Midnight Royale

Chapter 29: Feud and Kings

"What happened?" Someone just pop out in front of us, blocking the way out to the castle. "Why are you wet again, Princess Genevierre? Did you try to jump again and die inside my kingdom!?"

What the King shouted made everyone glared and think of me dirty. They started to whisper and show how they were so disappointed of me.

Before Lazarus can shout again to the crowd, I reached for his arms with my weak hands.

This isn't the time he will vent his anger out. It's not a good idea to shout at the king of this palace.

Lazarus sighed, calming himsefl before answering the king.

Then he just looked at them with stoic face.

"We are going. And no, the princess didn't drown herself. Someone just played with her life and I won't ever forgive who did this. I will investigate about what happened."

Investigate? But what happened is something magical and I will look crazy if I just told it to them! So no, I don't want any investigation to happen!

We manage to get in the carousel with no one bothering us but the weird stares.

Great, now I look like a princess who is desperate to end her life!

My head started to feel heavy the moment Lazarus make me sit inside.

"Do you want to rest?" He asked me, concern is written all over his face.

What am I seeing? Did I drink too much water earlier?

I just closed my eyes without answering him. I don't have any intentions to sleep or what—but I am surprised when I saw myself in my own bed!

My nose feels funny. Am I going to catch cold?

"You're awake. Did you rest well?"

I jumped and tried to find that voice. Why does he love to just blurted words?

"Can you tell me if you're here!? I am going to die from you!"

Lazarus just chuckled and didn't answer me.

"I don't feel sleepy at all earlier. Did you do something about it?"

Lazarus just shrugged his shoulders. "It's better if you sleep."

Wow, so he really did something!

"The kingdom is worried about what happened. The king from the other kingdom is mad at us for ruining his celebration. While Amadeo stands for your safety and care."

My face wrinkled. That sounds complicated and scary.

"Uh... Am I... going to face a punishment?" I couldn't help but to ask him.

He just chuckled and shook his head. "Silly. Why are you going to receive punishment? You just need to explain what happened in front of them. You don't have any power to drown yourself in the rest room. I believe someone from that party threatened your life."

No one tried to threaten my life—aside from my own self. Then I remembered what happened in the comfort room.

That makes my head ache. How could I go back in my own life? Should I go and jump again?

But what if I live? I don't want to wake up as her again for pete sake!

I stopped from thinking when Lazarus came forward and look at me.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Oh no. I cannot tell him exactly what happened. It will just confuse him.

"What... happened?"

Lazarus nodded. "Yes, in detail. So I can report it properly."

In detail!? Should I tell the little details and do not include my conversation with that brat?

Yeah, the prince will not believe it anyway—or he will think of me as crazy again.

I know magic exist in this kingdom, but my story sounds... exaggerated.

"I do not remember how exactly it started," I start of with the truth. "I am just washing my hands then suddenly–I feel the water all over the floor until it reach the ceiling of the rest room."

Lazarus is listening throughly, as if he will get something from it.

"Then I started to drown." I finished the story there. "That's all."

The prince looks confused. "That's all?"

I nodded my head and push myself back to bed—he is looking at me menacingly. He may see through me and know that I am lying.

"But why the hell did they drown you?" He asked in annoyance. "Your story sounds like someone just played at you."

I sighed. "I guess that's what happened."

"No one should mess with me," he said with full of remorse.

I cannot help but to look at his face and I saw him glaring at the wall.

"Do they think they have the right to look at you that way and tell stories?"

"Hey, do you like me?" I blurted out the thing that I am curious of.

Lazarus glared at me as an answer so I laughed on him.

"I am just kidding. You sound so concern–"

He looked at me with his one eyebrow up. "I think you like me this way..."

Lazarus started to act crazy again–he just leaned on me swiftly on top!

"Hey!" I hissed.

"What? I feel like you like me this way," he tease me and smiled.

I felt my face burning because of our position. "Hey! Can you... stop!? I feel ill–"

My eyes widened when his head go in my neck–I shut my eyes and accepted my faith that he will bite me.

But he just whispered something.

"Too bad you're ill. I thought I am going to have my drink." His lips brushed in my skin.

This... man!

Lazarus remove himself on top of me with a grin on his face.

"You!" I hissed on him because my heart raced too much! I thought he is going to bit me!

"I won't bite you. But you need to do something," he said.

"What is it?"

I pushed myself to sit and looked into him.

I was shocked when he just bit himself on his wrist–until blood started to pour!

"Lazarus!"

He smirked and offered his wrist. "Drink it. You need this..."

"What!?" I winced. "Why would I drink–"

He shoved his wrist on my lips and forced me! I taste a the metallic liquid a little but I pushed his hands.

