Chapter XVII

The princess Nuala roamed the halls of the train depot, used now in court. She was distressed, and ran to the Selene's room: she found her brother sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

"Selene isn't here, right?" she asked softly. There was no answer.

She sat down next to him: "Why do not you tell her?"

"What?" Nuada asked impatiently.

"That you love her!"

The prince sighed deeply, then stood up and began to walk slowly up and down the room.

"Should I lie to her, telling her what I don't feel?"

Nuala looked him a bit ironic: "My brother, don't forget you and I have a bond. You can lie to yourself, but not to me."

"I'm afraid to hurt her." finally admitted the proud elf.

Nuala looked him astonished, her brother rarely allowed himself to tell her what he felt. The prince had always concealed his fears and doubts behind a mask made of rigidity, anger and coldness.

Nuada nodded, and continued: "I don't want to hurt her. Not like I did with my father and…with you."

Princess Nuala was taken by a rush of tenderness toward his brother. She rose too, approached him and kissed him on the forehead: "It 's normal that the people we love are those that make us suffer. It is almost always. You'll hurt her, but you'll give her also great joys.."

"And our people? I have duties to them, I don't want anything to interfere with my schedule. "

"You'll not neglect them. Even Selene wouldn't allow you it.".

After a long moment of silence, the eyes of Nuada were saddened thinking of her:

"I saw her eyes, I felt her feelings, as she suffered when I told that I don't love her ... Can I never remedy?"

"This you will find by yourself, brother." Said Nuala, smiling.

Prince Nuada knew what she the princess referring. Approaching her, he said: "Thank you, sister!", Then turned and ran from the room.

Meanwhile, Selene was running through the corridors of the old train depot. She ran toward the exit like a mad, she would not even look back, and hoped not to be seen by royal guards. If she returned to her room, she probably would succumbed to Nuada. But she did not want to be a warming-pan. She just wanted love. And she really wanted it by the one who only wanted to use her. She went out at last: it was very cold, and was also raining, but the discomfort that felt her body was nothing compared to the cold that had in her soul. She shrugged her arms and walking once.

She began to be struck by chills, but it was not just the cold: she felt a strange presence behind her.

She turned, recognizing a shape known to her, pointing a gun, right to her.

The last thing she could say was: "Edgar ..." before being hit by an anaesthetic bullet.

"Selene! Selene!" Nuada shouted to the halls of the deposit. He ran to the library, but couldn't find none. He ran again to see if she had gone into the throne room, but she wasn't there. He was tempted for a moment to look at the troll market, but a strange feeling suggested him to run out.

It was now beginning to rain, the prince was returning in the train depot, but he was attracted by something white that was a few feet away. He approached: it was a piece of Selene's nightgown ... so she was out! He looked around but saw no one. He saw only now that a helicopter had gone and was taking part. Still later, he also noticed a piece of paper rolled into a stone. He began to seriously worry for Selene, his hands almost trembled. He hadn't ever been so nervous about someone. When he opened, he read the message contained in the stone: THE SERUM IN EXCHANGE OF THE GIRL.