"Prime Minister, we have news from Judecca." A messenger came into the War Room.
"Did you find the Prince?" Klog can be seen uneasy on his chair.
"Yes, Prime Minister...but..." the messenger is hesitating.
"What is it?"
"The Queen has requested your presence in Prince Vrag's chamber."
Klog sensed something is amiss. "Very well."
***
Klog arrived in Prince Vrag's chamber and the guards open the door for him silently.
Klog arrived and wondering why the Prince chamber is dark. Curtains are closed, the only source of light is a candle on the small table. Klog can see that the Queen is sitting on a chair beside the small table.
"My Queen..." Klog didn't understand but he felt he need to talk as quiet as possible.
"Klog, what should we do?" the Queen whispered. She is wiping her tears with her laced silk handkerchief, sobbing "Vrag...my son..."
Klog then catch a glimpse on a figure curling on the side of the bed, on the floor, shaking. The blond hair gave away that the figure is indeed Prince Vrag.
"Your Highness...I'm happy to see you we-..."
Klog can hear a painful sound from Vrag. When he listened closely he realized that Vrag is crying.
"No...no more..."
"What in the world?" Klog has turned to the Queen that is still sobbing.
"He is broken..." the Queen's tears never stop falling. "My son is broken. He saw the Dead People..."
"Summon the soldiers that survive Judecca. I want a full report." Klog walked out from the room.
"Send the royal physicians. Now."
***
Klog is tapping furiously as he wait anyone to come and report to his office. He heard a knock on his door.
"Come in."
"Vice General Eder..." Klog recognize him under the bandage that cover his right eye.
"Prime Minister..." Eder replied with a lifeless tone and sit on the armchair across Klog's table.
"What happened in Judecca?" Klog realized there was something wrong happened there. Eder is a very cheerful guy, he is popular and everybody like him but now he look like a dead man. Eder is one of their most experience soldiers, he is chosen to assist Vrag to capture Judecca.
"We are victorious." Eder answered but his view is straight to the floor. He never glance at Klog.
"But it's a slaughter..." Eder started shaking. He is crying.
Klog raised from his chair and approach Eder.
"Eder, please tell me what happened..."
"They are children..."
"Children?"
"Child soldiers, Prime Minister Klog...." Eder started to break down " They are all children and we killed them...we killled..."
Klog's face turn pale. Arethea is on losing side but to think they resorted so low as to use children.
"Eder..."
"The graves...we are digging graves...the Prince said we have to bury them..."
"We lost so many...they just...we can't..." Eder dropped to the floor.
"It's my fault...they cornered us..." Klog listened to him without making any noise. He kneeled with him. His hand on Eder's shoulder. Klog didn't expect to see the bravest soldier break down like this.
"They are just small children...I..."
"We...we have to kill them...we don't have any choice..."
"We killed them...to save me...to save us..."
"It's my fault...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Eder is wailing painfully. Klog can't do anything but to wait for Eder to let out everything that he keep inside.
"How old are they?" Klog started to question Eder after he has calmed down.
Eder is shaking his head "the youngest...might be eight...oldest...twelve..."
Klog felt his heart broken.
"Klog..."
"Yes?"
"I'm thinking to resign from the military."
Klog patted Eder on the shoulder saying nothing but Klog knew a broken soldier is useless in the battlefield. Now he has to take care of the Prince. Prince Vrag has to recover first.
***
Vrag is awake. He didn't see the heads of the children. He didn't hear them screaming with pain. He can smell a strong burnt incense in the whole room. The smell is unpleasant but it make him feel lightheaded. He can't really think.
"My Prince..."
Vrag recognized Klog. He is wearing a cloth mask draped on his face.
"Why are you wearing that?"
"Well...this smell is not exactly for healthy people."
Klog gestured and an elderly guy walked to the bed.
"He seems calm now. Are you going to do it?"
Royal physicians have tried to use sleep medicine but Vrag always return back to his nightmares. Klog knew he has to work fast as Prince Vrag grew weaker. Klog then get a tip from Eder. He seems to go to the Underground Market which said to have a wizard that can change a person's mind. Eder has chosen to resign from the military but the memories of the battle in Judecca tortured him still. He choose to go to this mystery wizard for his unusual treatment. Eder chose to forget but he has spoken to Klog for the last time.
Klog has summon the mysterious wizard and he has agreed to treat Vrag in secret. Klog has spread news that Vrag is wounded during the battle of Judecca.
"Prince, please look at this jewel." The mysterious wizard move the azure colored jewel left and right. "Listen to what I said..."
It takes three whole months for Vrag's recovery. The doctor is going back to his place when he gave Klog a beautifully crafted azure jewel brooch.
"If you in need of my service again, send someone with this brooch. You will know where to find me."
Klog has been keeping the brooch closely with him. Realizing that one day Vrag might start having the same nightmares.
Now Klog is wondering about Vrag's current obsession with the Azure Beauty. After the recovery, Vrag has been more cold and distant. When Vrag said thay he wanted the Arethea princess to bore his child, Klog realized that Vrag wanted to stop the war. He is wondering how Vrag got all that information by himself.
That mysterious wizard is undoubtedly an Arethean. Is it him?
A knock can be heard.
"Come in."
A soldier entered his room and bow down.
"I have come to report, Prime Minister. As the rumours said Prince Vrag indeed has hosted Prince Edmund in one of his chamber."
"Why is that?"
"Prince Vrag said that Prince Edmund is not a soldier so throwing him in the dungeon is not necessary."
Klog is thinking hard now.