Alice rashly went to his father's room, and check what happened. She looked behind, but Carltlon didn't follow her.
"What's wrong with Carltlon and Caliek?" She shook her head, thinking about it.
"Princess Alice!" Shaotzie stop from running upon seeing her sister in the hallway. "Where is father?" She added, breathing deeply.
"At his room. Let's go!" Princess Alice and Shaotzie run out to the King's compartment.
Alice can't stop herself from imagining bad things, it was a bad omen. There must be bad news, for sure. While the Princesses are worried about the king's condition, Cartlon, a swordsman and Caliek, an old and best friend of Alice stayed at the Princess's room.
"Stay away from Alice!" Cartlon told him.
Caliek grinned and start squirming around, "Why would I? And who are you to tell me what I am supposed to do?"
"I am protecting the Queen from anyone, and so from you." Cartlon touches his sword like anytime soon, he will heave it and drag at Caliek's chest.
"Protecting the Queen? Or you have other personal intention, Am I right, Cartlon?" Caliek asked him in an insulting way.
Cartlon is a loyal and faithful servant of Alice, he's been in Alicesha for so long. "Watch your mouth. I am reminding you, if you have any other motives against Alice, I will break your bones into pieces." Cartlon clenched his teeth, emphasizing each word.
Caliek raised his eyebrows, and stop squirming. "Cartlon! Cartlon! Cartlon! We've been good friends since birth, and so, stop doubting me. I am here to warn Alice about the undead."
While the leader of Alicesha is busy thinking about how to stop the undead from spreading, Princess Alice's people outside of the palace heard about zombies. They begin to panic and prepare their children, a shelter where they can hide, foods, and so on.
Zombies are now approaching.
"I don't trust you! Zombies? Are you out of your mind, Caliek? It's impossible to happen." Cartlon raised her voice at him, of course, he knows nothing. That's why Caliek can't blame Carltlon for not believing him.
"Zombies is coming to Alicesha. If we don't take immediate action right now, Kingdom Alicesha will be plunged and fallen over. Undead will roam around, waiting and searching for a victim and all of us will be infected. Do you want it to happen, Cartlon?"
Cartlon steps back and looked away. He's been hiding the rumor about the massive spreading of zombies at the nearby nation. "I've been waiting for confirmation about that thing, but why does it happen?" Caliek began to change, not physically but emotionally.
His emotions became serious and darker, "There must be someone who invented that virus and injected it into a normal human. Once a person is infected, she/he will become a zombie. For all I know, we must take hold of the elusive mage to end this phenomenon."
Cartlon clenched his teeth as he heard everything from Caliek, he's certain. At this point, they must find the inventor of the virus and the cure itself.
"Let's fight as one against the zombies. This is not the right time to compete, who's the best man among the two of us." Caliek stepped closer and tapped Cartlon's shoulder.
Caliek pour some barley into his glass and swallowed it all. He was standing and behind him is Cartlon, who can't still believe and trust him. "Protect Alice even if it takes your life away. Promise to me, Caliek!"
Cartlon turned his head after talking to, he needs assurance that there's someone who will stay and protect the ascending Queen, Princess Alice, and Shaotzie.
He will stay at the King and Queenside, to keep them safe from the undead. It's not easy to defeat an enemy like zombies, they are cruel, heartless and brutal. Zombies can't recognize mercy and if they smell you, it will eat your brain away.
"I will. You can count on me, swordsman." Caliek and Cartlon do a manly handshake. They both smiled gleamy and trust each other, this time of phenomenon.
Caliek let Cartlon drink to calm his mind and soul. They laugh after a serious conversation, "Your honor, the two of you was summoned by the queen into the King's compartment, now." Lucy told them.
"Let's go!" The swordsman and Caliek hurriedly went to Princess Alice.
Upon reaching the main door, Cartlon asked permission to the royal family. "Your highness!" Princess Alice heard him. Automatically, the door opened.
Cartlon and Caliek were shocked and alarmed when they saw King Sulliman and Queen Marie's dead body. "What happened, Alice?!" Cartlon broke the deafening silence.
"The king and the queen died at the same time and day." Princess Alice replied, looking at nowhere.
Caliek stepped closer to the corps, and he saw nothing on it. The Queen has a rare disease, perhaps it must be the reason why but King Sulliman was doing well lately. What would be the reason for his death?
