[Narrator POV]
The three Pillars of Alkavia was a title given to the siblings not just because of their lineage and skills as leaders. If that were the case, they wouldn't have had such a tight grasp on the Kingdom, surpassing even their father. It was their legendary gifts, said to be bestowed by the gods themselves, that set them apart from all others eyeing the throne with greed.
This divine endowment made sense to both the general public and the nobility as to why the Queen never 'got rid' of any of her siblings, despite the threat they posed to the throne. No competent ruler would squander such god-given gifts, no matter the risk.
[Hizel POV]
"Being able to peek at one's heart is dangerous, but..."
The Prince's gift, the Gift of Observation. Seeing through a person's emotions, no matter the mask, was truly a strength.
'However, it's not perfect.' It had a glaring weakness, other than causing the Prince to become overconfident by relying on it so much. It was still possible to deceive someone who could look at your emotions.
'It worked before,' tricking the Prince into coming here under the guise of a 'partnership,' only to initiate a confrontation between the Prince and the Basilisk Queen. The Prince would be injured, and in response, his sister would lead the entire Kingdom's army to hunt down that snake.
It was a perfect plan my sisters and I had devised to get rid of our problem while keeping our prize. We had even taken oaths under the All-Mother to bind us to secrecy, for such a scandal getting out could destroy more than just the forest. It could have consequences reaching even the council.
'As long as we thread that fine line of keeping the Prince alive, we would not only get rid of our problem, but we would also earn the Red Queen's gratitude.'
The Prince could not see through our deceit, as my heart was truly filled with love for the Prince, for he would get to be a part of something much greater. The saving of countless lives, as well as the revitalization of the forest.
"...it's amazing."
"I thank you for the compliment, but I'm sure your gift is much greater. Surely, you've heard the legends surrounding your race."
The Prince's eyes grew long in amazement. "The ability to glance at the future, the All-Mother's powers are truly unfathomable by us mortals."
It was an intrinsic quality of the Prince, one that had allowed him to win countless hearts and support, despite not doing so on purpose. His natural charm, being able to say just the right words at just the right time, seemingly out of nowhere, and meaning them too.
Who wouldn't want to befriend someone like that?
[Stubborn POV]
"Is something the matter, Miss Hizel? You mentioned that the forest was 'unstable'? Could it be in relation to that problem?"
The Prince used his flattery and tongue to seamlessly shift the conversation over to the original matter at hand, not wanting to waste a moment. "The forest surrounding the east of Alkavia has only grown more dangerous in recent days."
As much as the common people loved their Prince, he truly cared for them back. Despite his reluctance to get entangled in politics, he couldn't just sit idly by while the towns and villages surrounding the forest suffered from the increase in animal attacks.
Even his sister refused to do anything herself, playing a game of chicken with him, wanting him to act on his own. She did it out of care, wanting her brother to grow until he could take her place and ascend the throne.
Unfortunately for the Red Queen, he truly was her sibling, as all three of them had seen what managing the Kingdom's throne had done to their father. Thus, the shoving match continued as the siblings squabbled while the Red Queen tried desperately to get one of her two siblings to become capable enough to inherit the throne.
Of course, this was a tightly guarded secret, only known to a handful of people who had earned the Queen's complete trust. A game of trying to get the other two to inherit the throne.
It was fascinating, as usually the weight of the crown would corrupt its wearer, leading brothers to kill brothers and sisters to kill sisters in an attempt to ascend the throne. But the previous King of Alkavia had truly raised his children even better than he raised his Kingdom, as none of them grew greedy for the throne. Instead, they despised it, treating it as a shackle.
They were brilliant, all three of them having their own ambitions and dreams, which directly contradicted their path to the throne.
'Well, I'm sure Azuleth can somehow make it work, but it'll still be a hindrance.'
The most responsible one of the trio, surpassing even Serena despite her personality. I couldn't dare imagine the state of the Kingdom now if she had not begrudgingly inherited the throne under her father's wishes many years ago, while the other two had simply run away. The Prince across many nations under the guise of 'establishing diplomatic relationships,' while Serena had been even lazier in her excuse to not attend the crowning ceremony, simply 'escaping' to the next nation over as a student in their academy.
