Chapter 32 The Shadow’s Return
The gardens around the castle were peaceful, except for the soft sound of the wind moving through the trees. The moonlight came through the trees and made gentle shadows on the stone walkways. Sienna strolled by herself, her gown trailing behind her.
The crown was still heavily on her mind. Her mind was full of ideas about the coronation, but there was one thing she couldn't stop thinking about. Ryder. The picture of his eyes, angry and tormented, had stayed with her all night, breaking her will. She could feel him in the hall and the electric tension between them. But what did it mean? What had brought him to this place to see the woman he had once considered his queen become queen?
"Your Majesty?" The low, steady voice brought Sienna back to reality. She whirled around swiftly, her heart beating and her breath stuck in her throat. Sir Valen, her most trusted advisor, was standing in the shade of a neighboring tree, where the moonlight hardly reached him. Sienna couldn't figure out what was going on with his eyes or his face. "I wanted to talk to you alone."
Sienna nodded and moved deeper into the garden, telling him to follow her. The air felt heavy around her, and the silence between them was nearly too much to bear. She could tell something was wrong since Sir Valen's usually confident stride was now slow and careful. Sienna turned to him as soon as they were out of sight of anyone who might have been watching.
"What's up, Valen? What is it? Valen paused and looked at the distant palace walls for a moment before meeting her eyes. "Your Majesty, I have news." Things you might not want to hear. Her stomach sank. "What is it?" You make me feel scared. "People are talking," he said in a softer voice than normal, "whispers from the east." The Dark One is on the move again. The words hung in the air like a spell. Sienna's heart raced. The Dark One. The very name made her tremble. He was a legend, a story that moms told their children to keep them in line. But Valen now spoke as if it were something far more genuine.
"Are you sure?" Sienna asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Dark One hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. He's not real. "Maybe a myth." But the indicators are real. Sir Valen moved closer and spoke even more quietly. "The magic has changed." A wave. Something, or someone, has brought something dark to life. We think it's him. Sienna's head was spinning. She couldn't concentrate. She couldn't understand how heavy the words were. The Dark One, the old wizard who cursed their nation hundreds of years ago and whose reappearance was foreseen in the prophecy. But why now? Why had he picked this time, this moment, right after she had been crowned? "What does this mean?" She asked, her throat dry.
"What should we do?" Valen's eyes got darker. "We don't have a lot of time. I talked to the Council, and they have a plan in place for his return, but there's a problem. The Dark One's magic isn't the only thing that makes him strong; his bloodline does too. People say that only someone having the blood of the first rulers of the Moon Kingdom can really fight him. Sienna's chest got tight.
"And it is meant to be me, right?" Valen nodded sadly. "It is." But there's more. The prophecy is clear: you can't beat him by yourself. Sienna blinked, attempting to understand what Valen was saying. "Then who? Who else can help me? Valen's eyes flicked back to the darkness for a split second, as if he wasn't sure whether to keep on. He finally spoke. "Your Majesty, there is one more individual who might be able to help you." Someone who is related to you by blood and whose link to the kingdom's power is stronger than you know. Sienna's breath caught in her throat. "Who?" "Ryder." The name hit her like a punch in the gut. "What do you mean, Ryder?" she asked, her voice shaking. Valen moved closer and spoke in a low, anxious voice.
"He is not merely a prisoner of the curse. He is a part of the prophecy. He also has the blood of the first rulers in his veins. But for reasons we don't completely understand, the curse he bears has perverted and twisted his strength. Sienna's heart raced. Ryder. Not only was the man she loved and who had been taken from her life a pawn in a bigger plan. He was important. He was a part of the prophecy that might either save or destroy the kingdom. "But he's... he's cursed," she continued, her voice tight.
"How could he help me at all? He isn't who he used to be. Valen said, "We don't know what the curse has done to him," and his face looked sad. "But we think that if we can find him and break the curse, we can help him reach his full potential." You two might be the only ones who can stop the Dark One. Sienna's head was whirling. Ryder. Just thinking about him and remembering their time together made her want him and scared her. Now, could she really trust him? She didn't even know how to save herself, so how could she hope to help him? "And where is he now?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Valen thought for a moment before answering. "We don't know. He disappeared the night you became king. We think he's hidden somewhere in the kingdom, waiting for the best time to attack.
Sienna's chest got tight. She had to look for him. She had to. But how could she possibly start? The kingdom was huge, and Ryder was like a shadow, hard to find and hard to predict. "Your Majesty, please listen to me," Valen urged quickly. "You can't let the Dark One take over the kingdom. You need to find Ryder right away. The Dark One's might will grow greater the longer you wait.
"There's no telling how long you have before he makes his move if he's already stirring." Sienna nodded, having made up her mind. She had to do it. She had to look for Ryder. No matter what it took, she had to find a way to save him. "Get the guards ready," she ordered forcefully. "I'm going after him." Valen glanced at her with a mix of respect and fear in his eyes. "Your Majesty, are you sure? You don't know what you'll find when you get there.
There are Dark One followers all over the place. The gloom is already spreading. Sienna said, "I don't care," her voice full of determination. "I'll locate him." I'll save him. She turned and started walking back to the palace, her heart heavy with the thought of what she had to do next. Now she was in charge of the kingdom's future and her own. But she couldn't shake the feeling that the shadows were already closing in on her.