Creating a barrier, Mila didn't want ZH to be harmed again like in the past. "Mila?!" ZH knew that she was going to be drained if she kept the barrier up just to protect him.

"I'm okay! We can't get caught!" Mila said, looking back at him and holding his hand that held the reins in front of her. 'I will not let you be harmed like the past.' Holding a strong gaze to him, there was no exception in her mind.

ZH hated how she would do such a thing on her own. Yet, he felt happy that she was worried about him and wanted to protect him since he was using himself as a shield. "When you are feeling tired or dizzy, then stop using it," ZH warned her since he didn't want her to overdo it like she usually did.

Hearing the ground behind them crumble, they were already shooting certain elements at them from behind. Vivian was continuing to run and keeping her focus on the ground in front of her to avoid falling over and failing to protect Mila during the chase. [How were they able to find us?] Vivian thought, feeling as though they would come this far to look for them.

"Tch, they are so persistent. I don't think they want you alive." ZH said, keeping Mila close to him since the attacks on them were meant for killing other than capturing.

"Just like I thought." Mila figured that they wouldn't want her alive since she was the daughter of Duke Reynard who was now an enemy of the Mireraweth kingdom. Looking up ahead, Mila then noticed a few other men with the Mireraweth kingdom's symbol. "Vivian jumped over them!" She yelled with Vivian doing just as Mila said.

"There she is! Catch her alive!"

Vivian jumped over with the back hind legs hitting one of the few Mireraweth soldiers. She then continued forth running with Mila and ZH confused just now. [Umm, did I hear correctly or am I just crazy?] Vivian said, continuing to focus on the path in front of her.

Both Mila and ZH looked to one another since there were likely two different groups after her. "Those bastards!" ZH held onto Mila more tightly, seeing that there were two groups after her.

'Why are there two groups after me?! What are their intentions?!' Mila had questions that she wanted to be answered, but with the current situation, they were at a lost cause. Even if they managed to catch the men after her, they were more likely going to kill themselves than answer them.

Mila started coughing into her palm seeing blood, her throat felt cramped with the feeling that she had to cough. "Mila! Remember what I said!" ZH looked down at her, seeing the blood that she had just coughed out.

"It's okay! I can keep it up!" Mila knew that they needed to get out of the chase, or they would not be able to escape their fate.

ZH was angry and upset, but he then turned to look back as he summoned forth crystals that were sharp enough to be arrows. Shooting it all back behind him, the few soldiers were shot while some dodged it in advance. "They were specifically trained to catch us. We may have to try getting away by flight." ZH saw a cliff, turning Vivian towards that direction where they would fly off.

Once Vivian jumped off the cliff, Mila called her back while ZH held onto Mila. Her barrier stopped working with the final thing she was a red fire-like arrow aiming towards ZH. 'I'm not letting this happen again.' Mila pushed herself, switching places with ZH not wanting to lose him.

Feeling the arrow pierce within her from her back that felt like a sting from a bee, but far worse. ZH saw it with his eyes wide and felt Mila cough out blood once the arrow had hit her. "Mila?!" Landing onto Lucia, ZH held onto Mila in his arms looking down at her. Seeing how much she was in pain with the fire arrow that had entered her body could kill her from within her internal organs even shattering her soul. "Why did you take the arrow?!" ZH had tears falling from his mask that looked down at Mila who couldn't see his tears, but she was breathing heavily in his arms for air.

"I don't want to lose you too." Mila felt her shaking hands go up and hold his cheeks. Rubbing her thumb onto his cheeks, she felt a sigh of relief leave her knowing that he was safe from the dangers following them. Using her other hand to remove her mask as it fell disappearing into the land below them. "Tell my family to take care of each other. Also... my friends who have always been with me to not be led astray by... anything for power." Mila coughed out more blood from her mouth.

"Mila! Don't talk! We'll find help soon! Just hang on!" ZH held onto her tightly looking ahead to see if they could find any close place at all.

"ZH, I'm so happy... that you were... with me... before my last... moment." Mila saw them in the sky and felt the wind against them then saw everything consume into darkness unsure if she was alive or not after.

***

*Clink*

Addis was having tea with Luce and Ai who were very kind to her which she felt more welcomed now that she was in the Maedda kingdom with more people who held a generous and true heart. Her cup of tea had all of a sudden shattered for no utter reason. Seeing it, her mind felt a little afraid for some strange reason.

"Addis, are you alright?" Ai looked over to her sister-in-law whose cup all of a sudden cracked. "Someone come and clean this." Ai had the servants clean up the glass cup of tea that would be considered dangerous to keep around.