It was the only time I had seen the Red Queen bleed, as she stabbed her nails into her palms while accepting the crown, leaking out drops of blood. Her siblings had betrayed her, one running away under the guise of apprenticeship under that magician, while the other had continued his escapades of traveling around the nations earning their support for Alkavia.
'At least the boy was sensible enough to come back and apologize,' I shook my head at the current state of things. It was for his own good, raising the boy's qualities to what they were now, being able to negotiate with the Dryad with ease despite the circumstances.
"Is there anything that our nation could do to prevent ourselves from needlessly causing harm to the forest while protecting our people?"
His words were straightforward, his thoughts were caring. It was the most effective approach to convince the Dryads to help. "In return, we can offer you any help you may need."
The Prince was smart to end his words there, as proceeding further about talks of partnership would only do more harm than good. The Dryads were renowned for being reclusive, not interacting with beings outside the forests. It was a known quality derived from a famous story known to many of the citizens of Alkavia. Unless a nation was stupid enough to start burning down forests, they would almost never appear.
'That's wrong, even in the story it was not they who appeared but their 'backers,' fighting fire with fire, ending that mad King's reign.'
The very fact that the Prince had somehow been able to convince a Dryad to talk with them about a possible partnership was nothing less than extraordinary. Being able to set a foundation for partnerships in the future with the voices of nature was enough of an acclaim to be turned into a song that would be sung by every bard throughout the land.
'But I'm sure it's meaningless to him,' I had picked up a truly troublesome student. Despite having everything at his fingertips as a Prince and even possessing a gift from God, he refuses to let go of his ambition. It was the very thing that made me accept him as a student and not just my liege to protect.
'His passion for the sword, despite his lack of talent for it, is a beautiful sight to behold.'
"I thank the Prince for coming here and offering his help. However, it is by the All-Mother's will that the forest's problems will soon be solved."
The Prince stopped in his tracks, unable to proceed further considering the shift in their 'friend's' needs. No matter his charm, it could not change the reality of the situation, for the Prince knew he no longer had anything to offer to the Dryads for their support in return.
'He needs more practice.'
"How?"
I spoke for my student, assuming the right to negotiate in such a circumstance as allowed by the Queen.
"Did they act?"
Although we did not know the source of the disturbance, any reason for why so many predators would suddenly abandon their territories in the middle of the forest to instead hunt at its outskirts was anything but good.
"The council?" Their mere existence was a legend, but none but them would be able to solve such a problem so quickly.
The Dryad smiled in response, confirming my suspicions.
"We thank you for your time. We will take our leave." There was no use in continuing to exchange flattery, especially when we had nothing to offer.
'Plus, every second we stay here only jeopardizes the Prince's safety more.'
If the Prince died by their hand, no matter their identity, the Queen would not stay still, which would only lead to the destruction of the nation.
"No need to be so hasty," the Dryad stopped me as I made my way to open the door for her to exit the carriage, "we've come bearing a gift."
My eyes perked up at the Dryad's words, however, not sensing any danger around.
"I've heard that the Queen of Alkavia has an appreciation for Goldfangs," the Dryad spoke slowly in a calm voice, "thus we have prepared one that would be willing to be pet by the Queen in exchange for the highest quality of meat."
"WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS?!"
This time, it was my turn to be rendered speechless by the Dryad's words.
"Is this a joke?"
It was a valid question to ask, considering the devastation a similar Goldfang had inflicted on Alkavia before.
The Dryad slowly shook her head, choosing to exit the carriage, leading us to do the same as we continued our conversation out in the open.
"Refusal of this gift will not only be the end of our relationship but will also be a smear on their reputation," the Dryad continued. "It will follow you back to your Kingdom, whether with your support or not."
"It is your choice whether you take the Goldfang in you—"
"YOU CA—"
[Isabel's POV]
All the pieces finally connected in her head about her sister's plan.
No matter her sister's wisdom, no matter her vision, no matter the All-mother's decree, Isabel knew in her heart that this couldn't possibly be the correct decision.
'He'll kill us all if he finds out.'
