Chapter 35

Back in Valencia, the highest form of manual labour Elena had ever seen her brothers carry out, was lifting their jars of liquor independently. Which was a sight rare to behold, aside that, it would have to be the hot nights they spent with their servants behind closed doors.

Elena had grew up with the ideology that regal men were incapable of doing chores and were all destined to have the posture of the letter 'C' once they reach fifty.

But now...

"Hold this." Alixandre said in a flat tone, pushing his black cape and upper purple attire into her hands. The princess hurriedly took his clothes off his hands, then stepped back from the river bank, allowing him his space.

"If it's too hard for his highness..."

"Just hold it and shut up." He retorted in a gruff tone, as he walked into the cold river, wearing the largest scowl on his face.

Elena pursued her lips furiously but did not talk back to the crown prince, instead she spread his coat across the grass and sat on it, eager to observe him fish.

Alixandre who could feel her stare trained on his back felt a shiver run down his spine, he however paid her no mention and refocused his gaze on the river surface.

'All the fish seem to have run away...tch!' he cursed and scratched the back of his neck, wondering why he agreed to help her make breakfast.

"Do your uttermost best husband!" Elena cheered with both hands waving frantically over her head, a wide grin plastered on her face.

Alixandre frowned.

That was, till his left eye caught sight of a lonesome fish trying to meet up with the rest. In a bid to catch it, he used both hands to reach out and cage it in his grasp.

The fish seemed to sense his dangerous aura and immediately swam away picking up more speed in the face of fear.

Alixandre rested a hand on his waist while the other pinched his forehead, he was used to animals sensing his intense aura and running away. But he figured in the past there would be no need for him to hunt them down.

But now...

He looked over his shoulder and stole a peak at Elena, only to catch her staring animatedly at him with expectant eyes.

Alixandre couldn't tell why though, but he felt like he just had to catch a fish, perhaps to wipe off the smug look on the princess's face.

"Screw my aura. I'll just release it and kill all the fish in the river." He mused to himself, his eyes lit with mischief.

Just as he attempted to do so, he noticed golden locks of blonde hair from the corner of his right eye. "The water is so cold!" She spat out dipping both toes into the river.

"Who asked you to join me? You'll worsen your condition" He brutally scolded, unclear as to when she stood up and why he failed to notice it.

"You seemed to be having difficulty." She answered, "I realized it was unfair to ask you something so tasking, when you've never even done it before." She added, her gaze trained on the river.

Alixandre parted his lips to say something, but sharply noticed that all the fish that had run away were now returning in their numbers, swimming happily towards Elena. As though she were a magnet, they ignored his aura and resurfaced.

"There are so many." She noted her eyebrows crinkled in worry, the princess did not fancy how they swarmed around her.

"Just stay still for a moment." He said then swiftly left to get the bowl, after setting it beside the river bank he refocused his attention to the large school of fish.

Without sparing any second, he reached out and nabbed four all at once, the fish vigorously wriggled in between his fingers, desperate to escape.

"You caught some!" She exclaimed and jumped in glee, her sudden jump made all the fish scatter.

Luckily Alixandre had already placed the one he caught into the bowl, Elena took a sweep of the river, but couldn't find a single fish in sight.

"Did I scare them all away? I was just glad that we caught some."

"We?" He asked in a prickly tone.

"Of course, the way I saw it, it almost seemed like the fish were afraid of you." She pointed out, as she stepped out of the water, back unto the dry grass.

"Anyhow... I'll be under that tree, don't wake me till breakfast is ready." He told her, turning to leave.

She frowned at the mere mention of having to decapitate then cook the fish, and reached out to him, forgetting he had no upper garment on.

Alixandre almost flinched when the young princess grabbed him by the wrist, his eyes narrowed at how cold her palms were.

'This poison is menacing, it'll eat away at her soon enough.' he figured, as he looked over his shoulder at the princess, who looked utterly confused.

"What?" He demanded, peeling off her fingers from his wrist.

"His highness can't expect me to decapitate the fish." She told him, with both hands at her sides, a sheepish look in her eyes.

Alixandre hissed at her words then turned around fully, "don't disturb me after this."

In the blink of an eye, he marched towards the bowl of fish and took one, then without any hesitation he ripped off it's head from it's body!

Elena covered her mouth with her palm and gasped at the gruesome sight.

'Is he really sixteen?' she thought, but on a second glance, as the princess noticed the look of satisfaction on his face, she began to rearrange her thoughts.

"Is he really human?" She voiced under her breath mindlessly, instinctively taking some light steps away from him, her lower lip quivering in fear.

**********

"This doesn't smell right, did I maybe do something wrong?" Elena thought to herself as she stirred the pot of soup, which had fish heads sticking out on the surface the more she stirred.

The soup for one was too thick and gave off a foul odour, Elena who was far from conversant with cooking spices, sniffed the ones that smelled nice and dumped them into the mix. At first things were looking good, and the scent made her believe her dish would turn out edible.

"If I serve this to his majesty, I might be arrested for attempted murder." She mused, sparing a glance at her husband who had slept the entire morning under the large tree, shirtless!

'Those scars marks...what are they?' Elena repeatedly questioned, she had first noticed it at night, but vaguely remembered. But now, with a clear view, she was convinced that those were definitely claw marks.

"I think it's done." She wiped off the stains on her cheeks and straightened her back, "his highness can you help me take down the pot!" She cried out to him, but got no immediate response.

"Humph. I'll do it myself then, see if I need your help." With a strengthened resolve, she picked up some rags and attempted to lift up the pot.

However, the princess was unfamiliar with the choice of clothing to use and ended up picking an unsuitable texture! The moment she tried lifting up the pot, she was burned miserably!

"Aaagh! It burns!" Tears welled up in her eyes, the princess fell to her knees unable to withstand the pain. The pain was far too heavy that she couldn't scream out, her voice came out in whispers.

The princess let out heavy crystal like tears which fell from her eyes down to her chin and unto her reddened palm. It was the first time in a long while since she had been burnt, but only this time, there was a twist.

"What is..." Elena was unable to complete her sentence, all she could do was watch with wide eyed shock and parted lips. As the tears on her palm glowed for a split second, somehow cooling the pain she felt.

But what surprised the princess the most, was that not only did her tear vanish, but so did the pain from the burn. The only thing that proved she had actually been burnt, was her reddened palm, which for some reason did not hurt her in the slightest.

Elena raised her palm to her line of sight, then stole a glance at her husband who slept peacefully under the tree, then stared at her surroundings.

She swiftly returned narrowed her sights on her palm once more and with a panicked expression the princess hid her hand behind her back, then forced a smile upon her lips.

She sauntered over to where her husband slept, casting her shadow over him, he growled in his sleep then flickered his eyelids open.

"What?" He asked, staring at her warm smile.

"Breakfast is ready...your highness." She said, adding a bit of forced politeness to the latter part of the sentence.