CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: VENUS

"What in the moon goddess just happened?" the king exclaimed, perplexed, as we all stared at the bodies that had just dropped on the floor.

"Wait, isn't that Trevor and James? The missing guards," Michael said, turning to his father, who shared the same confused look.

"B... but how?" the king questioned, turning to face me.

"I told you I had nothing to do with their disappearance," I replied, masking my true feelings with a neutral expression because I was as confused as them.

Because how did they just fall out of thin air? There wasn't a witch in sight apart from me, but the only reasonable explanation for this is magic and nothing else.

"You must have done something, recited a spell or something, because how could they just have fallen out of thin air?" Michael accused, his bewilderment evident on his face.

"I was answering the question, Mr. Adams asked before this happened, so what time did I have to recite a spell?" I retorted as the king turned to face Frinton.

"Frinton, is what she is saying true?" The king asked 

"She isn't lying, my king. I was watching her very closely when it happened, and it is true that she was answering my question, so she wouldn't have had the chance to recite a spell," Frinton replied.

"If Princess Venus isn't responsible, then who in this congregation is responsible for this farce? Because if they're here, it means this was all a cruel joke played by someone," the king asked, as murmurs filled the throne room.

"Father, how sure are you about this Frinton fellow? He might be covering up for her since he is half witch," Michael said, and everything fell into place; he was a hybrid, half wolf, half witch, that's why he was able to use such magic, and he also had the aura of a wolf. How many hybrids did they actually have in the realm?

"He wouldn't do that, Michael. We both have an understanding, right Frinton?"

"Yes, my king, I'm loyal to the werewolf realm," Frinton said with an unreadable expression.

"He must have something over you if you're willing to do his dirty work," I said, and Frinton's neutral gaze fell on me, but he remained silent neither confirming nor denying my claims, which only strengthened my suspicion that it must be true.

"Princess Venus, please stop spinning tales. Frinton is working for me willingly, isn't that right, Frinton?" The king said, looking towards Frinton for confirmation.

"Yes, my king. Princess Venus, I'm working for the king on my own free will," Frinton said, and I'm very much sure that he had said that line a lot of times because he said it exactly like a robot.

"Bullshit!" But before I could continue speaking, the guards suddenly woke up, their eyes darting wildly, and their faces contorted in confusion.

"Blorb... flibber... squack!" Mustache mumbled incoherent gibberish.

"What is he saying?" someone from the crowd aske

"I have no clue," the lady beside him answered as they both stared at the guards in shock as they continued to mumble their incoherent babble.

"Zimbly wobbleshank!" Pansy added.

"They've lost their minds and are making a mockery of my court," the king said, turning to the guards by the doorway. "Take them away. They are of no use to us in this state."

The guards moved to grab them, and Mustache and Pansy made no effort to resist. However, as they were being dragged away, MMustaches gaze landed on me, and he began to scream in terror as tears streamed down his eyes. Luckily, everyone's attention was focused on MMustacheand Pansy's mad raze, and no one noticed his reaction towards me.

"I see no use in continuing this conversation because the victims are no longer missing," the king declared, his gaze falling on me. "Princess Venus, you are absolved of any suspicion."

"I don't even know how to respond," I said, glaring at the king and Michael. "Should I be happy that I don't have to be questioned further or angry that you all put me through this embarrassment in the first place?"

"You should be grateful they showed up. Even though that man says you're not lying, I can't shake my suspicions since they arrived right on time, which seems quite convenient for you," Michael said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Think whatever you want, Michael. I really don't care. I've already been absolved of any charges, so I'm innocent," I said as he glared at me.

"Till they gain their senses, you will be kept under 24hrs surveillance," the king said as his gaze fell on me.

A few minutes ago, you confidently stated that the lie detector cleared me of all charges, placing your trust in its results. Now, I'm confused as to why I'm still going to be under surveillance just because your son is suspicious of me. Care to explain?" I questioned, feeling extremely pissed off by the contradicting situation.

"My son is speaking some sense, and yes, I do trust Frinton is telling the truth, but I don't trust you. You might have done a spell to confuse Frinton."

"Wow, can you hear yourself speak?" I asked, my angry gaze focused on the king and Michael. "You know what, just forget it. Do what you want. Can I leave now?"

"Yes, you may," the king replied. As I turned to leave the throne room,

"Before I go," I said as I stopped in my tracks and faced the king again. "Do I get an apology for this unjust treatment?"

"Why should I apologize? I was only looking out for my people."

"I thought so, but there is no harm in asking," I retorted, making my way to my room. Despite being absolved of suspicion, my mind kept returning to Mustache and Pansy. What could have happened to them to make them act this way?

As I stepped into my room, an unsettling feeling washed over me, and I found it challenging to shake off the memory of Mustache and Pansy's bizarre behavior. The way they appeared out of nowhere and their inexplicable babbling continued to haunt me, leaving me with a lingering sense of responsibility due to my complete lack of recollection about that night. 

So tomorrow I could visit Xavier and seek his help, because he was the only person I could turn to in this situation.

The next day after getting dressed, I used one of the two remaining transportation gems I had hidden since the guards were stationed at my door, making it impossible for me to sneak out. 

After saying the activation spell, the gem instantly transported me to Xavier's cottage entrance. However, an unsettling feeling washed over me as I noticed the door was slightly ajar, indicating that something might be wrong. 

Proceeding with caution, I pushed the door open and found an empty room with no sign of Xavier. However, a raven caught my attention as it perched on the table, holding a small letter in its beak. 

At first, I hesitated when it squawked at me, but after a few seconds, the bird calmed down, and I carefully retrieved the letter and began to read its contents.

"Dear Vee,

I apologize for leaving you so suddenly, but there are pressing matters I had to attend to. Please know that it was for your safety and the greater good. I promise I'll be back before you know it, and everything will go back to normal. Just trust me.

In the meantime, please stay safe and don't get into too much trouble. To keep you company, I've left my pet raven. He may be a bit quirky, but he's friendly.

Stay safe and be brave. Until we meet again.

Yours sincerely,

Xavier"