The Blood King's Bride
Chapter Twenty

The Kingdom of Neba.

The Red Queen's restaurant...

Wazir and Mac huddled together, trying to console a distraught Forest. On their faces

were signs of tiredness and worry as they all thought of ways to help Elena. When Forest ran to them with the news, they could not believe their ears and had thought he was joking. Mac's heart shattered as he felt it was his fault. He never meant to involve Elena in his fight with Joüstin. He never even suspected that Joustin would go as far as to carry out a kidnap. They must have pushed him to the edge.

Wazir, on the other hand, was broodingly thoughtful. His eyes were scrunched up, an

unrecognizable glint shone in his eyes. His mouth was bent into a scowl, and one could only wonder what was going on in his mind.

Forest was sitting on a chair, biting his fingernails. His feet were trembling, and he

couldn't stop the occasional racking sobs that had been threatening to break out ever since he came to the restaurant.

Suddenly, Mac walked towards the restaurant entrance and bolted the door. His

companions turned to face him, wondering what he was up to. He walked back to them with a determined look in his eyes, and he said,

"The Red Queen's restaurant would be temporarily closed till we find our girl. No matter how long it takes, we would not open this restaurant till we find her."

*****

Elena didn't know how long she had stayed in darkness. She didn't even know why she was still there that long. The journey from Neba to Pres only took a day if they followed the border Forest. But so far, her kidnapper hadn't even moved her. She wondered what her father would do to her if she returned home. For now, she could only bide her time, thinking of ways to escape her kidnapper.

The door of where she was kept opened, pouring in light that blinded her again. She

winced, closing her eyes immediately. Once she could manage to see, she recognized who had come in immediately.

Joüstin made his way to her, and although she couldn't see his face clearly, she was sure that a smirk was on his face.

"Ready to give in yet?" He taunted. Their banter had been going on like this for she didn't

know how long. He would come in, taunt and harass her, and then promise her freedom if only she listened to him.

"I'm sure you must have gotten my answer by now. There is no way I am going to help you with that."

"Why must you be so stubborn, Elena? I can get you out of here. No questions asked. Just tell me your secret formula, and when I see that it works, everything is okay. Is it that hard?" Elena remained silent, refusing to waste her strength speaking to him. Joustin took in a deep breath, trying to calm his boiling anger.

"Elena, this is your last chance. Adhere to my request, and you shall be free."

Elena suddenly spat on him, her response towards his selfish bargain.

"You might as well leave me here, for all your threats are for naught." She couldn't see Joustin's face, but she knew he was intensely angry.

"You would regret this." He said. Elena rolled her eyes as he made his way out of her prison, shutting her into darkness once more.

*****

Wazir, Forest and Mac made their way to the Kingdom's security. For days, they have been trying to find out where Joustin and Elena were, but they couldn't find anything leading to them so far. It was like they had disappeared into thin air. They were all becoming increasingly depressed, but they held on, trying to be strong for each other.

The journey to the Kingdom's security took half a day, as it was located in the Kingdom's capital. Some guards stood at attention, their long swords and spears hauntingly standing proud. The guards all wore the same uniform; a breastplate made of the thickest hide and a metal helmet. It covered their faces, making it difficult to see their features.

Once they reached the gates, one guard stopped them, asking for their identity.

"My name is Mac. These two are Wazir and Forest, and they are under my employ." "What is the reason for your visit?"

"We wish to report a case," Wazir answered, gulping slowly. "A friend of mine has been kidnapped."

The guard finally allowed them to enter the building. Just like the people who stood out

to protect it, the building stood proudly, causing involuntary fear and panic on whoever set their sight on it. It was a three-story building, and the colors matched the guards' uniforms; dark brown and silver. The basic entrance into the building didn't have as much protection as the gates did. However, different guards could be seen walking around the compound from time to time. They made their way into the building and came face to face with a scary-looking man. The man's face scrunched up, curious about the three men that just had entered. "Who are you?"

Gulping, Mac started his introductions again.

"My name is Mac. The two behind me are Forest and Wazir. They are under my employ. We came here because we need help."

"What happened?"

"A friend of ours has been kidnapped. For days we haven't seen her and we came all the way here because the town guards weren't able to achieve anything. We came here hoping that we may be able to receive help from the experts."

Satisfied with the praise, the man gave a curt huff of approval. He walked towards a large desk that seemed to take up the whole space; ironic because it was not the first thing they noticed despite its size. They suddenly took their time, taking in their surroundings. It was no surprise that the inner decor was just as bland as it was. Except for the Kingdom's flag, no other decorations were in the room. There were so many files standing in a pile on the huge deck, and they understood that the man they were speaking to was busy before they came along. Behind the desk was a stairway leading to the floors upstairs. They couldn't help but wonder if other rooms occupied them or if it was just a huge room like the one they were in. The man, having settled in his seat, suddenly spoke,

"Well then let us get on with it. I am Captain Hussein, head of the Northern palace guards."

"Thank you, Captain Hussein, for sparing us your time," Mac answered

"Well, to get to the depth of the situation, I would need you to report everything that had happened."

*****

Mac and his colleagues went back to their town where the Red was. The moon had risen by the time they reached the red queen. As they were about to enter, Wazir stopped them.

"I'll look for Elena myself. I do not doubt the general's ability, but I would only feel better if I also conduct a personal search."

Forest and Mac turned to look at him, weariness etched on their faces.

