Ivan pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Elsa held her breath and swallowed saliva constantly.
She stared at him in a catatonic stupor as her heart thudded wildly, and she hadn't noticed.
" Your highness, we can't find her anywhere," the guards divulged as they assembled at the doorstep.
Elsa's sharp gasp drew Ivan's attention, but he looked away shortly.
Ivan wiped out the sweat droplets that flowed from his forehead.
" We have to find her. She's a threat to the kingdom," Ivan professed and stood still for a moment.
Elsa stood still in dread.
She peered about wide-eyed.
Her eyes darted around maniacally - looking for her.
Ava wasn't there!
Her entire body became impossibly still as a sickening wave of terror welled up in her stomach.
She straightened up from the previous posture.
Silently, she prayed for them to leave.
How did she not notice Ava had slipped out?
Where could she be now?
It was dangerous out there for her, and they could kill her.
It seemed like eternity.
The guards turned around and they left for the lower town.
Ivan stood and stared back at Elsa.
All these recent happenings had torn them apart, and instead of getting closer as a married couple — the situation continued to worsen each passing day.
They fought and never reconciled, and he felt pained.
He could discern pain from her shifty stares and long blinks, and the thought of them drifting apart more and more almost suffocated him.
Ivan hissed in desperation, exasperation — both, then he walked out while slamming the door behind.
Elsa turned around with a start after heaving a short sigh.
" Ava," she called out.
Silence greeted her.
" Ava."
Elsa hurriedly ran to the window and looked down.
There was no sign of her.
Panic seized Elsa; her thoughts raced wildly.
" I'm here, your highness," a voice rose from behind.
Elsa turned around with a start and met Ava's gaze.
Ava smiled softly at her.
" Where were you? What did you do? How come they didn't see you?" Elsa bombarded her with questions.
Ava pulled out a black cloth and let it dangle helplessly in the air.
The black cloak dangled endlessly as Elsa fixated her gaze upon her.
" It's an invisible cloak."
Right — Elsa nodded and stood still in thought.
She needed to get Ava out of the palace without being noticed.
She would be in big trouble if anyone found out she was hiding a druid in the palace — under everyone's noses.
" We need to get you out of here," Elsa proposed and pulled out a black robe from the wardrobe.
She raised it and looked at it one more time before nodding in approval.
The robe was going to suit Ava, and with her dressed in a black robe, no one was ever going to suspect anything.
Ava's next reaction shook Elsa to the core.
She stared at Ava who seemed to be having a seizure.
Ava's entire body vibrated violently as she continued to roll her eyes.
Panic seized Elsa as she called out her name.
" Ava!! What's wrong?"
She pulled her out with less strength but it didn't stop her seizure.
" All I see is destruction and pain. I see strife and hate. Two captains cannot be in the same boat," Ava blurted out in subconsciousness as she tightened her eyelids.
Elsa's eyes widened as she inched backwards.
" What are you talking about?"
" The Raven. The Raven sign. She's from the Raven sign and she'll take his life," Ava rattled on and drawled as she scribbled invisible words on the floor in her subconscious state.
Elsa shook Ava's body with greater strength now.
" What Raven?"
She knew the druids were prophets and they used to tell prophecies that usually came to pass.
Sometimes, prophecies told by the druids usually had dire consequences.
A shrill cry echoed outside.
Elsa let Ava's body drop to the ground and galloped to the window.
Below, guards and maids gathered over something she couldn't see.
Elsa stretched her neck but she couldn't see anything.
" Ava, I think something has happened," Elsa uttered in panic and trotted out of the room.
Terror slithered down her spine as she thought of the prophecy.
They would all be doomed sooner or later.
She trotted to the gathering and found a young girl in the pool of her own blood.
She froze and shrank back as her heart thudded wildly — letting goosebumps pop up on her porcelain skin in her sleeveless gown.
Her sharp gasp drew the attention of the maids.
She watched the royal physician examine the body painstakingly to try to find out the cause of her death.
Elsa thought inwardly.
Who could have killed her?
Or, what could have killed her?
She could visualize the prophecy in her head.
They were all going to die this way.
Ivan returned hurriedly with some guards.
He watched Elsa shake inwardly like a drenched rabbit in the rain.
He could tell that she had stiffened and her bright eyes had slowly lost its light.
Ivan pulled his hands out of his pocket and led her away from the gory scene while giving orders to get the mess cleaned up.
_____________
" There are no traces on her body," the royal physician divulged to the royal family as they had dinner.
" No marks?" Ivan retorted.
" Not any, your highness. But, there was something inscribed on her left leg."
Elsa let her spoon drop noisily as lines of stress formed on her forehead.
They all ignored the noise.
" It was written in an unknown language," the royal physician continued.
" A language you've never studied? It could be a tattoo," Harriet piped in as she sipped her soup that had already turned cold.
And for a moment, the entire place turned cold — silent.
Even the clinking sound of spoons on plates had ceased.
" Any luck on the druid girl?" the king questioned as he stared at Ivan from across the table with a stern expression on his face.
The king feared — not just for himself but for his son too.
He feared disappointment — especially from Ivan.
What if Ivan turned out just like him?
What if Ivan turned out to be full of mistakes like him?
But, what if things turned out different?
What if Ivan turned out to be different from him and better?
Then he would thank God for giving him a better heir despite his hideous sins.