Chapter 36

" Thank you Father. I promise to keep it safe" Diana said with a smile on her face and her father pay her head affectionately.

" The banquet is tonight. See you around princess Diana" King Hector said before walking out of the room and Diana smiled at his retreating back.

She walked towards the mirror and look at the pendant on the mirror and the joy in her heart knows no bound. Only someone with the pendant can ascend the throne and wear the crown. Before a king is crowned, he must present the pendant as his proof of royalty and as the heir to the throne.

" I will keep it safe father. I promise" She said before swirling back to her bed where lay down and slept off for the entire day like a baby.

Time fled past and the evening came. The palace was bursting with people of different personalities and the king and queen were seen welcoming some of them.

The maids were seen walking around doing one thing or the other.

Inside the princess room, Diana was seen seating in front of her dressing mirror. Her maid stood behind her while she stare into the mirror looking deep into her reflection.

Her eyes glitters as a drop of tears drop from her eyes. She tried to hold them back but her burning eyes won't let her do that.

She thought Irene will be here with her when she turns sixteen just like the way she washed her turn from one to fifteen.

She remember the years when she will be nervous during her birthdays and Irene will gently pat her back and tell her it's going to be okay that she shouldn't worry about anything.

Before anyone could complement her, Irene will firstly adorn her with sweet talks and tell her she looks beautiful like the morning sun.
She remember Irene telling her she is the glory of the palace, the light that chase the darkness away.

" Do you know, you're the glory of this kingdom? The light of the palace that chase away the darkness?" Irene asked and Diana just smile at her. She hadn't really consider herself as the glory of the kingdom neither had she ever consider herself as the light that chase away the darkness in the palace because to her, there is still darkness in the palace which needs to be chased away.
Olivia, why don't you find away to run away from the Gerald's?' the tiny voice in her head sneak in and olivia furrow her brows.

' this is the opportunity for you to leave the devil and be free from him' the voice added and olivia hits her head with her palm.
That voice must be crazy for thinking she can escape from the devil. If she escape, how will she find her way home and how is she going to fend for herself?
Even if she escape, the devil will still find a way to get her back to the Gerald's home where she belongs.

" I can't escape. You are the reason I'm walking in this road" Olivia tells the tiny voice in her head and continue walking towards the direction where Troy's car follows.

' how am k the reason you are here on this road? Your mouth put you into this trouble not me' the tiny voice in her head tells her and olivia became red up of her. If it wasn't the voice in her head calling the devil an idiot, her mouth wouldn't have voiced it out.

" Just go away. I don't need you" Olivia tells her and continue walking with her legs aching and her throat dried from thirst. She don't know if she should continue walking or rest for a while.

Troy drove back to the company where he met Ethan who was standing outside his office. He ignore him and walk into his office where he sat on his office chair and swirl around. The documents were still intact the way he left them. He loosen his tie and ruffle his hair with his fingers when he heard a voice from the device in his ear. That device is only linked to one person which is the collateral girl. He wonder who she is talking to on the deserted road.

" I don't need you just go away" Her voice sound loud and clear in his ear but he can't hear the voice of the other person she was talking to.

' has she gone crazy or what by talking to herself? Troy asked himself calmly as he tries not to worry about her.

" I can make decisions myself" her voice sound through the device again and Troy got up from his seat looking somehow worried. His expression changed and wonder who is trying to make decisions for her..
He was expecting Travis to go get her or could it be Travis is already there?

After sometime,he didn't hear the voice again and he wonder what could have gone wrong. He took his car keys and walk out of the office.

Travis car sped through the highway with his chest racing on his chest and he pray Olivia should not go to the side where the cave is.

He is very aware that Troy will do anything to punish Olivia for doing something wrong because he derives joy from torturing her. He saw someone walking on the road with her shoes in her hand.

The figure is still far away and he increased his speed and stop right in front of her.

Olivia stopped walking when she saw a car pull up before her. She wonder who the person is and pray it should not be some bad people because she is not ready to die yet.

Travis got down from the car and rushed to where she is standing and a sigh of relief escape her lips. She thought no one was going to come to her aid. This time around, she didn't mistake Travis for Troy because Travis is the only one who wears hoodies while Troy is an overbearing CEO. She remembered the first day they met and she found herself embracing him tightly. He was her saving grace. Her knight in shining armor and she is the princess in distress.

Travis wrapped his strong arms around her and place his chin on her head taking in all her baby smell that is missed with her sweat. He closed his eyes and gulp down with his heart pounding on his chest.

Olivia sniff in his masculine scent and find his chest so warm and comfortable. She tightened her grip around him and close her eyes to exhale lightly.

Her weary heart become at rest as she was finally safe. She don't know if she should cry or not but she is happy and grateful that Travis came at the right time to help her.

" Thank you for coming Travis" Olivia said softly and Travis let out a sigh. He felt complete anytime he hug her to himself and he seems to forget if any other thing exist apart from her.

" I will always be here to protect you and help you anytime you needs me" This was the sentence Troy heard that made him almost lost control of his car.

The speed of the Lamborghini was fast and he was almost getting close to where he dropped Olivia before he left. He step on the brakes to avoid running into a tree by the road side and tightened his grip around the stearing. His gaze deep as he saw the two figures hugging each other affectionately beside the black car not Faraway from where he packed his car. He grit his teeth together as he felt his heart tearing apart. He wanted to scream out loud but nothing came out of his lungs as his entire body became numb and out of control.

