Chapter 30

On that same rainy night

In the kingdom of Darel

King Alfred escorts the Queen Becca and the prince Evan to the chambers specially prepared for them.

He has some guards and some servants bearing lanterns to light the dark corridors of the castle.

"I am so glad, Becca that you could make it."

"Of course. Anything for an old friend."

"And you came with your son, and not only that but you came two days earlier before the ceremony of Hazel is to take place, that is very kind of you."

"Do not speak Alfred as though we have not been helpful to each other in the past, and till now, we are still allies."

"True. Now I hate to say this but Hazel is already in her chambers, I do not know for sure if she is already deep asleep or if she is wide awake."

"Oh leave your dearest child to rest. She needs it for her special day. You do not want her looking tired on the day of her own ceremony, do you?"

"I suppose you are right"

King Alfred stops in front of a double door. There is another room opposite with a double door.

"Your chambers prepared for you and your son. You can choose either,they have all been prepared lavishly."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, King Alfred", Evan speaks.

King Alfred looks at him and said, " You have grown up to be a very fine young man. The last time I saw you, you were just a little child."

" And so did my mother tell me of you and princess Hazel. She said when she came to visit when she was born, you carried her with care and looked fondly at her, and look now heaven has added a moon to her."

" Yes. I leave you to your beauty sleep."

Evan bows slightly to King Alfred, this is not his kingdom and so he has to treat the king who is hosting him with respect.

King Alfred nods and after given instructions to two servants, a male and female, he nods one more time to the mother and son duo and leaves with his guards.

*

King Alfred is in his chambers looking out of his window, a middle aged servant, who looks around the same age as the King Alfred is preparing his bath.

"Father?"

King Alfred turns and sees his second son by name Jones standing at the door way, King Alfred knows that the man is trying to seek permission to enter his chambers and if possibly begin a conversation with him.

"Yes. You may enter."

"Father, I hear that we have visitors, please who are they?"

"They are Becca of the Black kingdom and her son, Evan"

" Ohh. "

" What is it? "

" Did you notice father that they didn't bring much guards to keep them safe unlike... "

" Do not forget son that the Kingdom of Darel and the Black kingdom have been allies for more than twenty years and even I myself didn't go with an escort when I went to seek Becca's help to win the Kingdom of Darel."

" She's a powerful ruler father unlike you who... ", Jones shuts his mouth up as he realized what he has done by his choice of words. He looks at his father who has an ugly look on his face.

King Alfred stares down at Jones making the young man uncomfortable.

" GET. LOST."

Jones manages to give a curt bow before exiting the room.

King Alfred keeps staring at the same place that Jones was standing for a long time.

" My Lord your bath is ready", the servant says.

King Alfred nods absentmindedly, still in deep thought.

*

In the kingdom of Darel

At Night

The Guest Chambers: Evan's room

Evan was fast asleep covered in blanket, the windows were open and the night breeze blew gently causing the curtains to sway. Outside the room of Evan, guards stood at the ending of the corridor, one stood at the other end. They were alert.

Evan turned and sighed in his sleep, the night was cold and so was Evan as he gripped the blankets tighter. The window of Evan's guest room faced the stately courtyard of Darel. There was a fountain and there were also guards in the courtyard.

Suddenly, footprints of a man's boot began to imprint on the floor of the courtyard. The guards did not see it and so they did not know when the footprints made its way to the wall of the palace where the window of the guest room Evan was staying overlooked. The footprint then began to make it's way up the wall. It was almost as though an unknown assailant was walking on the wall. The footprint made its way to the edge of the window and into Evan's room and the footprint stopped at the head of the bed where Evan's head was placed on the pillow, still fast sleep, a rustling sound was heard and then three drops of a green liquid dropped on Evan's face drop by drop and after the third and last drop, Evan took a deep and loud breath and released it, he then turned to face away from the footprint and continued his sleep.

The footprint then walked away from his bed and made its way to the base of the window, it faded away like it was never there