Chapter 51: Chapter 51

I woke up in the middle of the night. It was our second night sleeping out in the woods ever since we left the kingdom of Vertez and I'm still not getting used to the loud snoring of the twins. Like seriously, can't they sleep peacefully?

It's bad enough that they are loud when they are awake and now I can't get any proper sleep!!

I sat up and glared at the twins through the fire before looking bitterly at Nate, who doesn't seem to mind the noise and was sleeping peacefully. Well if you count sleeping like a model who was pursing his lips and smiling creepily. I'd say he was having a good dream.

I was getting tired from being deprived of my entry to dreamland that I picked up a stick and was thinking of hurling it at the twins when I heard someone cough. I looked to my other side and saw PRINCE Ace sitting on the ground with his back resting on one of the trees. His brow creased in pain and sweat forming on his forehead as he held his head while he groaned silently.

I moved my body so that I was fully facing him. "Ace? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly in a hushed voice. Hey, even though the guy was the prince of the underworld, I don't want him to die.

Ace looked up and he breathed deeply and sat up. A second later and the pained look on his face vanished and he looked at me with a frown. "I told you it's PRINCE Ace." He said and he looked away. "And I'm fine. Go back to bed."

"But-"

"I said go to sleep! I'm taking my first watch." He said firmly without looking at me.

Well then, if he's still a jerk I think he's going to live. Still, I can't shake off the feeling that something is wrong with him. Is he sick or something? But whatever it is, I have a feeling that he doesn't want to talk about it.

I averted my gaze from him and turned to the sleeping pigs. I sighed. "As much as I would love to do that I can't," I said while glaring at the twins once again.

Ace seemed to follow my gaze. Wordlessly he got up from his spot and walked towards me. He stopped right in front of me as he took off his coat and threw it at my face without a warning. I pulled it off of my face and gave him an annoyed look.

"Use that to cover your ears. Its material is thick so it should drown down their pig-like snore a bit." He said before walking back without letting me say thank you since I was still too stunned by his action. He sat back down on his tree and when he still saw me looking, he frowned. "What are you still looking at?! Go to sleep!" He growled.

I gulp and clutched the coat tighter before making it as my pillow and using the sleeves to cover my ears. Ace was right, the material was thick enough that I could almost not hear the snoring at all. But despite the help of his coat, it took me a while to fall asleep because I kept thinking that this sort of action was more likely to be done by another certain prince instead of Ace.

***

"Wakey wakey princess!!" I groaned and turned to my side as I tried to block out the sun and the voice of Dan. I need more sleep!

"Good morning princess! It's time to get up." Ren joined in and suddenly I felt them poking my cheeks to wake me.

Irritated by their actions, I sprang up from my makeshift bed and glared murderously at them for waking me. Instantly, I grabbed their cheeks and started to pull them. "Good morning? What's good about the freaking morning?!" I yelled at their ears and they flinched.

"What's up with you? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Dan asked.

"Okay, first, we don't have a bed. And second, WHO'S FAULT DO YOU THINK THIS IS!?!?!" This time I screamed and threw a thick cloth at them. Ren caught it in mid-air before he looked at it curiously.

"Hey, isn't this Prince Ace's coat?" He wondered as he held it up.

Dan looked at it too and sniffed. "Hey, you're right brother." Then he lifted his eyes to look at me. "Why do you have it?" He asked. There was a glimmer in his eyes as he threw me the question.

I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off when someone beat me to it. "She took it." Said Ace who suddenly appeared behind them. He snatched his coat from Ren before looking at me. "I'll let this slide for now." He said and gave me a long hard look before he left.

Did...did he just accuse me of stealing his coat? That liar!! He lent it to me last night! I did not take anything! That walking bastard!

Someone then placed a hand on my head. I looked up to see Nate smiling at me as he handed me bread. "Breakfast?"

"Thanks," I said while taking the bread from him. "What about you guys?"

Nate chuckled. "We're fine. We had ours a while ago while you were sleeping."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"We could." Said Dan as Ren continued for his brother. "But Ace said to let you sleep for a few more minutes."

I stared at them for a few seconds before I laughed. "I think you guys are delusional. Did you not get enough sleep? That guy is a monster with two large horns and a tail growing at his butt." I said and took a bite from the bread and munching angrily.

The three princes gave me curious looks before they shook their heads. "Well, I say that from here on out, we'll have to hunt for our food." Said Ace as he made his way towards us. "That was our last bread."

"Hey, I'm all hunting." Agreed Ren. "But does anyone know how to clean and skin our loot?"

Silence.

I watched as the princes exchanged glances.

"No."

"I don't know."

"That's disgusting."

"Maybe Ace knows how," I suggested.

Ace threw daggers at me with his eyes. "And what makes you say that?"

I crossed my arms over my chest as I gave him a pointed look. "Because you look like someone who has done it before. And I don't mean the animals."

"I haven't." He said. "But I could try practicing it on you."

"Woah. No one is skinning anyone alive." Nate said and stood between us. Once he was sure that none of us would say anything anymore, he grinned. "Alright, now that that is out of the way I think-"

"We're all gonna die!" Screamed Dan. "We're gonna starve to death! None of us knows how to skin! We've been spoiled rotten!"

