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n“Don’t think about doing something stupid. We should be thinking of getting out of here.”

nAlexander’s words halted Rita’s steps. He could tell that the female was frustrated but he would not allow her to do anything foolish.

nAlexander could tell that Aurora had a plan in mind. And her expression said that she wanted help but could not ask for it now.

nThere had to be a reason behind all this.

nSince Alexander already knew the major secret behind the Northern Princess that could not be the case. There had to be some other reason Aurora wanted to keep them out of the loop.

n“But you saw her face as well. Aurora looked like she was about to collapse. Not to mention, she looked older. Is her curse acting up again?”

n“I don’t think that’s the case. But people like Aurora are not fragile. Believe in her and let her go.”

nThe sound of someone gritting their teeth reached Alexander. Rita’s pissed-off expression met his face but he refused to back down.

n“Fine. I’ll do this for Aurora and not for you. Now, how do we get to our destination?”

nRita finally gave in. Alexander could tell that she had come to the same conclusion he had and for that he respected her.

nIt was not easy for one to push their feelings back and focus on the mission but Rita was adjusting well to her situation.

n“Blain, you know the way to the research labs, right? Then I’ll count on you to lead us there.”

n“Of course, I know. Now, follow behind me and I’ll take you there.”

nThis was the most silent Rita had been all this time. Natasha’s unconscious body in her arm seemed like a constant reminder to keep on moving ahead.

n“From here on it’s the research area. You can feel the difference inwards and spells being woven in here. This used to be the royal family’s emergency retreat a long time ago,”

nAlexander reached for the spells he could feel surrounding him. The magic was still holding strong here even after so many years.

nUnlike the castle, this place was warm and comfortable. It was not even possible to think that such a place could have existed in the northern territory.

n“This is some strong magic. It also seemed unaffected by the cold outside.”

n“That is because this place was sealed off before the cold spell was placed over the northern continent. The holy power that protected this place is the royal family and it is said that only someone from the royal family can access its powers.”

nBlain explained before he forced the door of the facility open. The sound of hurried footsteps followed from the other side.

n“Oi. I thought you said only the people of royal bloodline could access this place?”

n“I said power, not the place. Anyone can visit this place freely if they know of its existence. But there is only one person who has the authority to come and go as they please.”

nAlexander did not even have to think about the answer. If there was one person who had the access to the tower then it was the head maid.

n“It’s you again? Why are you here? How did you even find this place? Are you haunting us or something? Ah, I know. You fell for my devilish charms and decided to stalk me. I’m sorry to say but I don’t date old hags.”

nAlexander felt his temper rise as he watched the older woman parade in front of him. He wanted to tear her a new one but he did not want to fall to her level.

nSo he did the thing he did best, annoy the hell out of the old maid.

n“Ah, and you think your plain looks are to my liking? Well, maybe you’ll look fancier with some blood on your face instead.”

nThis time, the head maid gave as good as she got. Her words were spoken with amused confidence which did not sit right with Alexander.

n“I can see that not all of you made it till here. I guess our young guest could not hold on till the end. But don’t worry, you’ll get to meet her soon enough.”

nThe small body of the head maid was soon eclipsed by a huge shadow from behind. The owner of the shadow looked big enough to hit the ceiling of the room.

n“It’s the battle suit, the worst one the nobility ever made. It is run on magic and can utilize spells as well. We’ll need to be careful.”

nWhy had Alexander thought that this fight would be easy? Of course, things were never easy for him.

nIt seemed like he had no other option but to go ahead and fight that monster head-on.

n“Wait. I’ll take that thing on. You, take Natasha and get out of here. I’m pissed off and the giant in front of me is pissing me off even more.”

nRita looked calm on the outside but her magic was fluctuating quite a bit. She was just like a ticking time bomb that was about to explode at any time.

nIn this situation, there was only one thing Alexander could do.

n“Alright. You deal with that giant while we escape this place. Take care and bring Aurora out alive.”

nHe wiped his hands off the fight and took Natasha’s unconscious body in her arms. She was a key asset in the Northern Republic’s future.

nTruth to be told, Alexander already had an idea of what Aurora wanted to get rid of. It had to be the cloning facility.

nAnd if so, then survival of Natasha would become a top priority. Alexander was worried about Rita’s chances against the magical tech of the Northern Republic.

nBut he was a rational person and knew when to put his feelings aside for the greater good.

n“You are not going to escape this palace alive. Your opponent will be me and I will also be the one to finish you off.”

nAlexander felt a little surprised when the small head maid placed herself in-between Alexander and the exit route.

nHe could not feel any magic coming off her body but that did not assure Alexander about his victory against her. There had to be a reason the head maid had stepped ahead knowing she could not defeat Alexander.

n“Look out. I’ll take her on so you should keep running.”

nAlexander felt someone shove him backward. Blain blocked the attack meant for him with his sword.

nAlexander could have defended against that attack if his hands were empty but he was currently holding Natasha.

n“You traitor. You were alive all this time? But you have gone too far, Blain. You bring dishonor to our house.”

n“It’s alright with me. Our house was never honorable, to begin with. I am just doing what I should have a long time ago.”

nIt seemed that there was some personal beef brewing in front of Alexander’s eyes. Too bad that he could not sit back and enjoy it.

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