18 Chapter 16: A Loyal Renegade

Catthia and the little boy watch as the princess leaves the palace with the swordsman, Cartlon. 

"Shhh. Don't worry, they will be fine and safe." Catthia comforts the boy by rubbing his back.

Caliek replied, "Little boy, you shall not fear because princess Alice is a great and brave woman. She can kill those bad zombies alone, so stop crying now."

"But... But I want to help her!"

Catthia walks closer and bent her knees in front of him. "You're still young to protect the princess, but, when the right time comes, Princess Alice would acknowledge your sincerity and care for her."

"Really? You're not lying?"

Catthia nods while smiling. She looked up at Caliek who's annoyed and exhausted, hearing the boy's wailed. 

"Stop crying, little boy. If you do whatever I say, I'll give you everything you want! Deal?" He told the boy, weeping his wet, and dirty face.

The little boy was enlightened up and replied enthusiastically, "Really? You will grant my wish?"

Caliek shook his head and smiled genuinely. "Catthia! The Princess's friend will grant my wish! I'm so glad!"

Catthia watched him, jumping and lunging with amusement in his eyes. Perhaps, he can't feel the strange energy of Caliek except for Catthia.

"Come on! Follow me!" He said and leads the way wearing a poker face.

She holds the boy's hand and follows Caliek. Catthia looked around and she observed wardens standing and guarding the royal rooms, hallways, and every corner of the palace.

Catthia wondered why Caliek took them in the underground. There are torches and lanterns, and there's a room at the end.

In a prowl motion, Caliek grasps Catthia's jaw and said awfully, "From now on, you will stay here, and don't you dare to tell anyone! Do you understand?"

"Hey! Let her go! Let her go, swordsman!" The boy punches him but still, Caliek didn't feel bothered and disturbed.

"Answer me, woman! Are we clear?!"

Out of fear, Catthia shook her head and replied in a low tone, "Yes!"

"Louder!"

"YES!"

Caliek pushed her into the room and Catthia was fumbled and fall down. "You will regret doing this, swordsman! Princess Alice will never hesitate to throw you into a distant, remote desert! You're a traitor!"

"Don't worry, I will make sure that Alice and her vulnerable and wimp sister will be dead in my own hands. Similarly, if I'm done with my plans, then I will be the King of Alicesha. In other words, I am your highness, Catthia." 

He was clenching his teeth and emphasizes every word he said. Caliek is out of his head for doing this cruelty to the woman and to the young lad.

"Liar! You're a liar!"

"Stop it! You little cockroach!" Caliek, out of his intentions, he pushes the boy forcibly and falls into the ground. "I'm sorry. I am sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"No! Don't touch him!" Catthia embraced the lad, but she saw his bleeding knees and elbows.

He got abrasion due to the impact. "Stay away from us! I'd rather stay in this old, dark room than seeing and talking someone like you!"

"You will pay for this, Caliek!"

Catthia crawled into the right corner, carrying the boy. She rips her kilt and uses it to wipe his wounds. It wasn't deep and serious but still, the boy felt the pain from it.

"Don't worry, your wounds will be healed right away. All right?"

The boy shook his head and lay down. Catthia let him leaned his head into her lap as she caresses his black, shiny hair.

Caliek turned his back and faced the wardens, guarding the place.

"Don't let them sneak out! Understood?!"

"Yes, your honor!"

By then, he left Catthia and the young boy with pain beneath his body and soul. Caliek didn't control his emotions and tears as he walked back into the royal's quarter.

**

The palace was guarded by thousands of armored men. Each and everyone was trained and equipped with sleek and polished swords.

All of them wore protective gear as their defense against the infectious bite of zombies.

Despite tall, unbreakable wall of the palace, Princess Alice forced to go out to seek her missing younger sibling, Shaotzie.

She trusted Caliek, her childhood friend to take care of her people, to protect her kingdom from the undead.

"Today, I gathered all of you to announce a piece of very bad news. A piece of bad news that will wreck our motherland." Caliek told the parliament.

He walked back and forth in front of twenty fundamental individuals of Alicesha. He looked at them one by one, earning enough courage to declare openly the outbreak of zombies. 

