03

Chapter 3

Sofia Xanders ~

“My lord, we shall do all that we can. I promise you.” I heard morgana say taking the queen Alessia, my best friend from the arms of the vampire king.

Walking beside her, I could hear her do some magical enchantments as she brought the unconscious queen into the gates of the royal coven. Alessia was taken to the healing chambers underneath the coven.

“Potens est, quaeso auxilium tuum. Dea dona nobis succurrat validus.” said Morgana as she placed Alessia in the cool spirit waters that for centuries acted as a means of divine healing for all those who implored it from the moon goddess.

“We are losing her Morgana!” I said to Morgana as I placed my hands on Alessia’s temple.

I could feel her weakness. She had been through a lot of pain. It was a miracle that in spite of all that, I could feel the unborn child growing perfectly without any complications.

“Her only hope now is the goddess.” said Morgana as she began performing an ancient ritual on Alessia.

“Come on... Come back to us Alessia.” “Come back!” I said in thought as the waters started to glow.

The glow signified a miracle was being performed by the moon goddess.

“..Huuuhhh!!!” gasped Alessia returning to consciousness.

“Thank you.” I said raising my head to the sky.

It is by the works of the powerful moon goddess that the queen is revived. All that we tried that included the most powerful of spells and potions using to bring her back were futile so her life and that of her unborn child were in the hands of the goddess herself.

“Sofia???” alleged Alessia looking straight at me.

“Hello, your highness.” I said bringing down a feeble smile.

A smile that was soon cut short by the screams of the queen.

“… Arrghh!! Arrggh!!”

“Your highness I need you to relax and try to be strong.” said Morgana. “I thought the baby wasn’t due for another month and a moon?” she whispered to me.

“I thought same. Turns out the goddess wishes it delivered now.” I said taking a glance at Alessia.

“We’ll have to deliver it. If she goes through more pain more than necessary, there’s a large possibility that we might lose her again.” said Morgana still trying to prepare the area for Alessia’s delivery while I soothed Alessia with a relaxation spell.

“…Push... Push…. Push!!!” Morgana was trying her very best to ensure the safe delivery of the child. “You’re doing great! Just… One… Last... Push!!”

“Nnwaaa! Nnwwaaa! Nwwaaa!!!” cried the young infant.

“It’s a girl!” I cheered with a broad smile. “Your highness, it’s a girl!” I repeated bringing the baby over to Alessia.

“El.. Ell… Elena”. “Her name is Elena.” said Alessia in slow gasps.

“What a beautiful name, your highness.” I complimented as I took the baby from her and clothed the infant. “Your highness??? Your highness???” I alleged giving Alessia a gentle tap when I noticed the seizure of her breaths.

It was of no use.

Queen Alessia was gone.

She had left this world and the fate of her young princess to it. When I noticed that she was dead, I let out a loud cry. I let my tears roll down my cheeks until they fell on the tender skin of the child in my hands. More tears fell when my eyes met the eyes of the beautiful damsel in my arms. She was so innocent-looking. She was caught in the web of something that she had no idea of and something that proved to leave her orphan.

“Princess Elena!” I said stroking her soft and kissable cheeks.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?” asked Morgana noticing my outburst of tears.

“She was my best friend and I just lost her.” I said amidst my tears.

Like me, Morgana shed a tear. I was quick to notice it before she used her left hand to wipe it off the surface of her cheek.

“We have to let Frederick know of this.” “He would be heart-broken when he finds out that his sister just gave up the ghost. He would be beyond devastated.” said Morgana after she wiped off her tears.

“Goodbye Alessia! I give you my word, your daughter would never be lost to those lycans.” I said handing young Elena to Morgana and placing Alessia’s corpse under a cloak.

“Get the young princess ready while I’ll go break the news to Frederick.” I said to Morgana making for the upper part of the building with a sword bearing a silver blade in my hands.

By now, I expected to meet an entire cemetery of corpses when I get to the outer gate. My husband had always been good with a sword. I just hope that he is good and strong enough to take down those lycans. I walked out of the coven and headed straight for the golden gates guarding it.

The moon was as whole as it could get, shining so much light that seeing was not a problem for me, for anyone.

As I got closer to the gates, the screams and howls became more and more pronounced with each step. Instantly, I developed a little bit of cold feet when I heard my husband’s voice. Frederick wasn’t safe. With somewhat bravery, I marched to the gates and parted them revealing the army of lycans and some warlocks and vampyres battling one another.

“Dona mihi inuisibilitas” I said casting a spell.

I became invisible to the eyes of both lycans and vampyres alike. I made my way past the gate that was being guarded by some vampyre swordsmen and warlocks.

“Where’s the king?” I asked a warlock leaning over his shoulder as he conjured a cloud filled with gasified silver all over the perimeter surrounding the coven.

“Queen Sofia, you shouldn’t be out here.” “I get it that a cloaking spell keeps you invisible to the eyes of both lycans and everyone else but this is no place for someone such as you.” replied the warlock saying a few words and he turned a flying arrow into a feather.

“Where is my husband? What brought me here is by far of more importance to him than the battle going on.” I retorted.

“You may be a very powerful witch but the cloaking spell lasts only for a short while. I, telling you the location of the king would send you to your death.” “Before you would be able to catch up to him, something awful might have befallen you and I cannot take such a risk.” The warlock supposed to me standing right before my way.

“I am your queen and you would do as I ask of you!” I flared up showing my witchy green pupils. “Now tell me!!” I ordered with a drop of tear down my cheek.

“What happened? Where is the lycan Queen? What happened to Queen Alessia?” asked the warlock totally ignoring my command as he had noticed the outburst of emotion that was expressed by that tear.

He laid his hands on my skin and I felt him use his magic to run through my memories.

The warlock saw it all.

How myself and Morgana lost Alessia and delivered her trybrid daughter.

“Stop!” I interjected taking my skin off the surface of his hands.

“I’m so sorry for my earlier rude behavior. If you wish to see the king, I would take you straight to him but you’ll have to join forces with me to make the cloaking spell last all through your stay here in the forest.” The warlock said stretching forth his palms open.

He saw everything so I didn’t need to explain or give him any more details or order.

He got the message.

I have to get the news to Frederick before the lycans realize that Alessia is gone or even worse, that she left behind her trybrid child that they have been waiting for since they had her captured.

I placed my hands willingly in his and combined both our powers and energies. A witch and a warlock combining powers was always known to bring about a very great power.

Right now, I needed that power according to the warlock, to get to Frederick, tell him of his sister’s delivery and death and provide efficient security through invisibility for both myself and the warlock as we go.

“Dona nobis inuisibilitas” said the warlock in an ancient tongue and within a few seconds, there was an outburst of light only we were able to see.

Gradually, the warlock was engulfed in the spell and became invisible with me.

“As long as we are holding hands, the spell will continue to succeed for both of us.” said the warlock. “Follow me! I just hope that the king can take such news at a moment like this.” he added leading the way to Frederick.

“There he is!!!” I yelled at the top of my voice when I saw Frederick under the weight of an arrow stuck to his back.

“Queen Sofia, be careful!” the warlock said catching my hand from the lose grip I had placed it on from his. “We go together.”

“Well? Don’t just stand here! Let’s go!” I said eyes attentive on only one figure - Frederick, my love.