1.8

Liliana glances up at the figure and her eyes widened in shock. He was dressed in his satin nightshirt, and while he appeared somewhat groggy his sword was withdrawn and flat against her neck. Liliana pulls back her hood and he gasps lightly in shock.

"Liliana?" Aleric asks as he lowers his sword. "We've got to stop meeting like this," Liliana notes lightly, still shivering.

"What are you doing?" he asks, slightly wary still. Liliana untenses slightly as she steps away from the horse.

"The Fourth Prince had his Royal Guard come to my house tonight," Liliana states, watching his black eyes widen."I bet they want me for treason, because there's no good reason the police visit you when it's dark out," she reasons.

Aleric's face hardens. "How long ago was that?"

"I don't know, but I walked here from my manor, so probably around six hours," Liliana estimates as he shakes his head in shame.

"They're probably searching the town all over for you now. Daybreak isn't too long from now..."

"Sadly," Liliana sighs as she runs her fingers through her hair. Why had she denied the Fourth Prince so many times? In all the novels she had listened to, the 'hard-to-get-girl' was always the one who won in the end; now, Liliana isn't so sure.

"I...I don't know what to do anymore," she finally admits aloud. Everything had been falling apart around her and spiraled out of control.

I'm going to fail my mission. What will happen to me? Will I die? Will I have to do this all again? Will I-

"Come back home with me."

"What?" Liliana glances back up to see Aleric have a determined expression settle onto his face.

"Come with me," he offers again. "My men and I have no more business to do in this land, and we were planning on leaving soon, anyway. You can readily escape-"

"Is this just a ploy to marry me, then?" Liliana asks as she crosses her arms. He arches a brow. "Whatever would make you think that?"

Liliana rolls her eyes. "First of all, you've proposed to me, multiple times I must add. Then, if I was to go off with you, you'll get me secluded in your fancy estate and then you'll weasel into my thoughts and make me fall for your cheap gimmicks."

"Trust me, you would've already fallen for me by now if that was my plan," he barks out a laugh. "My proposal still stands, but this offer is more important because your life is at stake." Aleric frowns slightly. "In the small time we've gotten to know each other, I've come to... value your life."

Liliana flushes at this comment.

"And, I promise that you don't have to marry me at all. All you have to do is say 'yes' and we can be on our merry way." He stares intently at her arctic eyes, hoping she'll agree.

Liliana's gaze scours his features for anything telling he's lying but she saw nothing. Did she really have a choice anymore? Maybe if she meets up with some of the escaped Royals from the palace she can marry them in the countryside and still get all of the points...

"Fine, it's a deal." Liliana offers her hand forward and he quickly shakes it.

"Hide here, I'll be back in five minutes with my men," he informs as he looks her up and down. "We'll give you a spare red cloak to disguise yourself. Can you ride by yourself other than side-saddle? If you can't, then you can ride with me."

"I can ride plenty fine, I don't like doing side-saddle," Liliana responds, rubbing her arms up and down to fight the growing numbness.

"Perfect, you can take the spare horse." Aleric nods towards a pure white horse that seems to be glaring in hatred at Liliana.

"Any horse but that, please," Liliana begs, causing him to arch a brow. "Why so? It seemed pretty docile when I initially found it."

"Because that horse bucked me off into a pond then ran away. It's glaring at me now!" Liliana gestures wildly at the creature-in-question as Aleric gives a soft chuckle.

"You can take the horse you were going to steal, then," he waves off. "One of my men can ride the horse that bucked you off."

He quickly walked away, leaving Liliana to shiver in the cold of the stall. True to his word, Aleric soon came back with his flank of men. The men seemed a bit groggy in the wee hours of the morning, but who wouldn't be? If Liliana hadn't been chased out by the Royal Guards she would be dreaming peacefully right now...

Aleric walked to Liliana's side and holds up the scarlet cloak. Tentatively, Liliana lifts her arms and slips them into the jacket-like sleeves underneath the cloak, instantly warming up. Aleric stood in front of Liliana, now buttoning up her cloak.