"Hey–"

"This is a medicine. To have your energy back and my blood will stop you from falling into ill. So drink," he explained to me.

"But how can that happened? I am not a vampire–"

"My blood is a strong medicine," he chuckled. "Just drink it."

He lift his wrist in front of me, offering the blood.

This is so awkward, but Lazarus is waiting for me to sip on his wrist.

I really don't want to do it. The blood... just irks me. Why would I sip it!? Is it clean?!

"Sip," he told me. "Nothing will happened from staring."

"But this is uncomfortable—"

"I already sip a lot from you... Why would you feel that way?"

I glared on him. "Just because!"

He move his wrist on my lips again and I winced.

"I am serious, Genevierre. You need to take this because tomorrow, you will face the vampire royal and aristocrats. Together with the King and other noble inside the castle."

My eyes widened in his revelation. That's like the whole castle!

"Why... would that happen? I just drowned... Why is there a meeting?"

"The Kingdom Aransas thinks you tried to take your life in their land. The Kingdom gives importance to life above all as they are the air. Taking your life is like the biggest scene you can do."

"But I denied their accusation and said that someone played the element of water to you... And Aransas are thinking that we are accusing them." He sighed.

I didn't know that this will go big–way too big than I've ever imagined! Complicated and scary!

"Lazarus, they don't... need to make this that big–I am fine..." and I don't want to talk about it!

What if a vampire show up and knows how to read a mind? They will know in an instant!

"No, if we are going to give up—it meant that we are accepting their accusations. And your life was put in danger... why don't you want to investigate it?"

I didn't answer and just looked on his wrist. His blood were in red but more darker. You can mistake it for almost like a black.

"I just don't want to complicate things, Lazarus. It will just create feud—"

"The feud is already starting. One needs to prove something or else they will look like a fool." He said. "You really didn't kill yourself, right?"

"No! Why would I do that!? In the middle of the party?"

Lazarus shrugged. "Maybe you want to bring disgrace in the palace?"

"Hey!" I hissed on him in annoyance. "But I really didn't try to kill myself there. I am scared of what Aristocrats can do once I dared to do it again..."

The room filled in silence after I said that. I think Lazarus is also confused because what happened to me doesn't have the vital point. It sounded like someone just really threatened or played with me.

But that's more okay than to tell I swapped souls in my older version.

"Aren't you going to drink?" Lazarus looked at me in annoyance. "You need some energy. Even you're ill, the royal court would not cancel everything tomorrow—"

I just closed my eyes and pull his wrist on my lips. I just drink it for a few seconds before pushing it away.

I winced and cough a little.

The great prince just chuckled. "See you tomorrow then."

I was worried the next day. Lazarus blood helped me feel fine. But my heart is thumping. What if someone just really read my mind to know if I am saying the truth or not.

Down here, I can feel the tension from the both parties.

Lazarus is beside the King.

"Finally, the princess is here," king of Aransas pointed out. "Should I get straight to the point? The princess always try to die with drowning and you know my land do not tolerate that kind of behavior. If I will just let it slide–then my people will be mad at me because they think... I am giving exemptions."

Royalties... and how they think really sucks.

"My son said the princess didn't try to kill herself inside your castle. Genevierre is just a human and therefore, cannot do magic to do tbat massive water—"

King Anrasas gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Are you accusing our kingdowm as liars?!"

The old man from the Aristocrats chuckled. "We didn't tell anything. Why are you so aggressive? Are you trying to pick a fight?"

Oh... this old man is really fearless!

"What are you talking about!?" The king shouted again.

"Stop, the both of you!" The king of Amadeo hissed. "Since the princess is here, let her talk about what happened."

My heart raced when they all glared at me. From the other witness up until to Lazarus.

"I... didn't try to kill myself," I told them and started to tell the story like what I have told to Lazarus.

"See? Anrasas, she didn't try," the king just simply said.

The grumpy one chuckled in annoyance. "Of course, that young lady can lie!"

"Why won't you just accept that what happend was your fault?" The leader of Aristocrats looked at me. "I know she will never again harm herself..."

Of course, this old man threatened my life.

"I really didn't try to kill myself there. I just felt the water running though my feet until to my head–I tried to escape but the door was locked..."

"The kingdom Amadeo should investigate that," the vampire royal told us. "Once proven, you can take the princess—and when not, stop. We need more evidences."

"Evidences?! Amadeo is always ruining everything because I do not want to work with them—"

"King Anrasas," the vampire royal looked at him in annoyance. "Please refrain from saying irrelevant things on this matter. Princess Genevierre and Prince Lazarus—you created such a mess between the kingdom huh?"

I... didn't expect that this will be this big! As if I've killed someone and I am on the trial!

What will I do? I think they will proceed on investigation! What if they will know something?