12. The Sevestar Prince Darker Version

Chapter 70

Alice feels a gentle movement as she stirs from her sleep. She's wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, feeling warm and safe, but her legs are sore and her head is pounding. As she opens her eyes, she sees Ash smiling down at her. His smile makes her heart flutter, and she can't help but blush at the sight of his half-naked body.

"Morning, my Princess," Ash says softly, causing Alice to yawn in response. As she takes in their surroundings, she realizes that they are both naked under the blankets. She remembers all the things they did last night - from Ash singing and dancing for her to drinking the aphrodisiac drug - and feels a mixture of embarrassment and excitement wash over her.

"Did we...pleasure ourselves?" Alice asks shyly, unable to believe that she finally gave into temptation with Ash by her side. She looks under the blanket and sees white trail marks on her legs and some on her breasts.

"Of course not," Ash reassures her with a smile. "What we did last night was no dream." He takes hold of Alice's hand and pulls it to his lips for a kiss before standing up to get dressed. Alice watches him admiringly as he pulls on his boxers before turning back to face him with a shy smile on her own lips. "Thank you, Alice. Because of your actions, you freed me from the love poison that might be plaguing my mind."

"You're the love of my life. I am not going to let you go." Alice replies. Ash helps Alice out of bed so they can take their morning shower together to clean up any lingering evidence from their lovemaking session last night.

After getting dressed in their normal clothes, Alice turns towards Ash, "Ash, do you believe we'll find a way to save ourselves from Violet Depression?"

"Of course, we can. Now we should find Queen Ilene since she might be worried about us." Ash smiles while they both walk out hand in hand.

As Ash and Alice sit down for breakfast together, there's a hint of melancholy in the air as they discuss the departure of their counterparts from the alternate world. They learn that the other Ash and Lillie are preparing to return home now that the Lunalas are well enough to undertake Ultra Space Travel once again.

"It's sad to see them go," Alice remarks softly, a touch of wistfulness in her voice.

"Yeah, it feels like we've been through so much together," Ash adds, a hint of nostalgia coloring his tone.

Serena sits on the plane, her frustration palpable despite her attempts to mask it. She's relieved that nobody recognized her except for Ash, but her plans to use the drug on him were foiled by the unexpected chaos at the coronation.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Aria, sensing Serena's unease, inquires with concern.

"Just peachy," Serena replies tersely. "I didn't get a chance to talk to Ash about the murder because of the attack by the assassin."

"It was quite a shock," Aria acknowledges with a sigh. "I don't know Ash as well as you do, but something tells me he's not capable of such a heinous act."

"I wanted to believe that too, but the evidence against him is overwhelming," Serena admits, her frustration evident.

Despite the setback with Ash, Serena finds solace in the thought of Champion Red, someone she can turn to for support and companionship.

Ash and Alice have returned to the Sevestar Region due to an urgent request from Minami. Mark inquires, "How did the coronation ceremony go?"

"It was a spectacle, though there were some mishaps towards the end," Ash responds. "You caught us at a rather inconvenient time, though. We stumbled upon one of the Infinity Gems in Rota, but unfortunately, we couldn't secure it."