The Royal Quest

CHAPTER 28. Best Man

"Princess?" Suddenly Baron spoke up, standing against the door frame to help his balance. The two immediately withdrew their embrace.

"Baron, you're awake." Dahlia immediately ran in his direction.

"Why did you get up? You are still not well." She said, helping the man back to the couch. Massimo followed.

"What are you doing?" Baron turned to Massimo, looking furiously at the vampire.

"What do you mean?"

"How dare you take advantage of the princess?" Baron suddenly grabbed his sword and pointed it to the vampire. But the vampire just scoffed at him, crossing his arms on his chest.

"Baron, what are you doing? It's not what you think."

"I told you, I haven't trusted this blood sucker since the beginning."

"Well, I do!" Dahlia quickly countered with a bit of irritation in her voice.

"I trust both of you. You are both important to me, especially on this journey, and I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you. I was just delighted to see Moss is safe and you should be too. So put down that weapon and go back to the couch! You are wasting your energy on this nonsense, you soldier!"

Baron backed off and stubbornly sat on the couch still glaring at Massimo. Dahlia sighed and walked to the kitchen to get the soldier's breakfast, leaving the men alone with fiery ambience.

"Are you jealous?" Massimo suddenly asked.

"You know, you have no chance with the princess. She will never be attracted to a vampire," Baron retorted.

"That's not what I am asking."

"What do you want from her?"

"Nothing, but her. I want Dahlia." Massimo confessed.

Baron scoffed with annoyance, fisting his hands.

"And then what? Are you going to turn her like you?"

"I have no plan to do that, nor just the thought of it."

"Then leave her."

"Why? Are you threatened?"

Baron suddenly chuckled unbelievably, looking down.

"Maybe you are right. I am threatened. I always have the princess beside me most of the time. I am willing to give my soul just to serve her, to make sure she is safe. And I keep falling for her every day though I know I have no chance because of the status of our lives also that's why I was never chosen to be one of her suitors and now here you are, much stronger than me, you can keep her safe more than I do. I feel like I have nothing left to prove to her anymore. I am always left behind." Baron speaks up.

"I suppose we both have the same thoughts. You are right, I'm a vampire and you both are humans and that bothers me." Massimo also said, hiding his other thoughts about the truth of being the vampire king and the possible outcome when the lady learns about his identity.

"So, may the best man win."

"Indeed."

"Are you arguing about something again?" Suddenly Dahlia interrupted, holding a tray with a bowl of soup for Baron and placing it on a table beside the couch.

"I'm sorry if I raised my voice earlier." Dahlia apologized and sat beside Baron and sighed before taking the bowl in her hand and starting feeding the soldier.

"Wait, Your Highness. You don't have to do this." Baron tried to stop her.

"No, just let me. I want to take care of you."

"I am better off now. I don't like this sight," Massimo suddenly interrupted.

"What? Where are you going again?" Dahlia inquired.

"I need to hunt for more blood, Your Highness. As you can see, my skin still isn't fully healed yet and it's making me uncomfortable."

"Moss, wait. What if- ``Suddenly Dahlia speaks up and is about to stand but is immediately cut off by the vampire.

"Don't ever think about it again, Dahlia."

"But-"

"No. I'm an immortal and all of this will heal eventually. You should spend your effort on Baron because he needs your care more than I do." Massimo said, and before Dahlia could speak again he already left.

"He is so stubborn. Losing a few drops of blood will not kill me, right?" Dahlia, unbelievably, sighing deeply while Baron was dumbfounded by her complaint.

"You're planning to give blood to that vampire?"

"Ahh, yeah? But I just wanted to help, Baron. Human blood is way better than animals'. It could heal his wounds quicker. He was badly injured too, because of saving me just like you did, and I'm willing to offer everything I have, just like how you sacrificed for me."

"You mean everything?" Baron repeated.

"Yes!" Dahlia cried and suddenly Baron pulled her for an embrace.

"This is what I needed, Your Highness." Baron said, gripping the lady's body tighter but just enough not to hurt her.

"Dahlia, you don't have to carry all of this burden. We may get hurt, but not because we need to save you, but because it is what we want. Don't feel obliged, my princess. Because you have done nothing wrong. And if I can't make it-"

"Don't say that." Dahlia interrupted, but Baron continued.

"I don't want you to blame yourself. I just want you to always remember that I love you and dying for you didn't hurt a bit." He said and chuckled softly.

But Baron's words did not bring serenity to the princess's mind and that made her even more unhappy, encircling her arms around the soldier's torso while sobbing on his chest.

Dahlia didn't realize that she had fallen asleep beside her guard still with his arms around her and woke up with the soft whimpering of the man. She slowly moves and gets up to see what's happening to him.

"Ba-Baron?" Her heart suddenly throbbed loudly with anxiousness when she noticed his pale skin and excessive sweating.

"Baron?" She tried waking him up again.

"Pri-princess?" Baron hardly spoke, still with closed eyes.

