Queen Elise went to the temple to pray. She felt that she was losing hope and her strength was failing her as well. She needed to know what she should do and how are son and Lucas were doing. She got down on her knees and prayed, "Guardians, I come before you and I ask that you be lenient with this kingdom. The pain and anguish is more than we can bear. I have tried to do my best but it feels like my best isn't good enough. Please Guardians, help me." she prayed.
There was a smoke coming into the temple and it covered the place and a voice spoke in the midst of the smoke, "Fear not, your majesty. Soon, the storm will be over."
"How long am I going to wait until this storm is over?" she asked with tears in her eyes.
"As long as it's going to take." the voice spoke. "Be not weary and do not faint, for this is only for a while." the whole disappeared and everywhere became clear.
The queen thanked the guardians for listening to her prayers and she got up with her strength renewed.
She was surprised to see Xenia standing in front of the temple. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I feel the need to pray for the safety of the Prince and Lucas."
The queen gave her a strange look that made Xenia smile. "Is this about my son or about Lucas?" Xenia was speechless. The queen already got and answer. "Fine, I will leave you to it then." Xenia bowed her head and watch the Queen leave with her guards before entering the temple.
She got down on her knees and prayed. "Dear Guardians, if you can hear me, please give ears to my prayers and make the Prince and Lucas successful in this journey. Keep them safe from harm and let them arrive with her. I wish to know how Lucas is doing, please keep him safe for me."
After praying, she got up and left the temple but on her way to the palace, she met Prince Zod who seems to be waiting for her. She tried to ignore his presence but before she could leave without him noticing, he caught sight of her.
"Leaving without me?" he asked but Xenia was silent. "Why didn't you invite me to come to the temple with you? And why did you leave the palace without any guards?"
Xenia was confused. Is he worried about my wellbeing right now? She asked herself. "I am fine, your highness. You need not worry about a mere maiden."
Prince Zod moved closer to her and look at her. He was about to touch her when he restrained himself. "I don't know but I have come to respect you." he told her. "My respect isn't something I give to anyone not to speak of a maiden but..." he paused and stroke her face. "...I... Find myself falling deeper in love with you."
"May the guardians forbid that a prince would fall in love with me!" Xenia rejected which made the Prince scoff.
"Why would the guardians forbid it? I am a Prince and I can choose whosoever I want, do you dare defy me?"
Xenia shook her head. "But I cannot accept your feelings, your highness."
"Because your heart belongs to another?" Xenia silence gave her away. "That is why I won't stop until I have you." Prince Zod didn't say more and he left.
Lucas, I don't know how much I can't wait any longer. She said within herself.
🗝️🗝️🗝️
Prince Edward and Lucas were on their way to get some things from the market when they saw Ken's mother. "She is the only one, I think now is the right time to ask her." Lucas told the Prince.
They walked up to the woman. "What may I get you?" the woman asked without looking up at them.
"How about you give us some answers and we will give you a huge amount of money." Lucas said. This made the woman look up at them and she was shocked when she saw them.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
Prince Edward dropped some dollars of money on her table and said, "All these can be yours if you cooperate with us and give us the information we need."
The woman was about to take the money when Lucas used his hand to cover the money, "Will you tell us what we need to know?"
The woman thought about it. What's the use of the amulet when money is involved? She cleared her throat and spilled out the beans. "My son didn't sell the amulet, it was with him but when I came in contact with it and try to open it, it attacked me. That was the last thing I could remember and when I retained myself, my son told me that some group of people saved my life."
Lucas and Prince Edward looked at each other. "Do these people have a name?" Prince Edward asked.
The woman tried to remember their names but she couldn't so she shook her head.
"Do these people happen to have a 'Phoebe' in their names?" Lucas asked.
"Phoebe?" the woman asked and when she thought about it, she felt she has heard that name before.
"So you are saying that Phoebe saved you?" Lucas asked when they heard a voice behind them. The woman quickly took the money and hid it inside her bag.
"What are you doing here?"
They turned and saw Ken approaching them.
"We were about leaving." Prince Edward and Lucas took their leave while Ken went to meet his mother.
"How many times have I warned you not to talk to them?"
"I didn't talk to them. They were the one talking to me." she lied.
"What did they say?"
"They asked about the amulet but I told them I knew nothing about it."
Ken looked at his mother trying to detect if she was lying but his mother was a good pretender, even if she was, he will never find out.
"Let it be the way you have said it." Ken said before starting his day at work.
Lucas and the Prince couldn't believe that the girl they were looking for was right under their noses.
"I can't believe Phoebe is the girl we've been looking for." Lucas said still expressing his shock.
"I knew there was something different about her, I just didn't think it was this." The prince said.
"We have found her, what next?" Lucas asked.
"The only thing left for us to do is to win her trust."
"I don't think that will be an easy thing to do."
"I never said it was going to be easy but for a girl like her, we need to get her to trust us."
"If she doesn't?"
Prince Edward shook his head. "That's the only plan I have right now."
"Hope this works!"