Chapter 855: 855-The Fake Princess
Helanie:
We began to walk into the woods, having no clue where to go. It seemed like a huge world, but when I noticed invisible barriers blocking some places, I realized we could only go where Emmet had walked because this was his dreamland.
I understood it quickly, so I began to follow a clear path while dragging the gray woman with me. She kept yapping, telling me how horrible I was to treat an elderly person like that, and I couldn’t understand why she expected my respect.
To me she was just a witch.
I silently dragged her along without answering, because I knew she was trying to distract me or break my confidence.
As we went on I heard someone screaming in the distance, so I started paying attention, and at the same time the fucking gray woman began to scream ahead too, probably to divert my attention.
I quickly reached the person and immediately, from a little distance, I could tell it was Maximus. He was tied to a tree. I rushed toward him, but first I stuck out my leg and tossed the gray woman over it, knocking her to the ground on purpose before running to Maximus.
"Helanie, what are you doing here?" he asked, the shock visible on his face as I started to untie him.
"Emmet," I muttered. "It has to be Emmet who tied him. There’s no way Azura could do it."
"Emmet used the vines from the trees to do it," Maximus explained. And he did a pretty great job.
"It was just three minutes ago, so they’re definitely not far away," he added. It was useful information, but also a reminder that it was a day ago that Maximus entered the dream yet so little happened here.
Maximus told me everything in the meantime, how he found out that fucking Azura had lied to him about being a princess, how Emmet believed her, and how they argued before Emmet tied him up.
He said he couldn’t even fight Emmet because it was his brother against him.
"Now, where do you think they went?" I asked, but I noticed his eyes lingering behind me.
"Who is that?" he questioned, pointing at the gray woman.
I had almost forgotten about her. Only after he mentioned her did I turn my head and see her trying to run away, like a fucking mummy wrapped in a white sheet.
I sped after her and grabbed her by the neck again. I had freed Maximus, so it was just the two of us, working together to find Emmet.
"Guess who she is?" I asked, shaking her while still holding the back of her neck. I could already tell she was furious with the disrespect, which only made me want to do it more. I wanted to hit her ego where it hurt the most.
"Please tell me she isn’t someone Emmet was having an affair with and you brought her here to confront him," Maximus said, hands on his waist. Even in such a stressful moment, he managed to joke.
"That is the gray woman your mother used to work with," I stated. He rolled his head back before nodding slowly.
"Oh, how did you get her, and why did you bring her here? Is it to break the curse?" he began, speaking faster than I could answer. He always had too many questions and wouldn’t stop until somebody answered.
"Actually, you’ll be amazed to find out that this bitch is also Azura’s mother," I mumbled, watching Maximus’s eyes grow twice their size. Now he was truly struck.
"No wonder Azura is so cunning," he muttered. "She got it from her mother. Hey, is that all you taught her?" He stepped forward, grunting at the gray woman.
"If you think you can make Azura confess to Emmet that she isn’t who she claims to be, then you’re wrong. My daughter is made of steel. She will never give up." the gray woman hissed.
"Yeah, we’re gonna see about that," I commented, giving her a cheeky grin. "Let’s go after them," I added. After everything Maximus had told me, I realized Azura was just sending him on a wild goose chase, with no idea where to lead him.
I guessed she just wanted to spend more time with him so she could make him fall for her. That was the best explanation I could come up with.
We continued walking until we began to hear footsteps in front of us and some talking.
It was mainly Azura, rambling about her favorite weather, what she liked, and what she did. Honestly, none of it matched what she actually does in real life.
"And so then I wake up, I comb my hair, I sing to the birds, I dance," I heard Azura say to Emmet as we drew near. It made me laugh because the Azura I know, the same Azura who lives in the same mansion as mine, wakes up lazy as hell, doesn’t make her bed, showers, comes out to eat breakfast leaving the dishes, goes back to her room and sleeps again.
Then she wakes up, eats lunch in bed, takes a nap among the crumbs, or just sits by the window staring outside. There was no way she could sing, she’s so fucking annoyed all the time that no amount of birds chirping would make her happy.
"Well, that is a fucking lie," as soon as I commented, I noticed both Emmet and Azura stop. Seeing just Emmet’s back gave me so much hope.
Then he steadily turned around, and in that moment our eyes met. I honestly felt like I had fallen in love with him all over again.
I noticed how Emmet looked very dull until our eyes met, and then he seemed more alert, as if he had just realized something. He began to frown, and as my name probably reached his lips, Azura stepped forward.
"She is the evil woman who those people are working for," she said. "She is the one leading the enemies to kill me so she can take my crown." She pointed at me, jolting Emmet fully awake from his initial daze.