The Alpha Prince's Witch Bride

Chapter 3

*THIRD PERSON'S POV*

As soon as Suta and Princess Firea returned from the lake, Suta quickly brought the young witch princess into her room. The servant gently opened the door while making sure that she was holding the Princess in her arms properly so that she would not fall while sleeping in her servant's arms. Upon entering the bedroom, Suta walked straight towards the bed and placed Princess Firea on top of it, Suta also placed a warm and comfortable blanket over the Princess's body, but as she placed the blanket over Firea's body, someone suddenly knocked three times at the door, so Suta made sure that the princess is comfortable on the bed first before opening the door.

 As soon as the servant opened the door, Suta was surprised as she saw the witch Queen, Queen Wazanea, standing in front of the second Princess's bedroom door. Queen Wazanea saw the servant who opened the door and when Suta realized that the Queen herself was standing in front of her, she immediately greeted her with formality and respect.

"I, Suta. the servant assigned to be the second Princess's lady-in-waiting, greet Your Majesty, Queen Wazanea," Suta greeted as she gently lift both side of her skirt a little bit, and bowed her head at the Queen. Queen Wazanea simply nodded her head at the servant and shifted her focus at the sleeping princess on the bed.

"She's asleep," the Queen uttered as she stood straight and elegantly at the door.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty," Suta stammered, while her head is still bowing at the Queen. 

"P-Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I let the Princess fall asleep even before the ceremony started," Suta apologized as she lowered her head even more before the Queen. The Queen did not say anything as she took a glance of the servant and back to her youngest daughter, FIrea.

"There is nothing to apologize for. After all, the Princess is nothing but a child, so it is understandable that she will fall asleep in this hour," the Queen replied to the servant which made Suta feel at ease and happy at the same time.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty, my Queen," Suta answered to Queen Wazanea as she felt relieved that she will not be punished for allowing the Princess to sleep before the Orationibus Nocte or the Night of Prayers could start.

"Take care of the Princess," the Queen said shortly and turned around to walk in the direction of the stairs so she can walk back to her bedroom.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Suta answered as she bowed her head again at the Witch Queen. As the Queen walked her way towards the stairs, Suta gently closed the door of the bedroom, and as she heard the clicking sound of the door, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness the Queen seems to be in a good mood tonight," Suta whispered. Then, she looked at Princess Firea who is still sleeping peacefully on her bed.

"I guess we will not be able to attend tonight's celebration, Your Highness," Suta uttered as she smiled at the sleeping Princess and walked towards the single couch inside the room. Then, Suta checked the Princess again before sitting down on the couch. Suta glanced at the big glass window at her left and saw the full moon shining brightly up in the night sky. As she stared at the moon, she could not stop herself from feeling tired from working all day and for feeling sleepy, which caused her to yawn.

"I'm sure the Princess will not wake up any time soon, so I think it is alright for me to take some nap here," Suta whispered to herself, then she leaned her back on the backrest of the couch and closed her eyes. After a minute or two, Suta finally fell asleep while sitting on the couch.

While Princess Firea and her servant are both peacefully sleeping inside the Princess's bedroom, the other witches and wizards, especially the Blackwood Royal family, are busy preparing themselves for the Night of Prayers that will be dedicated for their master, the Nature Dragon named Draco.

"Safhira," Queen Wazanea called her lady-in-waiting, and Safhira quickly approached and bowed in front of the Queen.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Safhira asked and waited for the Queen's orders.

"Check the Prince and the first Princess if they are ready for the ceremony tonight, and if they are, tell them to wait in the anteroom," the Queen commanded and Safhira nodded her head first before bowing in front of the Queen.

"As you command, Your Majesty," Safhira replied and walked her way out of the Queen's bedroom. With the order that came from the Queen, a carriage is already waiting for Safhira outside the Queen's palace and the servant used it to travel faster towards the first Prince's palace. Upon arriving, a valet quickly opened the carriage's door and assisted Safhira in stepping down from the carriage.

