Alethea smiled when she saw Ronan. "Father." She said, still standing at the same spot he had found her.
"Why didn't you answer me?" Ronan asked.
"Oh, um, that's…" She tried to come up with something but he interrupted her.
"What have you been doing back here?" He asked as he moved closer to her, eyeing her suspiciously.
Alethea pointed towards the backyard passage. "Um, there was a huge squirrel here earlier. It was this big." Alethea said as she illustrated with her hand, how big the non-existent squirrel was. "It came in without permission, so…"
"A squirrel?" Ronan asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes." Alethea said.
Ronan then moved towards where she had pointed, but Alethea quickly blocked his way. "But it disappeared as soon as you got here, so you don't need to worry."
"Have you forgotten what I said?" Ronan was suddenly yelling at the top of his voice.
Alethea's smile disappeared immediately. "Um, what?"
"Were you planning to chase after the squirrel, and go over the quartz stones if I hadn't come?" He asked, still pissed.
"No, that's not…" Alethea tried to defend herself, but…
"Silence!" A woman that had followed Ronan to the house said, causing Alethea to keep shut.
"Don't you remember what he asked of you?" The woman then asked, as she moved closer to the both of them. Alethea didn't respond, and the woman got angrier. "Why aren't you answering?"
"I know. I'm not to leave this place, no matter what happens." Alethea finally responded with a casted down smile.
Ronan sighed, and gently placed both of his hands on Alethea's shoulders. "You must never forget that. Do you understand?" He spoke in a much tender voice this time.
"Yes."
After hearing her confirmation, Ronan then patted her shoulder, and walked away.
The woman that had followed him, then moved closer to Alethea. She was holding a box in her hand, so she placed it down and opened it.
She removed the content of the box, and it was a new dress. She handed it over to Alethea, and Alethea smiled. "Thank you, mother." She said, but the woman didn't respond, she just picked up the box and followed after Ronan.
Meanwhile, Alexander who didn't run away and was just hiding close to the house, saw and heard everything. He could only let out a sigh, as he somewhat felt pity for Alethea.
….
A while later, Ronan came out of the house and walked towards the quartz stones, bending down to inspect them. As he did so, his mind then went back to something that happened the previous night, replaying the conversation that was had.
The sacred fire circle had gathered in a room, and were surrounding a table on which a map was placed.
"I've finally found where the Oakwood temple is!" One of the initiates exclaimed. "It's around here!" He said as he pointed at a secluded place on the map.
"So this is where the Spellbook of the damned must be." Ronan said.
"Is there really a way to undo the curse if we get our hands on that book?" The same initiate that had found the temple, asked.
"I'm sure there would be a solution in that book." Ronan assuringly said. "You are all explicitly forbidden from entering the castle, especially in these circumstances. If Nimueh finds out that the Princess is still alive, she will try to use Alethea as a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice? But why?"
"In order for one to wield powerful dark magic, they must make a sacrifice equivalent to the power being used. So she will try to sacrifice Alethea who has the curse in her body, and absorb the energy of the curse." Ronan answered.
"So if she becomes more powerful, do you think she plans to take over Eldrador?"
Ronan shook his head. "No, it's actually the opposite. What Nimueh wants more than anything, is the destruction of Eldrador."
"Then can we stop Nimueh's plans if we break Alethea's curse?" The initiates kept asking questions that were previously left unanswered.
"That's the only method we have right now." Ronan answered, "And if Nimueh somehow gets to find out about our plans, she will try to kill Alethea. We must find the Spellbook of the damned at all costs."
"Yes, sir!" The initiates said in unison.
After Ronan remembered the discussion of the previous night, he then muttered to himself in determination. "She must be protected, no matter what… It's the King's order after all."
His mind then raced back to one fateful night, seventeen years ago…
King Victor had met up with Ronan in a secluded part of the castle where no one could easily access.
In front of the King was a baby inside a cradle. "Is this the Princess?" He asked.
"Yes, your majesty." Ronan said as he bowed his head. "The princess who was born through Nimueh's dark magic is the only one who can stop Nimueh."
King Victor moved closer to the cradle, and picked up the baby. "I knew my mother worked with that shamaness, three years ago to depose the previous king. However, I did nothing despite the fact that I knew everything." He sighed and continued, "Perhaps, the fact that I've become so useless may be the punishment for that sin."
Ronan didn't say anything, and just bowed his head lower.
King Victor then smiled as he held the little hands of the Princess. "I'm so sorry." He said, "I'm your father, and the King of Eldrador, and yet, I'm powerless to do anything."
After saying that, he then faced Ronan. "Please do me a favor, and let her go by the name, Alethea. Her name means truth and I believe she would one day be the truth and the light that this kingdom needs. You must save this child. Free the curse on this child, and save this kingdom. Also, you must ensure that there is never a cowardly and powerless King like me, ever again."
The words of the King kept going on repeat in Ronan's head, and he smiled. "Your Alethea is all grown up now, and the day of Nimueh's defeat is getting closer."
….
Ronan and his wife had already left, and Alethea was all alone in the house again. She was sitting at the backyard of the house, looking at the kite Alexander had made with a smile on her face. "What a mess." She said, and slowly got lost in her thought as she reminisced on the short time she had spent with the stranger whose name she hadn't even asked for.
"Have you been well, Alethea!" A man spoke from behind, startling her.
"Oh, William!" Alethea exclaimed as she stood up, smiling widely.
William extended a bouquet to her, which she accepted. "What were you thinking about?" He asked.
Alethea shook her head. "It's nothing. But, um, what's this?" She asked.
William smiled. "The kingdom is filled with with flowers, and I really wanted to show you the wonderful sight, but I can't, so I'll have to show you the flowers like this."
Alethea smiled, as she brought the flowers close to her nose and inhaled the wonderful scent. "It's so beautiful. Thank you, big brother." She said.
William nodded. "Oh yeah. On my way here, I didn't see the kite that is usually hanging from the tree." He said as he looked at the apple tree.
"Oh, that!… A gust of wind just came from nowhere and blew it away." Alethea lied through her teeth.
"Oh, I see…" William said, and then pointed to the kite that Alexander had made. "And what's that wrinkly thing over there?"
"It's nothing. Just a kite that isn't quite… kite-like." She said, and when she saw that he wanted to say something, she quickly changed the topic. "What are you doing here? You'll be scolded if Father finds out."
"I came because I have a gift for you." William replied. "Here." He said as he handed over a Dandelion flower to her.
"Wow!" Alethea exclaimed even though she didn't know what it was. "But what's this?" She asked as she inspected it.
"There's a festival in the outskirts of the kingdom tomorrow, and this flower is used to make wishes. You just need to whisper your wish to the flower, and blow the dandelion seeds to the sky." He explained.
"Will my wish really come true?" Alethea asked as she looked at the flower with glee, and William nodded.
But Alethea smile slowly melted away. "What good is it anyway? I wouldn't even be able to blow the seeds at the festival tomorrow with the others."
"Don't worry. I'll blow the seeds in your stead, tomorrow." He assured her. "So just go on ahead and whisper your wish to the flower."
"But why are you giving me a gift out of the blue?" Alethea asked as she turned around to make her wish.
"Because it's your birthday tomorrow." He simply answered.
Alethea turned back to face him in surprise. "You knew?"
"Of course!"
Alethea smiled as her eyes got a bit teary. "You are the best, William!" She said and then she went back to whispering her wish to the flower.