"You don't have to do that," Liliana suggests as her fingers reach for the buttons.

"Your fingers are shaking," Aleric points out as he buttons the last button. Liliana looks down to her shaking fingers that were beginning to become blue from the cold. Aleric scoffs as he takes her hands and folds his warm hands over them. "You've got to take better care of yourself," he lectures. "I believe I have a pair of warmer gloves."

He reaches into his satchel and furrows around for a moment before withdrawing a pair of leather gloves, pushing them onto Liliana's hands. There was an inch or so of gap space between Liliana's fingertips and the gloves' tips but her hands were now immensely warm. Even with her hands far from her face, Liliana could smell faint traces of leather mixed with warm spices and chicken.

Liliana smiled up at Aleric. "Thank you."

He nods and turns his head away. The cold had finally caught up to him as his cheeks had reddened considerably.

"We'll get you fitted items later. But for now, it'll do. We should get going."

Liliana nods and quickly discards the hat and her old cloak by putting them in the side satchel, alongside the bag given to her from Amelia. After making sure it was secure, Liliana hopped on top of her horse and rode beside Aleric as the group left the stable.

"Do you have a weapon?" Aleric asks. Liliana nods and flashes the dagger at her waist. "Of course."

He nods, "Good, at least you can fend for yourself in case of impending danger."

"Where are we going, if I may ask?" she questions as their group begins to reach the outskirts of town.

"We are heading back to my land," he responds and Liliana nods. "I remember you said you lived up North. Are we going to your estate?"

"Like my country, I am not from Terria," he informs.

Excuse me?

"I beg your pardon?" Liliana asks as he chuckles at her confusion. "I'm from Conrei, the land nearby."

Liliana's eyes widened at what he spoke, recalling the history she read in books. Conrei was the largest Kingdom on this continent from taking over different countries and adopting them as territories over the past hundred years, mainly in wars. Only Terria and some smaller countries remained independent.

"I just thought you lived at the border or were of some Conrein descent. Are you an ambassador from there, then?"

"Something like that. I had collected enough information about your country to present to the council."

Liliana nods, noticing that off his tone seemed like he wants to end that subject.

"What happens when we arrive?"

"We shall see. From our current point, it'll take us a couple of weeks to arrive back to the Capitol, where I live."

Liliana nods and stays silent. After an awkward moment, he glances over at her. "I apologize, it's probably not the carriage-ride you expected."

"This is much better than a two-week long carriage ride, do not worry," Liliana jokes. "I'd rather be riding a horse to freedom than a barred carriage to prison."

Aleric winces slightly and doesn't bother to respond.

This was how the pattern was for the next week or so. Liliana noticed that he was much quieter around his men...much like the cold-figure he appeared to be when he had first met her. Aleric had Liliana sleep in his tent but on two different mats due to not having an extra tent. Liliana didn't have a problem with it, after all, she did crash their party.

When their caravan stopped to rest and eat, Liliana would play card games with the other men and quickly learned the ways of Fliplip, a betting game common among soldiers. It was fun and provided plenty of entertainment; although Liliana always thought of everyone back home.

I wondered if they were safe, and I wondered what the Fourth Prince was doing now.

Inside the bag Amelia and Peterson had given was some food, and it was nice to eat some decent bread other than the crappy porridge the soldiers had to eat. However, to get on their good side she gave some of her rations to them and they welcomed her with open arms.

When the group reached finally reached Conrei, Liliana was amazed. The streets were clean, the people seemed happy, and it was thankfully not as cold. Liliana would ask Aleric about different fruits and other things she saw and he was happy to tell her all about them.

On the final night of the journey, Aleric and Liliana were in the same inn room. It was warmly furnished with two beds and a small stove to stoke a fire, but nothing else.

"What do we do when we get to your home?" Liliana asks as he removed his coat.

"I cannot tell."

"And why not?" Liliana questions as he sits down on his bed and takes off his shoes. "Because you are not apart of the plan and it'll be too risky to involve you in it."

