บท 354: Prisoners

At the edge of Titania forest.

"Look, I am all about marching in and saving my best friend and I know I agreed to come here as soon as possible but entering a vampire forest after sunset? Is this the best idea?" Colin said holding her wand tight. "Especially when we know vampires don't have that good relationship with wizards."

"And that's why we need to do this. They could be keeping her as a prisoner," Ginny said looking determined as she stepped forward.

"We don't know that," Luna crossed her bag over her shoulder so it doesn't fall off. "We could just walk in and ask for Chris. Maybe she is staying here for some reason. Maybe she won them over and they don't hate wizards anymore."

"Luna, if she was - is okay then she shouldn't have fired that amount of magic in a burst," Ginny looked at the talisman in her palm and clenched her fist. "You felt it too, didn't you? Her magic was so powerful, yet so out of control."

"I agree with her, Luna. I want to believe she is okay but I don't think so," Colin gave an encouraging look to Luna. "But don't worry, we will save her."

Luna nodded and pulled her wand.

"But we won't attack first, right?"

"Okay but--" Ginny abruptly stooped as Colin held up her hand.

Ginny and Luna heard it at the same time. Footsteps. Then out of nowhere magic flashed and Colin created a protective shield around them.

"They attacked first," Ginny muttered to Luna before starting to throw curses left and right.

With a sigh, Colin and Luna followed her lead. Six black-cloaked people with weapons like swords and daggers, surrounded them forcing them to stand back to back.

"Luna, you keep up the defense, Ginny and me will focus on offense," Colin said in her mind.

"Got it," Ginny and Luna said back through the talisman.

And that's what they did. Ginny and Colin attacked opposite sides, a few vampires deflected but one flew backward. As soon as they recovered they attacked but Luna quickly created a shield around them. Before they could attack again Ginny's curse caught two people and Colin knocked one out.

"First Goddess! They are fast," a woman said and tried to hit Ginny with her dagger but Luna knocked her back.

However, because Luna was focused on Ginny, she didn't notice a vampire sneaking up on Colin. He knocked the wand from Colin's hands and held his sword against Colin's neck.

"Colin!" Luna tried to run but the woman quickly caught her and held her roughly.

A vampire knocked Ginny down and quickly took her wand.

"Hey! Don't touch them!" Colin barked as two vampires held Ginny and she struggled to get free.

"Do you know that right now you wizards are committing a crime against the Vampire Queen by trespassing and attacking the Royal Guardians?" The vampire holding Colin asked.

"Yes," Ginny growled. "And I will do it again if you don't leave my friends."

The woman holding Luna, moved her face mask aside revealing her face. She forced Luna's head towards her look her in the eyes. Luna stared at Gweneth's red eyes.

"Why were you trespassing?" Gweneth asked.

"We are looking for our friend," Luna replied calmly and Gweneth frowned.

"Leave her alone," Colin yelled. "I swear if you hurt her."

"Shut up!" Gweneth ordered. "We could kill all three of you right now right here."

"What's your friend's name?" The man holding Colin asked.

"Javier, what are you--?" Gweneth glared at the man holding Colin.

"You know, what I am doing Guardian Gweneth," Javier said then looked at Colin expectantly.

Colin looked at Ginny and Luna.

"Listen, I can easily turn into my tigress form and knocked these vampires out but --" Ginny said in her mind.

"But that won't help us," Luna completed Ginny's thought. "If we attack them, we won't know where Chris is."

"So let's just go with it," Colin said to Ginny and Luna. "We will find Chris, then plan our escape. We have lots of tricks they don't know about."

"We are waiting," a vampire holding Ginny said impatiently.

"We are looking for a witch named Christina Norton. We know she is here," Colin finally said out loud.

Javier loosened his grip on Colin and looked at Gweneth.

"Of course, they are here for her," Gweneth rolled her eyes and ordered. "I will inform Prince Oziyat, let's bring them to the castle, and you three better not try anything or I won't hold back."

⁂

Inside the castle.

"Three people? Here at Castle and they said they are looking for me?" Chris stopped in her tracks and stared at Oziyat in shock.