"Your highness, do you feel sick?" Luce did not know why Addis all of a sudden looked a bit pale.

"I'm alright. Suddenly, I just felt a little afraid for some reason or unsteady." Addis didn't know what the reason was, but she felt as though it wasn't good.

"Maybe, it's because you are still not used to the new place. You probably still need a little more time to adapt to this kingdom. It's not easy settling down so soon I suppose." Ai figured that it may have been too long since Addis came to see the Maedda kingdom which they all just agreed on. "So, have you and my brother spoken about children yet?" Ai smiled, seeing how her sister-in-law was surely going to have children in the future making her an aunt.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Addis felt their face turn red, seeing how Ai would already start speaking about such a topic.

"I mean... There wasn't much to say, but I think it would be nice to start a family. I'm waiting for my nieces and nephews." Ai smiled even though her face could not be seen since she wore a mask just like her older twin brother.

"Where do you learn to be this demanding?" Addis flicked her finger which had hit Ai on the hand instead.

"Ouch! I can't be demanding? What about Aiken? Isn't he demanding?" Ai smiled, looking to see how Addis had nothing to say since it was true. Both were very much demanding, she didn't know if the sister got it from the brother or they both were born from it. 'Whatever, they are both twins. They would most likely be alike no matter what.' Thinking about it, twins tend to look alike or have the same personality in some ways. It was one or the other which made it hard to know, but Ai and Aiken were different genders which made it easy to know.

'I wonder if I have a say in this.' Luce just sat there, listening to the entire conversation that occurred in front of her.

(-_-lll)

"Hey, what about you?" Luce saw Ai looking at her with a smile which she did not know what to say. "Are you going to also have children anytime soon?" Ai was a very nosy child at this point which made it rather fearful to say anything.

"I'm not sure. It depends on my husband if he wants any children. After all, we haven't been married for that long." Luce did not want to rush things since it would make it seem a bit suffocating.

"I suppose us women are the ones waiting for the men then." Ai leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What about you? You haven't told us anything about whom you may be interested in." Addis then asked, recalling that Ai hadn't told them about any of her interests.

"Are you going to me now???" Ai did not know what to say.

'We both said something about our life. It's your turn now.' Addis and Luce looked at Ai who did not know how to get herself out of the questions.

'I don't know what to do.'

Addis smiled to see that she was feeling a bit better, but the feeling still lingered in her heart.

***

"Mila?! Mila?!" ZH held onto her tightly wanting to just go back and find all of those men who had chased after them. 'Damn those bastards! I'll make sure they pay!' He angrily held onto Mila in his arms, still feeling tears. 'Please hang on!' ZH cast a spell to allow him to travel to his kingdom quicker. Passing through the vortex, ZH coughed up a little ounce of blood due to the large amount of mana it used to teleport them all.

"Your majesty!" Running up to ZH was his very loyal assistant. ZH saw his same assistant with his harsh coal hair and smoldering ebony eyes.

"Get a healer!" ZH demanded and hurried along to his room where he laid Mila down on the bed. Seeing how pale she looked, his heart jumped rapidly with concern and worry about her life.

Rushing in immediately was one of the best and young healers in the Zameth kingdom. "Let me see." He rushed in sensing the weak state that the young lady was in. 'She is like hanging on a needle string.' Stretching his hand forth, he could feel that it was an arrow used with the fire element. He then sensed an ice element in her which was a good element against the fire within her. "She's very lucky." The healer stopped and had Mila's mana slowly gaining little by little into her body. "If she didn't have the ice element, then she would already be dead by now. The ice managed to slow down the fire arrow that was aimed towards her heart."

"Will she be alright?" ZH wanted to know if she would be fine or not.

"She's fine. The ice element is rarely ever seen nowadays, so water and ice would be the strongest against fire I suppose. Although, ice can still be weak to fire in certain ways." The healer removed his hood allowing them to see his faded auburn hair and charming amber eyes.

"When will she wake up, Noah?" ZH sat on the edge of the bed looking down to see Mila sleeping with her breathing a bit faint.

"I'm not sure. It depends on how long she can gather enough mana along with her soul that was nearly shattered into broken glass." Noah was the healer, but he could never know the time when one could fully heal themselves.

"Theo, make sure that you pass along a notice that Mila Noble had been slain by assassins. Make sure that all of the Mireraweth kingdoms know about it. I have to meet with a few other people to inform them about her." ZH kissed Mila's head and left the room with the maids attending to Mila. 'Mila, no matter how long you sleep. I will always wait for you.' ZH wasn't going to lose hope for her.

-End of Volume 2-