p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"A Selfish Heart/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Chapter Two/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"By Kellyq/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis walked into Judai's room, ready to clean, when she noticed the prince sitting next to the window with a miserable look in his eyes./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Is everything alright, your majesty?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I can't find Johan," Judai explained. The maid stood next to the prince./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Yubel said I should forget about him, but I can't. I want to talk to him. I want to know his feelings since he's been avoiding me."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis's expression darkened./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis talked into the /span/emspan style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"service/spanem style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" quarters to see Johan attending to fresh, oddly new wounds. /span/em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;""What happened?" Alexis asked./em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Johan smiled. "I was clumsy with a knife."/em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"The blond maid narrowed her eyes. "What happened?" Alexis asked in a dead-serious tone./em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"John chuckled. "Nothing can get past you, huh? Yubel doesn't want me to behave Judai ... and if I do ... he'll make my life worse," he explained as the maid walked up, sat down next to Johan, and helped him clean the knife wounds. "Thanks, but I can take care of this, and if Judai happens to ask you anything, please don't tell him!"/em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I might have seen him," Alexis finally said./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Y-you have? Where? Is he okay?" Judai asked anxiously, his voice full of worry./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis bit her bottom lip. "I think he was with Blair, cleaning the garden."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Thanks!"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai turned and ran out of the room with a hopeful look in his eyes. /spanem style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Hopefully, he's still there! I want to know what he's feeling, /emspan style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai thought, entering the garden. The prince looked for his friend but only found Blair and Marcel sitting casually beside each other./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Blair, have you seen Johan?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""He was here a few minutes ago, but he said that he had to get some things done before the day was out," Blair answered./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai's shoulders drooped, and the depressed feeling returned. He then smiled when he noticed that Blair had a concerned look./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Thanks. I hope I can find him before the day is out. Sorry for disturbing you." With that, the prince bowed and walked out./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Marcel pulled Blair close when he saw how sad she looked and started to kiss her. He wanted to relax with his girlfriend after working hard./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai continued to look everywhere for Johan. Suddenly, the prince turned the corner and saw the object of what he was looking for limping down the hallway; his worry started to grow./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Johan!" the prince ran to his friend. "What happened? Are you okay?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I'm fine," Johan reassured./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""If you say so. But I want to talk."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"John bit his lip. "So do I. But I don't have time," he said, looking around to see if Yubel was lurking; Johan didn't want any more harassment./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""We'll talk later, okay?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai's expression darkened as Johan limped past, but Johan didn't get very far when Judai wrapped his arms around Johan's waist./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Are you mad at me? Did I do something to hurt you?" Judai asked softly. Johan winced in pain, which alarmed Judai. Judai moved in front of the kitchen boy. "Johan, are you okay?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Like I said," Johan smiled. "I'll be fine."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The prince saw that Johan was covering something up, which hurt Judai. "Please. Just tell me what's wrong!" Johan bit his lip and looked around again. Judai noticed his friend tense up. "I ... I just want to know if you're mad at me?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""C-can we talk somewhere more private?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai had Yubel summed to his chambers once Johan told him what Yubel did. Yubel calmly walked into the room, but when he saw Johan sitting on Judai's bed, he threw a disgusted look on Johan's way. Judai narrowed his eyes when Yubel gave Johan a face he didn't like./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Yubel, what's wrong with Johan hanging around me?" Judai asked thickly toward Yubel./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""What are you talking about?" Yubel asked calmly./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai closed his eyes and let out a sigh to calm his nerves. Yubel is quite hostile toward Judai's friend. He knew that Yubel liked to act coy when it came to Judai making friends./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""You told Johan not to come near me, right?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I was trying to tell him that if he tries to hurt you, he'll have to deal with me," Yubel explained calmly./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai raised a brow. "That's not what Johan told me. He said you would make his life miserable if he came near me. I would like for you not to do that. He's gone through enough, and he doesn't need anymore."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"There was a short pause before Yubel replied. Yubel's expression darkened. Judai waited for a moment. Judai looked back at Johan and noticed that part of the shirt slid past his shoulder. Judai's eyes widened when he saw the knife wound on Johan's soft peach-tinted skin. The kitchen boy noticed that the prince was staring at him./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Johan, did someone try and attack you?" Judai asked. He was right by his friend's side, looking him over, and that's when the prince noticed bloodstains on Johan's shirt./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I'm fine, Judai," Johan reassured him, trying to smile. There was a lot of tension in the air./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai narrowed his eyes. "No, you're not. Who attacked you?" the prince asked firmly./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"More tension hung in the air. Johan wanted to say that Yubel did it, but he knew that would cause more problems./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I was clumsy with a knife, that's all."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I won't accept that as an excuse. Now, who attacked you?" The prince asked again, getting into Johan's face. He mumbled something Judai couldn't quite get./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I'm sure it's nothing," Yubel said, walking up. He roughly pushed Johan back so he was lying down on the bed. Yubel pulled out a knife, and in one swift motion, Johan's shirt was ripped in two./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai's eyes widened in shock. He never expected Yubel to go that far. Judai stepped up and pulled Yubel away from Johan./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I can handle it from here."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Are you sure?" Yubel asked as Judai led the dark-haired teen to the door and opened it. "I can help."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai smiled and made sure that Yubel was entirely out./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Don't worry about it. I'll make sure Johan's alright." With that, Judai closed the door and locked it. "Johan?" The prince turned, approached Johan, and pulled his friend close. "If he threatens you again, tell me."