17 Alora's doe eyes and innocent face

Alora delicately dabbed the napkin across her lips, sipping the water before setting the glass on the table.

"Thank you for the food," she expressed her gratitude, then proceeded to don the blindfold. Having already signaled with a bell, the servants entered with Cecilia.

"Miss Alora, the carriage is ready for you," Cecilia informed her after the other servants had departed.

Alora nodded and she walked with Cecilia, who had her securely held her arm. After several minutes, they were out, at the gate, which was hardly used by the prince. 

Alora's heart raced as Cecilia's scream echoed, stirring panic within her.

"What happened, Cecilia?" Alora asked anxiously, unable to see and unable to remove her blindfold.

Magnus's voice cut through the tension, "Who do you think you are to go against my decision?" Alora could sense Cecilia's distress as Magnus tightened his grip around her neck, lifting her into the air.

Alora's fear gripped her and she pleaded with Magnus to release Cecilia. "It was my decision to–" Her words faltered upon hearing a thud as if someone had fallen to the floor.

"Did His Highness ki-kill Cecilia?" Alora asked with a trembling voice.

"Yes, I did, and I'll kill everyone who tries to make you leave my life," Magnus declared with a menacing expression, showing the repercussions of going against his order. 

Magnus grabbed Alora's arm and dragged her inside the palace and only stopped on reaching his bedroom. In one swift motion, he pulled away her blindfold and cradled her neck. 

"Who told you to leave?" Magnus was angry, but he still kept it in control. 

"I-I thought if I would head to the palace with Prince Magnus, then he might fall into danger. And I cannot live in my home with my family anymore. So, I decided to head to my father's old residence," Alora said with tears emerging in her eyes. 

"You are lucky that I cannot kill you, Alora," Magnus's voice softened. "Any other person at your place would have been dead by now," he asserted, causing Alora to gulp in fear. 

"Did His Highness really kill Cecilia? It wasn't her fault." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she somehow felt she again become the reason for someone's death. 

Magnus was annoyed for a moment, thinking why Alora had to be so kind to the person who wanted to keep her away from him. "Stop crying for a useless person," he stated. 

Alora pursed her lips together as she sniffled and held her tears back.

Magnus pulled his hand back from her neck and turned his back to her. He took deep breaths to calm himself. Alora's doe eyes and innocent face had somehow become his weakness. He was supposed to punish Alora too, but he could not do that. 

"You can't leave me no matter what happens. I will let it go this time. But it's the last time you repeated such a mistake," Magnus announced and turned around to check on her. 

Alora nodded at him and decided to put on the blindfold. As she brought her hands to her eyes, Magnus held them. "You don't have to wear it," he affirmed and the next moment, he lifted her in his arms. 

Alora protested as she urged him to put her down so she could walk with her perfect legs. 

"You aren't leaving this room tonight," Magnus stated and took her to his bed. As he settled her on it, he swiftly shifted to her feet. The sandals on her feet were already removed and placed on the ground. 

"I cannot sleep here. It will be considered–" She couldn't finish off her remaining sentence as Magnus's index finger pressed on her lips. 

"Don't make me angry, Alora. Just sleep here. I'm not going to do anything to you since you do not even consider me a man," Magnus proclaimed. 

Alora blinked to hear his statement and lowered her eyes. What did he mean by not considering him a man? Magnus was a full-grown man in her eyes. But Alora didn't wish to infuriate him by speaking this fact. 

Gradually, Magnus removed his finger from her lips and a duvet covered her. "Sleep. We need to leave early in the morning," he said and stood up to go to the other side of the bedroom when Alora held his pointer finger. 

Magnus lowered his head to glance at her. 

"Your Highness, please don't kill anyone because of me. Cecilia should not have died. Also, I apologize for my mistake," she said, feeling terrible. 

"You were not the reason behind her death. You think I don't know what she infused in your mind. Cecilia died because she took a wrong decision to send you away," Magnus clarified to her. 

Alora let go of his finger. "I understood, Your Highness," she murmured and turned her back to him. Closing her eyes tightly, she cried in the silence not wanting him to hear her. 

Magnus was perturbed with the way she had been reacting. Instead of going ahead, he sat beside her. His hand rested on her arm as he tenderly caressed it. 

"Alora, look at me," Magnus urged softly. 

Alora promptly did that and gazed at him with her teary eyes and face. 

"Cecilia wasn't going to send you to the old residence. Instead, she had set a trap to kill you. Don't blame yourself for her death," Magnus revealed the truth to her. Alora was shocked to learn that and she immediately stopped weeping. 

"To kill me? But why?" Alora questioned. 

"You have special eyes," Magnus answered. "People fear you thinking they may die, doesn't matter if they are humans, vampires, or werewolves. What I did there was right because I don't keep traitors beside me," he explained to her. 

Alora was overwhelmed to find out that only Magnus wanted her to live. He didn't even fear her from the moment they both met each other. 

"I will never leave His Highness's side. I promise. Until my last breath, I'll stay by his side," Alora pronounced with a firm and determined tone.