Chapter 22

They were cleverly positioned between their captors. One walked ahead of them to clear the way and the other in back to prevent their escape. Alvah, ever the protective older sibling, pushed Alex to walk in front of him. This way, he would be in the most danger from the gunman directly behind them. The one in the lead would have to spare a few seconds to turn around, which he hoped would give her enough time to either shield her self or run away.

Niether of them intended to be fully complacent in their abduction. As they walked through the casino, she eyed every face, every corner, and every fixture hoping to find some way out. She was already taking her sweet time walking as slowly as she could but thought there must be more she could do. Would they hurt her or Alvah if she pretended to faint? Could she flirt with the men into releasing them? If they wanted money, then there must be some lie she could think of to her advantage!

Alvah likewise was thinking of plan. As usual, it was less polished but no less effective. He had his eyes on a dice table where a game going on. The stack of chips in front of the dealer wasn't large by any means but it was large enough. There were a few things Melchiorre had taught him about gambling that were easy to remember. Gambling and games of chance created anticipation and the addicting sense of thrill. This meant adrenaline was high and emotions were feverish. Gamblers were as quick to celebrate and even quicker to turn sour. As they passed the dice table, he reached down, grabbed a handful of chips, and threw them into the air.

He shouted as loud as he could to draw attention, "free chips!"

There was no quicker way to cause commotion. A crowd immediately swarmed around them to pick up chips. Alvah struggled with fighting not only with the gunman directly behind him but with the man whose chips he had taken.

Among the commotion, he whispered to Alex, "run!"

Alex joined the crowd and dove under the table to crawl away. One of their would-be captors tried to grab her but she kicked him in the arm as hard as she could with the sharp heel of her shoe. Suddenly the sound of gunshots rang out. There was a quiet shock that followed the first shot, a shared disbelief and hesitance. When the second shot was heard and their fear assured, the small scuffle turned into building-wide chaos. There was a chorus of screams as people began running in every direction away from where the sound had come from. The staff, unable to abandon their positions, took shelter crouching at their stations with their arms to defend themselves.

Alex had attempted to escape by blending into the crowd. She could no longer crawl to conceal her escape or else she risked being trampled to death in the stampede. She called out for Alvah and looked behind her every so often as she ran. She hoped he too had somehow managed to escape and would find her again. When she couldn't see him among the sea of faces, her cries became increasingly pleading and urgent.

"Alvah? Alvah!"

As if in answer to her cries, someone grabbed her wrist and dragged her along with the crowd. She could only see the back of their head but knew from their lack of burning red hair, it wasn't him.

"Let me go!"

"I have to take you to safety!"

Their answer made her more confused. Could they be from the palace sent to fetch her or were they part of the hotel staff and only evacuating guests as ordered? And still, if they were from the palace, where was Alvah and why were they leaving him behind? She went along with them until they tried to pull her towards a waiting car in front of the casino. Something about it, everything about it, set her off.

"No!" She screamed louder as they got closer, increasingly desperate and infuriated by every step. "Let me go!"

The man turned and reached for her bracelet. So that was what they were after after all. They had took advantage of the confusion to try and trick her into trusting them. When he grabbed hold of the bracelet, she angrily grabbed his wrist and dug her nails into the soft skin underside the way she had learned from Melchiorre. No matter how hard he pulled, she was just as relentless and pulled back harder. When she finally felt him release her, she turned to run. She was not fast enough though. He grabbed her roughly by her hair and pulled her back. A hand came down hard on her face. All she felt was a stinging sensation and a pain across her wrist before everything went black.

She woke up with a number of conflicting sensations. She was laying at an odd angle but on something soft and warm. A hand gently stroked the back of her head. But there was still a throbbing pain that hurt like never before. She had been knocked out and had fallen back on the bare concrete with nothing to soften the impact. She had been lucky that her head meeting concrete hadn't put her in a worser state.

"Ivan...?"

"Ah. Close but not quite."

Her eyes flew open at the sound of a voice she didn't recognize. She sat up, ignoring her dizziness and stared at the man next to her. A stocky older man with dark skin and wearing a military uniform. Was he the one who had kidnapped her? She remembered just what had happened before she blacked out and looked around at where she was now. They were in the back seat of some car with a glass partition between the passengers and the driver.

She moved as far away from him as fast she could and screamed.

"Who are you!? What do you want? I demand you release me!"

He raised an eyebrow and said nothing. He was merely amused by her actions as she tried desperately to free herself. The partition wouldn't break no matter how hard she hit it. The doors were locked and wouldn't open. As she bounced around from trying one thing to the next, he thought she looked like some feral cat. Though riding with an actual one would probably be safer. She next took off her shoe and prepared to beat him with it. He put his hands up in front of him to shield himself.

"Wait a minute! Ivan sent me!"

She stopped in her tracks but held tight to her makeshift weapon. She sat propped up on one knee, still ready to launch herself into an attack if she needed to.

"Ah," he smiled. "That name gave you pause, did it?"

"Why should I believe you?!"