"Greetings, Lady Safhira. How may we be of service?" the head maid of the Prince's palace greeted Lady Safhira with a simple bow.

"Greetings, Head Maid Chateu. I am here to fulfill the Queen's orders. May I ask where the Prince is?" Lady Safhira asked.

"The Prince is currently in his bedroom, preparing for the Night of Prayers," the head maid answered.

"Then, I must see to it that he is well-prepared," Lady Safhira replied and started walking her way in the Prince's palace. Lady Safhira walked her way up to the stairs and to Prince Falco's bedroom. And upon arriving, she fixed herself first before knocking three times on the door.

"Your Highness, it is I, Lady Safhira, the Queen's lady-in-waiting," Lady Safhira announced her arrival in front of the closed door of the Prince's bedroom. Meanwhile, before Safhira arrived, the Prince who was standing in front of a table where two different sashes are placed on top is having some minor difficulties in choosing an appropriate sash for his clothing.

"I wonder what I should wear tonight?" Prince Falco uttered as he stared at the sashes on the table. Then, one of his servants stepped forward and bowed her head in front of the Prince.

"Y-Your Highness, if I may say, this blue sash suits your white tunic better than this green one since your tunic itself has blue linings which will compliment your clothing perfectly," one of the servants who was assigned to help the first and only Prince of the Majiro Kingdom, Prince Falco, suggested as she raised a dark blue sash on her right hand while holding a dark green sash on her left hand.

"Hmm...I see, then I will use the blue one. Thank you for your recommendation," the Prince said, and the servant quickly bowed her head at the Prince.

"I am glad to be of service, Your Highness," the servant replied and placed the green sash on the table first before approaching the Prince. Then, the servant gently placed the dark blue sash over the Prince's white tunic. The tunic itself is made of pure cotton, with blue and silver linings, and silver buttons with a shape of a tree carved in every button.

After changing into his Royal clothing, Prince Falco stepped in front of a whole body mirror and checked his appearance, and when he felt satisfied with his looks, he nodded his head and turned around to face his two female servants, and nodded his head at them as a symbol of satisfaction for their service. Then, the two servants gave their salutations to the Prince by bowing their heads at him while slightly raising the hem of their skirts. And before the Prince could say another word, a sudden knock came from the door of his bedroom, so one of the servants quickly walked towards the door and opened it.

"Greetings, Lady Safhira," the female servant greeted the Witch Queen's lady-in-waiting, and when Prince Falco heard the servant's greeting, he immediately walked his way towards the door. And when Lady Safhira saw the Prince, she immediately gave courtesy to the Prince. Lady Safhira immediately bowed her head at the Prince while slightly raising the hem of her skirt.

"I, Lady Safhira, the lady-in-waiting of the Queen, greets you, Your Highness, Prince Falco Terran Blackwood," Lady Safhira greeted Prince Falco who simply nodded his head at her.

"Lady Safhira, why are you here in my palace? Did the Queen sent you here?" Prince Falco asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. The Queen wants to make sure that the Prince and Princesses are well prepared for tonight's ceremony, which is why I am here to inspect Your Highness's appearance for tonight," Lady Safhira answered and raised her head to check the appearance of the Prince. After a few minutes of making sure that the Prince is well dressed, Lady Safhira nodded her head and smiled at the Prince.

"You are ready, Your Highness," Lady Safhira said and Prince Falco simply nodded his head at her.

"Then, as per the Queen's orders, once the Prince and Princess are ready for the Night of Prayers, both of you, together with your servants, must wait in the anteroom of the Queen's palace," Lady Safhira said to the Prince.

"Alright. I will go there now," the Prince responded and started walking his way out of his bedroom. Then, Lady Safhira stepped aside from the door, and just like the other servants, she also bowed her head as the Prince walked past her. After that, Lady Safhira followed the Prince as he walks out of his palace.

"Will you go to my sister's palace as well?" Prince Falco asked Lady Safhira.

"Yes, Your Highness. I must fulfill the Queen's orders," Lady Safhira answered.

