The Forgotten Queen

Veritas' Knights

"I miss a good warm bath and excellent food. Can't we go back to the Temple Palace!" Sara said, groaning loudly and rolling her eyes. Her eyes closed with her head thrown back. "Please, let's go back!"

Aiden rolled his eyes and glanced around the woods. Edward stayed quiet while leading the way.

"Sara, we cannot return without completing my journey," Isla said, looking at Sara beside her.

Sara sighed, looking ahead of her, and hummed. "For a forest filled with danger, it sure doesn't seem like it. Of course, if we ignore the scary-looking trees and how dark it also looks. There is nothing to worry about," Sara said.

"You do have a point..." Isla furrowed her eyebrows and looked around their surroundings.

The group had already spent three nights in these woods but had never been attacked by any monsters. Isla wondered if Edward warned the group about the dangers to scare them or bring Isla's hopes up.

Isla wanted to see a monster before her other than drawings of them. It sounds crazy, but she hoped to prove to Edward that she could defend herself.

That was the whole reason for training with Duke Jared.

She glanced at her sword, worried she would never use it and it would be worst to have it.

The whole journey through the woods would be a chance to see if she was capable of being a warrior and that she does not need magic to protect herself.

Isla glanced over her shoulder and looked over at Aiden, who looked to have his guard up. Aiden narrowed his gaze in one direction, and Isla noticed his hand twitching.

She turned her gaze back to Edward, and he, too, had his guard up. He may look calm, but his shoulders were tensed.

Isla gaped quietly, realizing that Aiden and Edward were the reason for the monsters not attacking. She felt betrayed by them, and she wondered how long they had been working together.

They never worked together!

"What's wrong?" Sara asked, snapping Isla out from her thoughts.

Isla glanced at Aiden and Edward, then leaned to the side. "I think Edward and Aiden are why the monsters are not attacking," Isla whispered.

"Oh!" Sara said, smiling gleefully, then realized that Isla was not happy. "Oh?"

"How could they do this to me!?" Isla yelled/whispered.

"They care, putting their differences behind them to protect you. I do see no reason to be upset about..."

Isla looked at Sara with an 'are you serious' expression. Sara smiled awkwardly. "You could confront them about it, but let nature take its course. One of these, something would slip, and you would lift that sword of yours to fight for freedom... Well, survival."

"But what if nothing slips?" Isla asked.

"Then I will be happy because I don't know much about my air magic," Sara said.

Isla pouted her lips slightly. She wanted to question Edward and Aiden, but would they answer.

"Halt," Edward said. Everyone stopped their horses and stared at Edward's back. "Let's take a break."

"Yes!" Sara cheered.

"Why?" Isla asked.

Sara and Isla glanced at each other as they spoke simultaneously. Isla furrowed her eyebrows, and Sara bit her lips with wide eyes. Sara turned her gaze to Edward. "Why the sudden break?" Sara asked, rubbing her chin and leaning forward.

Edward narrowed his gaze at Sara and Isla as he swiftly jumped off his horse. "I need to have a look around," he said.

"Is everything okay?" Isla asked. "Are we lost?"

He smiled warmly at Isla and shook his head 'no.' He glanced at Aiden, who rolled his eyes and sighed.

Aiden jumped off his horse and groaned loudly as he stretched his arms out. "Oh my... I needed this break for my back," Aiden said.

"Let's rest for a while," Aiden said.

Isla was hesitant, and Sara slid off her horse. Edward approached Isla and stretched out his hand with a warm smile. "Your Grace..."

She sighed, took his hand, and slipped off her horse. "Edward, are you hiding something?" Isla asked.

"What is there to hide?" Edward asked.

She nodded, and Edward stepped back and let go of Isla's hand. "Stay together as I have a look," Edward announced before walking away.

Aiden glanced at Isla, seeing that she looked hesitant and worried. He ran towards Edward before he entered the woods. "Edward, why did we stop?" Aiden asked under his voice.

"There's something off with the woods," Edward said.

Aiden was surprised that Edward had told him the truth. He thought Edward would give attitude and walk away. "I need you to watch over Isla while I'm gone," Edward said, then walked away.

Aiden's shock turned back to a 'are you serious look, and he rolled his eyes. He glanced around the woods, noticing there was something off with the woods.

It was almost as if the woods were shifting.

Edward and Aiden's suspicions of the woods were on point. A member of the Black Raven coven had their eyes on the traveling party.

They had to ensure that none of them left before confirming who the Guardian was. But most of all, they needed to separate Edward from everyone.

It was time for action since they got Edward wandering into the forest.

"How do these woods always look dark and gloomy?" Sara asked as she petted her horse's head. "It's the afternoon."

"It's called the Shadow forest for a reason. And this your fourth time asking that same question," Aiden said.

"Speaking of questions," Isla approached Aiden.

"Someone is in trouble," Sara whispered.

Both surprised and confused, Aiden glanced at Sara, who shook her head and looked away. He looked back at Isla. "Hey?"

"What are Edward and your planning? I know you two are up to something," Isla said, lifting an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Aiden..." she folded her arms across her chest. "What is going on?"

He glanced over his shoulder and sighed. "Edward and I have been taking care of an attack that comes our way. Bandits and monsters, especially monsters we dealt with them."

