Chapter 10: Prisoners

"Row, row, row Zilong, gently down the lake." Rafaela moved her head sideways and sang. "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily… dreams are made awake."

"Did you just make up that song?" Zilong asked as he kept his pace. The wind carried their tiny sailboat at a good speed. The only reason Zilong was rowing was because he was also bored.

Rafaela shook her head. "No, but I made up the words..." The angel stretched and leaned back to face the sun. Over and over she sang and made up new lines. For the past afternoon, Rafaela had been talking, singing, stretching, looking at the water at every side of the boat - seemingly anxious about something. Did she miss all the walking?

Miya looked at her map; The Swan Lake was somewhat shaped like stretched-out clover. It would take a day or two to go around to reach the nearest village. It was a good thing that a fisherman they met hours ago was too willing to sell his sailboat for a few diamonds and gold. Miya could never understand why these shiny rocks were so valuable to humans, but what mattered was that it was a fair trade. Zilong was also eager to get rid of the gems he called as "security risk."

The boat kept on shaking due to the angel's odd activities. The vessel had enough room for the three of them, stable with outriggers but sensitive to sudden movements. With her eyes on the map, all the rocking motion made Miya dizzy. Enough. "Rafa, what are you doing?" Miya asked, keeping her tone neutral. The elf noticed that the angel had been touching the water for a while now.

Rafaela looked from her shoulder and pouted; "Looking for fish to heal..."

"Fish? Heal a fish?" Miya blinked and sighed. Zilong also looked baffled and stopped rowing. "What's wrong Rafa? You've been… restless."

Rafaela returned to her seat and hugged her knees. She looked embarrassed. "I haven't healed anything for a while, not even a single scratch… I think I am having a withdrawal- a healing withdrawal." Rafaela said in a voice which was barely a whisper. She then spread out her arms to the air and yelled. "I'm losing my mind! I can't take this anymore!"

"Hey, I could shoot an arrow on Zilong right now if you want to." Miya replied, laughing awkwardly. She had never seen Rafaela vexed like this.

"Maybe you can heal Miya's brain because of that idea." Zilong replied, feigning concern. Miya stuck her tongue to him.

Rafaela just sighed in defeat and returned the side of the boat, her hand touching the water. "There was a fish at the bottom, it is hurt…" She said in a deadpan manner. "Ah, it's now dead. Probably eaten by a bigger fish. Circle of life."

Dammit, just dammit. Seeing Rafaela in such a way stressed Miya out. She took out her arrows and her sharpening stone. She pretended to polish her blades for a few minutes before purposely cutting her fingers. "Ouch, this stings." Did Rafaela notice?

The angel abruptly turned her head like an owl would, eyes wide, startling Miya. "Let me heal that!" Rafaela took Miya's hand and cast her magic. Nice, it worked, Miya thought. The angel's smile was everything to her. The elf then looked at Zilong and mouthed, "you too."

Zilong groaned and a few minutes later Miya noticed him rubbing his hand over the wooden planks of the boat. "Ow! That hurts!" He shook his hand. "Damn splinters!"

Rafaela sprang from her seat and crawled towards Zilong. "Oh no! Let me look at that." The woman took the rower's hand and inspected it. "You should be careful about the wood Zilong, splinters hurt so much even if they are small." She used her magic to pull out the sharp, tiny fragments and repaired his skin.

Miya held back her laughter. How adorable. If only she could hurt Zilong just to have Rafaela heal someone. Perhaps, the easterner felt the same as he looked at Miya, scrutinizing her reaction. Well; she didn't force him to do anything. He would probably jump off a cliff if Rafa wanted to heal some broken bones.

"Wait." Rafaela stood up and looked to the lakeshore. "I sense a great suffering." There was urgency in her voice and her eyes.

Zilong rowed towards the direction Rafaela requested. Miya concentrated her vision to the shore: A group of children gathered to look at something on the ground. As soon as the bow hit the rocks Rafaela hopped out and waded in the knee-deep water. Miya quickly followed.

The children were of various ages but sharing facial features. Must be relatives. They looked surprised when Miya walked closer - as if they have never seen an elf before. Miya moved her ears and the children gasped in surprise, eyes wide in amazement. The elf then returned her attention to the angel crouched on the ground. "Rafa, what happened?"

"Poor girl." Rafaela looked up, cradling a limp swan in her arms.

"What happened?" Miya asked the children. She was familiar to human culture and knew swans weren't food or pets. One of the books she read when she was little told of the legend of the Swan Lake, on how true love triumphed against an evil witch. Swans seemed to be sacred if that legend was true.

The tallest child shrugged. "We found it by the shore like that."