"The general has promised us that his men would arrive tomorrow," Mac said.

"I know, but I can't sit still and do nothing." Scratching the back of his head, Wazir looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Look, I would only feel better if I look for her myself. You guys can rest a bit. You have worked yourself out."

"What about you?" Forest asked.

"I'll be fine." He faced the sky, and let out a deep sigh, wondering how he would play a hand in all these.

"Well, I'll take my leave now." He finally said, making his way out of the Red Queen's territory. There was a mysterious feeling he exuded, they noticed, as he walked away to carry out his search.

The moon was bright, and the stars twinkled in delight, almost as if mocking their

predicament. Forest sat outside the restaurant, wondering how Elena was faring. He still felt bad that he hadn't been able to protect. Mac had retired for the day, and Forest couldn't blame him. He took the brunt of the news, and it was beginning to have a toll on him. However, Forest found it hard to sleep since Elena's kidnap. Every time he tried, his mind conjured images of Elena being tortured or going through worse ordeals wherever she was. He let out a deep sigh and shrieked loudly when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

The stranger quickly raised her hands as a sign of peace, and he looked at her with fear and curiosity.

"Who are you?" He asked. Before she could answer, Mac, rushed out of the restaurant, looking worse for wear.

"Forest! Are you okay? What happened?" He asked, then laid his eyes on their visitor. "Who are you?" He asked.

The stranger looked at them, and they felt weird when she gave them a warm smile.

"I am Svetlana. I have come to aid you in your search for Elena."

*****

After going over their shock, Forest volunteered to bring out more seats for Svetlana and

Mac. When they had all settled down, Mac asked the question that had been plaguing him since her arrival.

"Why are you helping us? Do you know Elena?"

Svetlana nodded her head. "I helped her with her journey into Neba. Sort of."

At that, Forest frowned, looking at her suspiciously.

"Who are you?"

"I told you, I am Svetlana."

"No who are you working for?" The courteous tone he took with her couldn't hide his

impatience. At that, Svetlana looked at them in the eye, studying their emotions thoroughly

before she replied.

"I work for the king."

They looked at her, eyes wide in surprise.

"T-The king?" Mac stuttered. Svetlana nodded her head.

"Why would the king want to help us?" Forest asked, still finding it hard to believe their

visitor.

"Because Elena is the King's granddaughter," Svetlana replied without hesitation. Mac

and Forest sucked in a gasp, their shock evident on their faces as their eyes widened and their mouths hung open. Svetlana thought it comical, and she would have laughed had they been in a situation not as serious as the one they were in.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Forest said after some time.

"For that, you would have to ask her yourself and to do that, we need to find her."

Immediately, their faces turned serious.

"Forest, please narrate what happened that day."

First took in a deep breath and started his tale.

"Elena and I made our way to the market when I noticed something strange. There was

not a person on-site in a market that is always bustling with people. Elena said she had noticed it but thought it a normal thing the citizens do after the stress of celebrating the King's birthday. As

I was about to explain to her that it wasn't like that, we heard the sound of horses and spotted Joustin coming towards us."

"Joüstin is our rival." Mac interrupted to explain. Svetlana nodded her head and remained silent, waiting for Forest to continue.

"He tried to poach Elena but she didn't agree. Then he sent his men after her. Elena told

me to run and get Wazir that she would be able to fight them off as she had been training for it.

As I was running to do her bidding one of the men grabbed me and knocked me out unconscious.

The last thing I remember is Elena screaming my name." Forest tried to swallow down the emotions that threatened to spill whenever he recounted the tale.

"Where is Wazir?" Svetlana suddenly asked.

"He went to look for Elena himself. Said he isn't comfortable sitting and doing nothing."

Forest replied. Svetlana took in a deep breath and suddenly stood up with both her hands on her

lap.

"Well, thank you for that. I finally know where I would start with my search. Thanks for your input." She made way to start going before she was stopped again. "We reported this incident to the Kingdom's security. We promised an investigator who would appear tomorrow." Mac suddenly said. Svetlana turned around and faced them. "I suppose you met a general Hussein?" She asked, a weird look on her face. Mac and Forest turned to look at each other before facing her and nodding. She smiled at them. "Well, it's a good thing I came in. Because the man you met isn't a general, but a secretary. Even if he were to help, it would take days before you receive it."

She turned and left, leaving them standing in shock at her declaration.

*****

Svetlana went to the site where Elena was last seen, according to Forest. She began to look for tracks, even though the possibility of finding one was very slim as it had been days since Elena had been captured. The track would have been cleaned off by then. She imagined the route the kidnappers would take after carrying out their mission. Following her instincts, she walked through different streets and found herself at a forest entrance. She scrunched her eyes and was about to start again when something stopped her.

She walked towards it and saw that it was a locket. She opened it and immediately recognized the face. It was Elena's mother. Happy about her discovery, she made her way into the forest and noticed faint marks that she hadn't taken notice of before. The forest was very dark

as it was night-time, and so she made sure not to stumble into anything that might alert the enemy using the help of the moon rays.

Finally, after walking for almost an hour, she noticed a shed. It was run down, looking

like something that hadn't been used for years. She quietly made her way towards it, and when she finally reached it, she heard a crunch. Someone must have stepped on overly dried leaves by mistake, trying to catch her by surprise. On that fort, Svetlana immediately turned around with her dagger drawn. Then she found herself standing face to face with Daruki.