"I can handle the risk-"

"Well, I can't!" he shouts, losing control for the first time. Liliana's eyes widen and he turns back, regret evident in his eyes.

"I...I just don't want you to get hurt in something I can prevent you from getting into. If you're a bystander with information, you'll be even more vulnerable to the lions," he reasons.

"I can protect myself well enough," Liliana retorts as she removes her cloak. He laughs sarcastically.

"If you were strong enough you wouldn't have run from the Fourth Prince's flank."

Liliana's jaw tightens and he glances back. "I'm sorry," he breathes out. "It's just...you're a strange girl. You have no problem sticking your head into a lion's jaw, but you don't think of the repercussions until it's too late. Yes, you can narrowly escape death, but for how long?"

Liliana's lips twitch into a smile lightly as she hangs up her cloak. "If I don't know for how much longer I'll be alive, what's the point of protecting me from the dangers, then?"

He raises a brow at this mentality she holds. It seemed as if what he had said proved the opposite upon her. The raven-haired girl now strode in front of Aleric.

"Now, tell me what it is," Liliana demands as she grips his shoulder.

He pauses. "I would've already told you if you had agreed to my proposal."

"So I have to marry you to weasel information from you? What kind of scam are you running?" she accuses.

"No, because you were in the original plan," he admits, before sighing. He runs a finger through his hair then glances up at her through dark lashes. "Alright, let's make a deal. If I tell you the plan and you wish to have nothing to do with me, I'll let you go. You can live a life somewhere in Conrei and I'll provide for a small pension and a new identity for you, and you can live happily ever after. Marry a farmer or an Archduke, I could care less."

He pauses for a moment. "But, if you still wish to come along to the capitol with me, I can find you a place to live, yet you'll be in danger for the rest of your life."

He waits for a reaction but only sees a glimmering determination in Liliana's arctic blue eyes. He nods, feeling a bit relieved she had agreed to the second. He wasn't ready to get rid of her quite yet. "Alright, then. The plan with the council...it's the war council. For the past year, spies have gone in and out of your country and found its weak points. With the economy in a downturn and the King on his deathbed-"

That means we're halfway through the original plot if the King is about to croak from tuberculosis. Then, Reginald is crowned King, as the older siblings don't want the throne...

"-and the likely outcome that the Fourth Prince would be taking the throne, it seems like the perfect time to take over the country."

"And where was I fitting into this whole grand scheme?" Liliana asks as she sits next to him on the bed. Both were no longer looking at each other, merely gazing ahead.

"It seemed that the Prince was distraught from the very beginning at the idea of you with another. A spy spoke with some of his maids and found out he has always been obsessed with things he cannot have. Pretty maidens from villages, forbidden treasures in ancient galleries, anything, really. Yet," Aleric turns to Liliana. "You have been the only high-court lady to break from tradition and to deny him. And with him not getting what he wants, he's sure to want it back. It's quite childish, really. But, with you in my grasp, he'd most likely slip up in his attacks and make a crucial mistake from the beginning, thus ensuring Conrei an easy victory." he informs as Liliana's brows furrow.

That made a bit of sense in the context of the original plot, then. Katherine was the pretty commoner who eluded Reginald and captured his heart, eventually marrying him. The original Liliana had thrown herself at the Prince's feet and begged him to be hers.

"You're much more than a duke or some eunuch...aren't you?" Liliana finally realizes.

"Yes." There was no hesitation in his answer.

Who was this man?

"Are you the head of the military, then?"

"Not quite, I'm the head of something else," he responds as a feeling of annoyance bubbles in Liliana's chest.

"Just tell me already, I don't want to play this guessing game anymore-"

"I'm the Crown Prince."

There was an awkward silence as Liliana processed this information.

"Pardon?" Liliana asks, remaining frozen in her spot.

"I'm the Crown Prince of this country," he says again as Liliana shakes her head in disbelief, now fully turning to face him.

