The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Seventy Five

Waiting for time to pass after the Crown Prince confessed to me is one of the hardest things to do in my life. We never spoke again at least about what happened between the two of us after we made it clear that we were not going into a relationship. The silence was deafening, and the awkwardness between us is eerie. We just sat there on the cold floor waiting for Steffan, Harvey, and the other Royal Guards to arrive and seriously, I don't know if it was good or bad that they were all taking their sweet time coming here, but it was already killing me.

Who wouldn't? The love of my life who I was in love with for such a long time just confessed to me. That was enough to give me a heart attack, a heat stroke, and an existential crisis all in one go. Who could easily get over the fact that the Crown Prince was willing to take a risk and become my lover? My boyfriend? Only a fool would not feel anything. Even the most heartless woman in the whole kingdom of Aure would feel giddy and shocked and overwhelmed if this thing happened to them. It just turned my whole life upside down and nothing will ever compare to this feeling. Ever.

The Crown Prince was persistent though. He at least tried twice to talk me over again, but I did not give in. I may be a hypocrite but when it comes to matters of the heart, I would never do anything so brazen and reckless. And that what it is. Being the Crown Prince's girlfriend was the most reckless thing a woman could do in her life. Not only because everyone's attention would be on me (especially the current King's) but also my life will drastically change. If only I can be with the Crown Prince without all the complications, I would have said yes even before he asked me the question.

If Jang was here, I know that she would call me crazy. And I know that I am crazy. I know that it was a crazy idea to reject the Crown Prince for obvious reasons, but what can I do? I am not a multitasker. I cannot juggle everything. Love can wait. But my Aunt probably couldn't. And Jang would also probably say to me that she can see no reason for me not to be able to handle all of the situations that I was in right now, but that is now what I am most concerned about. I know that I can have a lover while I search for Aunt Milca but just like what I said to Prince Kao, I have been through a lot already. I am not ready for another wave of problems.

If only the Crown Prince was NOT the Crown Prince. If he was just a regular guy without those towering obligations with him just like Kaylie's fiance, Sir Ralphus, then maybe I would have accepted his offer immediately. I know that it is a very selfish decision, and it should. My life's direction will depend on that decision and I think I have all the right to think it over first.

And then I suddenly remembered something. I stood up when I realized that it was an important thing that I forgot to tell the Crown Prince. "What is it? What are you doing?" he immediately asked when he saw me stand up.

I looked at him with an embarrassed look. "I forgot to tell you something!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "What is it? It's not about your feelings about me, right? Rainha, you already told me that you love me. You can't take that back anymore."

I almost hit him in his head for saying things like that. It would have been sweet if I was not also embarrassed by what I said to him earlier. "It's not that," I said without looking at him directly. I looked on the floor to gather the words in my mind. "I just remembered that I thought of something that would help us in our quest of finding my Aunt."

He looked disappointed that it was not about my feelings for him that I was talking about (because I took a quick glance at him before I looked away again) but he was also curious about what I was going to say. So I cut to the chase and told him what I wanted to tell him before I totally forgot about it. I told him that back when my brother's soon-to-be-wife visited me at the palace, it dawned on me that someone could know who is behind all the troubles that my family has right now. I told him that Sir Ralphus could possibly have the details that we need to identify the person behind these a*******n attempts and ambush fest.

"He runs a snow carriage rental business," I told Prince Kao dramatically. "And those fools who tried to take me with them that night escaped with a rented snow carriage as their getaway vehicle. If I remember correctly, his family owns the largest snow carriage rental business in Aurville and the surrounding towns, so they might have rented that snow carriage there! Therefore, Sir Ralphus could have the information that we need! He might know the persons who tried to kidnap me!"

"Yeah, you are right! That is actually possible, Rainha!"

"Plus, we can ask for his help so that we can shake our pursuers off! We can rent a snow carriage from his family and we would no longer be at risk that someone is tailing us! Those snow carriages are a staple in Aurville! They would have a hard time finding which snow carriage we are in once we arrive at Aurville!"

"Yeah! That's a good idea, Rainha! You are the best!" The Crown Prince looked so pleased with all that I told him that he made a gesture to hug me. But halfway through that, realization dawned on him and I laughed that he suddenly looked gloomy as he dropped his arms to his side. "What? Don't laugh," he said grumpily but that just made me laugh more loudly.

"I'm sorry!" I said, still laughing. "I just think that it was cute..."

He was frowning and that just made him more adorable in my eyes. "Please stop flirting with me Rainha if you don't want me to respond to that."

I nodded. "Alright! Alright! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... Anyway, that was my idea. I'm so sorry that I had forgotten about it, Prince Kao. It's just that so many things have happened to us that it just went out of my mind."

"Don't mind it. If everything goes well, we might not even need it. But just in case that we still need it, I will go to your friend's fiance and talk to him personally."

"I will go. I know Sir Ralphus. He will feel comfortable if I will be there," I said, and based on the look on his face, he wanted to stop me from going with him but I gave him a look that literally said 'try stopping me.' So he dropped what he was about to say.

"Sometimes I worry about you too much," he almost whispered to me. He was staring at me with a different kind of vibe in his expression. It was as if he was half-impressed and half-worried about me. "I know that you just want to get this over already, but ever since we escaped that ambush I had been scared, Rainha. I can't possibly let you get hurt. Not now that I know that you are their target, I would be a fool to still let you go with me."

