were no longer students in the hallway and the situation started getting into me as my hands started to sweat and turn cold.

We stood there for what felt like hours as nobody spoke. Hade just looked at us with now a different gaze telling me that he was pissed as his eyes seems to glow which troubled me even more because to put it quite frankly, it feels like we are the mice that is cornered by a haunting cat.

In this situation where Philip just got out of the clinic because apparently, he was punched by the same person and Nate, well he'd do everything to protect me which is even more scary because I do not want any of them to get hurt.

"Why are you staring?" I got out of my thoughts as I heard Hade spoke and just by then did I realize that I was unconsciously staring at him directly. I blinked a few times and turned my gaze away from him. I cleared my throat and look at him straight in the eye which for some reason I found hard to to do.

"Nothing. We were just uh-, um-, passing by." I said rather poorly. I mentally scolded myself for stuttering which is stupid because I'm not nervous or anything. I dragged both Nate and Philip who still was frozen as to where they stood.

I didn't dare to glance at Hade because all that was in my mind was to get out of this situation. I don't want any trouble and it's best if we just separate ways like mannered people. We were starting to walk away from Hade with Nate and Philip walking ahead of me when I felt a grasp on my wrist that caused me to gasp, Nate and Philip didn't hear me as they started to walk farther and that scared me because now I'm alone.

I got turned harshly and was met with a pair dark yet blazing eyes. I couldn't help but look into them straight as it felt like they were traps who was luring me in.

"I- wh- what are y-you doing?" I stuttered as I spoke. I realized I was pinned against the wall and my hands were on his grip. I looked back at Hade who was still looking at me intently. I moved my head to the side to avoid his gaze that seemed to burn me there and then.

"Look at me." I heard him spoke, but I didn't listen. I was so frazzled at the moment that my brain couldn't process anything. I felt his fingers on my chin as he turned my head directly into his.

"L-let me go Hade." I said with as much authority in my voice, but I failed. His eyes burned darker and it made me scared, I do not know what he's going to do nor if he's going to murder me on the spot and with me being powerless, it's likely for me to just die without a fight.