"The sudden outbreak of zombies just happened and unfortunately, Princess Shaotzie is missing too." Finally, Caliek spoke up about the current circumstance.

Everyone is shocked and alarmed upon hearing the bad news. One of them stood up and asked, frightened, and terrified.

"What?! There's a lot of zombies outside of the palace!" How does it happen, swordsman?"

"Princess Alice went out too to seek out the missing princess. Please, I am asking that don't be panic. We need to think and to create a plan on how to reverse this current dilemma that we are all facing."

"But, how can we do it if we can't find the cure?" The representative of the health department asked Caliek.

Caliek gasped and have a long sighed. He doesn't know the answer too. But, he could still remember that Alice talked about the elusive mage. If it's the case, there's a possibility that a cure itself is a living organism.

"Princess Alice once told me that if we can't make an antidote then there's a chance that an individual carriers the antibody. If there's a creator of this infectious virus then there must be a mage."

Everyone in the committee agreed with Caliek idea. He's right, if someone created it then he/she knows the mage. "In other words, we need to find the elusive mage, alive."

"Swordsman, I would like to ask why Princess Alice didn't tell us about Princess Shaotzie? It's our right and freedom to know everything." Harry, from the legislative department, asked.

Caliek stiffened and clasped both hands and said, "She needs to, in order to save Shaotzie right away. I'm hoping that you will understand why the princess decided on her own. King Sulliman and Queen Marie died a few days ago and it's painful and unbearable if she can't protect and save her younger sibling."

All of them shook their heads and proud of their soon to be queen. "But, the anticipated crowning of Princess Alice is near to come. What will we do then?"

"If Alice is present in this committee, she will postpone the said event until she found the mage. As a leader, as a sister and as a woman, Princess Alice will not let her people suffer and condone. People's safety and asylum are what really matters right at this moment."

Princess Alice doesn't need to regret trusting Caliek. He's a good man with confidence, loyalty, and courage.

"Does the Princess have a companion? We all know that she's a woman and zombies are loitering around the palace."

"She's with Cartlon and she can fight by manipulating a sword. I know that you trust her, and she's looking for the mage as she finds Princess Shaotzie."

"Everyone, please be prepared and I'm warning you that these zombies are strong and tougher than the usual one," Caliek added.

Everyone was full of fear and awe. Their position doesn't matter in this kind of once a blue moon phenomenon. They need to be protected and safeguarded to be able to survive.

"Thank you for coming to this sudden gathering. Let us all pray for the safety of the princesses and ours too."

The congregation was done and one by one, they leave the hall. However, Caliek remained standing and thinking for a possible scheme to end the zombie apocalypse without realizing that Philip, one of kindred of Princess's Alice.

"Wow! I owe you for that, Caliek." He clapped both hands loudly as he shut the door and locked it.

Caliek turned his head and stared at him and replied, "Poor Princess Alice. She never thought that I'll be going to betray her, at the of the day. How naive and gullible she is."

Philip gave him an abrupt, whimsical laugh and said, "In other words, you wore a mask perfectly until this moment."

"I am a loyal renegade, Philip. But, I don't think we can embezzle the throne from Alice. As far as we know, she's totally fearless, intelligent, and clever and I'm still wondering why did she trust me that effortlessly. Do you have any idea why, Philip?"

He walked into the royal chair and seated back while the other man smirking. Caliek put his feet under the long, attic table.

"You're right. I've been observing her lately especially when her parents died."

Caliek looked away and sighed. He's a traitor but he can't bear killing someone especially King Sulliman. "Oh! I remembered about it! Do you know who's the murderer, Philip?"

Philip smiled bitterly and replied, "The ill queen and the murderer king died due to a sudden cause. Despite their death, I can say that the murderer is living here in the palace. Am I right, Caliek?"

The traitor swallowed greedily with guilt within. He stared at Philip, smiling widely and said, "If I am not the killer then it must be you, or anyone else? Sounds great, right Philip?"

The two men looked at each other and burst into a loud, ridiculous laugh. "Caliek! Caliek! Caliek! My sincere apology for not trusting you before. I... I thought that you can't be like your father. I thought you can't betray your childhood best friend!"

"Well, I have a better plan right now. Let's see if Alice can survive it."

Caliek told him and grinned.