"I see. Then, do tell Felecity that I'm already at the Queen's palace," Prince Falco replied as his valet opened the door of the Prince's carriage, and Prince Falco stepped inside, and the carriage went its way to the Queen's palace.

"Let's proceed to the first Princess's palace," Lady Safhira spoke to the coachman and the carriage where she is sitting started to march its way to Princess Felecity's palace. 

After ten minutes of riding the carriage, Lady Safhira stepped out of the carriage and once again greeted by the head maid and other servants from the first Princess's palace.

"Greetings, Lady Safhira," the servants, including the head maid, greeted her while bowing their heads at her.

"Greetings. May I ask where the first Princess is?" Lady Safhira asked.

"I'm here," suddenly, the voice of the first Princess was heard even before any of the servants could answer Lady Safhira.

"I, Lady Safhira, the lady-in-waiting of the Queen, greets you, Your Highness, Princess Felecity Soleil Blackwood," Lady Safhira greeted the first Princess as well while slightly raising the hem of her skirt and bowing her head at the Princess's direction.

"Hmm...so, why are you here, Lady Safhira?" Princess Felecity asked while staring straight into the woman's eyes which made Lady Safhira feel intimidated.

"Forgive me for not making an advance announcement, but I am here because the Queen sent me here to make sure that Your Highness is well prepared for the Night of Prayers," Lady Safhira answered while bowing her head.

"I see. Then, did I pass?" Princess Felecity asked and Lady Safhira immediately checked the Princess's appearance and nodded her head.

"Yes, Your Highness, you are ready for the ceremony," Lady Safhira answered and bowed her head at the Princess.

"Alright. Is there anything else that mother ordered you for?" Princess Felecity asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. The Queen told me that if you and the Prince is ready for the ceremony already, the two of you must wait in the anteroom inside the Queen's palace while waiting for the Queen," Lady Safhira reported to the first Princess.

"I see. Then, off we go," Princess Felecity replied and walked past Lady Safhira who quickly bowed her head as the first Princess walks past her. The Princess's valet opened the carriage prepared for the Princess and without saying a word, the Princess's stepped into the carriage, and the valet closed the doors.

"To the Queen's palace," the coachman heard the Princess's voice so he immediately drove the carriage towards the Queen's palace, and Lady Safhira quickly went back to her carriage, and followed the Princess to the Queen's palace.

Upon arriving in front of the Queen's palace, the first Princess's valet opened the door of the Princess's carriage and assisted Princess Felecity as she stepped down from the carriage. Then, Princess Felecity walked her way towards the anteroom, and when her servant opened the door for her, she found her older brother sitting on the couch, with his servants standing behind him.

"Oh, there you are," Prince Falco said and waved his hand at his sister, while Princess Felecity simply raised her right eyebrow at her brother, then, she looked around the room and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where is Firea?" Princess Felecity asked as she stepped inside the room, with her servants following behind her. 

"Hmm...I don't know, but I am guessing that she already fell asleep," Prince Falco answered as he shrugged his shoulders.

"What? Does mother know? Tonight is Firea's first time joining the Night of Prayers, right?" Princess Felecity asked and her brother simply nodded his head at her, and before any of them could say another word, the door suddenly opened, and the Queen entered the anteroom, so those witches and wizards inside the room quickly stood up and greeted their Queen.

"Greetings to the Moon of this kingdom, Queen Wazanea," every witch and wizard inside the room spoke and bowed their heads in the direction of Queen Wazanea.

"You two are here already? Good. Let us proceed into the forest then," Queen Wazanea said and turned on her heels gracefully, and as she walked out of the anteroom, Prince Falco and Princess Felecity followed behind her, while their servants walked a few steps behind the royal family.

"Mother, may I ask something?" Princess Felecity raised a question, which caught the Queen's attention.

"What is it?" the Queen replied.

"Uhm, where is Felecity? Will she not join us for the Night of Prayers tonight?" Princess Felecity asked.

Ahh, she really asked her. Prince Falco thought to himself as he took a glance at his sister and his mother. 

