The Sleepy Princess Loves The Cold Duke

Chapter Thirty-One: The Broken. The Lost. And the Damned

Steven stood beside the crown prince. His face was all smiles but inside he was boiling in rage. 'This idiot didn't want to be left out of the fight, and now I have to protect him!' The crown prince had pulled Steven to the side and begged Steven to guard him during the battle. Steven had already prepared himself to fight, so now that he was sitting on the sidelines he felt like a failure. 'I want to fight. I want to fight.'

Francis sat in his portable throne and wagged his finger at the knights taking rest on the ground. "You wimps! How are you so tired already! Get up! Fight to the death!" A minotaur head came crashing down toward them. Steven grinned and stepped to the side to dodge it. It flew straight into the face of the nagging crown prince. Steven pretended to be shocked and worried. "Oh no!" He screamed with a dramatic tone. "Whatever shall we do!" He checked the pulse and pupils of the crown prince and couldn't help the smirk that pulled on his face. 'Knocked out cold.'

He turned to some of the soldiers taking rest and waved them over. "The prince has been injured." Steven could read it on their faces. 'How? He hasn't even don't anything.' Steven snickered. "Could you bring him to the clinic?" They nodded and began to pick up the unconscious Francis. "Do be careful with him!" Steven waved them goodbye.

He eagerly grabbed his talisman from his pocket and slapped it on his chest. "Hahah! Finally!" Then he was off. The poor monsters that meet the bloodthirsty Steven that day were ripped to shreds. A few knights felt shivers down their spines as water bullets aimed with perfect accuracy even began shooting through their prey. 'He is a monster like the Duke,' They all thought.

•••

Clap clap clap

"Well that sure did speed things up." Loki praised. Gregory's eyes were still a bright purple. "Let's get to the top before this fades. I still have to go help the other regions." Loki nodded. They flew up, to the next wave. "Angelica said there are six waves. This is this third right?" Loki hadn't been keeping track. "Hell if I know." When they got to the middle layer Lokis eyes went wide. "Demons."

Gregory's eyes narrowed. "He can control beings of eternal darkness?" Loki shrugged, "I'm sure a few joined for the fun of it."

"Look at these pesky humans!" The demons cackled. "You've made it this far. I'll give you that! But you're not getting any higher! HAHA!" Gregory pulled Loki to the side. "You go higher. I can handle this wave. Only holy magic can kill these things." Loki hesitated. Gregory nodded, "go. I'll meet you there."

Loki frowned. He knew Gregory was right. He wouldn't be able to do anything. Using a demon sword on a demon would be like trying to cut a human with your bare hand. They were also immune to all elemental magic. "Don't die on me Greg. Poppy would be sad." Gregory grinned. He knew that was Loki's way of saying that he would be sad. "I won't."

Loki used up all his concentration to speed past the layer of demons. Some tried grabbing him or swinging at him but he dogged it all. They tried flying after him but Gregory blocked them. "Your fight is with me."

•••

Poppy opened her eyes. She was sitting at a small round table. Sweets on a small tray were in front of her. As well as a tea cup. Her foggy mind slowly cleared up when she saw the brown eyes before her.

"E-Erin. What are you-" *cough* Poppy grabbed at her throat. She couldn't talk.

Aries sipped his tea and looked down below them. Poppy did the same and shrieked when she realized they were floating in the air over monsters. "Don't be scared princess." He tapped the air and his foot hit a hard surface. "Condensed air magic. You won't fall." Poppy tapped the air and was pleasantly surprised that there was indeed a floor.

She sighed in relief. Aries chuckled, and leaned closer to her. "Princess Poppy Lullaby. Why do you stay beside Loki Frost?" He glanced up at her.

His questioned seemed to echo in her head. Her mouth moved on it's own. "Because I love him." Poppy's heart leaped. It was the first time she had admitted it to herself. She did in fact love the Duke. Poppy smiled to herself. Aries narrowed his eyes at her, "why? What could you possibly see in that monster! He has killed plenty of people. Tortured more. He takes and takes and takes. Just like his father did!"

Poppy shook her head. She couldn't talk but her eyes were saying that his words weren't true. "Speak," Aries demanded. Poppy gasped for air. 'I can talk now!' "He may have killed people. He may have hurt people. But I know that what he doesn't do it for personal gain. I know him enough to know that all he wants is to live in peace. Away from the drama. Away from the uncertainties of the world. All he wants is to be happy."

Aries snapped his fingers. Poppy's throat closed again. She sighed. 'Is he going to keep doing this?' "Lies. Lies. And more lies. He's brainwashed you like the rest of the people who blindly follow him." Poppy rolled her eyes. 'That's rich coming from you.' Aries glared at her, "I do it for a reason! To get rid of the trash that taints this world! You know what I'm talking about! I can see it."

Aries reached over the table and tapped her forehead. Suddenly images of her youth flashed before her eyes. "Your parents only came to see you on your birthday. You were raised by your nanny who the tenth princess stole because of jealousy. Your teacher always mistreated you. Did you forget the rage you felt being ignored. Being talked down to. Being treated like an idiot? Dont forget where things started for you. The staff of the palace didn't always treat you with kindness now did they? Many still don't."

A tear fell down Poppy's cheek. 'No. I had to earn it by kissing up to everyone.' Aries grinned. "Remember the faces of disgust they gave you. A toddler just trying to get through life. Who taught you how to walk?"

'I taught myself.'

"Who taught you how to talk?"

'I taught myself by mimicking the sounds of the servants around me.'

"Who taught you how to read, write? Do math? Science? Who taught you etiquette? Who taught you which spoon or fork to use? Or even what a spoon or fork was? Who taught you how to get dressed or how to take a bath?"

Tears rolled down her face. She had completely forgotten the memories flashing before her. 'Me. No one but me.'

"And who taught you how to be quiet? How to hide? How to not rely on anyone? Who taught you what the feeling of loneliness was? Who taught you that you had to earn your place in life?" Images appeared of Poppy crying in the library, or in dark corners of her secluded palace.

'The world. Everyone around me.'

"So why do you fight on the side of the world?"

'...'

"Princess Poppy Lullaby. Will you fight on the side of the broken? The lost? And the damned?"

'I-'