"Yes, but it could be a trap to catch you. You told me, you are the most wanted person in the wizarding world," Oziyat looked worried. "So it will be better if I put you somewhere safe then go to investigate -- Christina?"

"Three people, Oziyat, three," Chris was barely listening to Oziyat. "It could be them."

And Chris took off, totally forgetting her injuries, she ran. A shocked Oziyat quickly caught up with her.

"Christina, what are you doing? You can't run like that," Oziyat held Chris tightly before she could dash away again.

"Oziyat, let me go," Chris struggled in his grip. "It could be Harry! I need to see him."

"Harry? You mean Harry Potter?" Oziyat asked looking more surprised.

"Yes, it could be them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Wait, you know Harry Potter?" Chris stopped struggling.

"Who doesn't know Harry Potter?"

"True," a smile appeared on Chris's lips after a long time. She remembered how much Harry hated the fame, how many times she teased him for being a celebrity.

"But it could be someone else too," Oziyat brought her attention back. "We need to be careful, Christina. You could be in danger. You are in danger."

"But--"

"No buts . . . but if you really want to do this, then . . . You will wait behind the throne room, from where you can see the intruders. If they are someone you know then you can come out but if they are not then you will let me handle it. Am I clear?"

". . . Crystal."

⁂

On the other side of the castle.

"What do you think, Guardian Gweneth? Are they telling the truth or they are here to kill Lady Christina?" Javier asked walking ahead with Gweneth as the other guards escort Ginny, Luna, and Colin.

"Judging by their temperament, I am guessing friends," Gweneth retorted.

Javier chuckled.

"You don't like her much, do you?"

"Should I? Recently all our problems start with her. Since the day she came here, the entire Titian is restless." Gweneth glared at nothing in particular.

"That's strange. As far as I remember you liked her at the beginning. You thought she will bring the change Prince Oziyat was fighting for," Javier lowered his voice. "But then something changed after she won the duel, isn't it?"

"I don't know what do you mean," Gweneth replied looking anywhere but at Javier.

"Anyone with eyes could see your feelings for the Prince, Gweneth," Javier chuckled. "And after the duel, when she became the star of our Princes' scarlet eyes, your jealousy became too obvious."

"How dare you?" Gweneth rounded on Javier angrily.

"I just wanted to warn you, Gweneth," Javier said calmly. "Don't show your feelings so openly. Lady Christina is everyone's favorite right now, disliking her would only bring harm to you. Especially in the case of Prince Oziyat."

⁂

The throne room.

The throne room exactly the same as it looked a couple of months ago. Magical orbs of light floated around the room making it gleaming golden, the painting, the chandeliers look as beautiful as possible.

As Oziyat led Chris through a side door, Chris noticed the room was full of guards and there were a few familiar faces near the throne. Rosaline stood in front of the throne talking to the Queen's brother and one other Prince and Princess, and in a corner, Volker was glaring at everything.

"Where is the Queen? Shouldn't she be here too?" Chris noted that because they took the side door barely anyone noticed her entering.

"Mother can not make it. She is still not strong enough. So we will have to do," Oziyat said ushering her inside a room behind the throne.

There was a not-so-high spiraling staircase. They climbed it and Chris came face to face with a small chamber with a small shrouded window, to look down in the throne room.

"You can see everybody from here but nobody can see you. My great-grandmother had this made. She wanted to keep an eye on things in her region while her husband ruled but she didn't want to be noticed, hence this room." Oziyat pushed a cushy chair towards the window. "Now you sit here quietly and watch."

Oziyat carefully made Chris sit down then turned around to leave.

"Oziyat?" Chris called.

"Yes?" He looked back.

"Thank you and sorry."

Oziyat just gave a small smile and went down the stairs.

Chris looked back through the window. Oziyat joined Rosaline and whispered something to her. Rosaline nodded and glanced up at the place where Chris was sitting. At that moment, Gweneth entered with a guard and the room looked alert. Chris held her breath as the other guards dragged three figures inside the room.

⟦To be continued⟧