章 3: A Miracle

The distance between them lessened and Silja closed her eyes, too shocked to move an inch.

But at the speed of lightning, the old man rushed towards her and pulled her behind him.

In the next second, she saw him lifting his sword and swinging it at the neck of the horse. The heavy head of the horse fell on the floor with a loud noise with just one strike from his sword.

The white body of the horse and the green grass near the area are stained with blood.

"Are you okay, princess?" The man asked immediately, turning towards her.

Silja was unable to process everything. In one second, everything was fine, and in another, the horse went mad.

She looked around in shock at first before she nodded her head towards the man.

"My lady.." Mira came and hugged Silja, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm fine." Silja consoled her and wiped her tears.

"I'm extremely sorry for what happened just now." Zack bowed deeply and said.

Mira stared angrily at the old sailor, "What kind of horse are you...,"

but Silja stopped her in the middle and shook her head, indicating her to not to say anything.

"It wasn't your fault," Silja said, looking at the old man. Maybe...maybe it was hers. She thought in her head. the whole incident made her uneasy.

"Now, I would like to take my leave, sir," She didn't want to stay there for another second.

The man nodded his head, and Silja quickly left the scene.

The old man stood there looking at the young girl with narrowed eyes.

"What happened to her?" The young man came forward and asked looking at the dead horse on the ground.

"Miracle." Said the old man, still looking at the girl's departing figure. His eyes were shining brightly.

"She was one of the finest." The young man, unable to understand what his master meant, looked back at the dead horse again and sighed.

"Her sacrifice didn't go to waste," said the old man. He looked at the man with a rare smile on his face.

The man was still unable to understand what his master was trying to say.

"Yes, At least the princess was saved." The young man nodded.

The older man chuckled.

"Come, we have lots of work to do now," He said and started to get going.

***

At the Royal castle of Atlanea.

Princess Silja was sitting in her courtyard in a daze. Her eyes looked at the sky. Her hand was holding a thick book which she had found in the library. Since the weird incident started, she has started to read a book on nightmares and magic. Something she could associate with things happening to her. But so far, she didn't find anything useful.

It has been two days Since the incident at the black serpent cave happened. But she can't forget how the eyes of the horse changed from black to red.

'Does it have to do with her?' She thought of this possibility countless times in her mind.

Mira, her little maid, was so terrified when they came back that day, she immediatly wanted to report the news to the king.

So that he could arrest those sailors and punish them. But Silja stopped her. It wasn't their fault.

She could feel that. there was something in her that triggered the horse.

"Princess, the king has summoned you in his presence." One of the maids came and bowed to her as she was sitting in her chamber.

"Now?" Silja wasn't in the mood to meet anyone but it would be rude to turn down the king.

"Yes, he asked you to come and meet him in his courtyard." Replied the maid.

"Okay, you can go." Silja dismissed the maid and stood up.

After ten minutes Silja reached the king's courtyard followed by Mira.

"You can stay here," Silja informed Mira and went inside.

One of the maids of the king's courtyard led her to the garden where the king, queen, and the prince were having afternoon tea.

"Sija, come here," A young man in his early twenties stood up as soon as he saw her entering the garden. He was the prince and only male child of King and Queen, Benjamin Castemont.

"Brother," Silja greeted him and stood beside him. The siblings shared a warm hug and smiled at each other.

"Father." Then she turned towards a middle-aged man and bowed, who was king of Atlanea, Evan Castemont.

The man nodded at her with a kind smile.

"Mother." Then she greeted her mother, Queen of Atlanea, Doris Castemont. The woman nodded at her without much of an emotion.

Silja still smiled at her and took a seat.

From all the four people anyone can notice that Silja was the only odd one.