Travis disengage from the hug and open the car door for Olivia to go inside. The cloud turned dark as it starts raining all of a sudden. He pull his hoodie and gave it to Olivia to wear revealing his muscles under the white singlet he was wearing.

Olivia fixed her gaze on his chest as she devour him with her eyes. She trailed her eyes down his chest and she was lost in them. Travis felt her gaze and he turned to look at her. He traced her eyes and found them landing on his well chiseled chest and he felt his body heating up.

Troy remain in his car and wonder what they might be doing inside the car. Still hugging, cuddling or probably kissing. He wanted to enter the rain and knock on their car door and ask them what they are doing but then he hold himself back. He really don't know why he is feeling that way but whatever that feeling is he don't like it. He has never feel that way before and he looks like an entrance man. He just want to go there and drag Olivia out of the car but a part of him is telling him to calm down that nothing is going on between them
To her, if Irene was a man, a lot of ladies would have fallen in love with her. She is sincere and straight forward. She never hides any of her feelings and always let her thoughts out.

If only Irene was a man, the princess would have chosen her to be her groom because for the first time she fell Inlove with the same gender. She really don't know but she loves everything about Irene and she miss her so much for the couple of days that she left.

Her father told her she will be back in two days time and she is actually looking up to that. She asked him if he can allow her to come to her birthday but the king said no that it can't be done that way that sometimes you need to sail alone without the people around you.

Two days looks like eternity to her as she really can't wait to reunite with Irene again. She has alot of things to share with her and she really wants to apologise for putting her into such a dangerous and challenging situation.

The maids wonder why the princess is crying on her special day. They were confused as they really don't know what is wrong with her. They just now their head and dare not to look at her in the eye because they felt her gaze piercing into their souls. They felt like she can read all their thoughts and they all avoid eye contact with her.

" I hope you are safe Irene, I missed you so much" Diana said clutching her hand on her bath robe before looking away.

" Get set to work" she said and the maids felt cold on their body. Without thinking twice, they get set to work and Alice starts by braiding the princess hair backward like an African princess. While Alice was braiding her hair, others were polishing her nails. Within an hour, she was done preparing for her royal banquet as she admire herself in the mirror. She is the perfect and true replica of the princess of Alvanor and the king of Alvanor.

She breathe in and out to calm her nerves before stepping out of her room. She can hear the voice of the MC sounding from the banquet hall.

' if only Irene is here to tell her everything will be okay' she thought to herself as she took the crysta stair downwards with her green emerald silky dress flowing behind her like a water fall.

The dress reveals a quiet amount of her flawless fair back. Her neck were adorn with diamonds and same goes with the hems of her dress. The dress was chosen for her by Irene before she went into detention and she wished she can just see her in the dress she chose for her once.

" Are you alright your majesty?" Elena asked and Diana remains quiet for a while. Maybe she needs someone to talk to before going to the banquet.

" I think I'm fine Elena . " She reply with a sigh placing her hand on her temple and giving it a gentle massage.

Somehow she don't have any good feelings about the night and the whole birthday of a thing . Her heart race at interval and missed a bit consecutively. Sometimes she ran out of breathe and will always fight for her breathe back. She turned to look at the maids with her eyes shallow and empty with no emotions or feelings in them.

" I don't feel good about this" she said and the maids frown their face at her not understanding what she actually meant by that.

They expect her to be happy and feel on top of the word but here she is saying she don't feel good about her birthday.
The maids shared glances before bowing their head.

" But why your majesty?" Elena asked and Diana shrug her shoulders.

" I don't know Elena, I'm still wondering why" Diana reply before she continued taking the spiral stair down. She got to the banquet hall and all eyes turned to her direction on her arrival. She exhale and gulp down before running her eyes around the hall. She saw so many princes sitting side by side and her eyes fell in Jack who have her a wink.  She rolled her eyes and look at the royal side where she saw Sarah and her family sitting close to each other. She gave her a glare and frown her face when Sarah skilled at her.

' this is rare' she thought to herself before turning to look at her mother who smiled at her and her father who gave her the warm smile she has been waiting for.

She walked majestically and gracefully to her seat next to her father.

There were a lot of entertainments. Wine and food were served and it was time for her to chose her groom according to the tradition. She looked at her father who gave her a nod to go on and she looked at her mother who gave her a warm smile.

" As the tradition demands, it's time for the princess to chose her groom." The MC said and Diana stood up from her seat.  Everyone holds their breath as they wonder who the lucky prince will be.  She climb down elegantly and walk towards where the princes were standing with her lashes casting a shadow on her face. She look at their faces one after the other as she move from one person to the other.

Most of the princes were cute and most of them are her father allies.

' not bad' she said to herself when she got to where a nerd prince was standing. She walked around looking at the twenty five princes standing before her and didn't chose anyone. The audience were about to roar when her voice sound through the hall.

" I princess Diana of Alvanor hereby chose prince Jack as my groom" she said and the Audience went into frenzy. The other princes wore a look of disappointment on their faces and Jack quickly rushed forward and gave the princess a hug which the princess stylishly pushed him away. His father was so happy as one of their goals was achieved.

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