With one swing of my hand, I released a big shot of air up to the ceiling, causing some of the glass to crack and break. Everyone put their hands over their heads, covering their faces from the shattered glass that fell.

I slowly turned my face towards Gonzalo and as our eyes met, he was in shock. His eyes widened in horror. His feet took a few steps back, keeping himself far from my reach.

My jaw clenched as fury whirled inside of me. "Don't. Ever. Speak. Of her. In such a manner." I gritted.

"Your Highness," Gonzalo pressed on but immediately stopped when I raised my palm towards him.

As a whirlwind began to be heard from my hand, the guards knelt and pleaded with me, begging for me to control my anger.

But Gonzalo didn't flinch. He stood his ground, his hands clenched into fists by his sides.

I was ready to shoot the whirlwind onto him and I didn't care if it could cause damage. However, a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned my head and Elizabeth appeared from a white mist.

"That's quite enough, little brother," she spoke, gently putting my hand down. She then stepped forward, going between Gonzalo and me.

"Your Grace," Gonzalo quickly bowed to my sister. "The guards and I are in your debt."

"Just because I stopped him from killing everybody in this room, that does not mean I was pleased with how you acted, Gonzalo," she replied sternly.

Everybody was surprised at how Elizabeth spoke. Elizabeth was known to be soft-spoken, always gentle with everybody. No one ever dared to enrage my sister. And perhaps this was the reason. She may be in rage but to handle the situation with class was intimidating.

"I beg your pardon, Your Grace?" Gonzalo stuttered.

"I heard everything and the both of you acted like children," she started.

I sighed, bowing my head as I hid myself in embarrassment.

“But Your Grace, I was only telling the young prince the truth,” Gonzalo protested. “He’s willing to break traditions that have been the core of our very existence. The very rules that have protected our realm from those low-life scums.”

“If you continue to disregard their existence as a nuisance, I will not hesitate to rip off your lips,” I stepped forward, pointing a finger at him. Elizabeth put her arm in front of me as she kept her gaze on Gonzalo.

“Young prince, may I remind you that because of their greed, our race was close to extinction,” Gonzalo snarled, his teeth gritted out of anger. “We gave them everything. Welcomed them into our arms and what did they do? They plotted to eradicate us and become gods themselves. Their suffering satisfies me. I’m surprised they lasted this long.”

“Not all mortals are the same. There are others that have a heart of gold,” I replied with Laura in my mind. Everything that she stood for accompanied my words. Kindness. Understanding. A giving heart. She gave me a reason to believe that even the most evil beings can change.

Gonzalo chuckled as he rolled his eyes, looking away from a brief moment. He answered, “They have fooled you, Your Highness. It’s their tactic to lure others and take advantage of their weakness. For a prince, you should’ve seen through that facade. Why would you believe such a false act of kindness?”

“Because unlike people such as yourselves, they’ve given me nothing but warmth and acceptance. Something I craved for the longest time,” I said.

“You’re letting your emotions rule you,” he stepped closer but still kept his distance. “It will be your downfall. Look at what it’s doing to you now. You look pathetic.”

“I think enough words have been exchanged,” Elizabeth interrupted as she put a hand on my shoulder. Her power of persuasion quickly took effect on me, allowing me to stay silent and have deep breaths. She stood before me and faced Gonzalo. “Gonzalo, if innocent lives are at stake, traditions and rules can be overlooked. After all, we need the patronage of humans. Each one of them counts,” she said.

“Your Grace, we’re talking about one mortal. Her absence won’t have that big of an impact. It won’t make a difference from millions of other humans,” he continued to debate with us.

I was about to answer when Elizabeth grabbed my arm, preventing me from exploding even more.

“I suggest that we bring this matter to His Majesty,” Elizabeth replied. “As our king, he can decide on this matter without a biased opinion.”

Gonzalo snorted, showing further resistance.

Elizabeth’s grip on my arm tightened. But this time, her grip was out of anger. Without hesitation, I immediately grabbed hold of hers in an attempt to control her.

“Your Grace, His Majesty will never agree with you,” Gonzalo replied. “He values tradition above everything else. It would be just a waste of time.”

“Then why don’t we proceed to the Crystal Palace now? I would like that it comes from our father’s lips,” she retorted. “Guards, prepare the royal carriage.”

The guards surrounding us bowed and quickly moved, only to be stopped by Gonzalo.

“You dare disobey my command?” she snarled, turning to every guard in the room.

“Your Grace, going to the Crystal Palace is just a waste of time,” Gonzalo took two steps towards us. “The elders won’t allow us to enter the hall and His Majesty will only disagree--”

“If you’re so certain that he would disagree with what my brother wants, why are you so insistent on stopping us?” Elizabeth snapped, frustrated. I felt the impatience slowly building within her. She could be meek and kind. But once you stepped out of line, she wouldn't hesitate to bite back.

I held onto her arm in an attempt to keep her from unleashing her wrath onto everybody in this room. At this moment, she wasn’t in a forgiving mood.