"Is it… dead?" The little boy with a bald head asked.

Rafaela shook her head. "No, but just badly hurt." The angel lifted her hand and cast healing to the bird. It stirred and moved it's neck slightly. "She needs more time to heal but it's no longer in danger."

"Wow!"

"She healed it!"

The children murmured in amazement. One of the small girls tugged Rafaela's skirt. "Miss… are you Lady Odette?"

"No, I am not Odette. Why did you ask that?" Rafaela bent her knee to look at the child eye-level and pointed at her face. "Do I look like her?"

The children looked at each other and the eldest spoke; "We don't know what she looks like. All we know is that she protects the lake with her magic."

"Mama said she has a long hair and is very pretty!" The small girl exclaimed.

Rafaela giggled. "You're very pretty yourself. Oh, let me see that?" She smiled at the girl and beckoned her to come closer. "Let me see your teeth." The child opened her mouth wide. "Ah, a toothache? I'll take care of that."

The children loved Rafaela, if only they knew they were talking to a real angel. With her wings and halo hidden in sight, the woman looked no different than the people of Felise. Rafaela continued tending to the swan as night drew near. At least this would give her some sort of relief from her withdrawal. Soon, the cousins returned back to their village nearby, saying that they needed to be home before dark and they would call the police. Apparently, to hurt a swan was felony and every citizen was obligated to report it. With Rafaela healing the female swan, it was wise to stay near the lake and wait. Besides, going to the village might attract too much attention. It's better to deliver the message to the king first before sightseeing.

Four people in uniform arrived after an hour. "Good evening," the leader's eyes wandered on Miya and Zilong. "Travelers," she added and lifted off her hat as a greeting. Zilong responded with a bow. "The children reported a situation I believe?"

"No ordinary injury." Rafaela lifted one of the swan's wings, showing a red glow. "This delayed magic, highly advanced. It wouldn't hurt you the first hit, but it will disable you after some time. I think someone used this swan as target practice." The angels said with a hint of anger in her voice. The swan moved its head slightly and opened its eyes. It moved its neck and rested itself on Rafaela's chest. "Ow, she loves me." She kissed the swan. "I love you too. You're getting better, just rest a little more okay?"

This was no ordinary occurrence in this land. The entire Swan Lake and all the swans living in it were owned by the Regina family the police explained. A person who hurt swans would be jailed as written by the law. Miya massaged her temple; This lake was enough to feed the entire Elven village and just a single family owned it. Not even the royal family. From a distance the shape of the Swan Castle was visible and it was far larger than Estes' - their king's - residence. Her world suddenly became too small in comparison.

The ground shook beneath Miya's feet and her ears twitched from the heavy thuds she can picked up. A group of armored men with symbols on their chest arrived on horses.

"Knights," the police captain explained to them. "They have authority over us." Must be about the swan issue, Miya thought.

A carriage followed after the group of knights. As soon as a man stepped out of the car the knights stood up in attention. A nobleman perhaps? The man wore a coat with ruffles, lanky and pale; but his thick, brown moustache was striking. He looked at them and stroked his chin. "I was having my afternoon tea with the mayor when the chief of the police reported that a swan was found hurt?"

"Yes my lord." The captain greeted, taking off her hat. "The Duke of Cranberry," she whispered to Miya before walking closer to the nobleman. The officer reported the events, detailing how the children found the swan. "This good lady healed the swan," she added with a smile, pointing to Rafaela.

"Healed?" The nobleman's moustache waggled. "With magic?"

"Yes, I did." The angel stepped forward, swan still cradled on her arms. Standing up like this, the white, fluffy bird looked so much bigger compared to Rafaela's small stature. "She's going to be alright now, I can take care of her."

The Duke's eyes widened and traveled up and down Rafaela's body. Miya felt her blood pressure rise. One wrong move and-

"Oh, Lady Odette! We've been worried about you!" The Duke quickly closed his distance and grabbed Rafaela's shoulders. "I'm so glad you're safe!" There were murmurs around.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Miya dashed forward and pushed the Duke away with force. "She's not Odette! Her name is Rafaela." She jabbed her finger on the Duke's chest. "Don't touch her like that!"

The man's brows furrowed and his nostrils flared. "How dare you! You ought to respect me elf!

"My name is Miya, and you're acting like a total creep!" She spat back.

"Miya, please," Rafaela whispered behind Miya. "We can solve this peacefully."

"Your lordship, we traveled this land to bring a message to King Tigreal from the King Estes of the Elves." Zilong interrupted with a calm but assertive voice. He walked towards the Duke and his hand signaled Miya and Rafaela to hide behind him. "Please, allow us to meet him."

