Nicholas followed Elianna as she aimlessly walked around the palace. She had barely said more than ten words since they left the grand entrance and had been roaming the halls ever since. Nicholas remained quiet the entire time, his mind racing with thoughts of what was happening outside and how Elianna was doing.

  Nicholas' eyes shifted to Elianna, seeing her eyes were downcast as she walked desultorily down the beautiful palace hall. Her eyes were locked on the floor, seeming deep in thought, like she was barely paying attention to her surroundings. Soldiers would periodically hurriedly walk by them, and luckily, they noticed Elianna and moved out of her way since Nicholas thought that she would walk right into someone.

  They continued their walk until Elianna stopped, and Nicholas halted behind her. Elianna looked to her right and saw a window alcove. She stood still for a moment before approaching the window and looking outside, with her eyes staring into the distance.

  Nicholas walked up and stood beside Elianna, looking at her before following her gaze. Looking into the distance, he noticed that the once ugly black smoke that rose into the air was gone and was now replaced with a beautiful clear blue sky. He wondered what that meant and if the attack was over. He thought about asking one of the soldiers who walked by, but he didn't want to disrupt them from their duties.

  Looking back at Elianna, Nicholas noticed how her beautiful celestial blue pearls looked so distant. Her warm and radiant smile was gone, and her brows were furrowed. Nicholas eyed Elianna worriedly, knowing she had to be concerned about her father. He had watched Lucian fly off with Matilda and heard how they would go directly to the north gate where one of the attacks was taking place. His eyes flicked to Elianna's right hand, and he saw her using her fingers to fumble with the double teardrop necklace he had given her, which is something he realized she only does whenever she is nervous or anxious about something.

  Nicholas' eyes flicked back to Elianna's distant gaze, and he felt worried about her. He knew how much Elianna loved her family and how worried she was for them. He knew because he was concerned about his family, too. He knew his uncle was also going to one of the gates and would be involved in the battle. But he knew his uncle was also a capable warrior, and he needed to have faith in him and the Tri-Union city forces.

  Nicholas took a breath and pushed his emotions down. He knew standing here and being worried about them wouldn't do anything. One thing he could do, however, was try to comfort Elianna and reassure her that everything would be okay. Looking back at her necklace, he smiled as a simple idea came to mind on how to get her attention. He grabbed the black and gold bracelet on his wrist and pushed mana into it while watching Elianna.

  Elianna stood there motionlessly, except for her fingers, which fiddled with her necklace as she stared out the window. Her racing thoughts were fixated on her father, worried if he was okay or not. As she stood there, she started slightly, and her eyes widened as she looked down at her necklace. Her lips curved into a small smile as she felt the comforting warmth seep into her skin from the necklace, knowing it was from Nicholas.

  "Thank you," Elianna whispered, and her eyes flicked to Nicholas.

  Nicholas smiled and nodded, taking his hand away from his bracelet, "You okay?"

  Elianna's smile faded, and her eyes fell as she shrugged, "I'm fine."

  Feeling the comforting warmth from her necklace gone, she let go of it and began to drop her hand. However, before her hand fell below her waist, Nicholas reached out and gently took it. Elianna's eyes widened in surprise at Nicholas' sudden action, and her cheeks turned red in an instant.

  Nicholas gently held Elianna's hand with his right, gingerly rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. He took a step closer to Elianna, and her blush deepened as she looked directly into his sea-green gems.

  "Are you?" Nicholas whispered, his voice soft and gentle.

  As she stood there, Nicholas' question sank in, and Elianna's lips began to wobble as her emotions began to overwhelm her. Her eyes began to turn watery, and she slowly shook her head, "Not really." A stray tear fell down the right side of her face, "I'm worried about my father. The smoke is gone, and we haven't heard any explosions in a while. So, why isn't he back yet?" She looked down, with tears continuing to stream down her face, "I just want to know what's happening and if he's okay."

  Nicholas' jaw clenched, hating how dejected Elianna looked. He was so used to seeing her bright smile and would do anything to see it again and take away her worry. With his left hand, Nicholas reached up and gently grabbed her chin with his index and thumb.

  Elianna's eyes widened, and she blushed heavily as Nicholas lifted her chin so her watery and beautiful celestial blue eyes met his sea-green gaze. He let go of her chin and gingerly used the back of his fingers to wipe away the tears from her cheek. Elianna's heart nearly skipped a beat, and her stomach fluttered from Nicholas' movement. Warmth radiated through her cheek, where Nicholas' skin brushed against hers, radiating through her entire body.

  Nicholas gave Elianna a small, understanding smile, "I know how you feel. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried for my family as well."

  "Oh my gosh," Elianna nearly gasped at the realization, feeling like an idiot. She looked at Nicholas apologetically, "Nick, I'm so sorry."