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"To Be Continued …./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Chapter Two/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"By Kellyq/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis walked into Judai's room, ready to clean, when she noticed the prince sitting next to the window with a miserable look in his eyes./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Is everything alright, your majesty?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I can't find Johan," Judai explained. The maid stood next to the prince./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Yubel said I should forget about him, but I can't. I want to talk to him. I want to know his feelings since he's been avoiding me."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis's expression darkened./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis talked into the /span/emspan style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"service/spanem style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" quarters to see Johan attending to fresh, oddly new wounds. /span/em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;""What happened?" Alexis asked./em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Johan smiled. "I was clumsy with a knife."/em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"The blond maid narrowed her eyes. "What happened?" Alexis asked in a dead-serious tone./em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"em style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"John chuckled. "Nothing can get past you, huh? Yubel doesn't want me to behave Judai ... and if I do ... he'll make my life worse," he explained as the maid walked up, sat down next to Johan, and helped him clean the knife wounds. "Thanks, but I can take care of this, and if Judai happens to ask you anything, please don't tell him!"/em/strong/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I might have seen him," Alexis finally said./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Y-you have? Where? Is he okay?" Judai asked anxiously, his voice full of worry./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Alexis bit her bottom lip. "I think he was with Blair, cleaning the garden."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Thanks!"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai turned and ran out of the room with a hopeful look in his eyes. /spanem style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Hopefully, he's still there! I want to know what he's feeling, /emspan style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai thought, entering the garden. The prince looked for his friend but only found Blair and Marcel sitting casually beside each other./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Blair, have you seen Johan?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""He was here a few minutes ago, but he said that he had to get some things done before the day was out," Blair answered./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai's shoulders drooped, and the depressed feeling returned. He then smiled when he noticed that Blair had a concerned look./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Thanks. I hope I can find him before the day is out. Sorry for disturbing you." With that, the prince bowed and walked out./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Marcel pulled Blair close when he saw how sad she looked and started to kiss her. He wanted to relax with his girlfriend after working hard./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai continued to look everywhere for Johan. Suddenly, the prince turned the corner and saw the object of what he was looking for limping down the hallway; his worry started to grow./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Johan!" the prince ran to his friend. "What happened? Are you okay?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I'm fine," Johan reassured./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""If you say so. But I want to talk."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"John bit his lip. "So do I. But I don't have time," he said, looking around to see if Yubel was lurking; Johan didn't want any more harassment./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""We'll talk later, okay?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai's expression darkened as Johan limped past, but Johan didn't get very far when Judai wrapped his arms around Johan's waist./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Are you mad at me? Did I do something to hurt you?" Judai asked softly. Johan winced in pain, which alarmed Judai. Judai moved in front of the kitchen boy. "Johan, are you okay?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Like I said," Johan smiled. "I'll be fine."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The prince saw that Johan was covering something up, which hurt Judai. "Please. Just tell me what's wrong!" Johan bit his lip and looked around again. Judai noticed his friend tense up. "I ... I just want to know if you're mad at me?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""C-can we talk somewhere more private?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai had Yubel summed to his chambers once Johan told him what Yubel did. Yubel calmly walked into the room, but when he saw Johan sitting on Judai's bed, he threw a disgusted look on Johan's way. Judai narrowed his eyes when Yubel gave Johan a face he didn't like./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Yubel, what's wrong with Johan hanging around me?" Judai asked thickly toward Yubel./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""What are you talking about?" Yubel asked calmly./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai closed his eyes and let out a sigh to calm his nerves. Yubel is quite hostile toward Judai's friend. He knew that Yubel liked to act coy when it came to Judai making friends./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""You told Johan not to come near me, right?"/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I was trying to tell him that if he tries to hurt you, he'll have to deal with me," Yubel explained calmly./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai raised a brow. "That's not what Johan told me. He said you would make his life miserable if he came near me. I would like for you not to do that. He's gone through enough, and he doesn't need anymore."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"There was a short pause before Yubel replied. Yubel's expression darkened. Judai waited for a moment. Judai looked back at Johan and noticed that part of the shirt slid past his shoulder. Judai's eyes widened when he saw the knife wound on Johan's soft peach-tinted skin. The kitchen boy noticed that the prince was staring at him./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Johan, did someone try and attack you?" Judai asked. He was right by his friend's side, looking him over, and that's when the prince noticed bloodstains on Johan's shirt./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I'm fine, Judai," Johan reassured him, trying to smile. There was a lot of tension in the air./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai narrowed his eyes. "No, you're not. Who attacked you?" the prince asked firmly./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"More tension hung in the air. Johan wanted to say that Yubel did it, but he knew that would cause more problems./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I was clumsy with a knife, that's all."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I won't accept that as an excuse. Now, who attacked you?" The prince asked again, getting into Johan's face. He mumbled something Judai couldn't quite get./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I'm sure it's nothing," Yubel said, walking up. He roughly pushed Johan back so he was lying down on the bed. Yubel pulled out a knife, and in one swift motion, Johan's shirt was ripped in two./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai's eyes widened in shock. He never expected Yubel to go that far. Judai stepped up and pulled Yubel away from Johan./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I can handle it from here."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Are you sure?" Yubel asked as Judai led the dark-haired teen to the door and opened it. "I can help."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Judai smiled and made sure that Yubel was entirely out./span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Don't worry about it. I'll make sure Johan's alright." With that, Judai closed the door and locked it. "Johan?" The prince turned, approached Johan, and pulled his friend close. "If he threatens you again, tell me."/span/p
p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-size: auto; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: padding-box; background-clip: border-box; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"To Be Continued …./span/p