"Message from the Elf King?" The Duke looked at him with an eyebrow raised, seemingly unbelieving of Zilong's words. No, there was something else. There was a strange aura from this man; and what Miya learned throughout the years was that her instincts kept her safe. The Duke snapped his fingers and the men behind him, supposedly his bodyguards, stepped closer to defend their Lord. This all made no sense. Why was Rafaela called Odette? Why were they being treated they were doing something wrong? Were humans really like this?

Two snaps from the Duke's fingers and the knights surrounded them. The Duke pointed to Zilong. "Easterner, you should be aware that you have no right to kidnap our women!" He screamed at Zilong's face in an overly dramatic manner. "Arrest this man!" He ordered then looked at Miya. "Take this elf away as well."

What happened next as a blur. Miya felt hands grab her arms. As she struggled, she could overhear the police arguing with the knights and Rafaela screaming. The sound of metal, panic, confusion - and an angry swan - filled her ears.

"Odette dear, don't worry you're safe now." The Duke said. The swan sprang to life and attacked the Duke with its beak and wings. "Shooo! Get away bird!"

The Duke's bodyguard grabbed Rafaela from her back. The woman kicked and screamed in return. "Let go of me! I am not Odette!"

"Hey let her go!" Miya snarled at them. The man behind her tried to tackle her to the ground but she used his weight to flip him. As her assailant lay she kicked his chin and immobilized him. Other men tried to grab Miya but she used her magic to make herself invisible. The elf wuickly escaped from the scene while the knights scrambled on the grass to look for her.

A few- no, a dozen men - piled on top of Zilong, pinning him to the ground. The warrior struggled underneath their weight, his eyes glowing. "Let us go!" The whole human pyramid atop Zilong moved as the warrior tried to break free. "Kidnap? Are you kidding me? Damn hypocrites! Let her go dammit!"

"He's strong! Help us here!" One of the voices cried out. Some more men dived to joined the pile.

"Please don't hurt him! No, please! I'll go with you." Rafaela pleaded as the knights striked the back of Zilong's neck with a baton. The guy just wouldn't get knocked down.

"Miya run away! Save yourself" Zilong screamed desperately as the men continued hitting him. "Rafaela… wait for me!" He kept on struggling but he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of his enemies. "I'll rescue you I promise!"

Miya hid in a bush and watched helplessly as the Duke and his bodyguards forced Rafaela inside the carriage. Zilong was chained like a criminal and dragged away - his eyes moved to the place Miya was hiding. Her companion knew where she was.

"Bastards…" She wanted shoot all of them, but at this rate her arrows wouldn't penetrate their armor enough to incapacitate them. After the commotion died down, she crawled towards Zilong's bag and took it. No matter what, Estes' message to Tigreal must be delivered. It's her responsibility to make sure it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. The knights kept on tracing her tracks on the ground, looking like chickens foraging for worms. They checked every bush like idiots. Amateurs; none of these men would survive the forest.

Three options were possible: Go to the king and deliver the message, rescue Zilong, or rescue Rafaela. How she wished she can do all, but for now she must decide the most logical course of action.

"What do you want with me? You know I am not Odette." Rafaela stared at the Duke's eyes across the seat of the carriage, letting him know her anger. The pain was raw in her mind; she could sense every blow inflicted on Zilong earlier. Not being able to heal him was agony. With her wrists bound and the Duke's armed bodyguard beside her, she had to wait before she could escape. Close combat was never her expertise. "My companions are ambassadors from the Moon King. The message they bear is of great urgency yet you stopped it. Don't you know that this is treason to King Tigreal?"

The Duke just looked smug and waggled his moustache. He pulled up a string beside him to open the curtains of the carriage. Outside were tall, gray walls. "See this castle Rafaela? This belongs to the Regina family. Magnificent isn't it?"

"Why do you think I care?"

"Oh, you will." As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the castle, he snapped his fingers. "Fernando, untie the lady," he ordered his servant.

Beyond a great, furnished door, a giant chandelier filled with crystals greeted Rafaela. The hall, meant to receive guests, told a story through the paintings; a baby girl was painted with a mother and a father near the entrance. As Rafaela walked, the girl was grew up, all the years captured through the pictures. Odd. Never in the sunlight, never near the trees or flowers, always in dimly lit room with candles. When the girl was barely out of childhood, the father disappeared from the paintings.

The Duke led her into a large office. He sat behind the desk and beckoned her to seat on the chair across him. "Lord and Lady Regina are dear friends of mine, and in case something happens to the family, I was entrusted to be this estate's steward."

"I don't care about that either."

