CHAPTER 265: THREATENED

Aristia stretched out her hand.

’Do it,’ she said inwardly.

Millie brought out her sharp claws.

With a swipe, Aristia palm slip open. She winced.

Blood pooled in her hand and she smeared the blood on the back of her head and on the rock, waiting for the adults to come.

By the time Adeline and the other men and women searching for her arrived at the riverside, her head looked like it was bleeding.

Adeline’s eyes widened and she quickened her steps, crashing to a stop in front of Aristia.

"Princess, I was so worried." She said, holding Aristia’s shoulders. She immediately noticed Aristia’s head, her eyes falling on the rock.

"Oh my goodness! Princess, we have to get you back inside and treated immediately."

Wilson, Catherine, Alaric and Owen also arrived.

"Tia!"

"Princess!"

The four yelled simultaneously, all running towards her.

Catherine practically knelt down and pulled her into her arms roughly, tears in her eyes.

"Tia... oh my Tia." She hugged Aristia tight her body shaking.

[Is she... crying?] Aristia thought, stunned. This was the first time she had seen Catherine cry for any reason.

Her hand slowly patted her mother’s back. [I’m sorry, mama.]

She felt bad for lying, but she had to do this.

Wilson patted Catherine on the back. His eyes were filled with a mixture of worry, anger, questions and concern when he stared at Aristia.

Catherine held Aristia’s head, holding her close to herself.

Her hand touched something wet, but she didn’t notice immediately.

She held Aristia’s face with both hands, concern filling her features when Aristia winced.

Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, she noticed the streaks of red in Aristia’s face.

Her hands trembled. "What... what’s this? Blood?" She gently bent Aristia’s head, seeing the blood on the back of her head.

A gasp left her lips.

"Tia... what happened?" She asked.

"I... I was looking around this part of the forest. I was walking behind the bushes and I slipped. I-I think I got my head on the stone. I don’t know what happened next." Her words meant that she was unconscious.

"When I woke up, I heard people calling my name. That’s when I called you all."

"What were you doing in this part of the forest?" Wilson’s voice was dark with anger.

It made Aristia shiver unconsciously and sent a bolt of fear up her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she flinched slightly.

Seeing the look of fear, Wilson felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t meant to let his aura leak. He realized he had to control his anger.

He turned to Adeline. "Take her back to the mansion." His tone had softened slightly, but it was still hard.

Aristia looked away from him. Her gaze met Alaric.

There were traces of tears on his face, evident through the visible dried tear marks.

Big drops of tears fell from his eyes and he sniffed, trying to make a tough face.

Owen’s frowning face was filled with worry.

Kai wasn’t there. He was most probably still in the place he was training his magic.

[I’m really sorry.]

Adeline wasted no further time in carrying her carefully. All of them began moving out of the forest and towards the mansion.

With her chin resting on Adeline’s shoulder, Aristia’s gaze remained on the river, even though it was now a distance away.

"Once you’re done with receiving treatment, present yourself in the parlour." Wilson said coldly.

Once they returned to the mansion, Adeline quickly took her to her room for first aid.

She prepared a bowl of water and used it to clean the back of Aristia’s head before taking out the box containing vials.

While she was still taking out the vial, her worried eyes never left Aristia.

She took the vial and poured it on the cotton, ready to apply it on Aristia’s head.

"Let me do it myself." Aristia said.

"No. I have to treat your wound, princess." Adeline refused.

"Just let me do it." Aristia said.

[Or else she’ll notice there’s no wound.]

Adeline stared at her. "If you don’t let me do this, I’ll let his highness know." Adeline was adamant. She even threatened her.

Aristia sighed. "I know, Linny. But just let me apply it first. The wound isn’t too serious. It’s just a light cut. The medicine in this vial heals small wounds almost instantly, right?"

"Yes," Adeline nodded.

When Aristia raised her hand and touched the wound, Adeline quickly stopped her.

"Don’t touch it, princess. You’ll hurt yourself."

Before Adeline could react, Aristia took the cotton and quickly applied it to the back of her head, wincing slightly after, when in truth, she had used her injured hand to apply the medicine, making sure it touched her hand in order to heal it.

"Princess!" Adeline chided. "Huu... Why are you so stubborn?"

She grabbed the vial and bloodied cotton before getting up. "Since you’ve already applied the medicine, I’ll help you wash."

Aristia nodded obedient.

While bathing her, Adeline complained.

"Princess, you promised me you wouldn’t go past his highness’s land, but you did, and now..."

Look what happened is what she wanted to say.

Aristia nodded. "I’m sorry, Linny. I shouldn’t have done that. I got everyone worried."

Adeline was silent, only releasing a soft sigh.

Adeline helped her out of the bath, patted her dry and dressed her in fresh clothes.

"Her highness was so worried. His highness was too. He’s also very angry..." Adeline trailed off. "Prince Alaric and Owen were also worried. I was too. I was scared when you didn’t come back after an hour. I told his highness, and he tried to contact Millie, but he couldn’t. That was when he ordered for a search. We searched for you for a while in the Estate’s forest and then moved on past the border between the two forests. His highness even ordered for a search of the whole Estate and Orrivale."

Aristia felt bad that she had made them all worry so much, but she didn’t regret it because if she hadn’t gone past the border and fell into the water, would she have known about the mythical land?

She left the room and headed to the parlour.

She took a deep breath before nodding to the guards to open the door.