Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Prince Dakar was standing in the middle of three Palace guards, all looking as angry as he was. He was wearing a dark blue double-vested overcoat without the buttons,and a black cotton turtleneck sweater was worn inside. With the way he was dressed, it was obvious he had just returned from wherever he went to and came straight to the Tournament. And he never carried Royal Guards when he was just going around.

The man who was standing right before him staggered back, and almost stepped on Avril if she hadn't yelped and he shifted. He looked down at her, then up at the Prince, then down at her again.

“W-woman?” he stuttered. Prince Dakar's eyebrows were so tightly furrowed that his forehead creased deeply. He looked down at Avril and his anger seemed to double up. Everyone could feel those hot waves radiating from him and prickling at their skin. Avril shut her eyes and whimpered. Her injuries did not like his Alpha waves. Instantly, they stopped emitting and the look in his eyes softened.

“Fiorella,” he called gently and took hurried steps forward. The men holding her released her immediately and stepped back. He crouched down in front of her, held her chin up and looked at her swollen face. He bit his lower lip and swallowed a lump in his throat.

“They weren't the ones who did this one, were they?” he asked in his deep voice. Avril shook her head and he nodded. He pulled her up and held her hand firmly in his.

“Take them,” he ordered the Royal Guards.

“No! Please, I didn't know she was your woman. I didn't know they paid me to harass the Prince's woman. I swear I wouldn't have done it if I knew!” the man protested as the guards rounded up on him and his men. Prince Dakar froze at what he had heard. He lifted his hand, signaling for his guards to stop. They stopped trying to hold the men.

“Paid? Who paid you?” he questioned deeply. The leader of the gang quickly realized that he had blurted out what he wasn't supposed to blurt out. He stood, gazing at the ground. Dakar frowned and glared at the men.

“I don't have time right now. But I have a lot of it later to make you talk. Now, take them to the palace and give them a beating before I return,” he ordered and the guards held the men again. Amidst all their pleas, Dakar began to walk away with the limping Avril. Verona followed them and went to walk beside Avril.

“Are you okay?” she whispered to her friend.

“I'm fine,” Avril answered. They both looked at Dakar's face and knew he was beyond angry. But they weren't sure it was because she was being harassed. Why would he be looking so deathly if he had already come in time to save her?

“Where is your cabin?” he inquired.

“Not far from here anymore. Just around this side,” Verona answered as she took the lead. Other contestants who were hanging around their cabins, talking, laughing or being sad about dropping out of the contest all paused as they saw the Prince coming. And holding Avril ever so tenderly. Because she was limping, he too slowed down his movement. None of them could whisper to each other about the scene that was unfolding, so everywhere was suddenly so quiet. Prince Dakar didn't even seem to notice anything. He was wearing a frown so bad, that he looked like he had extra flesh on his face that caused lines. Avril accidentally stepped on a stone and her leg twisted, making her fall. Well, almost fall because Dakar held her immediately.

“Should I carry you?” he asked as he held her both arms and stopping her from falling. Avril's eyes widened. She knew what was happening around them and didn't want that sort of attention.

“W-what? No...I'm fine. I can...walk,” she stuttered. Dakar looked at her bewildered face and smirked.

“Okay,” he simply said. Then he swung his hand underneath her back and carried her up bridal style. That same instant, he zoomed off in high speed, causing Avril to help and grab on to him tightly. It was over as soon as it started. He stopped and dropped her on the ground a few seconds later. She opened her eyes and saw Aida, Gia and Verona standing beside the door to their cabin. Her maidens looked very worried, particularly Aida who looked like she was going to drop to the floor and cry as she was visibly shaking.

Prince Dakar held her hand firmly, and helped her climb the wooden stairs to the door. He aided her inside,and lowered her gently to sit on a comfortable armchair.

“A few men are on their way here with some supplies. Meet them and bring them here,” he said to the maidens.

“Yes, Prince,” they replied and went away immediately. Dakar sighed as he stared at Avril's face. She had closed her eyes, laid back and was breathing heavily. Verona brought a glass of water and lowered it to her friend's lips. Before she could even tell Avril to drink it, Dakar took hold of the glass and gently held her head.

“Fiorella, drink up. You must be thirsty,” he said smoothly. Avril opened her eyes and sat up. She parted her lips and he took the glass there. As she sipped, she supported the glass with her own hand but Dakar still held her hand with the glass. Verona looked on them and felt a strange energy lingering in the air. Her heart constricted and she felt her skin line up with goosebumps. Dakar was caring too much for Avril. And as much as he tried to hide it, she could sense that he thought more highly of her friend. Or rather, felt more highly of her friend.

Avril finished drinking the who glass, groaned lowly and laid back. Dakar lifted the glass back to Verona without taking his eyes off her.

