Retrieve the Kingdom

The Triumph?

The king boards his carriage. “To Hawthorne! Make it faster.” His personal coachman nods, they started going and lead the whole other war carriages and troop carriages to the lone town of Hawthorne.

King Dougal was questioning why and how, “Is my dream true? Did someone went in the castle and just kidnapped me in my own room!?” He looked furiously to his assistant, Ron. 

“I-I don’t know, your majesty. I am sure you are well-guarded and even more protected because of that incident before. I-I am not sure how did that happen or even that happen…” Ron stuttered, he was more nervous than he could ever be. “You don’t know!? How did you not know!? You should have known if something went in the castle, I didn’t made you my assistant if you are limp-ass fool!”

“I am sorry, your highness. I am not a psychic or anything. I am just a mere assistant and I have weaknesses sir, I am just a human.” The next moments, he regretted saying those things. 

“I didn’t hire a weak person. Sure, you have weaknesses, but bare in mind I only trust people with high morale, dignity, discipline, strongest of all kind, or the most intelligent. Don’t let me down, Ron. You know how easy I can make you a missing person in a snap.” The face of his king made him shiver and fear for his life. 

“Yes, your majesty, I will be better. Please don’t do anything bad to me, please, I will be more vigilant and less weak.” He pleaded, but it didn’t satisfied the king, he was still pissed and might punch his pale face. He decided to be a little far away from him and near the door whenever the king reached his limits. 

After hours of driving and a lot of rants from the king, they arrived at Hawthorne with a lot of guards roaming around the place. “They should have this high security before, dumbasses!” The first thing the king shouted as he went out of his carriage. He pushed some soldiers and went to their commander. 

“What happened here!?” The general flashed an opposite attitude to the king, he remained calm even he knows anytime the king can just say to his mouth that he will be deranked and maybe exiled from his job. “I am afraid to say, your majesty, but the slaves are mysteriously gone.

“What mysteriously gone!? You are a general, and it’s very unusual sentence for you. You are supposed to know what is happening, not mysteriously gone! We aren’t waging war to any mythical creatures.” Even the tough general was even nervous and can’t find any words to say.

“That’s all? That’s all you can say!? What if I fi—” Before the king can even say it, the general stopped him. “No, no. I am just finding the right words to speak, your majesty. Maybe the situation can explain itself to you, right this way… My king…”

He lead him to the entrance to Hawthorne, the place is full of guards roaming and trying to find even a single person just lying around and forgotten by the mysterious rescuers. “The saviors of these people didn’t missed any single one, and the breach can cause information to loose.”

The king pulled his hair in frustration, “Find more! Find everywhere! Do something! Come on!” His assistant is calming him down to prevent him from collapsing. The guards suddenly stopped and saluted, Dougal turned and saw one of his best generals, General Viktor.

“Good morning, your highness.” He formally said. “There are no good things this morning! I hope you have a good one.” He shook his head gently, “I am afraid that we didn’t find any of them, even footprints, but I commanded and cooperated with the other guards in every divisions of the kingdom, in Mottram, Opdhal, Dorsite, and even Enoch. I already alarmed them and not let anyone pass by without full inspection of things, maybe after this day we will have an update or even just hours if they already caught the rescuers.” 

It was not the good news the king have waiting, but it was the initiation he wanted. He calmed down and thinks of what to do. “Get all of the things will we be benefiting on, and burn down this land to ashes. Don’t let anyone pass through, if they insist, lead them to their fate.” He decided to board his carriage again and went back to the castle.

The guards collected some aurels that are left, some crops and other junk that they decided to collect. They lit up a house and let Hawthorne burn, wiping it out from existence. The smoke went up the sky which alerted some people. Others went to Hawthorne and some met their deaths for insisting. The other guards thought this would be a peaceful aftermath, but it lead to some bloods flowing and tears falling for others.

The king went to his castle peacefully, opposite to his mind which is so crowded with thoughts and regret. He assembled the castle guards, “Who let the mistress passed through?” None of them answered, no one dared, no one even speak a word. The silence made the king angrier. 

“Who let the veiled lady in the castle!?” He asked again, but a little less calm. The guards look at each other, they seem don’t know what to say. “You fools! Your king ironically was kidnapped right in his room, and you can’t even say anything if I ask you who let her in? The night guards, what did you do huh? Slept? Snooze in your job? Answer me! Or all of you are out of your job!” 

One guard moved forward, the king almost gestured to tackle him, but he spoke his side first. “I am not the one who let her, nor did anything. I am the leader of the night guards, and in behalf of them, we didn’t see anything nor feel any threat last night, your majesty.”