"Felecity is already asleep and resting in her bedroom," the Queen answered which made Princess Felecity surprised.

"Uhm, is that alright? I mean, tonight is a special night for our race, and she is a member of the royal family," Princess Felecity said to her mother.

"She's still a child so no one can blame her if she fell asleep before the ceremony started," the Queen answered to the first Princess.

"So, Felecity, don't be too hard on your sister," Queen Wazanea added while looking back at her daughter, and the stares that came from the Queen made the first Princess shuddered.

"Y-Yes, mother. I'm sorry," Princess Felecity apologized and remained silent as they continue to walk towards the entrance of the Queen's palace. Then, as they stepped out of the palace, a royal family carriage is already prepared and waiting for the royal family, and a valet opened the door of the carriage, then assisted the royal family as they stepped into the carriage.

"To the forest of Draco," Queen Wazanea commanded to the coachman who immediately obeyed and drove the carriage towards the forest where the Night of Prayers' ceremony will be held.

As the carriage of the Blackwood family arrived in the forest of Draco, the knights from the Majiro Kingdom, who were assigned to protect the Heart of Draco quickly straightened their postures as the royal family stepped down from the carriage.

As Queen Wazanea stepped out of the carriage, she saw the other witches and wizards with high ranking statuses in their kingdom are already in the forest, waiting for the royal family, especially for the Queen to lead the ceremony. And so, Queen Wazanea looked up into the sky then to the big moonflower that holds the Heart of Draco inside, and she saw how the moonflower glowed a little as the moonlight shone upon it.

"It's time," Queen Wazanea announced and so the witches and wizards gathered near the moonflower, surrounding it as they wore their own white robes, except from the royal family who is expected to wear their royal clothing as they approach the Heart of Draco as part of their tradition. Then, Queen Wazanea stepped closer to the moonflower and placed her right hand on top of it, and the high wizard, which is also one of the highest-ranking royalty in the Majiro Kingdom, approached with a small knife in his hand and gave it to the Queen. 

As Queen Wazanea took the knife in her hand, the high wizard quickly bowed his head and stepped away from the moonflower. Then, Queen Wazanea started the ceremony.

"Tonight, in this Night of Prayers, we will show our master that we are his true servants by using the blood of the Blackwood family as a symbol of our long-life oath to the Nature dragon, Draco!" Queen Wazanea announced while looking straight to the center of the unbloomed moonflower. Then, without saying another word, the Queen used the knife to make a wound on her right palm and let her blood flows into the moonflower while the moonlight shines upon it. Then, the Queen glanced at her children, which signaled the Prince and the first Princess to step forward, and the Queen gave the knife to the Prince, and just like what the Queen did, the Prince also made a cut in his right palm and allowed his blood to drop on the moonflower, and Princess Felecity also did the same thing.

As the royal family stood around the moonflower, the other witches and wizards, including those who are left in their houses and are simply watching from a magic crystal using clairvoyance magic, are all chanting their own prayers to the Nature Dragon named Draco and to the Moon Goddess named Luna. Each witch and wizard has their own wishes and prayers that spoke to their master and Goddess, and one of these wishes is for the Nature Dragon to be revived soon, so he can lead the whole world to its greatness once again, just like how he managed the whole Gazina before when he was still alive and before the Dragon's war happened.

As the ceremony held by the witches and wizards continue, one witch has awakened from her slumber, and this is Princess Firea.

"Hmm? Suta?" Princess Firea whispered as she sat up from her bed and saw her servant sleeping peacefully on the couch inside her room. Then, Princess Firea looked slowly stepped down from her bed and approached Suta, but instead of waking her servant up, the Princess noticed the bright light from the moon as it shine down from the glass window of her room, so Princess Firea went towards the door that connects to her veranda, and she slowly opened it, just enough for her to fit herself out. And as Princess Firea stood on the veranda, she can clearly see the bright light from the full moon up in the sky. While staring outside and enjoying the sceneries, she noticed a light coming from the forest of Draco.