"Oh, good question. I guess you shouldn't," he answer matter-of-factly. "I only have my word after all. Oh, and this."

He pulled back his suit jacket to reveal a badge pinned to his vest underneath.

"The name's Khalid. I'm in charge of the royal family's personal police, you could say. I was told to bring you back."

She finally sat back and relaxed her guard. She still glared at him, not fully believing his words, but there was nothing else she could do at the moment.

"Where's Alvah," she asked again. "Alvah was in danger, you saved him too, right?"

"Hmmm...," Khalid raised his brows and looked askance as he shrugged off his unease with a lazy smile. "Well... Sure. He's just riding in a separate car to a separate destination is all."

"To where!?"

"The hospital."

A cold disbelief gripped her tight.

"What happened to him? Is he okay!?"

He waved it off to try and calm her down. Delivering bad news was not something he had a talent for.

"I'm sure he's fine," he suggested. "He just got shot is all."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'JUST'!?"

"You don't need to be so loud," he grumbled. "Hold on a minute."

He pulled out a cellphone and began texting someone. He hummed as he typed. Not a second later, it beeped signaling he had received a reply.

"Well..." He sang the word as he read it and debated whether or not he wanted to give her the answer.

"What does it say," she asked impatiently. "It's about Alvah, right? Is it the hospital? What did they say!"

"It's one of my subordinates who's guarding him" he corrected her. "They're still on their way to the hospital. But the prince is fine, relatively speaking. For someone who's been shot, he's still breathing. That's good news."

She was infuriated by this man and his insincerity and laziness. How could he possibly be joking at a time like this? Alvah had been shot and for her. He had put himself in harms way to create a diversion for her to escape. And she didn't even succeed. Tears began flowing down her face. No matter the physical pain she was in, nothing hurt more than that guilt. What was she going to say to his family when he got back? To the princes? To the king? To his mother? She touched her wrist where the bracelet should've been. She had even failed the one job she'd been given.

Khalid watched her breakdown and felt absolutely no compulsion to intrude. As long as she was silent and didn't ask him anymore questions, he considered the operation a success. He kept his eyes on her more so out of concern for his own safety. He carefully eyed her injuries as it was a part of his job. That was when he noticed not only the empty spot on her wrist but a long red mark from where it had been.

"May I see your wrist for a moment," he called to her.

"It's not there," she said as she cradled her empty wrist close to her chest. "I lost it. The bracelet's gone. I let it get stolen."

"If it was stolen, then I'm sure it's not something you let happen," he corrected her.

He gently took both her hands and stared at her wrists as he held them. There was a large scrape where the bracelet had been pulled off. He turned her hands over and could see blood just under her fingernails on the other hand. It seemed to him that she had defended herself pretty well.

"You gave as good as you got," he said. "Good girl. Very good girl."

Not only had the culprit not gotten away unharmed but she had left an easily identifiable injury and unknowingly collected their DNA while she was at it. She was confused by his words but he just patted her hands in a carefree manner.

"The bracelet is still gone," she reminded him.

"I trust it'll be back soon," he winked.

He took out a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the area under her fingernails, as much as he could reach. Then he carefully folded it back up again and hid it away inside his coat.

They arrived at the palace and an immense feeling of dread blanketed her. The small squad of people awaiting their return didn't help. As soon as they stepped foot out of the car, they made it clear they were awaiting for Khalid's arrival and not hers. They all stood stiff and saluted him once he exited. There were only two people waiting for her, not that it made the situation less tense.

Medina gave her a tearfully apologetic smile. She had stalled as long as she could to keep it from being known that Alex had left the palace without permission. In the end, her loyalty had only gotten her a scathing lecture. Standing just next to her was none other than the deliverer of that lecture, who Alex thought probably had one to give her also. She walked straight to Medina with her head bowed. She hadn't been quick enough and Ivan had already caught a glimpse of her battered face.

He turned his outrage towards Khalid, fighting to even speak in a calm manner.

"What happened?"

"A bit of trouble," he answered. "Nothing too bad."

Ivan sighed deeply and decided that anger would be best left for later. He turned back to Alex and gave stiff orders, "follow me."

As he walked off, she and Medina held tight to each others hand. Neither looked forward to whatever punishment he had in mind. It was clear he was in a bad mood. He walked at a brisk pace but they had to jog just to keep up with him. Instead of leading them back to the harem, he lead them through narrow passageways to what was called the physician's hall.

It a clinic that handled illnesses, injuries, and all manners of situations, from those that didn't give enough time to get to a hospital to those that weren't urgent enough where a hospital wasn't enough. It was four adjacent rooms that made a large hall. Each room had eight beds, four lined against each wall. With both wood and carpeted floor, couches, fully dressed beds, small dining tables, and shelves of books, it felt more like a large home. There was a fifth and much larger room off to the side that served as the physician's office.

