“What?” Marcy said as she spat out blood.
“This wasn’t-” Marcy said as she continued to spit out blood.
“This wasn’t what she promised.” Marcy said as tears gathered in her eyes.
“I have to save them.” Marcy said as her breathing began to slow.
“I have to save them.” Marcy said slowly as her vision began to blur.
“Please, save them.” Marcy said, as all signs of life vanished from her eyes.
“Princess Evelyn!” Myrah yelled as she broke away from the crowd that was heading towards Princess Evelyn and Marcy and lifted Princess Evelyn into her arms.
“My Queen look at her palm.” A palace guard said as he rose up Marcy’s stiff arm and the Queen spontaneously burst into tears.
“I can’t believe I gave that wretched family a chance to harm the first princess.” The Queen cried sorrowfully and the noble ladies in the crowd rushed to console her.
“It is okay.” Duchess Bellecourt said firmly as Duchess Orlaine and Duchess Valemont nodded firmly.
“No one blames you for taking pity on the Blake family.” Duchess Orlaine said quickly.
“It is a shame that they don’t deserve it.” Duchess Valemont said soothingly.
“My Queen, the High Priest awaits you in the visitor’s lounge.” Mina, Princess Evelyn’s maid reported.
“Summon the High Priest here!” Duchess Bellecourt ordered and Mina nodded quickly before rushing off to call the High Priest.
“Didn’t the first princess just battle an incurable illness?” a Countess asked.
“What rotten luck!” a Viscountess exclaimed.
“What do we do if this keeps her bedridden like before?” The Queen asked sorrowfully as her eyes blazed in amusement and all the puzzle pieces in Genevieve’s mind clicked in an instant.
“The Queen promised that she would cure you in her own time.” Marcy said earnestly.
“Once again.” Genevieve thought with gritted teeth.
“Once again, they plan to weaponize torture to make Princess Evelyn submissive and dependent.” Genevieve thought as she clenched her jaw.
“After everything I did to get rid of those pesky maids.” Genevieve thought as she gripped her gown in fury.
“Myrah.” Genevieve called in Myrah’s mind.
“I am going to disappear now.” Genevieve spoke softly.
“For how long?” Myrah replied.
“I will come back on the day of blessings.” Genevieve said softly as she bit her lip until she tested blood.
“When I leave, I need you to go to my wardrobe.” Genevieve spoke into Myrah’s mind as a new wave of pain hit her.
“When you get there I need you to search for a loose board and once you find that, I need you take a black book from under it.” Genevieve said shakily.
“When you find it, keep it on you at all times until you find a way to pass it on to Jacob, the High Priest’s son.” Genevieve spoke urgently.
“The High Priest is here.” A noble lady announced as High Priest Alucarn stepped into the clearing with his son behind him.
“As we feared, it truly is dark magic.” High Priest Alucarn said pitifully and Jacob looked into Genevieve’s eyes as gasps sounded in the air.
“I will try my best to dispel it but I am afraid that for this kind of magic, divine power might not be enough to make Princess Evelyn better.” The High Priest said slyly.
“Then what do we do?” The Queen asked pitifully.
“Princess Evelyn may need to be confined to her bed in order to get her strength back.” the High Priest said as he took a step in Princess Evelyn’s direction.
“Run.” Jacob mouthed and Princess Evelyn released a bright light before suddenly going invisible.
“Princess Evelyn!” Myrah screamed as she subtly dropped Princess Evelyn while pretending to reach out for her.
“My Queen!” Myrah yelled in panic.
“I can no longer feel Princess Evelyn!” Myrah cried bitterly.
“What nonsense are you spouting?!” The Queen screamed as she lost all decorum.
“High Priest what does this mean?” The Queen asked with a snarl.
“That bright light-” The High Priest sputtered, as his skin broke out in goosebumpsm “That bright light indicates that the Goddess has called for her.” The High Priest said in fear and people began to murmur.
“Call for her?” The Queen asked with a snarl before remembering where she was and acting pitiful.
“Princess Evelyn is but a child, why would the Goddess call for her at this age?” The Queen asked with a hard subtle tone as she began to wail.
“Maybe the Goddess wants to undo whatever that dreadful girl did to the princess.” The Matriarch from the South said and several noble ladies nodded in agreement.
“The Goddess must favour the first princess.” a Marchioness said as nobles began to worship the Goddess.
“This won’t do!” The Queen muttered unknowingly.
“Pardon?” The Matriarch of the South asked in confusion.
“I mean, I am much too worried about Princess Evelyn.” The Queen said sorrowfully.
“Vincent” The Queen called and the vice captain of the palace guards appeared.
“Scour every inch of the castle and the garden to make sure that Princess Evelyn was not kidnapped by someone who used that white light as a smoke screen.” The Queen declared and Vincent nodded before disappearing.
“Bella.” The Queen called and her head maid stepped forward.
“Inform the King of what the Drake family has done.” The Queen said calmly and Bella disappeared immediately.
Moments Earlier.
Three days before Princess Evelyn’s tea party and a week since Princess Evelyn’s and Jacob’s midnight stroll.
The sound of a carriage approaching the temple caused Jacob’s eyes to flash open.
“This again?” Jacob mumbled tiredly as his well earned sleep suddenly disappeared.
“For days, everything has been too loud.” Jacob muttered as he covered his ears in frustration.
“It is the side effects of Althryx, the divine beast of borrowed forms.” Genevieve had said when her and Jacob were heading back to the castle.
“The reason your mother’s powers were so strong is because her paternal family created a pact with Althryx in the Great war three hundred years ago.” Genevieve whispered as they scaled the wall soundlessly.
“Though the war was won, Althryx never nullified the pact and as part of the pact, your mother’s paternal family continued to be blessed with strong divine powers but the main reason for the pact wasn’t to acquire divine power.” Genevieve had said as she stared into his eyes.
“The main reason the pact was created was so that your ancestors could be a vessel for Althryx and after three hundred years, your ancestors have finally kept their end of the bargain by having you, Jacob.” Genevieve had whispered before disappearing.
“How does she know so much?” Jacob whispered to himself before a familiar voice floated through the cracks in his door.
“You will receive a summon from the castle three days from now.” a familiar voice said and Jacob’s ears perked up as he tiptoed from his room and crept to his father’s study on a lower floor.
“Isn’t that the day for Princess Evelyn’s tea party?” High Priest Alucarn asked with a smile.
“Why would a mere priest who has no part in nobility be found there?” the High Priest asked slyly as Jacob peeped through the gap in the door of the High Priest’s office.
“Cut the charade you know why I’m here.” The Queen snapped and Jacob’s eyes widened.
“So you have finally decided to make a move?” The High Priest asked with a laugh.
“Someone had to.” The Queen said with a shrug.
“Although some people have already resolved to play both sides.” The Queen said with emphasis on the “some” as she gave the High Priest a disapproving look.
“Don’t stare at me like that Rose.” The High Priest smiled as he called the Queen by her first name.
“It’s always wise to have a backup plan.” The High Priest said slyly and the Queen scoffed.
“In three days on Princess Evelyn’s tea party something will happen and I need you to play along with the script that I will send you.” The Queen said calmly.
“And what is in it for me?” High Priest Alucarn asked with a mischievous grin.
“More money than this blasted temple pays you.” The Queen said as she covered her hair with her cloak.