ARDEN'S POV
I stared hard at where I saw a red flash disappear but didn't notice anything else out of the ordinary. I blinked and looked again but still didn't see anything, I concluded it must have been my sight playing tricks on me.
I bent down close to the already stiff form and held unto the knife, mustering strength and pulling it out, it revealed a gaping hole where blood flowed continuously out of, the pointed knife hit his heart directly.
I got to the carriage and mother was still on the floor folded up and whimpering.
"Mother?", I called out.
"Arden", She cried, her breath coming out spasmodically.
"I was so worried son, I thought something bad has happened", She said.
"It's okay mother, the person got himself killed", I replied remembering the body on the forest grounds.
"Who'd do something like this??", She asked calming down now.
I just stared at her and didn't give an answer, my brain turning like wheels, looking for answers to her question.
'We must find out and know who's responsible for this',I vowed to myself.
We got to the palace gates and were ushered in, only when they noticed I was the one driving, mother beside me, did they realize something went wrong. More than a dozen guards immediately ran towards our carriage, forming a protective circle around us and helping mother down.
I jumped down and went to the door, pulling it open, I revealed the bodies of the fallen comrades.
"Ar?", I heard someone call, I didn't bother turning, grief already racking my reasoning.
I turned towards the already gathered crowd consisting of maids, gardeners, guards, cooks and the likes of them and saw confusion, wonder, pain and anger in them.
"Today" I said loudly for all to hear, "There was an attempt on the life of the Oak Queen's and Prince's life".
There were sharp intakes of breath from all angles and murmurings too.
"These men", I continued pointing towards the bodies in the carriage, "These men died in our stead, and they didn't deserve it, we ought to have been the ones dead now", I said as hot tears burned my eyes and threatened to fall.
"And what do you mean by that?", A voice said quite as loud as mine, all eyes turned towards it's direction. It was the voice of Ferdinand.
"We all know what we signed up for when we pledged our alliance to the Oak Dom", it continued.
Murmurs of consent could be heard from those gathered.
"I do not, and I'm sure no one here, regret being under your leadership and that of the Queen", He said firmly "And if we have to die to prove our loyalty, then we would", He said loudly looking at the faces around him.
"Yeahhh", they replied forcefully, nodding their heads.
I felt overwhelmed and felt my face get stained by teardrops flowing freely down my cheeks. I quickly wiped my face with the sleeve of my fur coat and gained control of my emotions.
"I have heard what you say this day, and I swear I shall revenge their deaths", I said raising my voice slightly at the mention of DEATHS.
"Who's with me?", I asked looking at their faces one after the other.
They all had their hands in the air.
"Who's with me???", I asked more urgently this time and there were screams of anger mostly from the guards.
Mother sat on her royal chair when I was done attending to the families of the deceased. She has cleaned up and seemed back to normal again.
"Arden, I must tell you", She started "The path to the throne would not always be fun, so I'd want you to be prepared for whatever would come up against you".
"I am, mother". I stared at her and she looked worn and weary, I've never seen mother look that way once. Not in my entire life and it scared me more than ever before
" Mother you don't look well", I said really concerned about her health.
"I'm fine dear", She said shrugging it off. "Just a little rattled from the event earlier ".
I bade her goodnight and went to my room, locking the door, I leaned on its frame, I was fagged out.
I walked sluggishly towards my bed and fell on it face up, the events of today playing on my mind, like it's still happening. I tried clearing my mind and thought of the red haired gardener but my attention drifted from her also.
I moved towards my pillow, resting my head on it and putting my hands underneath when it encountered something hard. Retracting my hand, I remembered the "Book of Doms" and brought it out staring at the hard cover back. It had the symbols of the "Four Doms" on its cover, all coming together forming a rectangular shape with a star at it's middle. A shiny silvery star.
The Snowdrift Dom,
The Oak Dom,
The Raintree Dom and;
The Fringetree Dom.
These were the "Four kingdoms" of our vast land and we've strived to live in harmony ever since it's creation.
Although they were some slight disagreements and war sometimes but they get resolved after sometime.
Or so mother told me, I should read this book after all...