"Aiden!"

Isla slapped his arm and glared at him. "Why!? You know that I have the skills to protect myself, even you and everyone."

"I know, I know... It's just that Edward and his dumb push of keeping secrets from you."

"Did he threaten you?" Isla asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"Then why did you listen to him?"

"..." his lips parted, and he sighed. He wondered why he listened to Edward.

He does not like Edward.

Aiden frowned his brows and pouted his lips. "Why did I?" he asked.

"So, you would not be keeping any secrets from me?" she asked, smiling widely.

"Then would you be able to solve the reason the woods moving?"

"What?"

"For some reason, the woods is moving, and it is hard for my shadows to keep up."

Suddenly, Sara's surprise screams caught Aiden and Isla's attention. They snapped their gaze, seeing men dressed in armor emerging from the woods. One held a nervous Sara with a blade near her neck. "How's this for your first fight?" Sara asked nervously with a smile and large gulp.

Aiden sighed and snapped his fingers. His shadow wrapped themselves around the knights and threw them. Sara groaned, then clenched her eyes closed to create a swirl of wind around her. She snapped her eyes open, and the bustle of wind pushed her capturer away.

She squealed and quickly teleported herself away, hiding behind Aiden and Isla. "SAVE ME!" Sara yelled.

Aiden and Isla glanced at each other, then nodded their head before attacking. Aiden summoned his shadow sword, jumped in front, and gave way for Isla to go grab her sword.

A knight appeared in Isla's way, and he swung his sword. She dodged his blade and leaned forward, then grabbed his wrist. She pulled him, punched his knight's face, and knocked him out.

She ran to her horse to grab her sword.

Both Aiden and Isla fought with the knights. Aiden narrowed his gaze onto the sigil, a golden roaring lion and a hola on its head with a scarlet red background. Aiden knocked the knight with his elbow, then another knight jumped him.

Isla groaned, pushing the knight away from her and kicking his knee, then knocked him with her elbow. She turned and lifted her sword in reflex, which clashed with a knight's sword.

She forced herself forward and pushed their blades to the side. The knight groaned, but Isla punched him in the face before he could attack.

Aiden swept the ground, knocking one knight after another. He groaned in annoyance, waved his shadow sword away, and his shadow slithered on the floor. Once, the shadow wrapped itself around the knights' ankles. Aiden smirked and snapped his fingers, causing the knights to be thrown into the woods.

He turned to see who was left. He flinched as a dark figure appeared before him but could not defend himself when the person blew purple smoke.

Aiden groaned in pain, stumbling back and rubbing his eyes. He hissed, feeling the pain burning in his eyes.

He forced his eyes open, glaring at the mysterious figure, and tried summoning his shadow. However, his shadows were not responding, and his body shook until he felt his body fall down onto his knees.

Aiden's breathing picked up, and he tried to push himself back up, but he fell on his face. "Is... Is...la, r-run..." Aiden said in his pants.

His gaze moved to Isla, only seeing her silhouette as she fought someone else. His eyes grew heavier until they closed.

"Aiden! Aiden!"

Aiden felt his body shake violently.

"Aiden!"

He snapped his eyes open, gasping for air and remembering the early events. "Aiden!" a familiar voice called out again.

His crimson blood-red eyes met electric blue eyes, and his hand cupped Isla's cheek in confusion. "Isla?" he asked.

Isla smiled and nodded her head. "You were knocked out by shadow dust and were afraid that the medicine would not work," Isla said.

"I'm okay. But are you?" Aiden asked, realizing his hand was on her cheek and dropped his hand.

He tried pushing himself up.

"You need to rest," she shook her head and placed her hand on Aiden's chest, pushing him back down. "I'm okay. I was able to defend myself. However, our attackers suddenly disappeared, and you were on the ground."

Aiden clenched his eyes close and inhaled deeply. His body still did not recover, feeling his body shivered. He frowned, his brows hearing a snap and c***k of fire, and opened his eyes. He looked past Isla's shoulder, realizing that it was nighttime.

"Why is it quiet? Where's loud mouth Sara and annoying Edward?" he asked.

Isla bit her lower lip and lowered her head. "After everything settled, Sara disappeared... Edward still hasn't returned."

Aiden turned his head, seeing the fire and four horses. He glanced back up at Isla, who looked shameful and gazing down. His hand moved to cup her chin but stopped realizing he was touchy.

He cleared his throat and sighed. "It's not your fault. We did not see it coming," he said.

"But I failed to protect Sara. What are we going to do?" she asked.

"Isla! We'll get her back... Let me..."

He lifted his hand, trying to summon his shadow. Isla noticed that Aiden was still weak and since Edward had not returned. It meant the woods had not returned to normal.

Isla grabbed Aiden's hand, shocking him, and focused his stare on her hold. She shook her head 'no.'

"First, you need to rest and wait for Edward. Edward can trace Sara. It's just that I'm worried about her," she said.

Her hand clenched his hand, clearly worried about Sara. The knights that attacked them were Veritas knights, and Sara's k********g was not a shocker. They came looking for the Guardian, but they took the wrong person.

And Isla did not know how long Sara had until they realized that she was not the Guardian.