  Nicholas' brows furrowed as he looked at Elianna, deeply confused, "Sorry?"

  Elianna stepped forward, took her hand from Nicholas', and took him a tight hug. Nicholas' eyes widened in surprise at the sudden hug, and stood there motionlessly.

  "I've been so selfish," Elianna whispered, and her embrace around Nicholas tightened. "I was so concerned about my family. I didn't even think about how you're feeling, knowing your family is out there too."

  Nicholas smiled at the realization of Elianna's apology and returned her hug, bringing her in close, "Lia, we are both worried for our loved ones. There is nothing to be worried about."

  Elianna smiled warmly, feeling Nicholas' arms wrap around her as he pulled her in close. His warm and muscular body felt so comforting as he pressed her against him. She didn't even mind how he didn't smell the best since they had worked out earlier. But she stiffened instantly as she felt Nicholas' fingers brush against her bare back, leaving molten trails as his fingers glided against her skin.

  "You okay?" Nicholas asked, feeling Elianna tense up.

  "Y-Yeah," Elianna stuttered as she broke the hug and stepped back. She quickly looked to the side, trying to hide her deep blush from Nicholas. Once she finally composed herself, she looked at Nicholas and smiled, "Don't worry. I'm better now."

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  Nicholas returned her smile, "I'm glad." He looked at her curiously, "So, is there anything you would like to do? It could benefit us to stay distracted."

  Elianna hummed and grabbed her chin, looking down. She thought it was a good idea to stay distracted and was trying to think of ideas. She smiled as a thought came to mind, and she looked at Nicholas. "You know. We never did get to go on that palace tour. Do you want to go now?"

  Nicholas chuckled and nodded, "Sure, that'll be nice." He stepped back and jestfully gestured to her, "After you, my trusty tour guide."

  Elianna giggled and stepped past him, "Don't mind if I do." She looked over her shoulder with a smile, seeing Nicholas following her, "We'll start at one of Raina's favorite rooms since we're close to it."

  Nicholas nodded and followed Elianna down the hall, looking at the paintings on the wall. Elianna glanced back at him periodically, seeing him casually looking around but not looking all that impressed. Nicholas looked forward as Elianna approached the door, and she smiled at him as she pushed it open. Nicholas stepped inside the room, and his brows rose with surprise when he saw they entered the chapel.

  "A place for worship," Nicholas said, looking around. His eyes fixed on the altar, seeing the golden cross erected on top. He chuckled and smiled, "Guess I shouldn't be surprised that this is one of Raina's favorite rooms."

  Elianna followed Nicholas, watching him casually look around. "My mom told me that Raina takes great care of this place since she is a devout worshiper of the divine."

  Nicholas nodded as he approached the altar and stood in front of it, "So I've heard." He gently touched the top of the white altar and ran his fingers across it, "My aunt told me stories about how Raina and my mom were good friends and would often go to worship together."

  Elianna's brows furrowed with curiosity and confusion as she watched Nicholas examine the altar, his back to her. "Were?" She watched as Nicholas' hand stilled, and he became tense. "Are they not anymore?"

  Nicholas was silent for a long moment before he answered, his voice soft, "Not exactly."

  Elianna's confusion grew as she looked at Nicholas. She wondered what he meant and why he was acting so strange now. She remembered how he would always act strange whenever his mother was mentioned when they were younger. She even remembered how, when they visited the cathedral, Katarina asked her not to ask Nicholas about his mom again. So, Elianna had never asked about his mom again or even about his life in Zasaly.

  Seeing how Nicholas looked uncomfortable and not wanting to pry, Elianna said, "Want to go see the gym?" Nicholas seemed to relax and turned to look at her with a curious gaze. Elianna smiled, "It's large and very nice."

  Nicholas returned Elianna's smile, "Sure, lead the way."

  Elianna felt a sense of relief seeing his smile, knowing he wasn't upset. She spun around and walked toward the exit, hearing Nicholas follow her. Once they exited the room, Elianna closed the door behind them, and they continued walking down the hallway. As they walked down the hallway, Elianna looked at the wall and smirked with an idea.

  "Here," Elianna said and began to approach the corner area of the hallway. "We can take a shortcut."

  Nicholas hummed, watching as Elianna approached the wall, "Through a secret passage?"

  Elianna smiled and nodded, pressing her hand against the wall. "Yea—" Her eyes shot wide, and she looked at Nicholas in shock. "Wait, what?! How did you know about the secret passages?"

  Nicholas' smile faded, "Oh, uh."

  Elianna's eyes narrowed on him, seeing how he was beginning to look nervous as he scratched the back of his head.

  Nicholas gave a low, anxious laugh, "It's, uh, something that I read about."