"Hmm? What is that?" Princess Firea asked in a low voice, then she suddenly remembered that tonight is supposed to be the Night of Prayers where she must attend, and so, she quickly but quietly, sneaked and run her way towards the forest while keeping her eyes in the light that was reflecting inside the forest itself. And as she arrived at where the light shines brightly, she saw other witches and wizards wearing a white hood while closing their eyes, so she slowly walked behind a tree and watched the others as they perform the ceremony. 

However, even though she stayed silent behind the tree where she was hiding, someone was still able to catch her, and before she could even scream, someone quickly covered her mouth so the Princess struggled her way out of the mysterious individual.

"Princess, please do not panic. I am a knight of the Majiro Kingdom, I will not harm you," a male's voice whispered in Princess Firea's right ear so she took a glance of him and saw the knight's uniform that their kingdom is using, which made the Princess relax for a bit, so the knight let go of her mouth.

"Princess, you must go to the center of that crowd. Your mother, the Queen is there," the knight said and so Princess Firea nodded her head, and the knight let go of the Princess. 

"Please, don't tell mother," the Princess whispered and pleaded the knight who had no choice but to nod his head, which eventually made the Princess smile, and without saying anything anymore, Princess Firea squeezed her way in to the center of the crowd and saw her brother and sister closing their eyes while placing their hands together. Then, Princess Firea saw the Queen looking at her with a genuine smile, and then, the Queen motioned her hand for the Princess to come closer to her, and so did Princess Firea. When Princess Firea is just a step away from the Queen, Queen Wazanea carried the Princess in her arm and that is when the Princess noticed her mother's bleeding hand.

"Mommy," Princess Firea whispered in worry as she looked at the hand of the Queen.

"Shh, I'm alright, darling. Do not worry. Now, remember that tonight is an important ceremony for us?" Queen Wazanea whispered to the Princess who simply nodded her head as an answer.

"It is part of that ceremony to drop your blood in this flower as a member of our family, so would you like to do it?" the Queen asked and waited for the Princess's answer.

"Will it hurt?" Princess Firea asked but the Queen simply smiled at her.

"Just a little bit," the Queen answered.

"B-But, I don't want to get hurt," Princess Firea whispered which made the Queen smile.

"If you don't want to, then you don't have to do it," the Queen replied.

"But it is important," the Princess muttered. And after a few minutes of thinking, Princess Firea nodded her head.

"I-I will do it, mom. It is important for our family, right?" the Princess asked and the Queen nodded her head. 

"Alright, then, place your hand here, be brave, and take a deep breath," the Queen said so the Princess did while closing her eyes, and so the Queen made a small cut in the right palm of the Princess, which made Princess Firea gasp and tears formed in her eyes, but she took another deep breath and bury her face in her mother's neck while silently sobbing.

"There, there. You can make your wish now, my dear," the Queen said and so the Princess closed her eyes and made her wish while sniffing.

"I wish we will not do this again," the Princess whispered which made the Queen giggle silently. And when the Queen was about to say something to the Princess, they all heard a loud howling of wolves from the other side of the forest.

"They're here," Queen Wazanea uttered while glaring at the direction where the howls came from.

"Hmm? Who, mother?" Princess Firea asked but the Queen did not answer her. Instead, the Queen commanded the knights to protect the Prince and Princesses.

"Firea, come over here," Prince Falco said and pulled his youngest sister towards him. Then, not far from where they are, footsteps are heard which alarmed everyone in the place. And after a few minutes, men and women wearing simple gold and white clothes are approaching the moonflower, and the witches and wizards stepped away from those who just arrived.

"I believe it is our turn now, Queen Wazanea," a man wearing a white shirt with golden linings and embroidery, and brown pants spoke with a grin on his lips.

"I prefer if you did not come at all," the Queen replied with a fake smile on her lips, which made the other men furrow their foreheads.

"Don't worry, we will not stay for long. After all, my child is already sleepy," the man answered again and pointed at his son standing beside him. Then, Princess Firea also looked at the young boy standing beside the man who was talking to her mother and saw the boy looking at her as well while smiling, and so she smiled back at him.