Chapter 22

“You don’t have to think about it, Alyssa. Just come back with me”.

“But if I do, I would be stealing the real Allisa's identity and I would have to do that for the rest of my life while being overcome with guilt. And if I do steal her identity, then I would have no choice but to marry you which I still don’t want to”, Alyssa told him and Luther smiled.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to marry me right now. If you’re worried that I would try to force you into marriage, I can assure you that I won’t. But j just can not leave you to remain in this world where you have nothing for you. I don’t believe that you would be okay here”.

Alyssa bit her lower lip. “I will be fine, Luther. Don’t worry about me. Just go before someone finds us here. You should hurry up and leave before we get caught”, She said, pushing him towards the book.

Luther turned and held her hands in his. “If I leave now, there’s Jo guarantee that I won’t come back here to find you”.

“Why would you come back?”.

“To check up on you. I now know how to get from one world to another and u will do it frequently just as long as I get to see you each time”.

“That’s why the book will remain with me. I will open the gate and will hold onto the book after you’re gone. The last thing we need is someone abusing the privileges of this book. We don’t even know if it comes with any negative consequences when it is used”.

“It doesn’t matter, I…”.

“ Luther, let’s not make this complicated. You belong in your world with the real Allisa and I belong in mine, regardless of whether you or I like it. If you start opening that book to get in here all the time, we will soon be caught. It’s best if we go out separate ways from here and pretend like this was all a fever dream”.

“So, you’re really not coming?”, He asked.

“No, Luther. I’m not. It’s someone else’s life and she deserved to be happy and back where she belongs. Go now…”, She stopped halfway when there was a knock on the door.

“Is anyone in there? Who ever is in there should come out immediately or I’m calling security”, The person on the other end said.

“Hurry up and leave, Luther” .

“What about you?”.

“I’ll find a way to resolve this. Just leave”, She said and before he could say anything else, she opened the book.

Luther walked to the door and grasped the handle briefly before turning it and opening the door that was filled with white bright light.

He turned to her with such a strong gaze that Alyssa was forced to take a step back. “I’m sorry, Alyssa but I would be unable to rest if I leave you here all by yourself without knowing what would happen to you”.

Before she could stop him, he grabbed her hand tightly, picked her up in his strong arms and walked straight into the white light, leaving her stunned.

They were back in the study and when she looked over his shoulder, the door had been replaced with a brick wall. She kicked him and struggled until he put her down gently and then she picked him in the chest. “What the hell did you do? Why did you bring me back here?”.

“I couldn’t leave you there with that man knocking. What if you had gotten in trouble?”.

“Well, I might not have gotten in trouble but we don’t know what is going on with Allisa. Can’t you see that with me back here, we’ve made things worse?”.

“I don’t think so. Your place isn’t there anymore. From how on, you belong here, with me”.

“I belong here? With you? Who are you to make that conclusion?”.

“We don’t even know if Allisa went back or not. I didn’t bring you back to keep on pretending to be someone that I wasn’t. I only brought you back because I felt like you would be in danger”, He replied , getting angry.

“I’ve already told you that I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to protect me like I’m done damsel in distress”.

“Well, I can’t help myself and my white knight tendencies. I just have this urge to be protective”.

“Where’s the book? I’m going back”, She asked.

“I don’t permit you to go back, Alyssa”.

“Why?! Who the hell do you think you are?”.

“The king of this kingdom. Here, what I want is what gets executed”.

“Oh, so this is just a power thing for you? You want a more convenient place so you can easily bulky me and push me around?”.

“Will you calm down? Let’s wait a while. At least until we’re sure that the people working at the museum wouldn’t be there”.

Alyssa pursed her lips and sat down.

“You just don’t get it. I can’t be here”.

“But you’re here right now and the universe isn’t collapsing on itself. If the real Allisa made it back and hasn’t returned to the other world, then I see no reason why you shouldn’t stay. It wouldn’t make that much of a difference”.

“It definitely would…”, Alyssa paused because the door burst open and both her parents came rushing in, not minding the presence of the king.

“My God, where have you both been? We have been so worried” , Lady Wordsworth sobbed, while enveloping her daughter in a tight embrace.

Alyssa leaned in and wrapped her hands around the older woman.

Paschal walked in with the usual stern look plastered into his face. “Your Majesty, we have been searching everywhere for you. Wherever you went, you could have at least taken me with you”.

“Where we went was a place meant for just the two of us and no one else”, Luther responded glancing at Alyssa.

“But, your Majesty, we should still have been informed. Alyssa has still not recovered and… What happened to your sling? Is your arm no longer hurting”, Lord Wordsworth asked.

Alyssa flexed her arm and smiled. “Its not hurting. I’m fine”, She said, lightly.

“I think you should take Alyssa back to the room to get some more rest. She might be a little tired”.

Lady Wordsworth nodded and held her daughter hand before leading her out of the room.

Alyssa bit her lip as she mused, If Allisa’s parents were still fussing over her, then it certainly meant that she wasn’t back yet. And this made her wonder; Where on earth was Allisa?

***###$*****####****

“… I know, Paschal, and I’ve already told you that it happened unexpectedly. I didn’t have enough time to inform you”. Luther knew that it was Paschal's priority to take care of and worry endlessly about him and when he had suddenly pulled a disappearing act, Paschal must have panicked. “It won’t happen again. Now, excuse me. It seems my father in law to be has some things he would like to talk to me about”.

Paschal nodded and walked out of the room, leaving the two men to discuss privately. “You’re waiting behind because you have something to speak to me about. Is that correct?”.

“Yes, your Majesty”.

“Alright then. Have a seat”, Luther told him and gestured to the sofa opposite him.

“It’s about my daughter, your Majesty. Ever since she has been little, she has always dreamed of marrying you and I watched her chase you around while you expressed your, forgive me, disinterest as you went about with your numerous lovers. Now, your sudden interest in my daughter has made me quite wary, especially since you disappeared with her without a word to even your personal guards. All I’m trying to say is that, you have to marry my daughter now. Her reputation has already been damaged enough. If you left her, no suitable man would come for her hand”.

“But I have proposed already, Lord Wordsworth” .

“That I’d not enough, your Majesty. I would like you to marry her as soon as you possibly can”.