Freedom comes at a price and a young Earthal princess must live the life of somebody else, even if it means facing evil threats and impossible odds.
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As someone who craves freedom, Princess Clarabelle cannot just stand by and let her life be take...
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CLARA SAT with a start, gasping for breath. She breathed in as much air to fill her lungs after almost drowning. Except there was no water.
"Anneliese."
She flinched at the touch of someone stroking her arm for comfort. Realizing it was only Eadric, Clara's tensed muscles relaxed.
Eadric had his arms around her protectively. She was pressed so close to his body that he was typically hugging her. But the prince was in no good condition, Clara realized. With his clenched jaw, heavy panting, heavy-lidded eyes, and wounded body, he was on the brink of passing out.
"H-How are you feeling?" Eadric croaked then he coughed blood.
Fear gnawed at Clara. She untangled his arms from her and he was too weak to resist.
All around them, the battle raged on between the Fyrians and Eirinians. Despite the wounds he suffered, Eadric kept the barrier around them the entire time Clara was unconscious. Outside the aerial barrier, Clara could make out the enemies' shadows and their relentless attacks in pursuit of her.
"Prince Eadric!" As Clara attended to him, the prince kept on pushing her arms away as he attempted to get up. Only that his knees gave out and he would rain curses on how useless they were.
"Please, you're weak and wounded. Don't force yourself!" Clara said hysterically as she forced him to sit still, her face etched with worry. She did not mind the horrible sting on her stomach. The attack left a long gash on her flesh. At least, the prince had wrapped a cloth around her waist so that it slowed down the bleeding.
"Just let me take care of them. You've already done enough, Eadric!"
"No! They want you!" Eadric caught her wrists and caged them in his hands as if doing so would stop her from ever running to fight. "Let me fight for you, Anneliese. Let me take care of you."
His voice broke at the end and Clara was frozen in place, seeing a tear escaping the prince's eye.
Here was the prince who was hopelessly in love. Clara remembered how much a simple talk in the sitting room gave him light. And she hated that after all of this was over, when the time would come that she had to leave, things would go back to the way it was before for him and Anneliese.
"I-It's okay," she whispered to him in a soft, gentle voice. Clara couldn't stop her voice from shaking.
Freeing her hands from his clutch, she cupped his face. "You've done great, brave prince." She placed a featherlight kiss on his forehead, and with the moon's kiss and touch, Eadric fell asleep. Clara laid him gently on the floor.
The spherical wind barrier was thinning. With the prince unconscious, the only thing that was keeping her safe from the enemies was slowly weakening. Any moment from now, she had to fight.
Clara couldn't be a burden to anyone. She ripped the skirt of her gown till up to her knees. It was the least of her concerns. What was the use of a beautiful dress once she ended up dead in the hands of the enemies?
