The sun hung high in the sky, casting its golden rays upon the grassy expanse where five black horses galloped. Each rider had a purpose, their faces determined, their clothing subdued. Prince Ivive led the way, followed closely by Mizak and Teri, Melovine, Elley, and Kiera.
As they rode down the mountain, the path split into two. Mizak halted the group, his gaze scanning the diverging trails. "We will follow the left path," he declared. "It leads to the south province. We've already discussed that we won't take the main road to the capital."
His companions nodded in agreement, their horses shifting restlessly. Melovine's excitement bubbled over, and she let out a spirited cry. "For some reason, my blood seems to be boiling with excitement! Hyah!" Her horse surged forward, matching her fervor.
Elley, riding alongside Melovine, chuckled. "I felt the same way when I embarked on this journey with my brother and Mizak," she said, her eyes bright with memories.
The grassy ground stretched before them, the horses' hooves pounding a rhythm. But eventually, they decided to rest. They dismounted, securing their horses to nearby trees.
Melovine, still brimming with energy, grabbed her gourd and took a long drink of water. "Whoah!" she exclaimed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Her blood is really boiling," teri mumbled as Mizak helped him dismount.
They settled on the grass, Melovine and Teri leaning against a massive stone.
Prince Ivive wiped sweat from his brow, his brown hair tousled. "We could have gone much farther if only Melovine hadn't stayed with her father for so long," he remarked.
"It's just a farewell," Elley replied. "What else could they have spoken about?"
Melovine shifted, folding her legs beneath her. Her gaze met Prince Ivive's. "I asked my father about the bloody writing on the wall," she confessed. "I told him that we don't deserve to be kept in the dark."
Prince Ivive leaned in, intrigued. "And what did he say?"
Melovine hesitated, then turned her head toward him. "It's a very long story," she began. "But let's start with how Teri's mother, Lady Ari, met your mother, the consort."
The tale unfolds like a delicate tapestry, woven with threads of destiny and sacrifice. Lady Ari, the herlian saintess was drowning.
Luckily the consort, then a free maiden, extended her hand to rescue the drowning girl.lady Ari was twelve years old and the consort was sixteen.
Lady Ari's assistants returned too late, their charge already saved.the assistants were way older than lady Ari.
The little girl revealed her true identity: a herlian. But the consort, practical and grounded, hesitated to believe. Herlians were a myth.
In gratitude, Lady Ari bestowed upon the consort a summoning coin—an artifact of immense power. A single use, a single summoning. The consort, betrothed to the king, tucked the coin away, unaware of the trials it would soon unlock.
Time flowed like a river, and the maiden became a consort. Two years into her marriage, she carried life within her a son. But the pregnancy was treacherous, fraught with pain and uncertainty. The imperial physician warned of danger, of a perilous birth that might claim both mother and child.
Desperate, the consort invoked the summoning coin. Lady Ari arrived, not as a saintess or herlian, but as a healer—a physician summoned by royal need. She eased the consort's suffering, her touch a balm against the storm within. Yet fate had other designs. Premature labor seized the queen, and Lady Ari sensed the threads of life fraying.
In the dimness of the birthing chamber, she made her choice. The midwives and assistants were dismissed, leaving only Lady Ari and the queen. With ancient magic, she guided the birth, weaving life and light. When the boy ,Prince Ivive emerged, fragile and gasping, Lady Ari offered some parts of her core which was like a piece of herself—a gift of survival.
The child thrived, his veins infused with herlian essence. Without this sacrifice, both mother and son would have perished. But Lady Ari's act was forbidden.
"it was fobbiden and she was the only one who was able to share her core and still be strong.
She was one of the true saintess and only her was capable to bring a dead person back to life.That was true power.The present saintess is not a true saintess,she is just a saintess",Kiera said and motioned melovine to continue her story.
Melovine continued,"The child,prince Ivive lived as we see.lady Ari and her assistants stayed in the consort's palace for days.
The palace court crackled with tension, each word a spark threatening to ignite the fragile peace. Lady Ari stood resolute, her gaze unwavering as she faced the king. The consort, her heart a tempest of emotions, watched from the sidelines, her newborn son nestled in her arms.
Kiera's eyes bore into Melovine, urging her to continue the tale.
