They Call Me Princess

Chapter Twenty One: Winning the War

ALEXEI'S P.O.V.

Three weeks.

She had been gone for three weeks.

My family didn't dare to bother me while I sat in my office doing paperwork. I would sit in the dark for hours on end just working. I was almost finished. In fact, I was on one of my last pieces of paper when there was a knock on my door.

I growled while silently cursing whoever it was. "Come in." Vlad entered not a second later with a paper in hand.

"It appears Your Highness, that you are need on the battlefield once more. According to one of the Generals, they believe that they found one of the enemy's bases." I sighed and rubbed my temples.

"Tell them that I can't-"

"I most certainly will not." My eyes flew open in shock and defiance as Vlad stared me down, the letter becoming crinkled in his hands. "You, sir, have been locked up in here for weeks. Not only did your men find a base, but it could be the base that Isabelle is being held captive at. So get up, put on your uniform, and find her."

Silence followed as I contemplated what he said. "I could have you killed for insubordination," I paused to see how he reacted, but he stood his ground.

"But seeing as how sure you are of yourself, I will join my men by the end of the week."

So, here I was standing in the middle of the enemy base after a long and hard battle. The feeling of victory washing over me like a rainstorm in a desert. All I needed to do now was find Isabelle.

"She's not here." The man in charge spoke while on his knees, his hands resting on the back of his head.

I watched him in interest waiting on him to elaborate. "Even I don't know where she is. He father is a paranoid man. He refuses to allow anyone besides his trusted friends and family to know where his personal fort is."

With a groan I stormed away. The old fool was probably lying anyway. He had no personal gains by telling me where she was, so there was absolutely no reason to give me the information that I wanted.

"Any news Alexei?" Charles strides matched my own as I began entering an office.

"Nothing much, the old man said that even he doesn't know where she is. Her father is a very paranoid man apparently." I began to pace the room before I realized, he has no clue what I'm talking about.

"Alexei, do explain will you?" I sighed while taking a seat. I had nothing to lose by this point. I needed her back and I needed her back now. "It all started eight years ago I guess."

~~

"After she told me who she was I asked her to leave, I didn't expect her to try and flee the country. When I tried to find her I came up empty handed with only a video of her being kidnapped."

He stayed in the same spot the entire time. He never spoke up, only nodding his head when necessary. "So basically, you screwed up and now she's paying for it?"

Great. First my family, then Vlad, and now one of my best friends. Everyone thinks me a fool because I asked her to leave my office and she thought I meant leave my life.

"Sure. Since everyone else thinks that." There was a paused. My head was held between my hands and my elbows rested against my knees. A moment lated Charles' hand squeezed my shoulder as a smile grew on his face.

"You know, if you tell the men then they would more than likely fight harder, and maybe even a bit smarter. They need inspiration and Isabelle's kidnapping may be able to do the trick."

He had a point.

Everyone so far, including myself, realizes that I was in the wrong. If my men see it that way as well, then we might have a fighting chance.

"You just got promoted to General, Charles."

~~Two Months Later~~

We had taken down so many forts. Their numbers have decreased, along with their stamina and strength. My men however, it's almost as if every time we win they get revived with a new energy and new hope that we're one step closer to getting their princess back.

They enjoy calling her princess. It's like a light has been shined during the darkest of days when they bring her up in a conversation. Yet most of them haven't met her, much less know her well enough to even conversate about, but they still do.

She has so much attention and aspiration from her enemy, her old enemy.

But for me, every time we take over a fort I feel relieved and a hope is born inside of me that she'll be waiting inside, and as soon as she sees me she'll smile, maybe even cry out in wonder or amazement.

It's right after we seize the fort that kills me though. Everyone will search up and down, in every nook and cranny, but no one finds her. She's never there.

"He's insane! I promise! All he talks about is being King, being an Emperor with unlimited power in his hands."

I groaned yet again as the ex-general is dragged away and taken to be with all of the others. Every time. Every single time we take over a fort, the person in charge says the same thing.

"He's insane!"

"He has a god complex!"

"All he wants is power!"

"He's just a power hungry, paranoid man!"

I entered the office building and began to search for anything that could be of use.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing seemed to help. There was nothing that could be used to trace them.

All the anger that I built up inside was slowly gnawing its way out until all I could do was scream and punch the wall. The concrete wall was left with the smallest of dents while my fist was numb from the pain.

I probably broke a few knuckles.

"Your Highness, a letter just arrived for you." The young man stopped at the door, his head bowed and arm extended, holding the letter out towards me.

"Who's it from?" He looked up at me, unsure of what to say, before speaking. "I'm not sure, sir, there's no name besides 'Princess'."

Without a second thought I grabbed the letter and tore it open, dismissing him in the process. "Shall I grab a doctor sir?"

I looked at my right hand, with blood slowly oozing out of the cuts. "Yes, that would be most appreciated."

I watched out of the corner of my eye as the boy bowed and left, leaving me alone in the office to read.

Dearest Prince,

Help.

55N 37E

~Princess

She gave us coordinates.

Without any hesitation I ran out of the room and tucked the letter away in my uniform. Paying no mind to the ARR printed on the bottom of the paper.

"Charles, I need a pen, some paper, and a map."