Cannon Fodder To Villainess

🏮86. Secret Lab

Amber watched as Arabella walked up to Prince Elystar floating in the clear tank. As their eyes met, Amber could see hope shining out from his eyes. A little tube was connected just under his heart and two tubes were connected to his abs. Sparkling golden fluid was leaking out from his skin and into the liquid around him, like a disturbing tea infuser. Pain radiated out of those sad golden eyes as she started to walk past. Then he lowered his head in resignation and closed his eyes.

"Go back and help him, Arabella!"

"There's no time for that right now," Arabella said.

Arabella walked past the tanks and to the right, where there was a short hallway. Past a couple of bathrooms, where Arabella took a moment to relieve herself, there was a set of double doors. Arabella gently pushed one of those double doors open and quietly slipped inside.

She walked into a cavernous dimly lit room with large round metal lights hanging down from the high ceiling. There was faint music in the distance, a zheng and flute playing a quiet and sad melody. Arabella stilled her breathing and made sure that her footsteps made no noise, so she could hear the quiet conversation taking place further in the room.

"I don't know why you allow this commoner to hang on you so much," said Cray.

"So what if I'm a commoner? It's not like being part of a low level noble, medical family makes you much better. Aren't you a family of doctors and knights? That doesn't make you all that much better than me. Besides, I was with the First Prince long before you were. How can a lowly home wrecker dare to look down on me, who was already in an established relationship with the First Prince before you even bothered to show your face?" said Jenna.

"Established relationship you say? Aren't you just the servant of his lawful fiancé? Who do you think you're going to fool with your overly lofty speech? Is it me that you're trying to fool, or yourself? Come back and talk with me after your conscience hasn't been eaten by dogs," said Cray.

"Pfft! I wouldn't say anything like that if I were you!" Said Jenna while pointedly looking over to a cot and domed pod cages. Strapped to the cot was a young boy with fox ears and two fox tails. Until just a moment before, he had been a young fox shifter with three tails, but one of his tails was held in the hand of the First Prince, while his other hand held a Light Knife.

Tears were streaming down the sides of the young nine-tailed fox shifter's face. He bit down on his bottom lip, refusing to make a sound. The trauma of having been experimented on had caused him to have his first shift earlier than he normally would have. In the two domed pods were a small shadow pixie and a celestial cloud.

Amber pushed herself up on the bed, trying to get some of her mobility back. She needed to get out of here as quickly as possible. She frowned while looking at Ena and Fluffy in the cage pods. Then she looked around for Finn, but he was nowhere to be seen. After looking everywhere for a cute little white fox, a horrifying thought dawned on her, and she looked closely at the little maimed boy strapped to the bed.

The little boy had an angelic cherub like face and didn't look older than six years old. He was biting onto his lower lip, clearly in a great deal of pain, but he made no noises. His little fangs were roughly digging into his lower lip, causing a tiny bit of purple blood to leak out. He had shoulder length white hair, fluffy fox ears on top of his head, two fluffy white tails, and big watery violet eyes. He looked almost exactly like a baby version of the man in her dream, except with eyes that looked just like Amber's; what's going on?!

When the young boy's eyes landed on Arabella, a small relieved smile appeared on his lips and he collapsed onto the cot, losing consciousness. It was as if he had been holding himself tightly wound together and felt safe enough after seeing her, that he could rest easy. Amber felt a strange closeness to the young boy and a sense of urgency. There was something about that boy that called to her on a deeper level. It brought out her protective instincts, which she usually tried to keep buried.

Amber watched as Arabella boldly walked out of the shadows and in front of the group of people, without a plan, or really any thought bothering to cross her mind. She acted like a woman who had been hypnotized. Not once did she pull her eyes off of the First Prince to see that she was walking into a great crowd of enemies, without any way to defend herself. She was like a fluttering moth that danced into a flame.

The bickering women stopped talking and turned their attention towards Arabella, once they noticed that they had a new visitor. Identical looks of worry, followed by looks of irritation flicked on their faces. For people who had been at each other's throats just a moment before, they were certainly in tune with one another.

Arabella didn't bother to stop, or even to slow down as she approached the First Prince. She just walked towards him with a dazed smile plastered onto her face. Jenna and Cray both jumped up in unison, choosing to stand side by side to block Arabella from the First Prince. Arabella peeked between the heads of the two women while she stared adoringly at him.

"I've missed you so much, my love. I know that I didn't meet your expectations in the past, but look at me now," she said. Then grabbed hold of her hair, which had turned black when their consciousness switched. "Isn't it magnificent?"

The First Prince frowned at her black hair with a look of confusion apparent in his eyes. "Who are you?" He said.

A look of hurt appeared in Arabella's eyes. "I'm your fiancé, of course," said Arabella.

The First Prince glared at her in hatred. "My fiancé has beautiful long silver hair and the personality of a wild tiger. I don't know what type of shape shifting beast you are, but you aren't my fiancé."

After hearing these words come out from the First Prince's lips, Cray and Jenna's eyes briefly met. They didn't have to speak any words for the both of them to agree on a temporary truce. Their truce would last just until they got rid of a certain young woman with beautiful long silver hair. This had been the first time either of them had heard the First Prince so vocally express his preference for a woman.

It was obvious that she had the face of Arabella Amber Frost, the First Prince's fiancé, but her hair color had mysteriously changed and so had her personality. While their eyes were locked in on each other's, Arabella stepped forward to try to get around the two women.

Neither Cray or Jenna knew why Arabella appeared to have changed her magic. Perhaps her family's space magic had finally manifested and had taken over? Perhaps this had made her brave enough to decide to approach the First Prince? Either way, the First Prince was obviously strangely smitten with his fiancé, which certainly wouldn't do. However, he was under the impression that this woman was somehow an imposter. If she was or wasn't, that would be hard to say. It was however, unlikely that someone would impersonate his fiancé whom he was publicly believed to hate.

While looking at her, they glanced across each other, and almost imperceptibly shook their heads yes. Then they both reached out in unison and grabbed hold of both of Arabella's arms.