Kill him.

Ella pulled the arrow back further.

Just kill him.

She narrowed her lids, her palm reddened and sore due to her tight hold on the longbow.

Just do it, Ella!

She bit her lip anxiously.

"Quiet the daredevil, aren't you?"

Prince Theodore remarked.

No sign of quivering, shaking or fluttering in his hunky voice.

He hadn't winced by the slightest, his lips were pressed together in a thin line, and his arms still wide open, making his entire body an easy target.

His dark, hooded eyes bored into her's.

His glare so fearsome and threatening that Ella's hand faintly trembled.

"Very witless move, if I may add."

Prince Theodore coyly smiled.

"You think you can get away after killing a Royalty?"

He quirked his brows, his head held high and stature tall as ever.

"I think all this time, living in that perfect little soldier-world of yours, you haven't realized Ella."

His eyes twinkled dangerously.

"You haven't realized who you're really up against."

Slowly yet briskly, Prince Theodore stepped forward, and simultaneously Ella did the opposite.

She stepped back.

"I am the future King of a very powerful Empire, irrespective of my laid-back attitude towards you-

He paused in his track, his head cocked to one side.

"I urge you to not take me so lightly."

The smile that previously lingered on his lips now long gone and replaced with a wild glare, yet again.

"You don't want to mess with me."

Ella was intimidated.

Although she had concealed her vague fear and conflicting thoughts deep within her body and soul, she felt terrified, to say the least.

But this,

This was an ego battle.

One that had challenged the stubborn little fighter in her,

One that she was not willing to lose so soon.

"Shut your mouth or this arrow goes straight through your throat."

Ella said, her voice brisk.

"Why keep me waiting then?"

Prince Theodore chuckled sinisterly.

"Do it!"

He commanded, his voice boomed, it's echoes circulated the archery ground.

Ella's hand started trembling again, not from fear this time,

But from anger.

He knew Ella wasn't stupid enough to assassinate a Prince in broad-daylight, yet he constantly provoked her, just like the tease he was.

And Ella hated that.

Maybe he was testing the waters,

Maybe he wanted to find out just how far could Ella go.

Ella peeked at her otherwise pale-ish knuckles, which had turned snow-white from her unyielding hold.

Rage traveled in her veins, rushed through her temple, and landed in her heart.

It was blanketing her body like hot, burning flames.

Her fury had overpowered her senses and her thinking abilities.

Ella knew she shouldn't kill him.

But boy did she want to.

And boy was she about to.

Ella drew the arrow back for the last time before she'd let it go.

Die! You brute.

Alexander gave out an exasperated sigh.

He leaned over the balcony and watched from above how Ella and Prince Theodore were near to choking each other to death.

Alexander clasped his hands on the iron railings, a painful headache bleed through his skull.

He inhaled deeply letting himself calm, one hand constantly ran back and forth through his inky strands in annoyance.

He sighed even louder when he saw Prince Emmett and Princess Irene approaching from behind.

What a bunch of losers.

He knew very well since the food fight, that the moment the four collide, hell freezes over.

They all were a chaotic pairing.

Stirring nothing but havoc.

He was already exhausted by the dead-bird catastrophe earlier this morning, now to think that he'd had to deal with those privileged thugs as well just added onto his burden.

Alexander was worn-out,

the King had passed the entire Empire's responsibility onto his shoulder for as long as he wasn't around,

and if the king were to ever find out about the trauma his wife had to go through, he'd skin Alexander alive.

Alexander had fired all the Royal guards in a heartbeat after today's incident and already announced the recruitment for the new ones.

This was his own mistake, right?

He should have been more careful and alert.

He grimaced when he saw Princess Irene walking towards Ella with rage.

"Why is she so cranky the past few days?"

He muttered while messaging his temple with his fingers.

"You should know why."

A shrill voice blared from behind him.

Alexander didn't even turn to find out who it was, because he already knew.

Louise walked up to him, holding her purple ruffled gown in one hand.

"It's because that " time of the year" is approaching."

Alexander squinted his eyes, the look of cluelessness flashed by him.

"What time?"

Louise gawked and lightly punched his arm.

"How can you forget? Irene's mother's death anniversary is approaching."

Alexander lifted his head upon realization and mouthed a small "oh".

"She wasn't this grumpy last year on her anniversary".

Louise shook her head.

"It's because Gabriella wasn't around, she's probably flaming her already resentful temperament."

Louise stared at Princess Irene for a while as silence engulfed the air.

"Irene is a sad and angry child Alex."

Her grip on the balcony's railing tightened.

"God knows if my young eyes would have witnessed the tragedy that Irene's had, I wouldn't have been able to survive."

Her brows creased in despair.

"I hope no young child has to ever go through what Irene had gone through."

Alexander followed Louise's gaze that landed on Princess Irene.

He prayed the same too.

He remembered the agony and misfortune that had struck her deceased mother.

He was there when it all happened.

Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and break into a cold sweat, the memories of her mother's horrific death would haunt his dreams and turn them into nightmares.

People had different ways to cope up with their sad pasts, and for Princess Irene, it was anger and her obsession with Prince Theodore.

To the world, she'd seem crazy for her fanatical acts, but only if they knew why.

Louise took note of the atmosphere that had turned tensed and hurriedly tried to lighten the mood.

"I know who you have been staring at for days, by the way."

She wiggled her eyebrows at him and bumped her elbow into his arm.

"Huh?"

Alexander's eyes widened, his heart raced against his chest as he straightened his body.

"W-who?"

A sudden stammer took over his speech and a faint blush crept upon his ears.

Louise pointed towards the curly-headed brunette girl who had her longbow and arrow aimed at Prince Theodore.

"You have been staring at Ella, haven't you?"

Louise smiled suggestively.

"Don't tell me, Alex."

She rested her face on her palm and bored her eyes into Alexander's deeply.

"Don't tell me you have taken a romantic interest in that commoner?"

A/N: So do you think we have another ship in-store?

Ella x Alex

Lol. Your author enjoys playing with love and feelings, lmao.

Also, I'm kinda glad ya'all hated Irene in the beginning, I wanted you all to, because that way the revelation of her past will serve as a huge plot-twist and shift your feelings towards her.