Chapter Four

   At the castle, everything seems to be fine and blooming as the king received good news from the newly arrived knight, Sir Cedrick. Sir Cedrick arrived at the castle with his wounded limbs and broken armory.

     “Yes, M'lord. The coven is finally defeated.” 

     The King rejoiced as he received the good news. A wide smile was displayed on his face as a sign of triumph. After a hundred years of battling with the mages, they finally got the land with no magic left. For they believe that those who use magic deal with evil and darkness.

     “Why you're alone? Where are the others?” the king asked, the smile on his face was replaced by a worried and puzzled look as he saw the knight change its reaction too.

     “I'm the only one who makes it alive.” His voice cracks as he utters words that prove fate is cannot be defeated. 

     Sir Cedrick started to walk straight to the king's throne. His eyes were lifeless and blank unlike before whose full of joy and pride. 

     He pulled his sword and was about to hit the king as he motioned his blade to the air with all of his strength. A strong clashing sound of metals hitting each other echoed around each corner of the palace's main hall. The queen's loud shout-out of surprise interferes along with the deadly clash of metals.

     Everyone was in shock at what Sir Cedrick did. They don't know that the most trusted knight of the kingdom would betray its king.

     “This is your fault!” He exclaimed, the anger from his tone and how he grit his teeth against each other shows how he envies thy king. At first, the queen would've thought that the knight was able to hit the king but it's been blocked by the other knights who guarded the throne using their long lances. 

     Sir Cedrick falls from his knees, he tried to fight back against the two knights who are blocking him from killing the king but they're stronger than him.

     “He's been possessed by a witch! Look! His eyes seemed to be blank and unusual.” The Queen finally finds out that Sir Cedrick is under control by a witch after coming closer to him.

     “But how? They've been defeated in the battle.” Even the king doesn't know why it can be possible to put a curse on someone by a dead person.

     “They put some curse on him. Witches can still put curse and make it effective even if they die. That's how powerful those creatures are.” The queen concluded. 

     “The only way to eliminate the curse is either kill him or find a way how to break it.” She added. The king didn't know where did the queen gain this knowledge of curses. But he doesn't care, he will put the knight on trial after what he has done to him.

     It is the terrible agony from the previous battle that made the knight carry a burden within him. It tore him into pieces as if he was the one who's responsible for his team's death.

     He would blame or hate himself but nothing's gonna change, they're still dead and now they carry such honor for a heroic did. That made him attacked the king for he's being swallowed by his darkness and depression.

     The other knights pulled Sir Cedrick at the castle's dungeon as he will be on trial for the attempt on killing the king. But the incident doesn't stop the king to declare a festival as a celebration for the victory of humankind against the mages.

     “Tell the royal messenger to spread this news. On the night of the full moon, we will be having a feast as a celebration for this success.” 

     The king sat on his throne with frustration and distress. Even though they've succeeded in the war he has lots of responsibilities to work on. This will only fade when he's with his daughter, Princess Lily, who reminded him of his deceased wife and Lily's real mother. From the way she acts and moves, they share common characteristics.

     “Your majesty, Princess Lilliana had been found.” Out of the blue, the knight told the king that the princess had arrived at the castle.

     She always escapes from her guards and servants just to live a life like how a normal human does. She wanted to be free and the only thing she knows is to leave this prestigious life where responsibilities and being chained to carry the whole burden of the land they dominated.

     “My daughter, where did you go? I'm worried about you,” the king said as he hugged her daughter.

     “I just want to smell some fresh air outside.” She lied.

     The king knew that she flee to the village again but still as a father he will forgive her daughter no matter what.

     “Have you heard about the news? The coven had been defeated, we're finally free from magic, we're free from evil.” He smiled as he utters words. 

     The princess looked at him as if she can't believe what he has said. His envy towards mages brings him to this point, eliminating them. She doesn't know why he has done these things, for what? She doesn't know.

     “Why you're doing this, Father?”

     King Alfonso didn't expect a question after what he has said.

     “What do you mean?” 

     “This, I don't know why we need to get this far. Why do you hate those people with magic?”

     The king's eyes widen as he heard these words from his daughter. He can't say it for now because he knows that this will cause damage to their relationship.

     “They're just like us, they can be good or bad and the only thing that they're called special and different is the fact that they have magic.”

     The queen stood up. She's annoyed and irritated by what the princess told.

     “Enough with those fantasies, Princess Lilliana!” she exclaimed.

     After realizing that she already shouted she immediately calmed down as she massages her temples and making circles using her thumb.

     “Do you know what they've done to us, my dear? They kill, curse, and make our people suffer from their diabolic magic.” Queen Azalea's voice was back in the soft and calming tone but you can sense disgust in her.

     After what the Queen told her, Lily still can't believe that mages are bad, she remembered what her fairy friend, Talon, said to her. 

     “We are both good and bad in our ways. It depends on you which one are you going to possess.” She smiled after thinking about him.

     Back to her room, the servants and knights put their eyes on her as if anytime she'll going to escape again like she always does. 

     She immediately asks them to leave and promised them that she will not go anywhere. 

     “Rebecca, can you stay for a while?” Princess Lily said. The servant gave her a wide blooming smile as she bows down.

     After assuring that nothing's left inside her room aside from the both of them, Lily screamed out of excitement. Rebecca covered her ears with her hands because of the princess's high-pitched sound that could tear her eardrums if she did not. 

     “Please, Princess stop it. I'll lose my hearing if you still shout that so loud,” Rebecca said still covering her ears.

     Lily stops from screaming and immediately grabbed the servant's rough and dry hands that she gets from working heavy chores in the castle.

     “How many times do I have to go

to tell you, Rebecca, if we're not in public or there's no one around you can call me Lily.” The princes told her this a couple of times. 

     Rebecca and Lily were childhood friends. Even though Rebecca is only a child of a knight and a servant and soon takes her mother's place, Lily still makes friends with her. Rebecca is caring, kind and someone who can be trusted that explains why she and Lily are good friends.

     “So, what in the world causes you to scream as if you are going to be married?”

     Rebecca sat at the soft and bouncy bed beside the princess.

     “No! Of course, I'm not going to be married that soon. I met someone.” Lily's face began to turn red and her giggles were full of joy and happiness.

     “Is he a prince? A son of a noble knight? An adventurer?”

     Lily shakes her head the moment Rebecca guess because she can't bear the suspense.

     “I met a fairy!”

     Rebecca's face looks disappointed from what the princess told her. She thought of something that can be the one for Lily's heart yet she just heard about a fairy, which happened to be untrue.

     “There's no such thing, Lily.”

     She didn't believe in her, even a fool wouldn't. 

     “You don't believe me, right?” Lily asked.

     Rebecca nodded with pride and confidence.

     “Well, let's have an agreement. If I am telling the truth you'll go to attend my royal class and if I am wrong I'll grant your wish, Deal?”

     Even though Rebecca will lose or win the deal still favor her. She wanted to attend classes with her friend, that was her wish on her last birthday before. 

     If she refuses Lily's offer she knew that she'll bother her until she said yes. She doesn't have any choice but to agree with her.

     “Deal!”