The Five Princes

Thursday Part One

[For Mature Audience]

"Can't you pretend its Tuesday and not Thursday?" Zeph begged in my ear as we walked down the hall to the dining room. All morning I've been nervous about it being Thursday, Ajax's day, butterflies fluttering in my gut at what was awaiting tonight. Ajax scared me and because of that, we've had little contact and now we'd be spending the entire day together. It'll be alright, Serene, it's only for one day.

"You know I can't do that, Zeph," I reminded him although we both knew he knew that indefinitely. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I noticed Ethan waiting in from of the dining room doors, perking up when he spotted me.

"Princess!" he called heading towards me, stopping a foot away, making sure not to make contact. Even Zeph held me back by the shoulder, making sure he kept his distance, probably glaring at him above my head. Ethan kept his eyes on me, unwilling to acknowledge Zeph's threating stance. "I created an antidote!"

I felt my hope lift that something good was happening today. "Really?"

He nodded, handing me a bottle of some red liquid carefully. "I had to use what I could get here. It was quite difficult since your kingdom lacks the supplies Cameron has but I made due."

Zeph stared at it over my shoulder suspiciously. "And this really works? How do we know it isn't something that'll make her want you and only you?"

He rolled his eyes at Zeph, granting me a buoyant grin that had me relaxing without suspicion. It was between this or remained overpowered whenever I touched Ethan, usually ending with guilt. "I have to take a chance," I told them. "When should I take it?"

He slipped out another bottle that resembled the one in my hands. "Right now so we can take it together. This should erase the effects of it."

I nodded and popped the top. It was a tiny bottle so there wasn't even half a teaspoon full inside. Hopefully, it wouldn't taste disgusting or even have a taste at all.

"Maybe I should taste it first, Serene," Zeph offered, still not believing Ethan entirely. "It might be poison."

"Oh my goodness," Ethan sighed. "Why in the world would I poison her?"

"So it'll be easier to take over the thrown, get Cameron on top, something like that."

"You're insane, Enigma. Princess, I'd never do such a thing to you. Don't let this mongrel brainwash you any more than he already has."

"Brainwash?" Zeph scoffed, offended. "How have I brainwashed Serene? By making my presence known to her? That's the point of this competition, i***t. Get your head in the game."

"Enough!" I shouted, tired of their bickering. "Stop fighting." I had way too much on my mind to be in the middle of their argument. If they wanted to fight, they better do it somewhere far away from me because I was getting sick of it. "Ethan is not trying to poison me and Zeph has not brainwashed me. Now can we get this over with?"

They both took a deep breath, Ethan popping the top of the bottle open as he glared at Zeph. "Let's do this," he insisted, putting the bottle to his lips. I did the same and quickly tilted it up, watching him do the same.

The liquid went down my throat, warm and sour at the same time and I tried to focus on the taste. Drop after drop poured into my mouth until the bottle was bare, my entire body feeling warm and tingly inside. Zeph held onto me, my head swirling for a moment until I felt an electrical current rush out my body, trembles coursing through me. I noticed Ethan quivering also like the chilled air just hit him in the spine. Getting back the feeling in my body, I stared at Ethan, wondering if it worked and he stared at me with the same thought. Slowly, we reached for each other's hand and allowed out fingertips to touch.

Nothing.

We all sighed in relief, this curse finally ending. I smiled at him. "Thank you so much, Ethan, I really appreciate this."

He nodded with a slight bow. "You are entirely welcome. Shall we go to the dining room now?"

I nodded, Zeph clinging to my side as we entered the dining hall, and we both paused in our tracks when we saw someone eating breakfast at the head of the table. When he saw us entering, he paused his eating and smiled at me then frowned at Zeph standing close to me.

"Good morning, baby girl," Father greeted, folding his hands on the table. Avant pulled out the seat beside him, gesturing for me to sit beside my father. Of course he'd be here, being the royal advisor and food tester, but I hated his presence. On the other side, Ajax sat with a calm expression, focused on eating his hearty piece of sliced pork. And Zeph was purposely placed at the other end of the table, the furthest away from me.

"Good morning, father," I greeted acting like it wasn't a big deal he was eating with us. He rarely ate breakfast in the dining hall and throughout this competition he's been coped up in his private office. "How have you been?"

"Perfectly fine." He gestured to Ajax with his fork. "I've been having a very interesting conversation with Prince Ajax here."