A small staff lined up and bowed as they entered. Ivan motioned for Alex to step forward and she silently obeyed. The woman in charge reached out her hands and closely inspected her. The hit hadn't broken any skin but an entire side of her face was swollen and would leave noticeable bruising. Next, she grabbed her hands and looked them over. The scrapes were only minor injuries but were starting to bleed. There was also the blow to the back of her head but Alex said nothing of it at the moment. She ushered her towards a bed and the rest of the staff began assisting her. One pulled the sheets back, the other brought her a change of clothes, and yet another began gathering needed supplies.

Medina took a seat in the chair by her bedside. Ivan remained standing and somehow seemed to be both present and absent from the situation. His rigidness made the atmosphere tense but without speaking, without even looking in any discernible direction, made it seem as if he was paying them no attention. He didn't say a word until the doctor announced she had finished and that was only to dismiss her.

He next turned to Medina, "leave us."

That caught all their attention, the curiosity of the staff as they returned to their office, and Alex in a mixture of both curiosity and outrage. Medina meekly protested his order.

"I've been assigned to stay with Lady Alex," she answered.

"And who gave you that order," he shot back. "And if you had followed it as closely as you propose, would we be here now?"

"No, Sir..." She bowed her head in defeat and was about to get up to leave until Alex put her hand on top of hers.

"I want her to stay," she said defiantly.

"I've ordered to leave."

"And I order her to stay."

"You can not give orders," he said growing increasingly frustrated.

"I outrank you," she shouted indignantly.

Medina stared back and forth as they glared at each other. Between the heat of their anger and the pressure of their argument was not where she wanted to be.

"I have to use the restroom," she blurted out, deciding it best to dismiss herself.

She left the room but didn't go far. She caught her breath just outside the door and planted herself there. If things got too bad between them, she could rush back in and hoped the interruption would be enough to stop them.

Left alone with him, Alex crossed her arms and turned her head away from him in a huff of displeasure. She heard the heel of his shoes clicking against the floor and thought he had stormed off in equal anger. Instead, she heard the sound of running water. He soon appeared on a stool by her side with a bowl of cold water and a towel.

"Let me see your face," he said softly.

She refused and buried herself deeper into the pillows.

"What do you want," she said the words purposefully slow to make her annoyance clear with every syllable.

He sighed deeply and let her clearly hear his remorse.

"Let me see your face, please."

She slowly turned her head to face him, still pouting all the while. He removed the cold cloth the doctor had put on her face and gently began rubbing the bright red area with his own.

He wanted to know if she was okay and as he wiped her face, he got his answer although he didn't like it. If they had never fought in the first place, this wouldn't have happened. But that made it seem as if she were somehow to blame and he didn't like that idea. It wasn't fair since she hadn't known the consequences of his actions. He rationalized that she wouldn't even be at risk if it wasn't for him.

Her mood softened to his caress but it only turned her anger into gloom. Was he only doing this out of pity?

"You still haven't answered my question," she said. "Why are you even doing this?"

As she stared at his face, she could see him struggling for an answer.

"It's my duty to look after you," he answered after some hesitation.

"Was it your duty to also sleep with me," she said venomously. "Or was I just convenient?"

He froze as her words hit their mark. She sat up and continued her tirade, giving him no room to escape his own faults.

"You say it's your duty to look after me but you left me alone! When I begged you not to- I begged! You still walked away! So don't tell me you care because it's your job now when you didn't care at all then!"

"I didn't want to leave you alone," he tried to argue back.

"But you did!"

"But I did..." he surrendered.

She swallowed the soreness in her throat and laid back down. She pushed away his hands and turned over, laying on her side facing away from him.

"I don't want to see you," she said firmly.

He sat back on the stool and gently set the bowl and towel aside.

"Will you listen to what I have to say, at least?"

"You can say whatever you want," she laughed through her tears, "it doesn't mean I'll care."

He slowly nodded in agreement. She was right, she had no obligation to care. He almost thought better of even confessing but decided she deserved to know the truth.

"I... was very selfish," he began. "I've treated you horribly and for that, I sincerely apologize. When you first arrived at the palace, I thought you were a thief. I was wrong. I accused you not only of that, but also of being uneducated and ill-mannered. That too was not only wrong of me but disgraceful. I tormented you for my own amusement. I went above my station and took advantage of your affection. I took you to bed, further taking advantage of your trust. I abandoned you because I was afraid of the repercussions. For all of it, everything, all the ways I hurt you, I really am sorry."

Her pillow was soaked with tears and she pulled the blanket over her face. What was the point of this? Was he only telling her to absolve himself and hurt her further? So what she had overheard at the bar was true. He dumped her because he was afraid of being punished if anyone found out. What's worse, if in his own words he had taken advantage of her, than did that mean he had felt nothing for her in the first place? She could've gone without knowing that, let alone hearing it from his own mouth.

"I am selfish still," he continued.

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to hear anymore.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me. I want to be by your side. I'm asking you, will you let me?"

"Get out," she choked through her tears.

Her head hurt. Her everything hurt. She was confused, saddened, and angry. She couldn't figure out what she felt or how she was supposed to feel.

"Get out," she repeated. "I never want to see you again!"