"T-That's impossible a-and completely illogical! If you were the prince, why would you go out of your way to do basic investigations in Terria?"

"Because I was also speaking to other officials who'd spy on their own country. They know that it'd be best for Terria to be absorbed, after all, especially with the persuasion of a little bit of cash," he chuckles at the end. "Even you may have noticed how crummy Terria has gotten. Maybe it's due to the economy, but maybe it's also due to the officials taxing more than normal."

Liliana's jaw unhinges as she figures out what he was implying. "You purposefully made the people suffer?" she accuses.

"Not enough to kill them," he waves off. "Just enough to cause chaos."

Liliana's nose scrunches up in anger. "You bastard!"

She quickly throws a punch his way but he catches her wrist. "Not so fast, Missy," he clucks, lightly squeezing her wrist. "All the money will go back to the people's pockets."

"And how is that?" she asks as he loosens his grip. Liliana immediately snatches back her wrist and firmly places it on her lap.

"When I take over, everyone in the Kingdom will receive a stipend from Conrei to make it seem as if it's even more powerful than Terria," Aleric comments as realization strikes Liliana.

"You'd make it seem as if you have everything under control and running smoothly after the terror of war ceases," Liliana says as he chuckles.

"Exactly."

"But, this is all still so crazy!" Liliana starts her tangent once more. "How did the Fourth Prince not recognize you at all? Or did he and just pretend he didn't remember you?"

"I look quite different than I did when we met around 5 years ago, and by using a fake last name, he didn't recognize me," he informs. "The last name is actually Reintheld, so not too far off, just enough to create a new identity. He's more pigheaded than you realize."

"Wow..." Liliana mutters as she shakes her head in disbelief.

How did I not figure it out? All the clues were there: the guards, saying 'his land,' acting like a royal prick...

"But... awhile ago you said your grandmother's sister is one of the past rulers of this Kingdom..." Liliana trails off.

"After my grandmother's sister married Terria's king, my grandmother met an official at the wedding ceremony. He was the second Conrein prince and was never King. After my father was born and the King died, my father was the next in line due to his Uncle not having any children."

Liliana nods, now utterly silent as she tried to absorb all of this information coming her way.

"Well, what do you want to do now? Do you stay or do you go?" He asks, now looking at her. Suddenly, a light bulb turns on in Liliana's head and she quickly hides a sly grin from forming.

"Let's marry."

His eyes widened in shock, not expecting that response. "You want to marry now that you find out I'm a Prince?" He asks bluntly with a slight laugh. Liliana shrugs.

"Kind of," she admits, not bothering to lie. "It's more because of how I know the plan, now, and I also know of a way to make it a much quicker acquisition. Less bloody. Less gruesome. And, because of this, the people will accept a foreign dignitary much faster," Liliana comments, face serious.

He arches a brow, leaning forward. "Do tell me," he asks as Liliana shakes her head and presses a finger to her lips in a secretive matter. A sly grin begins to creep up from behind her hand, though.

"I'll tell you if you let me join your little war council as an equal," she wages and he laughs. "That's quite a big request for such a little girl. War is no game."

"War is a game of strategies, actually," she retorts. "You just have to use your cards right to win first. While your first strategy was all dandy, mine is far superior and less messy."

He leans back. "Fine, I'll let you join, but in return, I will have your hand in marriage."

"We cannot announce it 'til I announce my plan," Liliana informs. "For now, our engagement binds us in thought only. But other than that, I shall marry you."

"So be it," he nods, extending his hand. Liliana firmly grasps it and the two shake upon the deal.

"To mutual benefits," he toasts sarcastically and Liliana laughs. "To mutual benefits," she responds, a smile spreading across pink lips.

"Now that it's all sorted, shall we retire to bed, my bride?" Aleric asks as Liliana nods.

"Of course, my husband," Liliana responds. "For when we wake, the world will never be the same again.

=======================================================================

Well, that was a bit dramatic. Maybe it'll cool off with some Q/A questions from our characters!