"But you have to let me go with you. This is my Aunt that we are trying to find. That is my mother that we are trying to find out if she's really one of those Snow Gypsies. Of course, I have to be with you."

"But it is different now, Rainha. They want you."

"Which is something that I am curious about," I told him honestly. "Why do they want me? Is it because I could be a half-Snow Gypsy? Are they after me because I could be a living treasure? Those are questions that I want to ask these people badly. So just let me be with you, Prince Kao. Because if you don't, you can't stop me anyway!"

He shook his head with disbelief. "What should I do with you? It's too dangerous from now on Rainha---"

"It was already too dangerous from the beginning. You even brought me there to Kajos. So there is nothing to worry about."

"But that was before we found out that they want you that bad!"

"That doesn't change anything!" I insisted. "Prince Kao, I hope you are not thinking what I think you are thinking!" I was already glaring at him because it was obvious from the look on his face that he was up to something. "I know that you are planning to leave me here!"

He was shocked that I guessed what he was planning to do. "How did you---?"

"I already know you," I told him. "So don't you dare leave me here..."

I could see how my warning conflicted him. And I get it. In fact, it's flattering that he is concerned about my safety to the point that he still wants to leave me here even if that will make me mad. This kind of thing was new to me, and I enjoy having it, but still, I don't want to miss all the fun. "Alright," he finally gave in. He raised both his hands as a form of surrender. "Fine. You will still come with me. But you have to be by my side all the time. If you disobey me and distance yourself from me even for just a couple of seconds, I will bring you back here to safety."

It was still not the thing that I wanted, but I guess this was a negotiation and we have to meet halfway for us to get along, so I nodded and he went to me and pulled me into an embrace. I was so shocked and defenseless when he did that that I just stood there like a paralyzed animal. "God, you are so fearless," he whispered into my ear and I can smell his manly scent as my head was pressed tightly into his chest. "I don't know what to do with you, Rainha," he admitted.

"J-Just don't treat me like I am so naive and defenseless. And if you really want to be my boyfriend in the future, treat me as an equal."

"I will. I'm sorry you felt that way... Hmm, why is this so good?"

"What is so good?" I asked curiously because he did not tell me what he was describing.

"This moment after we had an argument. It feels good that we already had our first argument as a couple."

I pushed him away from me gently as that sent me shivers. "That was not our first argument as a couple! We are not yet a couple!" I insisted.

"If you say so," he replied but I know what he meant by that, so I wanted to jokingly hit him again but he was already away from me laughing. It was hilarious that he knew what I was going to do next the same way that I knew what he was going to do before he even said it. I guess we were really good for each other. I was about to chase him when the door suddenly opened and it revealed two men in cloaks. It was Steffan and Harvey, and both of them looked like they were survivors from a distant war.

***

"What on earth happened to the two of you?" I asked worriedly as they came in and tried to fix themselves first. Harvey had a cut on his cheek, and my instinct came in to treat it but Prince Kao suddenly cleared his throat and glared at me.

"There were five men tailing us too," Steffan revealed. It was a good thing that they have survived that, as it turned out to be another ambush attempt. But Steffan was as strong as he was advertised by the Crown Prince. He managed to defeat those goons that were after them. Though it was also a struggle in the beginning as they had guns, Steffan was able to overpower them all with his great combat skills.

Harvey was no pushover too. Steffan told us that Harvey was good with guns too. He was able to take down two of the five men by shooting them with the gun that Steffan was able to snatch from one of them. It was fun listening to how they reported the incident to the Crown Prince. It was like I was listening to action theatrics.

"I did not know that you can use a gun," I told Harvey as I was impressed by what I heard. "I am so surprised that you were able to shoot two of them! That's so cool, Harvey!"

"Why? Is it because I am a doctor?"

I shook my head. "It's because you look like the type of guy that's not into weapons and fighting in general."

He smiled weakly. "Oh, is that so? Well, I grew up in the hills. My father and I would hunt wild beasts in the snowy forest when food is scarce."

"Really? That's so impressive!"

We were interrupted though as Prince Kao cleared his throat again. This time he made it sure that we will feel his dislike of what was going on. And because he is the Crown Prince, Harvey automatically went silent. "Enough with the small talk first. We have to discuss what information you have for me now."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness..." said Harvey humbly. He also bowed his head low in front of Prince Kao as a sign of respect. "Please forgive me for not treating this as a serious matter."

"It's okay. Just tell me now what you have learned from the man that you treated at the Health Pub."

Harvey nodded. "Just as you suspected, that man was not innocent. He was really following you and was observing your every move from a distance."

"And did he tell you who was behind his suspicious activities? Who told him to follow us there at Plumba?"

Harvey nodded. "He did, Your Highness. That man who was hired to become somewhat of a spy, was employed by a man named Jack Bloomfire."

"Who is that?" I asked as I have never heard of that name before. I looked at Prince Kao and even him looked confused.

"I don't know anyone named like that," the Crown Prince said.

"Me too," I seconded.

"And so are we, Your Highness. Of course, Bloomfire is an old name, and I think it is a name of a wealthy family in Carmel, but that's it. That's the only thing that I know about the name."

"But that's weird," I said. "I don't know anyone with that name, so why on earth would that person want me? What is he, a stalker?"

"I don't think that he is a stalker, Rainha," the Crown Prince replied.

"Then who could that be?"

"He could be anyone. A thief, a criminal, an opportunist. But one thing is clear, Rainha. We are dealing with someone that is unknown to us., And that only means one thing. He is scary, as we don't know anything about him."