Chapter 72 THE BEAST FINALLY SHOWED

Chapter 72 THE BEAST FINALLY SHOWED
A week had passed like that since Evelyn's conversation with Damien about her nightmares, but the dreams showed no sign of stopping nor could they find a solution to it. They couldn't find the cause nor the solution to the predicament.
Evelyn had aged ten years older due to restless night. What they didn't know was that it seemed the dreams was not only occuring to her, but even to those within and outside the palace.
 The people were gripped by fear for their lives. Every night they would have this same dream.
A group of elderly women from various households and communities decided to pay a visit to the palace. They had discussed amongst themselves and they chose those that were having the dreams.
It was better as it was not everyone in the kingdom having this Terrible nightmare. If not what would they say? The palace was haunted.
That was the befitting answer they would find to the calamity.
Once they arrived in the palace, they were invited to the throne room. The atmosphere was tense, and the elderly women's faces were etched with worry and concern. More so, it was clear they weren't in the palace to play. Their expression saidvthey wouldn't leave until they get their wish fulfilled.
What kind of wish do they have?
The women arrived at the throne room and greetes the Queen respectively before they got to the discussion of the day.
One of them spike up, her voice very loud.
“Your Highness, you've been ruling us for quite some time now. But everytime there is this or they going on in the palace. What exactly is wrong?”
Evelyn knew that they women wouldn't be in the palace for a trivia reason. But their purpose still wasn't clear to her. Would someone else speak up?
As she thought of this, voices came and they all spoke out harshly.
“Your Highness, we need a king. We are tired of your reign.”
“Get a husband or else this predicament wouldn't leave.”
“Maybe you are cursed and you need a husband and relieved the curse.”
Evelyn sat listening to them but with different expression on her faces as their words came to her ears.
What's this thing about a husband. She was cursed? They needed a king if not the calamity wouldn't go. What calamity were they passing through. What she was going through was far beyond whatever they could he experiencing.
But she couldn't share anything with her. Damien who took a protective stance at one side was surprised with their words. But he tried to think in his head what the people were saying. What could they be going through? Was it the same as the Queen?
What if it wasn't just the Queen but everyone throughout the kingdom? 
The doubt settled in his mind playing tricks with his intelligence.
The elderly women continued to press their demands, their voices growing louder and more insistent. Damien and Evelyn listened attentively, trying to understand the underlying concerns that had brought the women to the palace.
Since the Elderly women still hadn't state their purpose for coming to the palace, Damien couldn't tell Evelyn what he thought the situation was. But if Evelyn somehow find out, how would she react.
Terrified? 
Just as it seemed like the meeting was going to be a straightforward discussion about the need for a king, one of the elderly women slipped up.
This was the opportunity Evelyn had been waiting for. One of then should slip up.
"It's these nightmares, Your Highness," she said, her voice clear amongst the whispers and voices in the throne room. "They're getting worse. People are suffering."
The room fell silent, with all eyes on Evelyn and Damien. The mention of the nightmares seemed to have brought a sense of urgency to the situation.
Evelyn's jaw dropped and the little light on her face faded. Her face turned pale at once and her heart ran cold. She clenched her shaky palm into a fist.
What? The nightmares? It made her heart tremble. The terrible beast in her dream wasn't only tormenting her but the kingdom all through.
The beast she couldn't duel with was not only tormenting her but her people as well. Was they why they came up with a solution that she was cursed and needs to get a husband?
What if she had managed to kill the beast in her dreams, would the nightmare stop. Will the people stop bothering her? Would she for once have peace of mind?
All this took hold in her mind, because of the women's presence.
Everyone noticed the tension in the atmosphere and the change in her demeanour. The elderly women could tell that she knew what was going on.
“Your Majesty, how could you keep quiet when you are going through something like this? The best thing was for you to leave the palace and go and get cured.”
“You did this to your subjects.”
“We need a king who will share the burden with you.”
“Get us a king or else you will lose your subjects to this nightmare.”
Everyone of them tormented her again with their words. They didn't seemed to be bothered about her. She was deeply hurt once again by her subjects. No ounce of concern for her even when they found out she was in this together with them.
“Enough with this nonsense,” she yelled in the room. At once the noise died down and everyone focused on her. They knew she was ready to talk. Damien wanted to go over to her to stop her from saying anything, but he changed his mind on second thoughts.
If she didn't speak up, the people wouldn't realize the agony she's been through all this while. No ounce of peace. She was always agitated and cranky, it was only by luck that she hadn't start hurting herself.
Only Damien could tell all this.
“You all think am cursed? You all think the perfect solution to this would be to fing a king for you all? If I had been do irrational since all this whole, do you all still think you would be here?”
Her words raised confusion and question in the room. What was she saying? Where would they be if not here.
“You will all have died of hunger by now. Remember the withdrawal, I left the palace myself to go oversee. Why are you all do ungrateful.”
Evelyn had started to feel too much emotion and she was getting vulnerable. Damien walked to the stairs to her. He signalled to get to stop, but she didn't. As he stood beside her, he stared at the other side of Evelyn.
There, he saw a huge beast sitted on the floor besides her grinning from ear to ear. Even his smiley face was disgusting. He was covered in blood.
“My Queen, we have to get going.”
Evelyn was onde again interrupted by Damien, this time Evelyn had no chance to reject because Damien had already launched forward while holding her hand. They ran out of the throne room leaving the women in the throne room.
They all stared at each other wide eyed. What's with the guard,why did he do that? 
They all became horrified afraid that something had happened. They all tried to rush out of the door together at once.
What they didn't know was that the beast visiting them in their dreams was right with them and had passed among them.