Richard cut off the head of a werewolf. They weren't very strong, so Richard's soldiers could drive them off quickly. They were engaged in a heart-and-soul battle. The wizards used their spells to stun the wolves temporarily so the knights could sever their heads.
Abruptly, the knights were taken aback by a startling, ear-piercing wail, and some of them knelt in response. Richard turned his head to look up at the mountainside. He could make out the largest of them. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted it.
"What the heck?" Levy mumbled.
Aaron said, "My prince, it's a Lycan. It is larger than other werewolves." He murmured while glancing at the Lycan.
When Richard first saw it, he acknowledged it was the figure whose footprint he had discovered in the snow.
Lycan: [growling...]
Lycan just leaped down the tiny slope, and the few werewolves who were still alive cleared a path for him. His nails were the biggest of them all, his eyes were crimson, and his fangs were broader and sharper than those of a typical werewolf.
The sky had a full moon that shined brightly everywhere. The moment Richard saw it approaching them, he tightened his hold on the sword.
"Prince," Levy murmured in a hushed voice.
Richard gave the Lycan a stern, menacing look as he slightly arched his brows. He talked while clenching his jaw.
"I'll see it. You guys only stand up for others."
Lycan: GROWL.....
The large Lycan gave Richard a sidelong glance before gently edging away from them. The blood caused the snowy ground to turn red. Lycan halted his circling and took a human-like stance. He was much taller than them. They appeared to be devoured in an instant by his vicious eyes.
Aaron remarked, "My prince, it is so much larger than I expected."
Richard narrowed his eyes and said, "Aaron, it's not the time to be afraid of it. Either now or tomorrow, we must deal with it."
The Lycan suddenly growled loudly and attempted to attack them, but it stopped when it heard the church bell.
"Clang," "Clang."
It came to a stop and turned to face the hill's left side. It took a step back, as though the other wolves were following their leader.
Lycan: [growl]
That Lycan growled and ran towards the forest after a second, and others followed it as well.
Richard drew back his sword and took a cautious step forward. Aaron said, "My prince, we are safe now, but what should we do now?"
Richard took a deep breath and made firm, precise movements. He reasoned Lycan appeared to be focusing solely on him. Richard then began to speak while lowering his gaze.
"We have to move there quickly."
Aaron and Levy nodded their heads and ordered everyone to take the position. They needed to hurry. Richard continued to stare up at the sky while anticipating the dangerous situation they would soon encounter. Someone had trapped him; would he be able to go back before the tournament? While thinking, he grabbed the crystal inside his palm and thought to himself.
'Adela, will I be able to keep my promise? I miss you.'
Alfred and Ian went out with Veronica at midnight. They were wearing pitch-black cloaks. After some time, Carson arrived on a black horse.
"Veronica, take care while you travel," Alfred spoke in a worried tone.
Veronica hopped on the horse after nodding. She pulled on the reins and said, "Don't be worried, everyone. I'll be okay, and I'll track down the first prince."
Veronica and Alfred smiled at each other before she mounted the horse.
[Neigh]
Veronica moved so far away from that in only a minute. Alfred kept his attention fixed on her. As Ian saw his uncle looking apprehensive, he spoke out.
"Do not worry, Uncle; everything will be OK. Aunt and the prince will get home safely."
Alfred lowered his head and nodded. "Yes, Ian. She has to be."
Carson cut them off in the middle of their conversation, saying, "What about Ms. Adela, my lord? Is she aware of that?"
"I've kept it from her. I'm simply wondering what she'll do once she finds out."
Ian and Carson exchanged glances. They could observe what Alfred was upset over. Adela would not have spared them if she had known that her father and cousin had sent her mother to Targoviste by herself. She would undoubtedly become enraged with them.
Ian said that when he spotted his uncle, he became tense. "Don't worry, uncle; I'll talk to Adela. She'll probably comprehend our barriers, I guess."
Alfred inhaled deeply and then turned to face the sky. Then, with a heavy heart, he added, "Let's go inside. We'll see how things go tomorrow."
The following morning, Adela woke up sooner than usual. Normally, she doesn't do this, but today was an exception. She had an unpleasant dream. She could not sleep at night after that. She sat on the porch, awake the entire day. She was just thinking about her dream at the time. Elise's voice broke her thoughts at the end.
"My lady."
Hearing Elise's voice, Adela turned around.
**
Like every day, Elise arranged for Adela to have warm water. She went to Adela's chamber to wake her up. As Elise opened the door, it initially took aback her when she didn't see her master lying on the bed. She began calling Adela while she looked around, "My lady, where are you?"
But she received no response from anybody or anywhere. She set the dish on the floor and started to look around. She initially went to her lab, but she didn't find her there. Then, as Elise gazed at the fireplace, she wondered if her master would visit the palace once again. But suddenly, the door panel spread. Her gaze turned in that direction, and she shut the porch door. As she turned to shut the door, she saw Adela sitting there with her hair in a loose bun. Adela had a hard expression on her face and appeared to be depressed and worried.
Elise walked up to Adela with a perplexed look as she noticed Adela was sitting there with a somber expression. It was the first time she had ever seen Adela get up early. Her words were, "My lady."
Adela returned her gaze as she listened. She smiled slightly, but it appeared that she was trying too hard to smile. She had such a detached appearance. "My lady, are you okay?" Elise spoke in a troubled voice while softly furrowing her brows.
Adela blinked her eyes slowly. She wasn't feeling well. While she made every effort, she could not get the dream out of her head. So she sighed heavily and responded, "I'm fine, Elise."
Elise narrowed her eyes and approached Adela, saying, "No, my lady, you are not. Would you mind sharing your thoughts with me?"
Adela shook her head, and her eyes lowered. She inhaled deeply and let out a resounding sigh. She appeared to be bothered by something. And she did not know where she had to start talking. Camilla did not want to talk to her; it was quite obvious to her, so Camilla closed the magic door, and, on the other hand, it was the dream. She had a vision of Richard. She dreamed Richard was in trouble and he was asking for her help, but she could not help him. She was trapped behind a black circle that wouldn't allow her to go to help that man. In the end, he could not come back to Adela.
Everything was making Adela so restless. She couldn't close her eyes for a single second. She had no idea how to lift the curse that had been placed on Richard. Adela rubbed her brows together as she considered everything before saying, "I don't know where to start, Elise. Everything is going to eat me up."
Adela separated her lips while squeezing her eyes and said, "I-I."
She inhaled deeply before saying, "I don't know where I have gone wrong. I don't know what I did to upset her, but what did I do? She simply blocks all ways for us to communicate. She doesn't want to talk to me. And on the other hand, the first prince!"
Adela took a break and began again with a melancholy tone: "I don't know what he's experiencing in that place. And black magic! I'm still having trouble finding a way to do it. I'm at a loss about what to do now."
Elise took a deep breath after hearing everything, knelt before Adela, and said, "My lady, don't think too much. I believe Ms. Camilla was a little disturbed, and she will see you shortly. Because she can't bear the thought of being alone without you. She will tell you what is upsetting her. And as for the first prince, we'll try to figure out the spell together. My lady, everything will be alright. We just put an end to our worries and focused on the competition. And trust me; on the day of the competition, a new chapter will begin between you and Ms. Camilla."
To be continued...