Chapter 7

Another truth in the shadow:Aldric, the devoted son of Lady Isadora, grew up in the shadows of the royal castle. Unknown to him, his true lineage was shrouded in mystery. As the once trusted best friend of King Edmund, he was unaware of the dark secret that bonded them.Aldric mourned the death of his mother in exile. After the untimely death of the previous king, whispers of a hidden truth started circulating in the court. Rumors suggested that Aldric might be more closely tied to the royal family than anyone realizes. As these rumors grow, Aldric becomes the subject of intrigue and suspicion, putting him in danger even in exile. It turned out that Lady Isadora, tormented by her past and determined to protect her son, reveals the shocking truth to one of the court mages seraphina whom she conspired with, telling her about the status of Aldric. He is not only her son but also the secret offspring of the late king's Gawain, the deceased monarch whose memory remains revered in the kingdom. This happened three weeks before her death. Following the death of lady Isadora, it left Seraphina with the responsibility to reveal the shocking truth to Aldric about his royal heritage.Seraphina, a keeper of ancient knowledge, set out on a journey to find Aldric to carefully disclose the long-concealed truth of his birth. Aldric ran first to his grandfather's (Isadora's father) cottage to pick a few supplies, there Seraphina met him. Stunned and conflicted from the words of revelation , Aldric grapples with the newfound knowledge that he is not only Lady Isadora's son but also the offspring of the late king, the deceased monarch whose memory remains revered in the kingdom.Aldric was the first son of king Gawain and older brother to Lysanna and Edmund. As fate would have it, he wasn't meant to carry the mark of the dragons. His birth was a thing of secrecy and his mother Isadora coveted the throne for his sake. She was all about power and money being that she used to be the daughter of a very poor background who specialized only in the art of healing and never wished that life for her only son.Fearing for his life and uncertain of whom to trust, Aldric decides to leave the kingdom and the palace behind to embark on a journey to find his supposed long-lost younger sister, Lysanna.Aldric's journey takes him through treacherous terrains and unknown lands. Along the way, he encounters various challenges and dangerous adversaries- road thieves, bounty hunters. Despite the hardships, Aldric persists, driven by his desire to reunite with his sister and give meaning to the broken thoughts about who he really is. During his travels, he befriends a skilled archer named Mordred , who becomes his companion and assists him on his journey. Mordred was only an orphan who stayed with his adoptive father in the woods away from the borders of the kingdom. There was no clear background to who the man was but all that was needed to know was that he was a retired knight who fought in the wars. Skilled in the area of archery, taught mordred and raised him to be a fine young man. It was a rainy afternoon and Aldric had lost almost all his supplies, lost in the woods, he began seeing smoke signs coming from the top of a cottage. He went over there and begged to stay the night, he was welcomed warmly and he told Mordred of his journey but not who he really was. Mordred who had always dreamt of going on an adventure sought to follow him and aid him. Little did Aldric know that this young man who he just met had a huge role to play in his own life.Somehow, word of Aldric's birth reached the ears of king Edmund, turns out when lady Isadora told Seraphina of the truth, a kitchen maid stood eavesdropping. "What?, that is impossible ", Edmund exclaimed after he got told the news. He summoned ser Ector whom he made his army commander and most trusted adviser. He confided in him and told Ser Ector that the news must not to be heard outside the palace walls or else his claim to the throne would be threatened. He ordered his adviser to carry a covert operation to kill the runaway heir. Suspicious of the maid who had made that report, Ser Ector invited her to a brothel room and killed her there.Ser Ector set out on his mission, taking with him 20 of his strongest knights, all mounted on horseback with their sharpened blades. Aldric deep inside the woods also set out continuing his journey with Modred. It seemed as though they had no plan of direction but he kept on moving based on his will to find the lost pieces of the puzzle. Alara and Ikky finally arrived at Tri-goh, seeing that Alara was a banished person because her blood wasn't pure, they had to infiltrate the city walls to get in. They got to zed's home only to meet the door wide opened and the house scattered with bloodstains on the ground. In fear that something drastic might have happened to Lysanna, she fell down in tears as ikky held her as a means of emotional support. After a while, the situation became calm and ikky started moving around the house as if he was searching and inspecting. He discovers a letter which was from Zed telling them that Lysanna and Elinor were at Ashwind under the care of lord Alista. Their hopes lit up again and they saw another chance to bring the kingdom United into one realm. Night fell and these two young heroes dashed out on horseback to the kingdom of Ashwind.Meanwhile, Zed, the once revered mage,  imprisoned and facing an inevitable death sentence for crimes he  had committed awaited his fate. He harnesses what little magic remains to him to keep an eye on the outside world.Through his magical connection, Zed senses that his old companion,  Alara with her friend Ikky, have managed to know of the whereabouts of Lysanna .Overwhelmed with joy, Zed is finally at peace. He knows that even in his darkest hour, Alara and Ikky would succeed in finding Lysanna, bringing hope to his heart as their reunion would rekindle the hope of bringing the realm together as one.As Zed prepares to face his fate, he reflects on his past, acknowledging the mistakes he made and the consequences of his actions. With the knowledge that Alara is safe , he accepts his destiny with a newfound sense of closure and gratitude. He then looked up to the dungeon ceiling with tears in his eyes "Snow, I have helped your great grandchild and set her on her path".As the day of Zed's death sentence arrives, the atmosphere in the kingdom of Tri-goh is heavy with sorrow and regret. Despite the joy he felt from knowing his friends were safe, Zed knows he must face the consequences of his past actions. He accepts his fate with grace, understanding that his death will bring closure and peace to the victims of his misdeeds.In the presence of a somber crowd, the execution takes place. Zed meets his end with dignity, his last thoughts filled with memories of the adventures he shared with his dear friends.Alara felt a sharp pain run across her as she paused on her horse and burst into tears as she knew Zed had been put to death. The loss of Zed weighed heavily on Alara, leaving a void in her heart. Yet, she  finds solace in the knowledge that they  were able to find Lysanna's whereabouts and cherished the time they spent together once more. In view of this, Alara swore to Honour Zed's sacrifice that she would do all it takes to ensure his death wasn't for naught.