Roman stared at the two women sleeping as the carriage made it's way through the kingdom road and turned his attention back to the outside world.
Ever since they left the kingdom, his mind on something else altogether.
Seeing the condition of his people hurt him more than he cared to admit.
He didn't realize the state his people were in, with his seclusion from them for years. He thought they were doing fine but that clearly wasn't the case.
This neighbouring kingdom is in a much better condition than his one and it is considered an 'underdeveloped' kingdom.
Could this be what Lillian meant? I decreed laws for the people but, without really seeing their conditions, do I really have the right to be making all those laws?
Even those men, I didn't know they were still guarding that land. They really must have suffered and all because of this useless King of theirs.
What do I do to help my people now? What can I do?
"S-Stop!"
Lillian?
"Hey, wake up." Roman tried to shake Lillian awake but his hands just went through her and his frog body refused to cooperate with him.
Lillian appears to be having a nightmare with the constant flailing of her arms and incoherent mumblings. He is just surprised that Jasmine hasn't woken up yet from the way Lillian is behaving.
I need to wake her up. But how? I can't touch her. Not like this anyway.
I'll just leave her to her nightmare. There's nothing I can do anyway.
No! This is not how a King should think or behave. She may not be one of my subjects but she is under my protection as long as she is here. Even from nightmares.
Roman jumped back into his frog body and jumped on Lillian, patting her face with his hand, leaving a slimy trail behind on her cheek.
Startled, Lillian flung him back to his seat. She is still fast asleep but blue smoke started to come out from her hands.
Is she going to use her magic?!
Lillian. Wake up.
Roman tried to croak as loudly as possible but there was no response from her. He tried to jump to her also but something created a barrier around her so he just slammed into the air.
What do I do? What do I do?
The smoke coming out of her palms were growing, filling the carriage.
Jasmine isn't waking up either. What is going on here?
He looked out the window and only saw red.
Wait. No.
Not far away, a figure stood on the rooftop, watching the unknown carriage as red smoke began surrounding it. The red smoke came from the person's hand.
"Trespassers are not welcomed." The person hissed out. In a few seconds, the carriage will be destroyed, along with the intruders. "I can't believe they called me that. After everything, I've done for this Kingdom. Well, good thing they came around. I have somewhere to release my anger on."
"5. 4. 3.- What is that?"
The door of the carriage burst open and a big, lumpy figure jumped out, just as the carriage burst into pieces. The explosion resounded throughout the Kingdom but no one stirred.
"What just happened? They were all supposed to be asleep, that way no one could escape. Why is one of them still awake?"
The figure jumped off the roof and made their way to the carriage, footsteps almost non-existent.
They stopped behind some crates and peeked, instantly getting flung away with the crates.
"What just happened?" The person asked, trying to get up but stopped when they saw a person on top of them.
Beautiful, ethereal creature. Who are you?
The person's hood fell off, showing his face red with embarrassment. Wisps of his blonde hair falling on his face as his green eyes looked at the person intently.
"Apologies. I hope you are unharmed." The man stood up and reached their hand out to him.
Before he could grab his hand a bright light from behind him.
"Lillian!" The man shouted and took off in the direction of the flash.
He followed the man and saw a woman on the ground, convulsing and screaming, blue smoke coming out of her. She did not appear to be awake.
"Hey, wake up." The beautiful man was crouched over another woman, shaking her relentlessly.
"Are these the people in the carriage?" He asked himself, eyeing the man.
Maybe I should help him. After all, there is something different about screaming woman there and helping him may work in my case.
Also, I want to keep looking at the man's face. One reasoning outweighs the other tremendously.
"Sir, I believe she is under a spell. Here, let me." A wave of his hand and the woman opened her eyes.
"Incredible." The man exclaimed.
"Oh, it is nothing, sir. Just simple magic." He said sheepishly.
I should know because I was the one that cast it.
"What's going on? What happened?" The woman asked looking around her. A look of surprise passed her face when she saw the man.
"Your h-"
"Something's wrong with Lillian." The man interrupted her, pointing to the other woman.
"Again? I almost died last time and that was with Rose too. What happened?"
"I do not know. She only started speaking in her sleep before this. I could not wake you up either."
"She's trapped in her dreamland. From how it looks like, there was a spell cast on us. We need to snap her out of it."
"How?"
The woman turned to the cloaked man, realization dawning on her.
"You."
Did she figure out that I am the caster? How? I hid my aura so well.
"Come." She grabbed the man and pulled him towards the woman on the ground.
"W-what are you-"
"Lillian! Pretty men are falling from the sky!" The woman shoved him to the other woman.
"Wait!" He shut his eyes, bracing for impact but nothing like that happened.
Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that he is floating just inches from the ground. Looking up, he saw that woman completely calm now, staring at him.
Her hair sticking in all angles from what had just happened.
She was holding him up with her magic.
How? No one should be able to use magic on me. How is she able to do this?
"He is attractive. But not my type." The woman carefully placed him back down. "Are you ok?"
She reached her hand out to the man, a gentle smile on her face.
Who is she? And why does it feel like she doesn't belong here?
He grabbed onto her hand and she helped him to his feet.
"So what happened?" She asked, gleefully. Pausing when she saw the damaged carriage.
"Plenty of incidents. Thank you for finally waking up. What do you dream about that sends you into this rage?"
She froze again when the man spoke, her eyes widened in surprise.
"No way. How?" She smiled, talking towards the man.
"I do not know. It just happened." He didn't flinch when she pokes his cheeks, lonely looking mildly annoyed.
"Do you know, Jasmine?" She asked the other woman.
"No. No clue. We don't know anyone powerful enough to be able to reverse a spell like that."
"Maybe he did it." She pointed to the confused man staring at them.
"W-what?"
"How? His magic levels measure that of a normal person." The woman said, fixing her dress.
"What do you mean? I can feel his magic from here. It's just like the Duke's magic before the wish came true. You are a powerful Magic User, aren't you?"
"No one except my master has been able to detect my magic once I hide it. Just who are you exactly?"