“Are you hungry? Should I get something prepared for you?”

“No. I'm fine. I don't think I could chew anything right now. My jaw feels like that of an elephant in a squirrel's body,” she answered with a faint smile. Dakar chuckled deeply and stood straight.

“Serves you right. I don't know what you were thinking coming here. That this place was some fun arena for games and sports?” he questioned in a slightly agitated tone. His scowl was back and Verona shifted back.

“I knew what I was in for,” Avril argued and he turned and tore her a deathly look.

“You knew what you were in for. Doesn't seem to me that you did. Can you see yourself right now? You look terrible.”

“Did you see the others? They look worse than I do.”

“And that's the case! Those ‘others’ you're referring to are werewolves! Stupid girl, they would heal before the sun goes down! What about you? You could remain like this or even worse before this week runs out,” he blurted out with anger at Avril. He was so pissed she took a decision like this. People could be killed here and his Avril whom he was trying his hardest to protect and shield had to take a stupid decision that could ruin her.

“And you!” he turned to Verona with a piercing gaze. She didn't flinch despite how terrifying he looked at the moment.

“I entrusted her into your hand. I told you to teach her about the dangers of this place and help her close her mind! But you dragged her to the most dangerous place ever!”

“I didn't drag her. This was her decision. And yes, you told me to do all that. And where else to put her to the test than a real life situation? Why do you even underrate her so much?” Verona questioned back and her tone surprised both Dakar and Avril. He stopped his seething and looked at her amusingly for a split second.

“Wait... Prince Dakar ordered you to train me? I thought...I thought that was just you being a caring friend,” Avril stated. Verona exhaled and shoved stray hair from her face.

“I'm sorry. But then, it just came suddenly and I couldn't disobey his order. Also, I saw the need and willingly decided to help you.”

“Verona, excuse us,” Dakar stated darkly. Verona looked at her then walked out. Dakar ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. He looked at everywhere but Avril and was breathing deeply. For the next five minutes, there was silence in the cabin. The silence was broken when the door opened and the maidens entered with two men holding small boxes. Dakar looked at them and directed them to just drop the boxes and leave immediately. Which they did.

“What are those?” Avril asked.

“Treatment for you. So you would heal as rapidly as a wolf would,” he answered and bent down to the table. He opened one of the brown boxes,and in it were dried leaves. He opened another bigger box and took out a small white China. He picked a little of the dried leaves and put them into the China. Avril watched as he pounded it with a tiny mortar, then added a little liquid from a transparent small glass bottle. He made the pounded leaves into a paste and walked to Avril.

“This might sting a little. But it would just be for a few minutes, okay?” he said and bent down in front of her. Avril looked at the mixture and felt a wave of nostalgia. This...this was the very thing he used to treat her back at the island.

“I... My friend used to treat me like this,” she mumbled as he applied it gently with his index finger on the injured parts of her body.

“Hmmm? A human friend? I doubt any human would have this method of treatment,” he replied. Avril gave a short snort.

“You all underate humans so much. Do you know there are humans who know herbology? Do you even know there are certain villages that have shut the doors to modern technology and stick to their old, ancient ways of using nature's gifts?”

“I know. I've met a lot of humans. And truly, the thing that actually differentiates us is the lifespan, and of course speed and ability to shift.”

He lifted his index finger to her face and rubbed the paste slowly on it. Avril looked at his face that was directly in front of hers now.

“Dakar,” she called thoughtfully.

“What is it?” he asked without looking into her eyes but concentrated on what he was doing.

“I don't know what to do.” She paused and breathed in deeply.

“My life is a mess.” She continue. “And I don't know which way to turn to. I've been through a lot. Gone through different trials and to be honest, I wish I wasn't going through such a timeline. If only my parents didn't die. I would have preferred to stay with them, whether hungry or begging.”

Dakar looked at her and she laughed shortly.

“I don't even know the bearing of my life. I'm just... living.”

“Why...are you telling me this?” inquired Dakar.

“Because you remind me of a man who once filled that gaping hole in my life. You make me remember times when I didn't worry about my future or feel the pain of the past I had left behind.”

“What if... What if I can help you do that again? What if I become that ‘friend’ you always refer me to?”

Avril stared into his eyes. That wouldn't be enough. She wanted her Dakar, not this Prince. But...this Prince was Dakar. Flesh, blood and bones.

“You are so different from him. You would never suffice.”

“Is he that perfect, Fiorella?”

“Yes. He's perfect.”

Dakar smiled faintly and brought down his hand from her face.

“I guess I have a lot of work to do then. Because I intend to become more than his perfection,” he said in a low voice, gazing deep into her eyes then down to her lips. Before any word could escape them again, he brought his face closer and kissed her ever so tenderly.