As per the King's orders, the soldiers were already ready to lead the lane. Prince Dominic as well as King Almen had secretly gathered their confidential troops, to make a trip to the forest to meet the specific person.
Yet this was kept under wraps and to avoid anyone else following them, they had successfully designed to escape in the dark. Since everyone was still in the mourning state, none paid much of their attention to what Prince and the King carried out under their noses.
Sitting on the back of their horses and riding towards the thick forest, the soldiers in the front and at the back carried the wooden stick which was ignited with the fire in their hands.
It gave all of them the view of something ahead since the entire night was turning into more darkness. The Suzania Empire has tons of flora and fauna but the certain forest was famous for its thickness and majorly because it can't be simply restored.
It has been famous, where most of the locals, even Royalty avoid coming. Yet the same can't be said for Prince DOMINIC and King Vilas who had the chiefly concerned issue to consult with.
Riding for almost a few hours, as they thought, the troops of the soldiers and both of them had reached the heart of the forest. It was all in the middle, with a tree that was as big as possible to imagine. It was the oldest, but not a new scene for the soldiers who had arrived here along with them.
As the head of the Soldiers gazed at his Highness, he asked, "Shall I go and see, His Majesty."
While King Vilas kept the strict look plastered on his face, without moving his eyes from the ancestral tree even for a minute. "No, I will look at that personally..."
"But isn't safe for you, King."
"Prince Dominic will accompany me. Dominic.." saying this, King Vilas's eyes swept across, to gain a positive nod from his son. Both the father-son duo jumped out from their respective horses and their horses were left in the commands of their troops behind.
Walking with a deep cautiousness, they all were alarmed. The hands were already their swords in case any emergency arrives for them to use it against any enemy or grave danger that might linger around in such forbidden forest to come.
As King Vilas's eyes were filled with the deep mist, there was no scene of fear. He was brave, stronger in his aims, which helped him to proceed near the tree. But that wasn't the simple tree to come across either.
It was going at the back of the tree to find the small cave that was carved there. Inside, there was a man, who was currently resting, with his eyes entirely closed. Half naked, with his upper self not covered with anything else but leaves, and his long hair was all tied into a pony with the help of leave's small trucks.
As they came across the sight, Prince Dominic passed his father a glance before bending a bit to walk and enter into the cave. However, just when he had stretched his hands to touch the man who was sleeping, the deep and stern voice was heard by both of them.
"King Vilas has paid a visit to me this time, there must be something related to Princess Alice then." he had told, without even opening his eyes.
But the words made the King's lips into a straight line. "You are correct. I want to ask a few things."
"Hmm...seems like you've already accepted your late wife's advice to follow what I say...." saying this, the forestman opened his eyes, straightway falling on the young Prince and then at the old aged King.
There was no trace of even a single glint, but suddenly, the man got up to sit in his regular position with all his sleep vanishing into the thick air. "Tell me, what brings you here then."
Hearing this, King Vilas happened to step into the small cave. He bent down on his knees, to keep his sword at the other side. Similarly, Prince Dominic followed his father's actions, to keep his eyes straight at the man.
"Princess Alice is married to a vampire. It wasn't supposed to happen but eventually, things turned out this way." he told honestly, which gained a small scoff from the man's lips who gave the King a smirk."Didn't I tell you that she is unique? You never took me seriously on these words. Now, the results are in front of your eyes,"
"Late Queen was always worried that the child in her womb would change history, and I had already told her about her fate, but you.... King Vilas, she is married into an unknown Kingdom where she has no idea about her own real self."
"I know about this but...." lowering his eyes in the guilt, King Vilas had no words to describe. "She is my sole daughter.... I had thought that maybe keeping her in the castle would safeguard her. She wasn't supposed to marry due to the prophecy.."
"That broke years ago, but you persisted in the thought that it didn't." The forest man answered, shaking his head. At the same time, he used to turn the lantern in his cave to bring some light to the darkness.
A yellowness shields the entire cave, but that brought the man's face entirely clearer in front of them. He then took another rough book that was kept on the corner and opened it slightly, before flipping the pages consciously to land at the one.
His keen focus got equipped with King Almen and Prince's interest. But they were worried about his readings and what next he told them. If things don't turn into favors, how are they going to handle everything? it was still a big question as well as a challenge lying in front of their eyes yet they have to deal with the same somehow.
For the next few minutes, neither party spoke a single word. They all stayed as silent as possible, but then King Vilas's string of patience wasn't holding much either. "What is...there, Forex?"
"Shh....." his tone made King Vilas gulp the saliva present in his mouth once again to finally close his eyes and found that it wasn't his inner peace which was disturbing but also his mind.
Whereas, Prince Dominic didn't react, except to have the patience and hear what the Forex is going to utter for them.
On the other hand, Forex kept them at bay for the next few minutes, keeping his eyes entirely focussed on the wrinkled pages of the book. On it, there were figures made with lines and different geometric figures. But it was more than that..it was the direction of the Moon, Sun, and Alice's own self.
"Do you have anything else to tell me, King Vilas?" His first question took King Vilas aback. "What do you mean by anything else?"
"What happened to her when she left the castle a few days ago?" Forex didn't change his face's direction for the second but had intrigued to question, surprising both of them.
As Prince Dominic rotated his head to look at his father, he passed him a slight nod in acknowledgment to finally blurt out since keeping a secret wasn't in their favor either.
With a lot of hesitation and resistance, King Vilas had to gather the courage from the depth of his heart to say things aloud rather than keeping them in his own throat. "She....was in danger when we went to No Man's land."
"Initially, we found her in bad condition, and later Alice described that there were some voices and the forces which pulled her there. There...she..saw a monster half-blooded whose face was destroyed and burnt.... it was all abnormal."
"And? What did you think about every King Vilas?" Forex questioned again, not being surprised even a single bit. In His eyes, he had already seen this coming and was prepared that something might be going around.
However, the same can't be said for the King, who had to finally accept what he wasn't willing to. It wasn't his fears, but the dangers he knew that came along due to a ton of things...
"I....I think it is the time she is showing her real self.."
"Correct."
Saying this, Forex lifted his gaze to finally look into their direction, and burst out, "Her powers are now coming out at this time. Slowly with time, they will turn more aggressive and it is deeply advised that she gets control of them."
"otherwise....." Fox didn't even have to finish the wordings, but the simple understanding sent chills down everyone's spine. But it was Prince Dominic, who was worried as hell. "Otherwise what?"
"Then we all know what happens with the Witches if they are exposed in any Empire."
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