A MONTH LATER.
BALCROFT TOWN
The street is bustling with activities, with traders and buyers engrossed in haggling for prices.
Two hooded men with crimson cloaks walk through the town and arrive at a stall. Alan is seated behind a counter with a buyer before him, he persuades the buyer fervently, convincing him of the authenticity of a product. But the buyer seems unconvinced and walks away.
Alan sighs and arranges the box on the shelf when the two hooded men walks in. He drops the box on the shelf hurriedly, wiping his hands on his apron asks them what they intend buying but stops midway when one of them pulls down his hood revealing his face. His shiny black hair is combed to the side, his light red lips set into a thin line and his green eyes staring right at Alan.
Alan gasps as he walks towards him, stares at him for a while and they both erupt in laughter and engulf each other in a bear hug with Alan patting him. The other man with his hood not pulled down walks to a corner and sits.
Slowly, they disengage from each other.
"Kayden, it's been ages, where have you been." Alan asks as they both sit beside the counter.
Kayden chuckles, "A situation came up and my mother decided to send me over the temple at the Isle of Gilmorsh, before bidding the world farewell."
Alan's eye bulges as he stares at Kayden incredulously, "Wait! You mean the Venine temple of Gilmorsh? So you're actually implying that you're a priest?! Zelda would be unhappy at this discovery."
Kayden laughs, "That I live in the Venine temple doesn't mean I'm a priest. Besides, the priests and priestesses aren't allowed to unveil their hair but, here I am. 'He adds with a laugh'. About Zelda, I… actually came here to see her."
Alan tenses at the last sentence which is visible to Kayden.
"Alan? What's wrong?" He asks in a low voice.
Alan runs his hands over his face and pulls his seat closer to Kayden. "Well, few months after you left, my father went to the Royal household with the intent of selling off Zelda as Prince Aidan's mistress. His proposal was agreed to, now Zelda has being bought by them. The last information I got from a servant working over there was that she was working as the Queen's personal maid but now she's Aidan's… mistress." He says the last word with great difficulty.
Kayden clenches his fist in anger, "What have you done about getting her out from there?"
Alan sighs and says in a calm voice, "Listen Kayden, I'm aware of the deep bond between you and Zelda, but I want you to know that I'm her brother who has known her way before you. I've made plans to plot her escape, after that we'll run away to a far better place where she can have her life back."
Kayden stands up furiously and walks around while looking at the objects on the shelf, calmly saying, "Easier said than done. Actions Alan... Actions!"
Alan stands and walks up to Kayden, "If I had the resources and power, she'll be out by now." He says through gritted teeth.
Kayden chuckles coldly, drops an object back on the shelf and faces Alan, "Resources and powers huhn? You could've prevented this from the start. It would've been easier to runaway with her when she was at home with you but no, what did you do? You knew of the plan to sell her off hours before she was taken, but you comfortably waited for her to be turned to a mistress before you started planning her escape."
His words infuriates Alan more as he shouts, "run away with her then what?! With which fund am I going to take of her needs or give her the comfortable life she deserves, huhn?!"
Kayden ignores him and says, "Be prepared in two weeks, I'm going to be back, we'll help Zelda escape and disappear into the thin air."
Alan with furrowed eye brows asks, "And how do you intend doing that? The Royal household is extremely secured and guarded day and night, how do you intend doing that?"
Kayden chuckles and walks closer to him, "There'll be a party at the Royal house in two weeks time to sign and celebrate a truce with the Kingdom of Argani, there, we put your planning to action."
"And how do you intend to go about that, the security will be intensified during the party, right?" Alan asks.
Kayden chuckles, "Yes and so will the distraction." He walks closer to Alan
"Besides there's more to the Venine Temple than just the Priests, priestesses, and the worshippers, and I'm going to make use of what's more to it and take what's mine." He says and leaves with the other man.
Alan slumps in his seat thinking about Kayden's words.
THE ROYAL CASTLE
Zelda's POV.
It's midnight and I wake up in Aidan's chamber. It's been a month since I've been under Aidan's ownership. To the Royal family and others, they believe Aidan has taken me as a mistress, since that's the only explanation that can be given for me staying in his room.
It's stipulated that common servants stay in the servant's quarters, only the Queen's personal maid is allowed the luxury of staying in the Royal quarters.
The mistresses are allocated different rooms each, but the situation is different with Aidan and I, we stay together in his chamber. Others misconstrue me to be his mistress and he insists it remains that way to others, to keep me closer to him and also safe…. his words.
It's a cold night, the light is lit but the fireplace isn't. With cold palms and freezing feet, I climb down the bed wrapping myself with a blanket.
I look over to see Aidan at the desk, looking at some files and scribbling something, he stops and looks over.
"Do you need anything?" He asks.
"I want light the fireplace, it's freezing in here and you're putting on those?" I gesture to his light shirt that's unbuttoned to his chest.
He chuckles and continues scribbling.
I go ahead to light the fireplace, it's cold. I squat and adjust a log when I notice a little movement there. I poke at the log for a grey hairy spider to crawl out.
My heart skips a beat as I stand immediately, placing my hand on a medium sized statue of a guard wearing an armour with a sword, patting my heart and muttering, "it's just a spider, phew!"
I lean a little on the statue when I hear a creak, I look over to Aidan but he's engrossed in his scribbling. My eyes dart all over looking for the cause of the sound when suddenly, another louder creak is heard, accompanied by some scrapping on the floor.
I stand properly and frantically look around the room, making a move to search the bathroom when suddenly I hear a large thumping sound behind me. I turn immediately to see the medium sized statue of the guard in armour now enlarged and slowly moving. I widen my eyes to make sure I'm not being delusional right now, immediately the statue guard unsheathes his sword and walks towards me one step at a time.
"AIDAN!" I scream with all my might as I run to the far end of the wall.