章 6: The hidden past

Chapter 6: The hidden past

[Mythiopia | The Royal Palace]

The gates of the grand palace swung open, yielding to the regal procession of Vandrad's monarch, King Jayen Ivanov. The resplendent royal carriage, bedecked with the emblem of Vandrad - a majestic fusion of a dragon and phoenix, encircled by a shield and twin swords - radiated an aura of sovereignty and might.

A soldier from the entourage gracefully dismounted and unlatched the carriage door when it halted at a respectable distance from the staircase of the main palace.

Emerging first from the carriage was a young man, clad in a crimson regal ensemble adorned with golden threads. His commanding presence, coupled with an air of undeniable power, instantly seized the attention of all who awaited their arrival on the royal grounds.

"My Queen" The man held his right hand forward to assist his wife in disembarking from the carriage. Soon a delicate fair hand held his big calloused one and stepped out a stunning lady in red, queen of Vandrad - Kristina Carlson Ivanov.

"Greetings flow to you from Mythiopia, King Jayen and Queen Kristina, along with a warm welcome to the little prince." A sudden buoyant voice greeted the couple who just got down of the carriage.

"We extend our gratitude for your gracious welcome, King Lawrence." It was king Jayen Ivanov who answered his friend. Queen Aliza didn't bother doing these formal talks and engulfed Queen Kristina, her best friend in an affectionate hug.

"Let's go in first. You three must have been tired." Aliza said and Jayen silently assented. Bending slightly into the carriage, he cradled his slumbering son, Prince Calhoun, in his arms. Night had fallen, leaving the young prince fatigued by their travels.

As the royals walked in, some servants attended to the carriage drawn by griffins while the other took the griffins to the shelter. Yes, the royal carriage was wheeled by the griffins. But since landing straight inside the palace of other kingdom might be considered as unintentional provocation, the carriage stopped outside the gates of the palace and the griffins walked in.

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"You should smile a little Jayen. What's with that expressionless face huh? Damn. I thought looking your face would be endurable after five years. But it is still the same. Tch.." Lawrence went on and on about the benefits of smiling and all. Jayen didn't bother to acknowledge this useless talk with his friend.

He thought Lawrence has now learnt a little of what people call mindful-behaviour when he formally greeted him outside. Seems like he was wrong. He was still the same annoying blabber mouth.

"Let me hold him for a while." Aliza took little Calhoun from Jayen. Almost five years have passed in a blink.

"Aliza. Let the men talk. Show me where is my little Isabella." Kristina chirped in and soon both the ladies left to put the little prince to bed.

The ambience in the room was not as cheerful and welcoming as it was when with the ladies around. Lawrence looked at Jayen and the king of Vandrad nodded.

"Urcula had become now more powerful than before. I am afraid this time we couldn't stop her." Jayen said somberly as he sat on a seat.

"I have been looking for her traces all over the realms. For the past few years she had been building her own army. An army which doesn't worship her, but listen to her expecting something in return. A perfect solution to break the curse and get her things done on our lands" Lawrence concluded and the other king nodded. He too guessed this.

"Some mediocre dark forces have broke into the palace few days ago. Tried to harm my son. But the weird thing is they all got stoned when they thought to manipulate him." Jayen said, bewildered about the destruction he witnessed few days ago in his palace.

Calhoun was just five, and though he born into the most powerful beast clan, he hadn't tapped into his latent elemental powers yet. The notion that he could vanquish malevolent forces seemed implausible.

"It is not impossible." Lawrence spoke after few seconds. Jayen waited for him to construe further.

"It is not impossible Jay. Calhoun has dragon blood in him. And is blessed with a divine soul. It's not impossible. The possibility is genuine."

"He is just five and never touched his primordial roots"

"Sometimes, the search is needless when the truth lies unmasked."

Jayen frowned, not quite understanding what his friend was saying. Lawrence closed his eyes and soon a golden wave emerged from the king's foot and spread across the room. Even the roof and open windows were covered. When no part of the room was left untouched, the golden hue disappeared. The room was now sound proof.

Jayen waited for his friend to speak who suddenly looked morose.

"Isabella.. Isabella is not my only daughter." The room went silent after Lawrence revealed the secret he had safe guarded within him for past five years.

Jayen blinked his eyes twice, doubting his ears. Isabella is not his only daughter? His eyes darkened and he clenched the arms of the seat he was sitting on, making it deformed under the power of his hands.

"I'll make you regret those words, Lawrence, if you've dared to betray Aliza," Jayen's growl reverberated, challenging any notion of his friend's fidelity. Though there wasn't any restriction on how many wives a king can take, he knew it would still break Aliza to share Lawrence with another woman.

Lawrence chuckled hearing him. Did his statement sound like him cheating on his wife. He was too devoted to Aliza to do that. Cheating and disrespecting her was unthinkable. However, his chuckled soon ebbed.

"I am not cheating on my wife. Aliza didn't give birth to one, but two daughters. None knows about this, except me and Urcula." Jayen had never been more baffled in his entire life than he was right now. He took some time to process this revelation.

"Then what happened to your other daughter?"

"Urcula took her away the night she was born and ...." before Lawrence could even complete his sentence Jayen held is collar and threw him across the hall.

"What the hell were you doing when that witch took away your daughter? Why did you not ask for my HELP?" Jayen screamed glaring daggers at his looser friend who couldn't save his daughter.

That heinous witch took away his daughter and this man was saying it now as if it wasn't a big deal. The fear that Urcula might have subjected the girl to unspeakable torment churned within Jayen. Lawrence glowered back but didn't attack in return.

"Do you think I don't care? I have done everything I could do to save her." Lawrence hollered, but behind that voice was a helpless father who failed in protecting his new born child. Lawrence shut his red eyes and took a deep breathe to get back into his usual calm comportment.

"Urcula tried to open the gates of hell. I am not sure what exactly she planned but whatever it is, it will only bring destruction. You are aware of the other three worlds right?" Jayen nodded as response.

Among the total of four worlds, they lived in a world where magic prevailed. While the others were heaven, hell and human world.

Heaven was rich with divinity, hell with brutality and anguish, while the human land sheltered all the other three worlds within the mortals itself. Giving the souls a chance of redemption to move towards divinity.

"Isabella had the power to open the gates of hell, to cease the hell fire. While my other one had the power to summon the heavens."

Lawrence sat down on the nearby seat and leaned back. The young man seemed to have aged ten years as he recounted his lost daughter, as the little girl's cries echoed in his ears.

** Five years ago **

"Kyahh... Wahhh.." cries echoed in the huge royal room as the midwife held the new born baby in her hands.

Queen Aliza panted heavily on bed. She heard the cries but was too weak to register them and their was still another baby on the way. Her contraction didn't stop yet.

Zzzzz....

Cold freezing breeze swept through the room making the servants shiver. The curtains in the room fluttered and the next second everything ceased. The cries, heavy breathing, screams and the flapping curtains in the room stilled and a dark shadow shrouded the room.

Some one stepped out from behind the curtains and the creature's rotten bony foot made their way towards the midwife carrying the baby.

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