64 Only the one that has lost everything can know the value of the things given to them

Alyssa was discharged from the hospital the next day. Noah was still in the hospital. He had hurt his head pretty badly and was required to stay in the hospital for a month or so. 

One thing that was still a mystery to everyone was that who saved Alyssa. 

Alyssa and Alexander became popular in their country. Everyone was now seeing them as true and just leaders of Coral Bells. 

Alyssa was now respected everywhere. It was not because of the title that she carried, but the thing she did for her kingdom.

Alyssa exited from the hospital and saw a swarm of visitors and admirers for her. It was a new feeling for her. She was never the one to get attention and she didn't know how to handle these attentions. 

Alyssa started feeling strange. Their eyes were burning her skin and was making her uncomfortable. 

Alexander can feel uneasiness radiating from her. He gently held her hand as a silent support. He whispered in her ears, "Don't let them know how you feel. Control your emotions. Put your shades on and raise your head high. Walk like a general who had returned from a war after winning."

Alyssa's face was still discolored. But they were better. She raised her head just as Alexander has said and walked out.

The crowd cheered and showered her with petals of different flowers. There were children standing to give her a bouquet of roses, daisies, and whatever flower they found.

Alyssa kindly accepted everything. She ruffled their hair and greeted everyone with a smile. The crowd parted at last and she got to sit on her car along with Alexander.

"Umm… there is this small party that father has decided to throw on your honor tomorrow," Alexander said.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. Of course, there will be a party more like a ball, to celebrate their success. It is also there for the people to see that the royal family is happy to remove him from its own family. 

The Royal Family was like this. They will throw any person down the hill if that person's dark secrets are exposed to the public. All that the common people see is a façade. In reality, the Royal family is just like the gold dust over a rotten dish.

Count Bright was a very powerful man in Coral Bells. The king will not leave any stone unturned to destroy him and strip him from all the powers. And this was a perfect occasion to do so. Now there was no one in the kingdom to challenge the king so openly.

'I bet he was happy with the situation.' Alyssa thought.

"Okay, I will attend it." Alyssa nodded her head.

"And there is one more thing." Alexander hesitated.

"What thing?" Alyssa questioned

"There will be a press conference held before the ball and you have to answer their questions," Alexander explained.

Alyssa gave Alexander a look which said, 'are you serious.'

"And I bet that it will be scripted." Alyssa sighed.

She knew the answers will be twisted to hide the real truth because the real answers will show the poor management of the court plus, the King's incompetency and they want Alyssa to sing their praises and to say that what she did was what the court has ordered her to do. This is lying and Alyssa hates that.

She felt as if being used. She felt cheated.

"So, they want me to sing their praises." Alyssa chuckled dryly.

"This is how the court works. They wanted their citizen to have faith in their ability." Alexander explained.

"I don't want to." Alyssa rejected him.

"I have spent hours, days trying to find the real culprit. I even nearly lost my life to show the people the truth. Now they want me to give all my hard work to them so that they can enjoy another decade of luxurious life without doing anything. Sorry, I won't be their puppet." Alyssa denied his proposal.

'Beneficial for the country, my a*s, it is beneficial for the court and nobody else.'

"Listen, Allie, try to look at the bigger picture. If the citizen loses its faith in their ruler then there are chances of civil war." Alexander tried to change her mind.

"What if I want that? What if I think that a civil war is necessary for the kingdom?" Alyssa spoke with resolution. There was a spark in her eyes that stunned Alexander. There were traces of storm, a havoc in her words, and somehow that made Alexander to shiver from within.

"Are you planning to revolt? Are you going against your king? Is it because of this that you are keeping tabs on every family member of the royal family?" Alexander spoke harshly. He knew Alyssa would never do this. She loves her kingdom very much and will never plot for its doom. But the glint that he had seen in Alyssa's eyes just now had made him worried.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'Maybe he had misunderstood her. Maybe it was something else that he had seen.' He thought and calmed himself down.

"No, I am not. I just spoke because of anger. I didn't mean any of that." Alyssa lied.

"All I want to say that since when I was a child, I have given everything that belongs to me to someone else. I gave away my rightful title, a room in the castle, my food, my dignity, everything was taken away from me and was given to someone that never deserved any of this. I was forced to live in the most horrible room in the servant's quarter with just one light bulb hanging from above. Even in cold winter days, I had to bathe with freezing cold water. I don't want this Alex. I am tired of giving away my things. I have learned to protect what's mine and I cherish that. I will never let take anything that belongs to mine without a fight." Alyssa said with determination.

Only the one that has lost everything can know the value of the things given to them. It is only then they will cherish it.

Alyssa was never given anything. What she has now was earned by her step by step with difficulty.

Why will she give away her hard work to those people who had never shown any amount of sympathy to her? They were the same people who had laughed at her misery and mocked her on her face. They never even showed their respect towards her that was hers as a princess, as a family member, and as a person. Well, they never treated her like a person. They were the same people that had stopped their kids from playing with her and they were the same people that bullied her and stripped her from everything that was basic to anyone.

These were the wounds that were not going to heal so easily just because they have decided to throw a ball on her honor.

She continued, "If the court wants to look good in the eyes of the public then they better start doing something for them. I am not responsible for them." 

Alexander remained quiet. He knew from where Alyssa was coming from. He had seen her struggles. He was good to her only because he pitied her. In reality, he never stood on her side. He didn't know what would be the outcome of the situation had been if he had decided to fight for her. He now regretted not fighting for her. In his heart somewhere he knew that he is not that courageous. He is weak and doesn't have the power to go against injustice. That's why he admired her. He admired her strong spirit and her leadership qualities. He knew if Alyssa was a male alpha, she would have become a great leader. 

Alexander sighed. 

He knew Alyssa was strong-headed and very determined. She will do what she wanted to do and pursuing her further was useless.

"If you want, I can arrange a room for you in the castle." Alexander proposed.

"And to live with all those people, no thanks. I am perfectly happy where I live." Alyssa declined his proposal once again.

"Ok, tell me your address and I will drop you there," Alexander said.

"Just drop me here. I have to go somewhere else." Alyssa said.

"Hey, I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Alexander said holding her hands. He knew she was upset because of him, but he didn't want their relationship to turn sour because of the political mess when they have become so close to each other like a family.

"No, I am not. You are my only family Alex, my own flesh and blood in this world. I know what you were trying to say, but I am not upset because of you." Alyssa smiled.

"So, we are cool?" Alexander asked hopefully.

"We are cool," Alyssa replied with a smile.

"See you tomorrow then." With this, Alexander drove away.