All the Dryads knew that. But they had been resolute in their decision nonetheless, seeking the well-being of the forest over their lives.
'You can't, sister Hizel,' she wanted to scream with all her might.
"YOU CA—"
She was stopped in her outburst by the hands of another of her sisters covering her mouth.
'Sis Nelphim?'
"Sorry, she's become a little attached to the Goldfang, but she'll get over it," her sister spoke while doing her best to cover Isabel's mouth despite her attempts to escape her grasp.
"You should leave," Hizel commanded the Prince, causing him to be taken aback by her attitude.
He could see it in her heart...
'They're all terrified.'
"Thank you, Miss," the Prince spoke quickly, getting in his carriage. "Sir Stubborn, please lead the way back to the Kingdom."
Although the knight did not know what exactly the Prince had seen, it surely convinced him to turn back, a decision that the knight commander wholeheartedly agreed with.
"We're off," the knight directed his squadron, "with haste."
And the Goldfang followed...
Only when they had fled far enough away, out of sight, did her sister take her hand off Isabel's mouth, not that it made a difference anymore as the little girl had nothing left to say.
Her eyes were lifeless, as she had gotten over her shock and disbelief at her sister's scheme.
"Did you all know?" She spoke to her sisters, who had all now chosen to reveal themselves.
"Was I the only one that didn't know?" She questioned with teary eyes, now hollow.
They all nodded yes, breaking the little girl's heart.
"It was for the fore—"
"Fuck the forest," her eyes lit aflame, her words only fueling the fire burning in her heart.
"You've killed us." it was in that moment that she realized the true difference between her and them, as it was their priorities for what mattered most.
To her sisters, it was always the forest, but to her, it was always her sisters.
It was why she could never feel quite right in her position.
[Hizel's POV]
My dear sister's change only confirmed my decision further, to lure away that devil out of the forest as fast as possible.
'His mere presence has already corrupted our youngest sister.'
We all could see the change in her, as her very aura had changed without her noticing after spending weeks locked up with that demon.
She was no longer our sweetest little sister.
"We did what we must, Isab—"
"And so shall I."
My sister cut off my words for the first time in her life.
"You gave up your lives for the forest," Isabel spoke with a look of insanity in her eyes, "and I shall give up mine for yours."
I could feel it, the change in the forest.
My eyes widened, realizing just what Isabel was about to do.
Although our decision was crazy, she had gone insane, believing that the demon would only take his revenge on her if she were to abandon us.
The oath of severance.
"Stop Isabel, please." I begged her, falling to my knees, but she wouldn't listen.
[Isabel's POV]
'It's the only way.'
The skies darkened as if reflecting the Dryads' fall from grace.
"I renounce my oath to th—"
"There's no need for that now, is there?"
A quiet whisper broke Isabel out of her words, as it was from a voice she recognized.
"I'm impressed, Isabel. I didn't think you had the strength." The devil spoke to her in a calm voice as he slowly approached her standing figure that refused to fall.
"I'll forgive you..." he released the weight on top of the girl's heart while wiping away her tears, "...I'll even forgive your sisters."
"You can sleep comfortably, you have my vow." His words rang in her mind as she lost consciousness soon after from mental exhaustion.
[Unknown POV]
The leader of the Dryads did not dare get up from her kneel, as her sisters followed suit, instantly recognizing the aura emanating from that 'thing.'
Whatever it was, they were sure that it was not a demon anymore atleast, as it had changed. The domain his sheer presence uttered was one that was familiar to each and every one of them.
It mattered not how he had come to possess this strength; all they knew was that they were certain, that he was a part of that 'group' that they had sworn allegiance to long ago... as they were the true masters of the forest.
Still, the leader of the group of Dryads could not help but question, even in this state, where she was rendered unable to move,
'Just how did this devil come to possess the power of the council?'
He turned, taking the little Dryad in his arms as he carried her to a nearby tree trunk to rest comfortably upon.
Although his actions masked his emotions well, nothing could hide his true annoyance at the situation...
"We have much to talk about," he spoke, coming closer to their leader's trembling frame, "isn't that right, Miss Hizel?"