Liliana: Do I really have to be here?

Amelia: Where even is 'here?!' What's going on?!

Aleric: First time, huh?

Liliana: You've done this before?

Aleric: Of course! What kind of charming, handsome, beautiful man would I be without having a few Q/A's under my belt?

Liliana: Ugh, can this get any worse?

Reginald: Liliana! You're here!

Alright...let's just start the questions. First off, what's your guys' biggest pet peeves?

Amelia: Well...if I have permission to speak...

Liliana: Be my guest.

Amelia: It's when I find cake crumbs in Liliana's bed. It's quite untasteful, really, and could attract all sorts of bugs!

Liliana: ...

Reginald: I'd buy you cake any day-

Liliana: I hate it when people don't mind their own business.

Aleric: I second that.

Reginald: I guess I'm too perfect to have any pet peeves

Liliana: Bet-

This is a bit tense...alright, let's have a lighter question! Let me see here...oh, um, "What's the meaning of life?"

Liliana: Ha! Like I'd know.

Amelia: I think we're all born to have a purpose. Maybe I'm not that special, but by helping a person reach their full potential might help me as well.

Aleric: It varies, I suppose. You live to see the next day.

Reginald: To live for whatever you love most. Then, your soul will be complete.

Ok! We left off on a good note. Hm, what's next... oh, this question is for Reginald.

Reginald: Great!

Ok then! Reginald, do you consider yourself a 'yandere?'

Reginald: Um...what's that?

The Google definition is a person who is romantically obsessed with someone to the point of using violent means to get them in their arms.

Reginald: ...what's Google?

... this is going nowhere. Alright! Next question...oof, I have to skip a couple of these because of spoilers...ok! Here's a good one. Liliana, this question is for you. Because this question is more personal, I'll just show you what it says on the notecard.

Liliana briefly skims over the notecard saying 'will you move onto the next world? Or will you just stay there?'

Liliana: I definitely hope I can...advance, one might say. I don't know what I'd do with myself if I didn't.

Reginald: Aww, dearest, do you need some lov-

Liliana: Don't finish that sentence.

Aleric! Your turn for a question. A reader asks why they love you. Why do you think so?

Aleric: I'm just that beautiful, how can I be resisted?

Liliana: Quite easily.

This same reader also proposed to you. What do you say?

Aleric: I'm sorry, darling, but I've already proposed to a certain girl...

Liliana: To the reader--he's all yours.

Reginald: Did somebody say something?

Uhhhhhhh...moving on. Reginald! Another question for you. Can you act cute?

Reginald: I'd like to think I'm always cute...right, dearest?

Liliana: Please stop.

Can I get a yeehaw?

Amelia: Yeehaw!

Liliana, some readers think you are a perfect lead. Why do you think you are a perfect main character?

Liliana: Oof, that is far from the truth.

As the narrator, I must agree with that; especially knowing how bad the next few chapters are. You're in for a wild ride!

Liliana: What?

Alright! Just pretend you didn't hear that. Now, it's time for an easy question: what're everyone's favorite colors?

Liliana: I like all colors.

Aleric: I don't really have one.

Reginald: Liliana blue.

Liliana: Excuse me?

Amelia: I like lilac!

Amelia! Time for a question for you: what's your dream job?

Amelia: For a while, it was being a nanny to young children, but Liliana is a handful herself-

Liliana: Hey!

Amelia: -but, I feel as if being Liliana's maid has become a dream of its own.

That's very sweet! Aleric, another question for you: what was your first impressions of Liliana and Reginald?

Aleric: Three words: Ugly and Uglier.

Liliana: *rolls up sleeves* You have a five-second head start, Aleric!

Reginald: Liliana, please!

Oh! Uh...thank you all for your questions, but it seems as if there's some...er...'technical issues-'

Reginald: Liliana! Put down my sword!

Liliana: Never!

-but it seems as if it'll be in everyone's best interest (and safety) if we wrap this up. Thank you for reading! Please comment, vote and add to your library if you liked the story!

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