AUTHOR'S POV
Away from the fete and wandering off with his royal guards in the corridors, King Silvius walked the memory lane of the nostalgic moments he shared with his beloved soul traveler in the palace when they were younger. Tris have been constantly running in his head, rummaging his thoughts and sabotaging his good spirits. It intensified even more when he found the talisman in his bed.
Tris..
Tris.
The soul traveler with grey eyes and flecks of green, drifting in the dark.
She's crying for help as if sinking in a quicksand in his dreams. He sees her like a mirage in every corner where he looks, and get nightmares of her even in his quick naps. Like always, he longs to have her back… but not as a ghost haunting his mentality. Intriguingly, all the visions of Tris were gone after a time that he gave the talisman to Syria. And so he wonders, was it all in his head or was it something else?
"Long time, no anything.. my dearest husband", a voice greeted the king that made him stop from thinking heavily. He turned and saw the woman whom he have no plans to cross lines with.
"You've gained weight", he only said. The queen have been giving him an eye since he stepped inside the great hall. Her stares wasn't of someone who longs for a loved one, it was more of like a hunter with its sharp scowl on its target.
"I'll never get tired of your bluntness", the queen said. "It's the only thing I like about you, don't you like how full these are?", she pushed her breasts up to show how big they were. "Much like… I don't know, like Beatrice's? Or that's too blunt for you?", she mocked the King who seemed uncomfortable with her promiscuity.
"Leave us", the king sent the royal guards away to take their gazes off the debauched Queen. Prolly, Isavelle is just trying to get on his nerves for being unseen lately, he thought. Hence, the king stayed calm.
Finally, alone with the King.
Isavelle was delighted to be left alone with Silvius as she watch the guards march away. "If I had known that religious events like this would make you come out of your cave, I would have initiated it earlier.", she said. She called for the King several times at his door, however, she was constantly ignored and only received letters.
Silvius stood tall in the middle of the hallway with his hands on his back. He cringed at the scent that goes with his wife. Her beauty stood out because of the jewels she's wearing, apart from that, he find nothing more appealing on the woman he married for almost forty years.
"I heard Galen's back. And as foretold, he never made it to Caluso?", the king didn't let the queen to get on his nerves.
"You sent him to Caluso? Why would you send our only son there?", Isavelle asked.
"So he would be of use, that bastard son of yours. He even stole the sword of the kings, what a nuisance", Silvius grunted at the news he woke up to the other day.
"You mean, your son too. Why would he obtain such sword?", the queen remembered seeing the sword of the kings with Galen. It was a grievious sight, with painful memories.
"Have you forgotten? You always tell him that the sword of the kings fits him well, it is destined to the only son of the king. Shameless, shameless… shame. How dare he steal my sword", the King shook his head as he blatantly express his disappointment.
"What kind of a father would say such harsh words? Of course, from someone who never got to be actually a real one", Isavelle felt a pinch in her chest. As Argus, he was a dear father, who loved his son eternally.
"I thought I'd be hearing some good news today. Or at least see something beautiful out of my confinement. Sadly, there's none.", Silvius turned his back, leaving Isavelle alone in the corridors. He then remembered that he'll meet Syria in connection to the passenger talisman. "No pleasure of seeing you", he instantly fled. As he reach the end of the corridor, Silvius paused at the mouth of the dim open doors. Noticing a sillhouette in the dark, the King squinted his eyes as he try to see who's in there.
Isavelle chased the King for she wanted to retrieve the soul passenger that was placed inside the King's body. She have waited too long for this day. And now that she have the traveler's stone, she requires the passenger. "Back to your chambers again?", Isavelle's eyes suddenly widened when a blade of a sword went through Silvius' throat. His blood splattered all over her face. As the body of Silvius drop dead on the cold floor, Galen appeared with empty eyes, like a ferocious beast about to maul its next prey. He held the bloody sword in his hand as he stare at Isavelle.
Isavelle felt anger seeing her passenger die along with the mortal body of Silvius. If only she knew that Galen would be a hindrance to her plans, he would've let him die sooner. And now that the young prince looks at her like a villain about to commit parricide, she wonders where her dark healers are, when she needed one. "Son, what have you done?", she almost choked in unexplained wrath.
However, Galen darkened his eyes as he approach her with his sword. With every step he make, Isavelle take several steps back. Threatened, Isavelle decided to use her powers to push back Galen with all her might. Struggling with heavy groans, Galen tightened his grip on his sword and wielded it in the air breaking the magic spell Isavelle is casting on him. With rageful eyes, Isavelle was appalled in Galen's great prowess to block her magic. Of course, with the help of that damned sword again.
Galen lunged forward with his sword as the queen swayed to the side. Her gown was on the way, and so the blade slit through her shoulder. She gasped, with her blood dripping profusely. "What are you doing, my son? It's me your mother!", Isavelle uttered look straight to his deadpan eyes. as she held her wounded shoulder. Thus, Galen remained silent with only his sword dealing with the woman he doesn't seem to recognize as his mother. What a problematic son, that child. Isavelle started to feel strange, as if ants are crawling on her skin. Just as expected, the candle have completely melted that the real body of Argus emerged beneath the crimson gown.
"The sorceress sends her thanks for your cooperation", Galen blurted out. Moments before Argus met his demise, he realized that the sorcerer has been playing him all the while, right in her Wiccan palm. With no hesitations, Galen pierced his blade through Argus' chest, killing the soul traveler once and for all.