"Are you alright, Your Royal Highness?"
Ismael raised his chin and his arms to his side when Joaquin grabbed his collar. The latter leaned his face closer, eyes barely blinking that could send a chill down anyone's spine. But alas, the third prince was unfazed but rather amused. After all, I always was a win for him whenever the crown prince would react to his taunting. That only meant he hit a nerve or two.
"If I ever know you are involved in this…" Joaquin narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on Ismael's collar. "… you will wish you were never born, Ismael."
"Don't be like that, Your Royal Highness." Ismael kept his grin, unfazed by the thick aura exuding from the crown prince's back. "How can I help a traitor like the seventh prince who is affiliated with the Valiente? A group that is against the monarch?"
"Hah…" Joaquin laughed, studying Ismael's demeanor while the latter laughed with him. "You are gaining some balls, I see."
"Well, you can say I've just been using them more recently, since screwing someone over is the best." Ismael raised his brows knowingly, but Joaquin was too keen to understand the other meaning of that perverse humor. "How was the crown princess, Your Royal Highness? I heard our dear little sister stab her out of jealousy. As your humble subject, I was on my way to see her."
"See her? In this late hour?"
"I need to use my chances." Ismael shrugged. "You know… I somehow picked up this habit of fucking someone from behind, because this pervert here gets disappointed whenever I see their face and they're not as beautiful as the —"
"Ismael." The third prince halted even before he could finish his sentence when Joaquin tugged his collar. "Keep your hands off my wife. I'm telling you… I will not be so lenient if you ever touch the tip of her hair. Fantasize about her all you want, but that's all you can do."
Ismael pursed his lips and raised his brows, studying Joaquin's expression. A laugh broke out from him after several seconds, a little surprised how Joaquin got more furious when Aries was brought up.
"Apologies, brother. I was just being a little playful to liven up your mood, but how dare I fantasize about Her Royal Highness?" he laughed, clearing his throat to recover himself from this astonishing realization. "I am glad that you seemed very fond of her. It puts my heart at ease that our future monarch has a great bond."
Joaquin didn't answer anymore as he examined Ismael's annoying smirk. He believed the third prince had something to do with Roman's disappearance. It would be dumb not to think that way since Ismael made sure to mock him and even brought up the crown princess just to get on his nerves completely.
"You'll regret angering me, Ismael." He slowly let Ismael's collar go, only to bend over to brush his brother's shoulder with the back of his fingers. "Struggle all you want, and garner as many forces as you want, but… it'll all be futile for as long as I am alive."
"Heh…" Ismael smirked back at him. "I appreciate the best wishes. I bear the same sentiments, brother."
Ismael slowly leaned forward to see the crown prince up close. Unlike before, when he would show the slightest annoyance, there was nothing Joaquin noticed but the oozing confidence from the third prince.
"I sincerely wish you could go all out and succeed with your plans. It'll be a shame that you'll emerge from it as a… loser after all that effort and sacrifices." The third prince chuckled with his lips closed, straightening his back, and tugging the hem of his suit. "You can go to me if you need some help. I'll gladly deploy my people to search for our dear Roman."
"Anyway, I'll be on my way. This dashing prince here still had many things to do. May you find the traitor, Your Royal Highness." Ismael bowed slightly and smirked, darting his eyes between Joaquin and the silent Hernan before walking in the opposite direction.
As the third prince walked away, Joaquin's eyes glinted. He looked back and stared at Ismael's back, narrowing his eyes as he noticed the towering figure walking next to the third prince.
"Who is that person?" he wondered curiously. "Had he been with him all this time?"
Hernan raised his brows and gazed at where Joaquin was looking at. He instantly caught the person, who had a towering figure under the cloak, and tilted his head to the side.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness." — Although Hernan didn't remember paying attention to him, which was quite rare of him. The person was too huge not to catch attention, but they ignored him until Ismael and Joaquin's confrontation was over.
"Hernan." Joaquin breathed out, eyes sharpening. "Add more people in the third prince's shadow — never mind. Summon Javier at once. It seemed the third prince truly stepped up on his game… or rather, the person backing him up knows how to play with me."
"Yes, Your Royal Highness."
With that being said, Joaquin resumed his stride and headed to where Inez was kept. Hernan still followed him and only separated from him when they reached the penitentiary to execute the orders given to him.
Standing in front of the cell, the light from the torches the knights brought with him danced on his face. His eyes fell on Inez, lying on her side, her back facing him.
"Inez," Joaquin called in a low tone, but his voice still echoed in the silent dungeon. "Where did they take him?"
Inez didn't respond.
The crown prince fluttered his eyelashes ever so tenderly and spoke once again. "I will only repeat myself once, Inez. If you want to leave this place, don't make it hard for me."
There was another moment of silence in the dungeon. But before Joaquin could signal another knight on standby to open the cell, Inez laughed. He watched her slowly push herself up and glanced over her shoulder.
"You'll let me out?" she asked, moving around until she was facing him, revealing the cunning smirk plastered on her face. "Give me your word, and I will tell you who exactly took him, brother."
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