Keeping my eyes on my scrambled eggs, I asked, "Oh, what about?"

He sighed and placed a hand on mine placed on the table. "You've been spending too much time with the Enigma boy." Across the table, I could see Ajax grinning wickedly before placing a piece of pork in his mouth. Avant even had the same expression on his face but actually had the decency to conceal it. "I've heard rumors that if you're not spending time with the competitor of the day, you're with him. And some of the maids have witnessed him entering your room at night and leaving the next morning since his arrival."

I kept my head low, tired of the same ranting. "Sorry to be rude, father, but I think my relationship with Zeph isn't any concern to you or the other contestants." I wiped my mouth gently and stared him in the eye, seeing a flicker of aggravation that I was retaliating. Since I was a child, I did what I was supposed to do but I'd put up more of a fight than most Concords who were known for their peaceful submission. "I try to spend as much time with each one on their day—"

"You should try harder," he demanded in an assertive tone.

I took a deep breath, trying to settle the anger rising within me. "From the moment I come downstairs in the morning to when the clock strikes midnight, I give them my undivided attention. What more can I do to make them feel as if they are the center of my world?"

Ajax cleared his throat and I had to hold myself back from rolling my eyes. "Here's a suggestion: stop running to the Enigma every chance you can get," he suggested dominantly, that evil smirk plastered to his face. "What do you say about that, Enigma?" he called across the table. "Can you get your claim off her once in a while so we can have our chance?"

Zeph scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "You have plenty of chances. It's not my fault she prefers gentlemen over barbarians."

Ajax snapped out of his seat, glaring at Zeph. "You wanna say that to my face?"

Zeph chuckled, standing out of his chair. "Aren't I not facing you, ignoramus?"

"Igora-what?"

"Thanks for giving proof of your lack of intelligence."

Father scooted his seat back thunderously, catching everyone's attention. "I am done!" he shouted, his anger directed towards Zeph rather than Ajax. "Enigma, how dare you ridicule my guest in my presence as if you're already sitting on the throne!"

Zeph gritted his teeth and I felt compelled to intervene before things got worse. "Your highness—"

Father down looked at me. "This is who you want sitting on our throne, ruling the kingdom by your side?! I made my mistakes by marrying your mother and I refuse to see you make the same one!"

"Father!" I screamed, offended by my father's behave. How dare he say he made a mistake in marry mother, how could he?

He continued, glaring Zeph down who wasn't entirely in a polite mood right now, his eyebrow furrowed. "You are no longer allowed around my daughter for the remainder of this competition!"

"Father, you can't do that!"

"I can and will! For as long as I live, I will not see an Enigma on my throne and that is final!"

With that last decree, he gestured for Avant to follow which he did pompously, leaving the room in silence. I sunk into my chair, feeling a sense of despair that this had just happened. And what did I do? Hardly anything. I couldn't even eat anymore, feeling disgusted with myself and the situation. I didn't even look up until I heard someone walk out of the room, turning to see Zeph's seat empty.

-_-_-_-_-_-

"I'm coming!" I screeched after the third knock on the door. Most likely Ajax wanted to spend some time together. However, I was still angry at him, so the jerk could wait until I was good and ready. Sitting on the balcony, the spring breeze blowing through my hair, I read Zeph's letter again.

Serene,

We'll be together, I promise. I understand that you must attend to your duties as princess but that won't change my feelings for you. I came here for you and only you, not for some throne. I love you. Hopefully one day your father will see that and welcome me as a man and an enigma but until then, I'll try my best to treat you like the princess you are in and out of my heart.

Guards are monitoring me and you so Trinity will be our only access to one another until the end of this competition. What your father said about me thinking I'm already sitting on the throne, I think it's kind of true. But not because I want to rule, it's because I want to be by your side. I didn't want to be in the competition in the first place, you know that. I just wish sometimes we could run away and live the life of civil servants, a small house, kids running around, a dog named Spot. But I know you, you'd never abandon your people and that's one of the things I love about you.

I snickered. If he were by my side, I'd remind him that we met when I was running away. But I already know what he'd say: 'I'm pretty sure you were going to come back after Coming of Age.' Know it all, even more than Ethan which was saying something. I finished up reading the letter.