"Queen Marie died due to an infection of the blood and King Sulliman died of a sudden heart seizure." The royal doctor uttered.
Princess Shaotzie runs towards her parents' dead body and burst into loud tears. No one can explain the grief and pain the left one's feels right now. Cartlon stared at Princess Alice who's forcing herself not to cry.
"Queen Marie; Infection of blood, time of death 11:59, King Sulliman; Heart seizure, time of death, 12:01. Your highness."
Alice couldn't move her body nor replied. She's out from the painful reality of life, she's still in surprise.
"Mother, father, please do wake up!" Shaotzie tried to wake her parents' cold bodies but it won't work, still.
Cartlon and Caliek watch the younger Princess weeping out of pain. "Cartlon?" Caliek whispered.
"The King sudden death is not really a heart seizure. I looked at his body a while ago and I found a small prick at his neck. There must be something strange happening here." Caliek added.
The servants finished cleaning and preparing the royal bodies for cremation. They must do the cremation right away before it's too late.
"Prepare the cremation of my parents' body now! Don't tell anyone about this sudden tragedy, understood?" Alice proclaimed.
"Yes, your majesty!" Lucy, the doctors, and other people in the room kept quiet.
Princess Alice couldn't bear to watch her parents' death. It was unexpected, it wasn't in her imagination. It wasn't normal! But, Alice can't withhold how devastated she was, especially in the facade of Cartlon and Caliek.
**
– 30 days after the knights' mission –
The people of Alicesha was busy preparing and instructing its borders. Alice can't let zombies entered the royal palace. She can't let undead reign her kingdom.
"See to it that all main gates are done indestructible and inextinguishable for zombies!" Alice ordered her people.
"Yes, your majesty!"
They were all busy, keeping its border strong and unbreakable. Alice shouldn't lose hope and faith, she's the Queen. She must be full of hope and plans.
"Alice!" Caliek speaks from behind. "You need to see something!" He told him in such a scaring way.
Caliek leads the way into the peak and top spot of the palace. Anyone who will rise into that breathtaking spot, she/he would probably see the whole place.
"What happened, Caliek?" Princess Alice asked him, watching carefully the dull and jejune scenery. It all has changed, the colorful and lively sight became colorless and lifeless.
"Zombies are coming in our way. Stare and watch what in front of you, Alice. And your people haven't yet come back, bringing up our last hope."
Caliek gasped, and have a long sigh.
"Last hope. You are right, Caliek! We've been waiting for our last hope, yet, they did not succeed."
Alice's hope starts to fade, it's been 30 days. Supposedly, all of them will come back this day but none of them didn't.
Caliek and Princess Alice went back to the wide and busy corridor and gate of Alicesha. They need to keep an unbreakable and tough defense against the undead. They need protection, all of them.
Alice looked up at the bright and sunny day, the warm and blue sky looks calm and relax. "Please, give me hope and reason to hold on." She whispered.
"Princess Alice!" Shaotzie said, "What's bring you here Shaotzie?" Alice replied, still looking up above the sky.
"Look at me, for a while. Your majesty." Shaotzie giggled, and do a puppy eyes to her sister.
Alice turned her head and was startled upon seeing Shaotzie's odd outfit. She was wearing a simple dress matched with a poor pair of shoes. Shaotzie imitated the fashion of the lower class.
"A lower-class dress?" Alice asked. Shaotzie nods her head and turn around for Alice to see how she's confident wearing such.
"Shaotzie!" She exclaimed but Shaotzie giggles.
"Your majesty, one of the knights came back, alone!"
"Stay here, Shaotzie!" Alice, with no hesitation, went straight at the main gate of Alicesha.
"Your highness!" He bowed to the Princess. He rides with a horse and his armor is full of blood-stained.
"Tell me what happened!" Alice exclaimed.
She was nervous, she was hopeless. She needs a piece of good news from him.
"All men got infected, and I'm the only one who escaped. Zombies are spreading effortlessly, they don't know and recognize what is humanity. They eat human flesh especially the brain but if you got a bite, you will automatically be one of them. Zombies are looming towards the kingdom. Your highness!" He explained continuously.
Alice breathed deep in, her last hope was now gone.
"Mission failed, your majesty."