The Duke snapped his finger and a servant rushed to the room.. He let the servant put the sack on the desk. "Open it," the Duke said to her. Rafaela pulled the strings to loosen the sack - inside it was full of diamonds. "You probably never seen so much diamonds in your life. Do you know this is just nothing compared to my wealth?"

"Why should I care?" She snapped at him.

"That bag contains 549 diamonds. That is enough to buy your friend's freedom."

"I shouldn't have to buy Zilong with diamonds. He's supposed to be free." Rafaela stood up and slammed the desk. "Get to your point! I don't really care about how rich you are. What do you want with me?"

The man's moustache twitched, his face still displayed confidence. "I am giving you an opportunity of a lifetime, dear. The heiress to this estate, the Swan Lake, and all the lands up to the Elven border is Odette, the sole daughter of the Regina family." He tapped the wooden desk. "You see, she disappeared a few days ago and every day, the chances of finding her grows slim."

Rafaela nails dug on the desk as her anger rose. She stared down at that man. "So you want me to assume Odette's identity?"

The Duke stroked the edge of his moustache. "Almost no one outside this castle had seen Odette, but people knew two things; she was a mage and very pretty." He shrugged. "I found a few female mages, but none was a looker or close to Odette's age." Not only did Rafaela look nothing like Odette, the angel also thought that she looked far too old to pass as a teenager. Besides, the level of this crime was terrifying. Odette could be alive somewhere. With a sinister smile, the man said; "I'll help you pass as Odette. Just imagine this; you will inherit everything she owns, you will be a noblewoman and the best part is…" He grinned, showing some gold-coated teeth, "You will be my wife."

She glared back at him, showing her disgust. "Never. I don't care about powerful you are in this country. You can't force me to do what I don't want. I may appear to be weak, but if I need to," she leaned closer, "I can kill you."

The Duke seemed unfazed and snapped his finger twice. "The thing is; I can kill you too." Rafaela felt a dark aura around that made her feel cold. From the room's shadows, cloaked figures appeared showing magic in their hands. "If I can't, they will."

Zilong's body hit the floor with a force. The chains binding his hands and feet rattled loudly in the cold, empty cell. "Ouch." He stretched his spine as he lay down, his head throbbing in pain. The footsteps of his jailers faded soon and he began to crawl towards the walls. If he could find weak spots, he could destroy them later with his spear. His jailors had no idea he can summon his armor and weapon wherever he was.

A bunch of bricks were loose and Zilong pulled them one by one. He peered in the hole and noticed a figure leaning on the corner of the other cell. No, this can't be. A woman with blond hair and green eyes stared right back at him, chained like him. Even in the faint moonlight from a tiny window, Zilong can say that she was beautiful. That someone like her was dumped in a prison full of male criminals horrified him. "Excuse me, miss. Why did they put you in a place like this?"

The woman smiled at Zilong. In a deep, masculine voice she replied; "Perhaps it would be a comfort to you that I am not a woman." Oh. Zilong's mouth opened in shock. "Don't worry monsieur, I believe women are the most beautiful beings in the entire universe. To be mistaken as one is a humbling compliment." He flipped his hair with one head movement.

Quick, change the topic. Zilong looked away to hide his embarrassment. "Why are you here then?" Curiosity was a difficult trait to shake off, and some things are better left unknown. Who knows what this man did to deserve imprisonment? However, in this case, Zilong needed information about the Kingdom of Felise, especially about that Duke.

"It's a long story," the man said. "I'm actually more curious how an eastern traveler ended up in this prison. Perhaps this warrants a proper conversation between gentlemen?" He walked towards Zilong and sat near the torn wall. The man put his hand through the hole, offering a handshake. "My name is Lancelot Pierre François Du Pont Baroque, the only son and seventh child of the Earl of Marseille, the Warden of the Southern Hills. How about you?"

"I am Zilong," he replied, shaking Lancelot's hand. This young man was a noble? Why was he here?

"Just.. Zilong?" Lancelot lifted his eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"Oh, alright." Anyway, I was here because I am both a suspect and a witness to mass petrification that happened in the Swan Castle." Lancelot narrated the events of that night, quickly summarizing how he ended up in the castle. As soon as Odette was mentioned Zilong knew that this was a complex story. The man continued, mentioning the Duke, the King and everything else. "Once my father learns how I was forced into this filthy cell…They didn't even let me bath or wash my hair, and it's getting dry and dull. Ugh, this is torture!" The prisoner shouted, seemingly for the guards outside. ". Did you hear that? I am a son of a nobleman! Treat me well and you will all be rewarded!"