You don't know how long I've been searching for a girl like you and now that I've found you, I wish to keep you as long as possible. If you personally have been feeling like I'm too clingy, I apologize. It's just this spell you've cast upon me. I seem to never be able to get you out of my mind or get close enough to you even though I could be right by your side.

I love you and I don't think I'll ever stop.

Zeph

I folded the letter and tucked it in my pocket when I heard the lock turn and someone entered. Hastily, I stood up and returned to my room. Avant walked in, oddly closing the door behind him and all I wanted to do was chuck a shoe at his pompous features.

I settled on glaring at him as he walked towards me. "What do you want?" I barked, not wanting to see him either. I had the mentality for Ajax right now, not Avant of all people. I took a step when he entered my private bubble, not liking his closeness.

He gave me a wide grin, appearing as if he had a deep dark secret he thought I wanted to know. "Just to talk," he informed me. "That display this morning really aggravated your father."

"Tell me something I don't know or care about," I snapped back.

He chortled wickedly at that. "He wants to disqualify the Enigma and send him home by the end of the day."

I gasped, a tiny piece of me hurt to hear that. "Are you telling the truth?" Despite hating this man's guts, I knew he was telling the truth.

He nodded and leaned closer and I backed into the glass window, trying not to get close to his creepiness. "Indeed. But I'm sure he could be persuaded into letting the Enigma stay."

"Then I'll talk to him." I nudged him out of the way to cross the room to the door until being halted by him grabbing my arm, snatching me to his body with such force I almost tripped.

"I meant by me," he hissed inches away from my face. "But the question is: what will you do for me to convince him?"

"Nothing, now get your hands off!" Pulling myself away, I found myself being drawn in closer, his arms wrapping around mine as his groin pressed against me.

"Serene, you've now bedded three men, I'm pretty sure you're easy to get into by now," he whispered in my ear, pushing me against the wall. I gasped at the impact which made him growl in pleasure, a sound that made me sick to my stomach. "I think you should just give in so you can keep your prince charming, hmm?"

"You thought wrong," a brutish voice replied behind him. It wasn't until Avant was being yanked away from me that I realized Ajax had become my savior. But if he'd have given me more time, I would've saved myself. With a flicker of his wrist, Ajax slung him to the ground like he was nothing. Ajax looked down at Avant who was crawling away from his sinister glower looming over him. "You are weak. Real men don't steal what they want but earn it and they do not force themselves upon women! You are weaker than weak, you are scum!"

Seeing the fear in Avant's eyes made Ajax appear much more heroic than I could've ever imagined, taking me by surprise. It was rare to see Avant cowering in fear, never thinking I'd see such a sight as he rose to his feet weakly. On his feet now, he staggered back to the door. But I don't think he was entirely frightened when his eyes landed on me, giving an expression that told me this wasn't over. But for now, he disappeared.

Ajax ran his hands through his hair, eyes directed on the door as if glaring a hole through it would reach Avant. Before silence could take over even further, I said, "Thank you."

His eye never left the door. "You need to learn how to defend yourself." His eyes snapped to me before I could defend myself. "If you were a woman of Ambrose, you could've taken him down with your thumb. So weak."

"Well, I'm a woman of Dominic. We don't expect such vulgarity from Dominic men." But I'm learning I should start giving them a second thought because this was the second time being rescued from the same predicament.

Ajax puffed out his chest intimidatingly, taking a step towards me. "You shouldn't let your guard down for anyone, not even for your own people."

Standing my ground, I stared him down equally as he was for me. "My guard is never down around him—or anyone, for that matter."

He scoffed, crossing his arm pompously as if I just make a joke. "Oh really? I highly doubt that."

My jaw tightened at his accusation. I've had self-defense lessons since I was young but I've never been in those kinds of issues until now. Something that I knew Ambrose taught their people very well was how to fight on instinct. Fighting wasn't built that deep into me without thinking.

I rolled my eyes, mimicking his crossed arms. "Well, thank you again—"

"I didn't do that for free, princess," he smirked, taking another step towards me until he was only inches from my feet. "I want compensation."

I raised an eyebrow, having half the mind to tell him to forget it, but the other half was curious what he wanted, still thankful for his help. "What would you like?" Money, excess to his kingdom during this competition, power on the throne after this, what?

The corner of his lip stretched into a sinister smile, unfolding his arms. His index finger slithered beneath my chin, forcing me to gaze into his eyes as my heart raced at the closeness. "Tonight, your submission."