  Elianna's brows furrowed as she eyed Nicholas. She noticed how he looked uneasy, and his answer wasn't all that convincing.

  "If you say so," Elianna said suspiciously. She pushed on the wall, revealing a small passage between the walls. She jerked her chin and said, "Come on."

  Elianna stepped into the passage first and waited for Nicholas to step inside, and he closed the door. She eyed him for another moment, disappointed and suspicious by his lack of reaction, and he gave her a smile before she shrugged it off and began to make her way through the passage. She walked through the passage confidently, knowing exactly where she was going. After she had visited the palace the first time, she and her mother would periodically visit the palace, and she would love to walk through the secret passages.

  Once she reached her destination, Elianna pulled onto the inner handle and pulled open the door. She exited the secret passage into the hallway, where she saw a few Tri-Union guards hurriedly walking around.

  "Hurry up," One of the guards said as he and another walked past Elianna and Nicholas as he stepped out of the passageway. "They'll all be here soon."

  Elianna's brows furrowed as she watched the guards walk around the corner, "What do you think that was about?"

  Nicholas shrugged, "I'm not sure."

  "Whatever," Elianna said and began to walk down the hall. "This way."

  Nicholas quickly followed Elianna, and they made their way to a set of double doors that wasn't too far away from the secret passage. Elianna pushed open the doors and stepped inside, looking at Nicholas with a smile.

  "This is the gym," Elianna said excitedly, waiting for Nicholas' reaction.

  Elianna remembered how awestruck she was when she first saw the palace's gym, which was far bigger and more luxurious than the ones at her and Nicholas' family mansions. Elianna watched Nicholas eagerly as he stepped into the gym, but she frowned when he didn't react. She watched as he looked around casually and nodded.

  "It's nice," Nicholas said nonchalantly.

  "It's nice?" Elianna repeated with a raised brow. Nicholas looked at her curiously. "That's all you have to say?" Elianna sighed, "I thought this would at least impress you."

  Nicholas chuckled and gave her an apologetic smile, "Sorry to disappoint."

  Elianna shrugged and smiled, "It's fine. I was younger when I first saw this place." She laughed a little, "So I guess I shouldn't expect you to act like I did when I was nine."

  Nicholas laughed and smiled at Elianna, "Tell you what. In the next room that you show me, I'll act as excited as a nine-year-old."

  Elianna laughed and smiled jestfully, "I expect you to keep your word." She jerked her chin, "Come on, we can go see the theater."

  Nicholas smiled and closed the door as he followed her out of the room, "Are we going to take another secret passage?"

  Elianna nodded to Nicholas over her shoulder, "Yeah. Follow me."

  Nicholas smiled happily as he followed Elianna down the hall. He watched as she approached another part of the wall and pushed it open, revealing another secret passage.

  Elianna grinned at Nicholas as she stepped into the passageway, "This way."

  Nicholas followed her in, closing the door behind him, "So, do you know where all the passages are?"

  "Just about," Elianna said as she began to make her way through the passage. "I visited the palace often with my mom when I was younger. She used to be the commanding officer of the royal guard and knew the palace like the back of her hand."

  "Really?" Nicholas said, amazed. "You never told me that."

  "Just never came up, I guess," Elianna shrugged. She smiled slightly, "My dad would always tell me how she was a strong leader, and it was her confidence and beauty that attracted him to her."

  Nicholas warmly smiled at her, "Traits that you inherited from her."

  Elianna froze, and her head snapped to him, with her eyes wide and cheeks red.

  Nicholas stopped, looking at her confused, before his eyes slowly widened, realizing what he just said. "Wait! That's uh... that's not," Nicholas shook his head, stuttering and looking flustered.

  Elianna bit her lips between her teeth, trying to keep herself from smiling at him, looking like a cute idiot. So, to spare him from more embarrassment, she quickly reached out and gently poked him.

  Nicholas stopped and looked at her, confused.

  "Tag, you're it," Elianna giggled before she turned and ran.

  Nicholas looked at her, surprised, and then he jovially smiled and chased after her.

  Elianna laughed blissfully as she ran through the narrow passage, seeing the exit come into view. "You better hurry, Nick!" Elianna chirped. "Once I'm out, I win."

  "You got a head start!" Nicholas argued.

  Elianna giggled, "Not my fault you stood there for a good second or two!"

  Nicholas grumbled, and Elianna laughed as she quickly ran, approaching the exit.

  Elianna yelped with glee as she burst through the exit and twirled to look at the passageway behind her. She watched as Nicholas came into view with a bright smile on his face.

  However, Nicholas' smile quickly faded as he looked behind her with concern and yelled, "Lia!!"

  Elianna's brows furrowed, and she turned to follow Nicholas' gaze and went pale, seeing a sword pointed directly at her.