Rumors swirled like vengeful spirits. Prince Ivive's birth was whispered as witchcraft—the consort's secret sin. The king, torn between duty and doubt, summoned Lady Ari and her assistants to the palace court. They stood before him, their fate hanging in the balance.
Lady Ari's voice cut through the tension. "Your majesty," she began, "forgive me for what I am about to ask. Do you not want this child? Even if you do not love the consort, is the baby insignificant to you?"
The king hesitated, torn by conflicting loyalties. His personal guard shifted, ready to draw steel. But the king silenced them, his eyes fixed on Lady Ari. "And your reasons for this question?" he inquired.
"Because the 4th prince was born with witchcraft?" Lady Ari's calm demeanor belied the storm within.
"Do you believe it?" she pressed. "He is just a child who survived. Or is it what the queen whispers into your ears?"
The palace court doors swung open, and the queen swept in—a tempest of silk and fury. "How dare you, you lowly commoner!" Her voice echoed off marble walls. "Do you know the consequences of your words?"
Lady Ari stood her ground. "Your majesty," she said, "I spoke truth. To silence me would be to deny justice."
The queen's eyes narrowed. "Justice?" she spat. "Your tongue is to be cut off!"
In the dimly lit palace,tension hung heavy in the air. Lady Ari's defiance had ignited a dangerous spark, and the queen's wrath was unyielding. The guards, loyal to their sovereign, pinned Lady Ari down, her voice echoing through the m
halls.
"Your majesty," Lady Ari's words cut through the tension, "do you truly believe that Prince Ivive was born with witchcraft? Then you are wrong." Her eyes blazed with conviction. "I beg of you to protect that child! You do not know how his future will unfold. And as for the three sons you already have,do you believe they are yours?".
The queen's rage intensified, her regal facade slipping. She motioned for the guards to take Lady Ari away, but her gaze remained unyielding. She knew the king would come. He always did.
In the palace prison, Lady Ari could have broken the iron bars, but she waited.
And as predicted, that night, he arrived, his footsteps muffled by shadows.
He released them, his voice low and urgent. "Leave," he commanded, "and never return to the capital of Alririt Kingdom."
Lady Ari's eyes met his, gratitude and defiance warring within her. Then he lied to the queen, claiming he had dealt with them out of anger"melovine yawned as she laid on the grass.
"I will say the rest,another day,I am tired and it's getting dark",she said.
As the moon ascended, Prince Ivive and Mizak gathered wood for a fire.
They laid clothing on the ground, using their travel bags as pillows, and huddled close for warmth.
The moon hung like a silver lantern, casting its glow upon the weary travelers. The fire crackled, its warmth a fragile comfort in the cool night air. Melovine's tale had woven its threads, and now they lay on the grass their minds still ablaze with Lady Ari's sacrifice and the court's turmoil.
For the first time,Teri heard about the story between his mother and prince ivive's mother and anticipated more to the story.it was just the beginning.
Teri couldn't sleep so he called Prince ivive "Prince Ivive, are you asleep?" His voice was a whisper, barely audible above the rustling leaves.
"I am," Prince Ivive replied, his words soft as a secret shared.
"A sleeping person answering me?" Teri's tone held a hint of amusement. "Then you can keep on sleeping. I do not care."
Prince Ivive's chuckle danced through the darkness. He sat up, his gaze meeting Teri's. "Why do you ask?" he inquired, curiosity tugging at the edges of his weariness.
Teri's voice was a mere whisper, a thread of sound woven into the night,"are others awake?".
Prince Ivive surveyed their slumbering companions—their forms softened by exhaustion and dreams. "They are all asleep," he confirmed, settling back onto his makeshift bed, the rough fabric of his clothing cradling his head.
Teri's words hung in the air, a revelation wrapped in shadows. "Is it not obvious?" he mused. "Why the king set my mother free?" The fire's glow danced across his features, casting flickering patterns on the ground.
Prince Ivive listened, his thoughts tracing the contours of Teri's theory.
"Maybe your other brothers," Teri continued, "are not the real sons of the king. Perhaps he knew." The weight of uncertainty settled upon them.
"But," Teri's voice held conviction, "I do not think he hated you and your brother. Rather, he was protecting you both in his own way." The fire crackled, its warmth a fragile shield against the chill of truth.