Chapter 32

It was already mid-day and the princess was heavily bored with just counting trees and stealing glances at the unresponsive coachman. She also hadn't eaten and was battling the urge to ask him to stop and take a break.

She had tried speaking to him but he didn't bother to reply her anymore, perhaps he was already bored with her company.

'He must detest me...after all he was wedded to an older woman who isn't even royalty.' Elena mused to herself as they reached a large stone bridge.

"Once we cross the bridge you're going to have to put on a cloak." He announced, pulling Elena out of her deep rooted thoughts.

She was tempted to ask why but decided against it, in rank he was by far higher than her, and in truth had no reason to embark on a journey to help her find a cure for the poison coursing through her body. Elena knew to be courteous and appreciative towards such a man.

But, for some reason she couldn't resist the urge to want to taunt and get on his nerves.

However, her thoughts were placed on hold when the carriage came to a sudden halt. She almost fell out of her seat, nearly landing her head against a heavy jar of liquor.

"What is going on?" She cried out from inside, struggling to stand up straight and carry her chains in her arms. The princess peaked her head out of the carriage only to notice the coachman seat was empty.

"He's gone?" She voiced out, Elena who saw this as an opportunity to stretch her legs couldn't have been much happier at the outcome. Without wasting time she jumped out of the carriage, landing left foot first.

The princess straightened her back then took a deep breath puffing her chest out, the stone bridge was right in front of her eyes.

"Your highness?" She called out as her eager feet sauntered over to the bridge, which was wide enough for two carriages to pass by easily.

"The stones are so smooth and silvery, but there are dents all over it." She observed tilting her head to the side, wondering what might have taken a bite out of the bridge.

She diverted her gaze to the carriage, the horse busied itself eating the dried up grass, Elena pitied the animal which had been travelling for hours without a break.

"If he wanted to take a break then he should have just said so." As she spoke freely, the princess was oblivious to the footsteps which approached her from behind.

It was as she swiftly looked over her shoulder that Elena found herself staring at the piercing tip of a sharp saber!

The princess reflexively backed away but found herself cornered in-between the stranger and the bridge. She gasped at the sight of more men all dressed in black emerging from all sides.

"To whom do we owe the pleasure?" One of the bandits cried out, brandishing his saber carelessly in front of her.

"She looks like a noblewoman, we were right to trail their carriage." Another announced in glee, pulling out two daggers from the holster hanging on his belt.

The man who was roughly the same height as the princess placed his saber to her collar then raised a brow at it, conflicted over her status.

"Where is your master slave? If you tell us then we will only rape you and spare your life." He insisted then grabbed her by the elbow, his tone brimming with Ill intent.

"I'm...not a slave, and I have a husband...so don't come any closer." While she spoke she struggled against the bandits hard grip on her elbow. She wanted to make a run for it, but her heavy chains....

Elena inwardly smirked at the idea that flooded her head. The princess discreetly wrapped her fingers around the chains while they spoke, without once never shifting her gaze from a small opening they created.

"A husband? That's even better, I get turned on whenever I bed a married woman!" He declared in a loud tone then lunged forward to cage her lips with his own, believing she was nothing but a defenseless woman.

How wrong he was! Elena was swift to raise her fist to him and landed a sharp blow to his right cheek, using the weight of her chains to create a larger impact.

She retracted her hand and ran through the small opening using the bandits second of hesitation to her advantage. It took the men seconds later to follow the blonde hair and chase after the run away woman.

"Catch her! And make sure to break all five of her fingers!" Hollered the wounded bandit from the back, using his palm to caress his wounded jaw, blood slowly trickled down his lips towards his chin.

The princess invested her mind to escaping from the bandits, which was why as she ran towards the carriage tears fell from her puffy eyes, but her lips remained tightly sealed. She tried to outrun them but instead ended up crashing nose first, into a hard wall in front of her!

Was it perhaps one of the bandits?

