All the girls were now feeling scared. They had thought it was an exaggeration that people die but now they new better. Death was lurking near and they could feel it under their skins. They all grew quiet and cautious. As they were not supposed to be together, they dispersed again to move back to their grounds.
Due to the thick canopy, they had to learn to climb trees to check what time of the day it was. During one time as this, a girl from another team did this only to be bitten by a snake from one of the branches. She came plummeting down right on to her friend and the died.
Others ate poisonous fruits and died from food poisoning. Others were attacked by wolves while others broke down and committed suicide. This was because the mind control spells cast by their witch trainers was taking a toll on their mental health.
Kara had been shown time and time again how she was hated. How her father had left her mother after she gave birth to a girl instead of a boy. Her mother also hated her so much that she had also committed suicide and she kept being passed on to her relatives who didn't warn her.
"Nobody loves me," she repeated those words like a mantra as this was what she was being fed by voices. Mara started consoling her as she knew how hard it was to fight the voices since she was going through the same. She had been shown her kingdom falling and her family dying Infront of her. She had seen that the troll situation will get worse, demons will be called but there won't be an agreement and then the kingdom and her family would fall.
She had her own mind to keep sane but she couldn't allow her friend to die. Tough times were coming. They had to survive else everything they had gone through would be for naught. "No I love you Kara. You are my best friend and you have helped me so much. We have grown together the past few months so don't think you are alone anymore. You have me,'' she said as they sobbed in each other's arms and cried.
"When the training ends Mara, please take me as your royal guard. I promise to protect you with my life. You are my dear friend and I would like to stay with you protecting you," Kara pleaded while giving a royal bow.
Mara nodded and said her oath that that if they left the academy alive, Kara would be her royal guard. This made Kara happy as she also gave a vow. Once it was accepted, she smiled happily finally feeling happy she had a person who would always be there for her and she would protect with her life.
Mara was happy that her friend was okay and went to the stream for a breather. The visions she had seen had been stressing her out. If things were to happen according to them, then her kingdom would fall and they would all die. She became so scared. She wanted to ignore them but they gave her a very unsettling feeling that things were going to get really bad.
After the second day had passed, they were taken back to the academy for the fights with the trolls which was the last thing before they graduated. Only sixteen had survived from the forest. They had been buried in the forest using stone graves.
The trolls had now crossed the villages and they were headed for the central lands. The King had finally called for the demons and they were set to come the following day. Mara had returned to the castle with Kara after they had finished their training. Kara had now been officially appointed by the king to be Mara's personal guard.
The day came and the demons arrived. Well, they just materialized in the room. They were just two but the aura that came out of them made everyone want to go outside for some air. Never the less, the king welcomed them and asked them to sit.
Mara, who was visibly nervous, couldn't help but feel like one of this men was so familiar. His voice, his body proportions and everything made her feel like she knew. But from where she wasn't sure. She was sure of she had met a demon she would remember. She stared so much and he abruptly turned for them to look at each other.
She couldn't even stop herself at this point. He was so handsome. He had sharp features. His skin was pale white and his lips were red. He had purple eyes and long lashes that seemed like a portal to another dimension. His black hair was tied to a high bun. He had a perfect jawline and pearl white teeth. How did she know about his teeth, well because he gave her a ' caught you staring ' smile as she was busy drooling.
She got so embarrassed and turned crimson to hear him chuckle. At that moment, she wished for stones to pile them over herself. Oh my God, who had turned up the heat, she wondered to herself.
After some few delegations, the demons excused themselves for a minor discussion. They were shown to another room. Kiel and Zan who were the ones leading the discussion dropped the faces they had put on of calmness. "You told me she was a fae," Zan said feeling shocked yo have seen the princess.
The faes were dying as their light magic was dying. She should have been dead or at least on a death bed yet she was alive and well. This was really puzzling even to the crown prince of the demons, Kiel.
Kiel was the crown prince of the demon realm. He was a demon and fae as his father, the king was a demon and his mother was a light fae. Kiel's mother had been sick due to the dying light fae magic. They had been looking for ways to cure her for more than a decade. Kiel himself was not affected as his demon side protected him.
When he had met the young princess years ago, he had noticed that she was light fae. He had thought she was probably sick or was dead because of the same yet here she was, perfectly healthy staring at him. There had to be a change of plans now.