Kingdom: Another World

Chapter 17: Change

"Whew!" I said, wiping the sweat off my forehead. "It seemed a lifetime - !" I said. We finally got out of the forest. We thanked the nymph, then it was gone.

"Yelena." Vice called.

"Hmm?" I asked. We're walking back to the capital now. It's past midnight, and only the moon lights our way.

"You…" she said. "Did something change in you?" she asked. I can't see her face since it was dark.

My face turned serious.

Vice's POV

"Yelena." I said.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"You…" I said. Is it right to ask her for this? I thought. I took a deep breath. "Did something change in you?" I asked. s**t. Why do I have to ask her that? I thought and cursed. But… I get this unsettling feeling inside. Something's not right with her. I thought.

It took a while before she answered. "Why do you ask?" she said.

I looked at her. I can't see his face since it's dark. "Err, well…" I said. Why, indeed? I thought. It's because… "I felt something changed in you when we woke up and saw you just standing there when we tried to search for the witch." I said.

"Then…" she said.

My heart beat loudly, anticipating what she'd say.

"If I said 'yes'…" she said then looked at me. The clouds uncovered the moon, lighting Yelena's serious face. "What would you do?" she asked.

I held my breath. "I, uh…" I said, unable to find the words. s**t! What do I tell her now? I thought. "Uhm… ah – "

"Pft- !" he said, then burst out laughing. "Got ya!" he said, laughing hard while holding his stomach. "Vice, your face was priceless!" he said, laughing. "Hahahahahaha!!!"

My jaw dropped. "What – " I said. I can't believe this. I thought. "Yelena, you – " I said, looking for word.

"Hahahahaha Hahahahaha!" she laughed. "Vice…" she said, wiping her tears. "That was worth it!" she said, laughing. "That's the first one I acted." she said, then smiled. "Vice…" she said, then looked at me. Why does she look…? And her smile is… her smile reached her eyes. But it's not a happy one. Because her smile is – "Will you stay away from me?" she asked.

Yes. Her face, her tone, and her smile… I thought. All of it was sad.

Vice's POV

"Oh? Young man?" I heard the landlady said. "You're going?" she asked. "Was it today?" she added.

I smiled. "Err, no." I said, packing my things. "It's not today. Well, my plan – " I said and closed my bag. "It went a little early." I said. "Thanks for taking care of me!" I said and bowed.

She sighed, then smiled. "Well, then – " she said. I returned to her the key. "Have a safe trip! Take care, as well." She said.

I smiled and thanked her.

…

"Oh?" I heard somebody say it when I came out of the inn. "You're Vice, right?"

I turned. "Aren't you – " I said.

He smiled. "I'm Emil." He said. "I'm a royal knight." He added. "You're on your way to the castle?" he asked.

"Err…" I said, then scratched my head. "No." I said.

His forehead knotted, then he looked at my bag. "Are you… going somewhere?" he asked. I forced a smile, then nodded. "EH?! Then what about the princess?!" he asked loudly.

"Shh!" I said when some of the passersby looked our way. "Quiet, will you?" I said. He nodded. I sighed. "I'm leaving the East now." I said. He gasped. I blew out air. "I'm a traveler, you know? So it's in my nature – "

He shook his head. "No, no, no." he said. "That's not it." He said. I looked at her, frowning. "I knew it!" he said. "You two quarreled, didn't you?" he asked, frowning.

"No – " I answered.

"Hmp! The princess was like this, too." he said and crossed his arms.

I looked at him. Yelena is…? I thought.

He looked at me, then grinned. "Oh? Looks like I was right." He said and smiled. "Care for a drink?" he asked.

I sighed.

Yelena's POV

"Yelena!" I heard my mother called.

I was reading a book. I looked up and saw her standing on the doorway. I smiled. "Mother." She said.

She smiled. "You holed up yourself here again." She said, then smiled sadly. She went inside the library. "It was like when your father separated you and Vincent – " she said.

"Mother." I said, then smiled. "I think I'd reconsider the marriage." I said happily. But she didn't look happy. "Mother?" I said. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked at me seriously, then touched my both cheeks. "Yelena." She said, then looked in my eyes. "Are you dreaming?" she asked.

My eyes went wide.

Vice's POV

"So? What were you saying?" I asked Emil and gulped the beer.

"Ah!" he said and put down the bottle. "The princess…" he said, then lowered his voice. "She's acting like a different person." He said.

My forehead knotted. "So?" I asked. Of course she'd do. I thought. Since she's an actress. I bit my lower lip. Damn you, Yelena. You really hurt me. I thought and closed my eyes when I remembered what happened last night.

Flashback

"Hahahahaha Hahahahaha!" he laughed. "Vice…" she said, wiping her tears. "That was worth it!" she said, laughing. "That's the first one I acted." she said, then smiled. "Vice…" she said, then looked at me.

Why does she look…? And her smile is… her smile reached her eyes. But it's not a happy one. Because her smile is –

"Will you stay away from me?" she asked.

Yes. Her face, her tone, and her smile… I thought. All of them were sad. "Yelena." I called, my heart felt like it's being crushed. "Why…?" I asked, my voice broke.

Her smile faded. "Because, Vice…" she said. Her face turned serious. "My memories came back." She answered.

I felt like all my senses woke up. "W – What?" I asked, then scoffed. "You think I'd buy that?" I asked. I grinned. "Of course I won't. You're an actress. You said so yourself – "

"Then – " she said and pushed me.

I fell down the road. "Ugh!" I cried when my back hit the ground. "Yelena, what – " my eyes went wide when she's on top of me. "Yelena…" I said, my eyes wide. I'm shaking in fear. No. This isn't Yelena. I thought. Because the Yelena I know won't do this –

I stopped. Yelena you know? A voice said inside my head. What do you really know about her? I looked at Yelena that's facing down at me.

"Yelena…" I called when I looked in her eyes. It's like…she's begging? I thought. I smiled sadly. "So you want me to stay away from you that much?" I asked. My voice was full of hurt. As well as my heart. She didn't answer. "Okay." I said. "I will. But I want to ask why – "

"I thought I already told you that my memories came back – "

"So?" I said, my voice hard. "What's it to me if you had your memories back?" I asked, my face stern. This is how you'll play? Then I'm in. I thought.

She looked at me. "You want to know that much?" she asked. I nodded. "Don't let yourself get hurt. Please." I was surprised when his voice seemed like a whisper. Her face became serious. "I'm reconsidering the marriage." She said.

My eyes went wide with shock. She… what? I thought. "Yelena…" I said. "But I thought you said – "

"Yes. That's because I still haven't had my memories back." She said, then smiled. "Now that I have, I'm going to marry Vincent after I save him and fulfill the prophecy of having the old kingdom back." she said.

I felt like my whole world crumbled. "Yelena…" I said, my tears fell.

"Vice?" she called. Her eyes went wide when she saw me crying. "Vice, what happened - ?" she asked, full of worry.

I pushed her. "I get it now." I said, wiping my tears. "Maybe you really didn't have an amnesia from the start." I said.

"What - ?"

I looked at her, full of hatred. "Is playing with me that fun?" I asked, hurt.

"Vice, I – "

I raised my hand. "If that's how it is, then fine." I said, then looked at his eyes. "I'll stay away from you." I said.

Her eyes went wide. "Wait, Vice - !" she called. "I didn't – "

I ignored her, then walked away.