“Even my screams? You didn’t feel anything suspicious!?” The guard shook his head firmly, implying that what he said is true. “We didn’t heard anything, the night was peaceful.” 

One guard apart from the leader moved forward, he looks at the king. “I am guarding the hallways, especially the hall where the master’s bedroom is. I didn’t heard any muffles, voices, screams nor any footsteps that can alert anyone. I am saying the truth, my king, and if I did, I might rescued you right away, it’s a privilege to be your hero.” 

The queen approached his husband, “It would have been made a difference if I stayed the night with you there, Dougal, I am sorry that I already went home early in the morning.” She sat beside him, caressing his back to let him calm. 

The king ignored her and just think of everything. “It couldn’t be just a dream.” His head aches, “The hit on the head was so hurtful and I…” He groaned as Laila tend to him. “Oh dear, the doctor must check on you. Servants, call the doctor please.” The maids nod as they exited the throne room to call the doctor. 

“Can you describe to us sir what the dream was?” His assistant bravely asked him as he thinks of it. “I was just in the balcony, having my small celebration and suddenly, her voice emerges from the darkness. I suddenly became pale and just fall, I don’t know what happened, I might say she’s a sorcerer, but she isn’t”

All of the people listened, even the guards, they can’t leave yet until they are dismissed. “Then, she tied me up in a chair again, I don’t know how she can do that, but certainly she can. She kept taunting me by saying my name repeatedly every end of her sentences. I can’t also scream a lot since my throat is so dry and so itchy. She said no one will save me, even my guards.”

“That seems like a fever dream sir. It’s so far from reality.” His assistant suggested but was debunked by the king. “But it is somewhat real, everything she said was real. I don’t know because I was too sloppy that time and everything seems too faded out to me. But her voice, it’s so clear, but her intentions are so vague.” 

“Maybe let’s really call some dream interpreter, those you said before that believe on stupid things.” His wife suggested as she comforts his husband. “If you permit us your majesty, we can conduct an investigation in the castle and even on my people. This wouldn’t end if we didn’t knew the source of the problem.” The night guard leader initiated. 

“You may, thank you.” He briefly said as the leader bowed and commanded them to spread out and investigate every possible path to the master’s bedroom. The royal couple was left in the throne room along with the other servants.

The door opened, and the usual Andres was looking at his parents. “I heard the news, and it seems had a great impact to you two.” He said briefly as he entered the throne room. “But it hasn’t on you.” 

“Dad, it’s not my reign anyway.” The king looks at him, “But your image will be affected!” Andres sighed, “Haven’t my image had tampered with years ago? Should I even care about it? You do you, and if I ever am the king, I do mine. Anyway, I am here to say that you should get working with your relationship with Andrei, it’s just weeks before his birthday, you might want to solve your problem with him.” With that, he left the room with a brief notice for his parents. 

At the afternoon, Phoebe decided to go home with Belle and Andrei and asked the archduke what happened. They arrived at the mansion as they went straight in and searches for their target.

“Good afternoon, Phoebe. And apparently, you have Andrei and Belle, good afternoon to you too.” He smiled as Phoebe already knows something happened well for their side. They greeted him before she initiated to ask a question, “Sir Bermin, could you tell us what happened?”

The archduke snickered, “I knew you would ask that, especially with Belle and Andrei by your side. Well, it’s good news but seems a suspicious one.” The three was confused and looked at each other then to the adult. 

“Earlier, I passed by the castle to ask the smoke. The king told me since he trusts me about that. He said that the people of Hawthorne that was left in their wrath was, he quoted, ‘mysteriously gone’. And he is blaming it to the veiled lady he has been targeting for a month.” 

“You aren’t with this, uncle?” Andrei asked as Bermin shook his head. “But we had the same plan, it seems like she knew what I am gonna do. I am planning to rescue all of them in one shot, but seems the mistress done it for me. I am still quiet suspicious about this, and if the veiled lady ever approached me to be allies, I would still reject her, she’s kinda too mysterious for me to trust. We don’t know her true intention and why she is doing this really. I hope saving the nation reason is not only a facade.” 

“Woah, that’s really mysteriously magical.” Belle said, “But, I am happy that Hawthorne people are already free.” The two girls were so happy while Andrei flashed a small smile. They celebrated by having dinner there. Andrei and Belle went to their respective homes.

It was yet another time that Andrei will see the faces of his family. Since he already ate dinner, he decided to went straight to his room. He was thankful that he wouldn’t see the faces of his parents. He noticed the messenger was running towards the throne room. He decided to eavesdrop anything they will talk about. 

“Your majesty, the guards caught one of the carriages!”