"Wait." Zilong interrupted. "I am sure will be interested on my story." He moved closer and spoke in a low voice. "That Duke you talked about? He abducted my female companion, calling her Odette. I am imprisoned here accused of kidnapping her." Lancelot's eyes narrowed as Zilong narrated his side of the recent events.

"If my father is only here, I'll have him free you too." Lancelot said, clearly frustrated.

"We have no time to wait. We have to escape now." Zilong bend his back and used his bound hands to reach for his pony-tail. He buried his fingers in his thick hair to pull one, small blade, almost as thin as needle. Who said only female assassins can do this trick?

"Think about this Rafaela, you have an entire night for yourself." The Duke and his men dragged her up the tallest tower, to a room supposedly belonging to Odette. The nobleman bolted the door and locked it outside. Rafaela quickly pressed her ears to the wood, trying to pick up more conversations. "Where is Gusion? That boy disappears when you need him…" Her jailor's voice said as it faded away.

She looked around. The room was massive, beautifully furnished and filled with musical instruments, books, paintings, pretty dresses scattered everywhere, and dancing shoes. Plenty of candles. Everything described who Odette was. Rafaela walked to the bookshelves to see the various titles; the collections included science, religion and romance novels- lots of romance novels. Rafaela opened them out of curiosity. Some of the books have covers of attractive boys kissing each other. Oh, Odette was into that kind of thing. Rafeala smiled in amusement.

Perfect. There was a window right beside Odette's bed. Rafaela opened it to be greeted by the moon and the lake. The tower was four storeys high, standing right above the waters. No matter, she can easily fly and escape right now. Wait. A white swan came flying and landed on the sill. "It's you," Rafaela recognized her. "Come here, it's okay."

The swan hopped on Rafaela's arms. The angel embraced her and whispered. "I understand now. I felt something was odd but I couldn't explain it. Now, I know." She put the swan on the bed and cast advance purification spell. The curse was too powerful, complicated and ancient; but Rafaela can at least revert her to her normal state.

Soon, the shape of a girl emerged. Reddish-brown hair, slender body and beautiful blue eyes - none of the paintings captured Odette's real beauty.

"You brought me back…" Odette said, tears falling from her eyes.

Rafaela sat on the bed beside the girl. She took Odette's hands and gently rubbed the girl's knuckles. "For now yes, but I promise to help you."The curse was still there, but Rafaela hoped she could find a way to lift it. "Everything that has happened… I want to know everything."

"My love Odette, my heart yearns for you. My soul burns for you." Lancelot sang loudly and full of emotions. "I will fight for our love! Just wait for me and I'll be there for yooouuuuuu!" His tenor voice reverberated through his cell.

A voice from another prison cell shouted; "Shut up loverboy! Let us sleep!"

Lancelot ignored the protests and continued singing, soaring into high notes with so much dramatic flair. "My one and only lady, I'm your one and only man. We'll see each other soon. Just wait for meeee!"

Good. The song hurt his ears but it was enough to mask the sounds his lockpicking. Zilong was almost done unlocking the chains in Lancelot's feet; The task was difficult as the hole in the wall was just enough for one arm and Lancelot had to lift his feet off the floor. If the prison guards come here to silence them it would be better. He could steal the keys and escape more quietly. Tearing walls down would attract too much attention, not to mention he wouldn't want the criminals in this prison escape.

Lancelot's shackles rattled as they hit the floor tiles. Lancelot mouthed "thank you" and stretched his body. Now, Zilong could also try unlocking his cell. Patience was the key. He lost the track of time but he was sure it could be past midnight at this point, the crucial window of escape.

"I see you're already preparing to escape," a male voice said. Zilong's heart beat quickly in panic and he turned around to see a figure standing right outside his jail door. How come he didn't even hear the visitor? Not even footsteps. The mysterious man pulled out a dagger that glowed in the dark. With one clean hit, in perfect silence, the lock of the jail cell split in the middle. Zilong prepared to summon his spear. This was no guard; he was clearly an assassin.

"It's you," Lancelot said. "You let me escape the castle." They knew each other?

The figure stepped inside the cell. The light from the moon and his dagger showed his appearance; just a young man like Lancelot. Perhaps even still in his teens, and he wore a sullen, serious expression. One thing was striking about him; he appeared both eastern and western.

"So are you going to help us escape? Who are you really?" Lancelot asked.

"It seems you have a lot to tell us," Zilong added.

"You probably heard from your girlfriend already." The assassin replied to Lancelot, twirling his dagger. "I'm the Duke's nephew-"

"Gusion." Lancelot answered, eyes wide.

The newcomer shook his head, annoyed. "No, call me Gossen."