"S-Shut up, Dan," Ren said, his voice sounded a bit shaky. "We'll be fine. After all, Rose is a girl and I bet she knows how to skin. Right, Rose?"

Suddenly all heads turned towards me expectantly. A feeling of dread started to settle at the pit of my stomach as soon as I realized that they were clinging onto hope that somehow I know how to skin an animal. I gulped. "I-I don't know! I don't know!! I'm sorry!!" I said as I was on the verge of panic. I suddenly felt sorry for myself as I was ignorant of these things. "I'm so sorry!! In my world, we do-don't usually hunt and the loot is already packed in cellophane and...and...." I stuttered.

"We're dead! We are so dead." Nate declared as he turned around and ran both hands through his hair. He was frustrated.

"But I can't die yet! I haven't pulled enough pranks on the castle guards and I still have a mission to help my idiotic brother!!"

"What does that even mean!?"

By now, everyone seems to be panicking especially the twins who were running around in circles. I couldn't blame them though. I feel like crying myself. "I-I still have my bread. Maybe we could ration it for a while." I offered. The twins stopped running as they eyed the bread.

"Food!" Dan said maniacally and took it from my hands.

"Dan, that is Rose's! Give that back." Ren said and tried to take the bread from his brother, but unfortunately, Dan was stubborn. They were having a tug of war when suddenly, the bread fell from their hands and fell on the ground.

"No!!" Nate, Ren, Dan, and I screamed as we grieved at the now fallen bread.

"It's too late!"

"It's over. It was a short and good life at least."

"I still want to live and go to college!!" I cried.

"It's not over yet!" Declared Ren. He ran to his stuff and got a bow and arrow in hand. In a flash, he shot it up towards the sky, and a second later, a bird fell with the arrow that Ren launched. He picked it up from the ground and held it up. "We'll learn by ourselves starting now!! Who wants to go first?"

"Ew! Not me!"

"He's crazy!"

"We're all gonna be!"

"Who shall go first!?!" Ren said again, still offering his kill. He was looking at us until his eyes found Dan and he grinned evilly. Dan looked pretty scared as Ren came up to him with the dead bird.

"Would you like to try, brother?"

"What? No! You're crazy!" And with that, they started chasing each other.

While Ren was busy pushing his kill to Dan I looked away. I was so grossed out by the idea of de-feathering the bird that I feel like puking. But as I looked the other way I saw Ace packing his stuff as he loaded them all to his horse. He looked like he was ready to leave.

Unconsciously, I called out to him. "Ace, where are you going?"

Ace paused what he was doing and turned to me. "I am going somewhere where we can get supplies." He said calmly.

"Are you leaving without us?" Asked Dan.

"As much as I want to I can't. You two are needed to where we're going." Ace said as he looked at the twins.

The twins exchanged confused glances. "Huh?"

Ace sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We are going to Sanver, you idiots! How can you not know that?! We're practically near the borders of your kingdom!" Ace looked like he was about to slit their throats out and I can't say that I might not stop him.

That left the twins to stop and take a good look around them.

"Now that you've mentioned it....." Ren trailed off.

"...this part of the forest does look familiar." Dan continued.

"Hang on." Said Nate as he looked at the twins. "You mean to tell me that you haven't noticed that we are practically at the doorstep of your kingdom and you guys didn't notice?"

"Pretty much," Ren admitted as he and his brother grinned sheepishly.

Nate leaned down to whisper to me. "Hold my hand so I wouldn't slap them at the back of their head so hard that it would detach from their body." He said to me.

"I will but I can't promise you that I would stop you if you do that," I said as I stared at the twins tiredly. Is it me or are they getting dumber by the minute?

"Why don't you all shut up and get on your horses so we can get going?" By the tone of his voice, Ace was either having another PMS or he's getting irritated. I'm guessing the latter.

Wordlessly, we started to move. I got up and started to fold my blanket as I headed towards Cloud. Lately, Ren has been teaching me how to ride on my own. There were times where I almost fell while riding her and thought about quitting. Luckily, he was able to convince me to try again, and soon I was able to ride on my own. I'm still unsteady though but I think I'm getting used to it.

"Need a hand with those?" Nate asks appeared beside me. He took my blanket and gently folded it and placed it into the satchel on my horse.

I looked at him disapprovingly. "I got it. Thank you very much." I said. As much as I appreciate his gentlemanly manner, I hate it. It's like they are showing me that I am helpless. "Step aside," I told him as I got onto Cloud. She let out a snort as I settled myself.

Meanwhile, Nate was wiping off imaginary tears and he sniffed. "Our little princess is growing too fast. She's becoming more independent."

"Shut up, Nate," I said through gritted teeth.

"Nathaniel, get on your horse or so help me we'll leave you behind!" I chuckled when I saw Nate's expression fell as he heard Ace. And as quick as a bullet, Nate made his way to Ryde.

But Ace wasn't done talking. "Renevier and Daniel, you take the lead. I assume that you know where Sanver is, right?" The twins nodded in unison which seemed to satisfy Ace. He beckoned them forward to take the lead and soon, we were following their lead.