Amyr's castle

Ella raced out to from the hiding place to the guards lying in front of the car. "What did you do?"

"I put them unconscious." Roy answered. Ella made a face to his obnoxious way of declaring someone dead.

"Was it necessary?" she asked instead. Her body was trembling to touch which she was suppressing through deep breaths, accentuating the swell of her upper body without any scarf covering her face. Footsteps approached to their scene rapidly, Ella held her stance for a fight if the situation persisted, but the men with shawls around their faces stood their ground on reaching the scene, their arms drawn down.

"Clear the bodies, we don't have much time." Roy ordered his men who immediately obliged. One among them was shifting in pain when he was about to be taken away. It was the same man who was speaking with them.

"That's ok. He wants to hear the complete story," Roy interrupted the men to put another bullet in the injured man. He crouched down in front of the fellow while the others backed away and Ella was watching all dubiously. The man was searching his back for a weapon which was frail as it was not so hideously done.

"Here." Roy took out the weapon from the man's vest showing it to him then slid it behind his back continuing, "What was your name again?" The guard wisely shut his mouth blinking and looking away to hide the pain of the bullet wound in his gut. "You understand English, don't you my 'sadiqi'?"

Roy taunted the injured guard, "Ah you wanted to know who won the girl. It isn't so difficult to guess now, right?"

"Roy. Let us go now." Ella called for his attention, wanting to get away from the scene as fast as they could. They had to search for Cora, now that the guards were taken care of. Ella's bright colored dress was the only attention that was taking the entire pavement outside the grounds where the festival was being celebrated. The men who had shot the Prince's guards were also watching the woman which irked Roy.

"Concentrate on your work." His voice reverberated; his people obliged before their Boss had his mood dampened. The ground was flushed with water to vanish the blood pooling around the cars. Roy stood up to his feet taking hold of Ella's shoulders, he took them away from there to the Prince's car. One of his men came forward to take the injured man's body gesturing his Boss, "Should I kill him?"

His boss paused in his steps along with Ella turning sideways to him answering, "Take him for questioning."

"Why? We don't do that." The man must have been a trusted ally of Roy to have questioned his Boss' order.

"He would have killed you all if his partners were not distracted. Take him." Roy finalized his word which was bound to be followed. The masked man wasn't looking happy from his eyes but he did as was asked.

Ella took the rear while Roy drove the car to the castle, well known by the city but never dared to break into. While on the way Roy noticed his companion to be silent and looking out through the window. "Something's bothering you?" He asked her concerned if she was being frightened by all this. Teaching someone about doing the right thing inside the walls of your house was one thing and placing them in the air of danger to actually execute it was a different thing. He had taught her to be vigilante but never made her do anything close to dangerous.

"Elle?" Now he was getting scared for her.

"You shouldn't have said anything about me." She said.

"What?"

Ella faced him exasperated, "You were making stories about you and the Prince, winning me. I did not like it at all."

"Are you serious?" He was shocked to hear her outburst to a different problem altogether. "I thought you had been frightened with all this. And this is what you are complaining about?" He worded his thoughts while making a turn to the left, his eyes were on the road but his senses were partially alert to her sitting beside him.

"I am not scared. You just... Never mind." She dropped the topic; Roy was about to probe further but then the castle was visible closer. He felt silent stopping in front of the gates, Roy clutched her hand, squeezing it. They had one gun which was taken by the guard of the Prince, and they would be surely outnumbered if anything went wrong. Ella could have been angry at Roy but the present situation didn't support her judgement, she was reassured with Roy's hand to face this.

A little over a minute, the gates opened, salutes passed to the car. Ella was confused that the patrol was not stopping them, then she realized the car was having tinted black windows to cover who was travelling inside the car. Roy let go of her hand to switch the gear and move further into the castle gates.

She couldn't stop herself, "How will we get out of this car without being seen?" She hadn't thought of entering the castle this way. Staring at Roy's impassive face, didn't give her any answer as well. Instantly Ella started panicking, they hadn't been prepared completely.

At a point the car had to be stopped in front of the gates where the guards were patrolled with hefty guns, Ella was sure those guns would outnumber theirs in comparison.

"Follow my actions." He said tying the scarf around his face which belonged to the English-speaking guard of the Prince. Getting out of the car he walked leisurely till the door of the castle guarded by two men, followed by many others in the interior as he could see in the glass design of the main door. Roy eyed the two men which was hardly visible in the night, but he waved his right hand to the men to open the main door.

Not letting anything out, he strode back to the car, opening her side of the door which was on the exact side of the castle interiors. When he opened the door, his frame with the scarf blocked any view of the insides of the car. With his help, Ella managed to walk out without stumbling in nervousness. As she came closer to stand next to Roy he whispered, "Keep your head down" ensuring only she was the one to hear.

Whirling around to face the guards who were surprised to see a woman coming out of the car instead of their Prince, Roy stepped forward in the view of the curious men, he started, "Amyr's house." He opened his arms wide to show the woman, as if she was visiting to tour the castle. The men with their guns readied in their hands were glowering at their accomplice for defying the rules to let in a woman inside the castle.

"Who is she?" asked the left one in Arabic.

"Amyr's." Roy pointed at Ella to show the others. He walked forward to the door which was yet to be opened, tapping his foot impatiently. The men were inching closer to Ella who was contemplating stepping back as an alternative until Roy announced, "Amyr's girl!" That stopped them to examine her in the fear of displeasing their Amyr.

Eventually the men opened the door, not before giving a threatening look to Roy who was masked the same. Answering a cool gaze, Roy stepped inside the door to have the other guards lined up on either side of the hallway, alerting their weapons on the people's entrance. Their heads were bowed in salutation to welcome their Prince, Roy and the woman took advantage of the situation to walk confidently inside until they were completely welcomed.