Elena looked up with cowering eyes, unprepared for the worse, her fist was bleeding profusely from the pain of that one punch. However, a large arm wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her to the person's left side.

"Who the hell are you?!" Cried the bandit who held heavy twin daggers, arrogance and irritation brimming from his tone.

It was however unfortunate that he spoke up first without even bothering to steal a glance at who he was addressing. Because, when he managed to divert his brown eyes from the slave woman, his vision settled on a larger looking man, in a purple regal clothing, fit for the person of a Duke or even higher.

However, that wasn't all, the bandit locked his gaze on the man's crimson red eyes and immediately backed away instinctively. His daggers fell from his grip and landed on the stone bridge quietly.

"What the hell is going on?" Emerging from the crowd was the one whom had been punched mercilessly by Elena.

"Who is he?" He asked in a bossy tone stepping forward with his saber firmly gripped.

Elena instinctively nestled into Alixandre's side, burying her face into him, taking in his scent which managed to calm down her fast beating heart.

"Ten seconds." He declared all of a sudden drawing all the attention to himself, Alixandre curled his lips into a satisfied smile.

"I'll give you all ten seconds to kill yourselves, before I do it for you." Elena heard the man standing beside her say in the most distinct and self absorbed tone she had ever heard.

It was as though he wasn't threatening them but instead telling them a fact, as though nothing could change what was going to happen. Elena who didn't know what to make of his confidence simply tried to back away and escape, not wanting to get in the way.

At least, that's what she convinced herself...

However, just as she tried to leave, his grip on her side strengthened planting her feet firmly to the ground, she looked to him for an explanation but he had his gaze fixed on the bandits, perhaps taking a head count of them.

'He cannot possibly think he can fight them all? We'll both be killed at this point!' she shrieked at the thought and struggled against his grip, all to no avail.

After a few more tries, Elena felt her legs being lifted off the ground by Alixandre, who effortlessly used one arm to carry her entire body. The princess parted her lips to protest, but was soon flung over her husband's shoulder, and the only thing she could see was his broad back.

"If you struggle and fall you'll hurt yourself." He chided her in a tone that was neither harsh nor caring, then with uninterested eyes he focused on the bandits in front of him.

"So you're the husband? Good! You'll be able to watch us all have a go with your wife." He said in a provocative tone, earning the support from the others behind him.

"It'll be the last thing he sees!" The assumed leader of the bandits announced in a loud voice, charging recklessly towards the two.

He cocked a grin believing he had both the speed and experience to bring down the good looking man with just one strike to the chest! With all his might he thrusted the blade forward, about to jab at Alixandre's chest.

"Too slow." The bandit heard someone's disapproving tone and tilted his head up, only to lock eyes with the slave's husband, smiling wickedly at him.

Before he could recover from the intense pressure he felt pulling him down, Alixandre effortlessly grabbed his wrist and raised the man's feet off the ground.

All the other bandits gasped in shock.

Elena could feel the tension rising but couldn't see exactly what was transpiring behind her. She heard heavy footsteps charging towards them but they suddenly stopped. Frightened she clutched tightly unto his clothes, sending some sort of message, reminding Alixandre of her presence.

He inhaled deeply then let out a defeated sigh.

"Count this as me being merciful." Alixandre told them with bored eyes, the bandit he raised off the floor kept on kicking the air furiously, struggling against his grip.

*Snap*

The bone cracking sound of Alixandre crushing the bandits wrist sent a cold shiver down the spines of everyone present.

He dropped the bandit immediately after and wiped his palm across his raven black coat, as though the man was dirt. Just as the other bandits were about to attack all at once, in a bid to avenge their humiliated leader. Alixandre raised his head from the man wincing in pain on the bridge like an injured cockroach, and zoned in his sights on the other bandits.

"Come forward if you have no use of your hands." He said with amusement in his tone and animation in his eyes, his blood lust seeping out.