The trainer caught the black money bag, which jingled in the air and tittered. He tucked it beneath his pants and then suddenly launched himself on Darla. He kicked her on her chest so hard that she fell back on Ileus, who simply grunted in response as he too fell back. Shocked as hell, Darla cried. By the time she blinked her eyes, Aidan had blasted the trainer with the darkness of his magic. The snarl that accompanied his deadly magic was vicious. He hurled black beams to the trainer, which knocked him to the ground and curled around his body like a serpent. 

Kaizan, on the other hand, took the two who were behind him. He had punched them hard enough and within a few seconds they ran away. Darla covered Ileus with her body and took the next punch that came to her chest. Aidan had turned his attention to that man and his features turned ugly. He grabbed the man by his neck and snapped it like a twig. His body rolled beside Darla. 

Kaizan had punched the fourth man so badly that he was on the ground, howling his mom's name. He whipped his head towards the trainer, who seemed to be getting squeezed by the shadows that looked like a serpent. "Please, please, leave me!" he breathed. 

Kaizan walked up to him, dug his pants and took his bag back. "That belongs to us!" he said. He kicked the trainer so hard on his ribs that bone cracked. 

Aidan came from behind and kicked him harder. He knelt down beside the trainer and hissed, "How dare you hit my woman?" He closed his fist tightly and the shadows around him squeezed further. 

"Arrggg!" the man shrieked in unbearable pain. "I am sorry!" he breathed. "L— leave me!" 

But Aidan was in no mood for benevolence. He closed both his fists and the shadows clutched the man hard for one last time before splintering in the dark of the night. The trainer lay dead on the road with blood spilling out of his mouth. With his jaw clenched, Aidan got up from there. As soon as he whipped his head to look at Darla, his eyes softened. He rushed to her and picked her up from the ground. He scooped her in his arms, as Kaizan supported his friend on his shoulders. They entered the portal that Aidan had created and walked right through the east wing gardens. The royal guards who were present over there immediately gathered around them to help the prince to his bedchamber. The healers were called to attend to him and Darla. 

Aidan was extremely nervous and he paced the corridor in front of the room where the healers were assessing and treating Darla. She had winced when the trainer had kicked her. Darla was a few months pregnant. Just a few days back, he had proposed to her after running after her, chasing her in his own silent way. She had agreed and it had been such a blessing. But, the stupid little stint that occurred because of the prince in the alley cost him. He cursed the trainer and thought that he was perhaps too nice in killing him. He should have thought of more creative ways. He stood against the wall. 

"She is fine," the healer said when he came out of the room. "Just a few injuries, and nothing great. The baby is fine too." 

Aidan closed his eyes and placed his arm over them. "Thank you," he muttered. As the feeling sank in him, he sucked in a shaky breath and said, "Can I see her?" 

"Of course!" the healer said and then walked to the Ileus' bedchamber. 

Ileus had regained his consciousness and was oblivious to whatever happened in the alley. When he fluttered open his eyes, he was having a pounding headache. A familiar smell hit him and he grunted. "Why did you bring me back here?" The bedroom was one place where he remembered his wife so fiercely that it pricked like thorns. The empty space beside him was simply too painful to see. 

Kaizan was out of his wits. He barked, "Because of you Darla was injured. That girl is pregnant and had it not been for Aidan, we would have been in deep shit!" 

Ileus clamped his mouth tight. The healer was looking at his infection on the side of the belly. He wheezed as the healer applied more salve on it. The wound was deep. "How is she?" he asked after a moment. 

"She is fine," the healer answered, "but she has some bruises." 

Ileus turned his head away, relieved. But his arrogance came again, "I didn't ask you to trail me. I never asked Darla to come after me. So you all can leave me!" She had left him without a bloody goodbye. There was no reason why his friends should stay. They could go to hell. Everyone could go to hell. The palace could go to hell. 

"What an asshole!" Kaizan shouted. "You bloody dick! You reek of sweat and sewer and brew and disgust!"

Ileus started to get up to punch him, but his headache made him roll back on the pillow. "Then go to hell!" he growled. "Just fucking leave me!" 

"You know what," said Kaizan. "I am leaving you. You just don't deserve us, you miserable scum!" he got up and strode out of the room. 

Ileus let out an exasperated sigh. In the night when he was alone, he brushed the empty space beside him. Did she miss him? Did she even think of him or was she having fun with her parents? Would she forget him? Was this just the beginning of more separations? He sprang up in the bed at the thought and rubbed his chest. Four more days were left for him to go to Vilinski according to the invitation. Four days… Suddenly his eyes shone. 

Next day in the morning, before breakfast, before the first rays of sun popped out of the horizon, he was standing in front of his parents' chamber waiting for them. He had a very urgent matter to discuss. Adrianna called him in the antechamber. She sipped her tea and directly said, "You will go after four days." 

"But Mother, there's a flaw in the interpretation of the invite," he argued. 

Adrianna narrowed her eyes. She knew that her son was too crafty. She braced herself. 

"We have to attend Yule in Vilinski for one week. And Yule starts in four days. If we start in four days, then it would take another three days to reach the fae kingdom. Do you see where I am getting?" 

Adrianna stifled the smile that was appearing on her face. She pursed her lips hard. "I heard about your brawls." She meant that she noticed his childish behavior. 

He ignored the topic. "We have to start now for Vilinski because it is going to take three days to cross Sgiath Biò. And only then will we be able to participate in the celebrations for a week." 

"I see," Adrianna said as she placed her cup on the saucer. After a long agonizing moment in which Ileus contemplated more ways to convince her, throw his theories on why it was important to attend Yule for the whole week, his mother said, "You can leave tomorrow." 

Ileus—

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