"Yes, what's happening? Please stay with me." Dahlia didn't know what to do as she kept on pressing his hand, feeling terrified.

"Dahlia?" Luckily Savanna had just arrived.

"Savanna. Baron is hurt. I don't know what to do." She quickly turned to her cousin with trembling hands.

"Let me see him." The healer immediately examined Baron.

"Did you find the antidote to the poison?" Dahlia asked, but her cousin deeply sighed.

"Baron is getting worse. I'm afraid he won't be able to make it after a few days," Savanna honestly announced.

"No, he needs to live, Savanna. What about the antidote?"

"I'm sorry, I tried but I couldn't find it around here."

"Wait, there's one place where we can find every kind of medication. The antidote could be there as well," Dahlia suddenly utters.

"Whe-where?"

"At the palace!"

"Right! You're so smart, Dahlia. It's just that we need it as long as possible and Haru is way too far from here." Savanna shook her head unbelievably.

"But Baron needs to be cured." Dahlia couldn't resist the emotion as she burst and suddenly kneeled in front of her cousin.

"Savanna, please. I can't afford to lose Baron."

Savanna sighed deeply as she also felt responsible for the life of the man as a healer.

"Fine, but we need someone from the palace to find the antidote so we can meet halfway, someone trusted, of course. Because once the palace learns where Baron is, he'll be doomed."

"Tala!"

"Yes. Now we can't waste more time. I'll be returning home and I'll be taking Baron with me."

"I will come too." Dahlia quickly said.

"No. Have you forgotten what I told you? The mansion is full of palace guards. I can only bring Baron with me."

"O-okay." Dahlia didn't argue anymore and walked in Baron's direction again, crouching beside the man.

"Hey, Baron. You have to fight this and return to me, do you understand? You said that I don't have to blame myself for what happened, but then if you fail me, I will not forgive you, soldier."

Later that same day, Savanna packed the things they needed for their journey and surprised Dahlia when suddenly five men show up in her lodge.

“Who are they?” Dahlia asked, gawking at the well-built men standing in front of her door.

“Well, I still have royal blood running through my veins and I need protection, especially when father suspects the palace guards that keep roaming around our house. He didn’t even want me to leave, but I had to because of my callings, so he decided that I needed these beautiful men around me.” Savanna explained with a wink.

“Lovely.” Dahlia muttered.

“So, is that vampire of yours accompanying you for the meantime?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Alright, just be sure that he will not drink your blood dry, my dear cousin. You know, we both grew up in a world where immortals are awful in stories and you’ve taken this far, planning to defeat their founder, which no one has ever tried before. I believe in you, but I don’t want you dying, Dahlia. If you need to back off, then go. There is nothing wrong with that because, as I told you, there’s always another way to victory.”

“I understand, but don’t worry, I trusted Moss with my life.”

“And I don’t.” Suddenly Baron interrupted, forcing himself to move.

“You are not going alone without me, princess.”

“Baron.” Dahlia quickly ran to help him out.

“What if he is planning on something? He is still a vampire after all.”

“Please. Baron, I can almost reach Gorgax with my hands. I just can’t stop now, unless you want me to marry a stranger back in Haru.”

“Duncan is not a stranger,” Savanna interrupted, teasing Dahlia.

“Well, he is now to me.” Dahlia bluntly countered.

“Then wait for me.” Baron insists.

“Yeah and that might take up to months until you are fully recovered,” Savanna announced.

“Goodness. I can’t wait for that long.” Dahlia complained.

“You don’t have to, princess. We’re going with or without Baron.” Suddenly Massimo interrupted, making his entrance from nowhere, which surprised everyone.

“Wait. Are you the same vampire from last night?” Savanna quickly inquired with furrowed eyebrows.

“Yes, my lady. My injuries have just healed, so, yeah.” Massimo answered and bowed to the lady in respect.

“You never do that to me.” Dahlia suddenly interrupted with a frowning face.

“Apologies, Your Highness,” Massimo said, and walked closer to Dahlia. He took her hand and kissed her on the back of it. Dahlia swallowed with the sudden electricity she felt that flowed through her veins and couldn’t find the words to say.

“Your cheeks are turning red, my cousin,” Savanna noticed.

“No they’re not.” She refused as she abruptly pulled her hands back.

“So, when are you leaving?” She diverted the topic away from Massimo and her cheeks.

“I have sent one of my guards to go to Haru to give my message to Tala. I just hope she can get the ingredients for the cure from the palace infirmary as soon as possible. Then me and Baron are leaving by tomorrow. He’ll be staying in our home while recovering to make sure he is safe.”

“I’m not coming, Lady Savanna,” Baron suddenly uttered.

“What? Are you out of your mind, Baron?” Dahlia hissed at him.

“I’m not leaving you,” Baron insisted.

Dahlia froze for a moment as she only gawked at the man, breathing heavily with no expression on her face at all, then suddenly just raced out of the place without saying a word.