They Call Me Princess

Chapter Fifteen: Beginning Of Questions

Charles immediately helped me up as he did a quick check to make sure that I was okay. "I'm fine, my head just hurts." I lifted my hand to rub my temples, but retracted my it as soon as I felt a strange wetness.

"Oh, look at that. I'm bleeding." I  nonchalantly studied the red liquid that was dripping from my fingers.

"Okay Cindy, Let's get Alexei and go." Charles gave me a strange look as he helped Alexei to his feet.

"Are my ears supposed to ring?" I asked as I followed the two men out of the room.

"No, no they're not." Alexei replied looked at me out of the corner of his eyes.

I nodded my head in understanding, but that only made me dizzy, and the emergency lights that were shining in a never ending blinking pattern only made my eyes hurt more than they already did.

"Guys, I don't feel so well..." I stopped to lean against a wall feeling nauseous. "Come on Isabelle, we have to keep moving." Alexei grabbed my arm and tried to make me walk, but the hallway felt like it was spinning around me.

He sighed before scooping me up and walking at a brisk pace behind Charles. "But you shoulder.” I muttered while closing my eyes.

"Don't you dare fall asleep while you have a concussion." He bounced my body in his arms. I pried my eyelids apart and glared at him.

"Shut up." Was all I could manage to say while the two men rushed around looking for the exit.

Before long sunlight began to shine through all of the smoke and debris and we finally exited the crumbling fort.

However, outside wasn't much better.

Military doctors and nurses were running around and trying to treat as many people as possible. "Those bastards." Was all Charles could say before he rushed over to some of his comrades.

"Alexei, put me down before you make your shoulder any worse." I demanded while attempting to escape his grip. "No. Just stay still a little longer, I'll have a doctor look at your head."

I groaned and glared at him some more, before realizing something. "Um, Alexei, you do realize that you're shirtless right?"

"Shut up already." I couldn't help but smile as a blush formed on his face.

He walked over to the other men who were lying on the ground waiting to be treated and set me down on a blanket. "Stay still. You won't need stitches but I still need to disinfect the wound."

Before I could respond he dabbed a piece of gauze that was drenched in water on my head. I hissed slightly before biting my lip.

"Reminds me of the first time that we met." He muttered when he re-dipped the bandage before starting again. "Almost." I responded with a small smile.

"What happened after you got on that plane?" I bit my lip thinking over what to say.

"Well, the flight attendant was the same size as me, so while someone tended to my wounds more thoroughly she gave me some clothes. After that I got a job at a coffee shop, that's where I met Mr. Leroy years later. He overheard a conversation that I had with a coworker and immediately offered me an internship since his current secretary was retiring."

He began to wrap another bandage around my head, doing his best not to completely ruin my hair.

As if it wasn't already.

"The rest you know." I finished carefully checking where he tied the knot.

Charles came up as soon as I was finished and tossed Alexei a shirt. "I'm sure that Cinderella doesn't mind, but it's too cold out to be a bathing suit model."

The blood rushed to my cheeks leaving them a bright pink. Alexei quickly and happily tugged the shirt on and breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened after I left?"

He hummed before scooting behind me and pulling me close to him. "Relax and I'll tell you." I sighed while closing my eyes and leaning my head against his chest.

"After you ran off it was Charles that showed up. He helped me get to the medical tent and explained what happened. We won the battle, as expected due to our advantage in numbers. After that, it was the usual victory march home." I nodded my head and took a deep breath.

I wonder what happened to Eric, Freddie, and Lawson...

"Your Highness!" Vlad came out of nowhere with a few reporters following behind him.

"Vlad, now's not the time for any publicity." Alexei quietly scolded trying not to bother me.

"Well, the original plan was for Miss Isabelle to be visiting some of the wounded men, not for her to join them." I couldn't help but chuckle at that, but it mostly ended in me clutching my head in pain.

"I'll bring the car up immediately to escort her back to the fortress. She most certainly needs a professional to take a look at her head." Vlad quickly jogged off and the reporters began to question different men on what happened.

"I'm going to ask you to not come back, and I expect you to respect that. No matter what Charles says. I better be on my deathbed if you're going to set foot in here ever again. Understand?"

I nodded my head while I watched some of the men being treated.

"Do you think that they know I'm here? The rebels I mean."

Alexei looked down at me with a calculating gaze before responding.

"Did you change your name?" I nodded my head while I turned to look at him. "At least my last name."

He continued to look at me with a questioning gaze. "What's your birth name?" I sighed and shook my head, turning my gaze to the ground.

"I'll tell you another time." About that time Vlad drove up in a car and opened one of the doors for me.

I stood up and nodded to Alexei with a smile. "It's been a pleasure." I said before entering the car and waving as it drove away.

When he was out of sight I leaned my head into the seat and closed my eyes with a loud sigh.

I have to tell him.