Odalis is special

Alastair went into deep thinking while Queen Daphne and Lady Odalis looked on waiting for him to speak. "You could have waited until the Duke left for the village, Lady Odalis. Why did you rush to meet me at this time of the day?"

"That," Odalis hesitated to speak. But on seeing that the people around her were kind and helpful, she revealed the truth to them. "Whenever the Duke leaves the mansion or travels to another town, I am not allowed to take a step out of the mansion," Odalis said, her eyes narrowing slightly before they went back to normal. However, Alastair did not miss the imperceptible change in her expression.

The king's heart softened considerably. The woman standing before him had undergone more hardships than he could ever imagine and she was still suffering from them. At one instant, Alastair had the urge to reveal the truth about her son, Calix to her. He could notice the yearning for him in her eyes and it broke his heart slightly. A man like himself was affected by her pitiful life, let alone his mother, Queen Daphne who had a soft heart. However, he knew that Lady Odalis was the strongest weapon he had at hand and he could never allow her to crumble before he achieved what he wanted. So, he gave up the thought as fast as it had occurred.

"I understand. I am grateful for your help, Lady Odalis, and do not worry. I will make sure that nothing will happen to my parents." Alastair assured her with a polite smile, one similar to what he showed to his mother usually.

"Then, I'll take my leave, my Lord. I need to reach the mansion before the Duke gets suspicious. My Queen." Lady Odalis bowed her head and even before the king could dismiss her, she had left the three people alone. Neither the young king nor Queen Daphne took her insolence to mind.

Kenneth too left the mother and the son alone and went in search of his good friend, Cyrus. "Alastair, what is all this? I am not able to understand what is happening." Daphne started once she collected her thoughts.

"Mother, I apologize for hiding these matters from you. Let me explain. The lady who had come to meet us is Duke Romulus Zale's second wife." Alastair stopped suddenly and looked around him. "Shall we take a seat, Mother? This might take some time."

Queen Daphne nodded her head and the duo took the rock bench in front of a row of jasmine shrubs. The smell of the beautiful flowers lingered in the air, calming one's mind. But not Daphne's. Her mind was in chaos, especially after she found out about the possible threat to her and her husband's life.

"However, she is not a normal human being." Alastair continued, his gaze fixed on his mother.

"Is she someone like you or your father?" Odalis asked, her eyes blinking in confusion.

"No mother. She is not one of us."

"Then?"

"Mother, I presume her to be a witch."

"Witch?" Now Daphne was surprised by her son's words. It was true that witches existed. But it had been long since they had last seen one, not after one of the kings before Ragnor banished them from the kingdom when they had tried to kill him by casting a spell on him.

"Yes, Mother. I can see some of the traits in her, although most of her powers are hidden."

"What do you mean by hidden?" Alastair's words were confusing her all the more and she could help but interrupt him time and again.

"Mother, Lady Odalis does not know she is a witch. She only knows that she is different and has knowledge of only certain powers within her, not all of them. She has no idea how powerful she is."

His answer made sense now. Any creature who had special powers would not know about their full capabilities until they found out what they truly were. They would only get a glimpse of their powers time and again, making them seek their true self themselves. Only when they found out about themselves, would all their hidden powers get activated.

"So, the lady does not know she is a witch?"

"No, Mother. Although I presume she has a hunch about it."

"How are you so sure then?"

"I have seen some of her abilities which not even some of the greatest of the witches could have accomplished. The lady is more powerful than she thinks she is and it's just a matter of time she finds out about it." Alastair stated with a mysterious smile on his face which Daphne could not decipher.

"Why didn't you tell her then? You could have helped her get away from the pitiful situation she is in."

"I can reveal the truth even now. But it's best if she finds out her roots herself. It will be more interesting this way. Also, don't worry about her, Mother. The woman will develop into one of the strongest witches alive."

"Will she be safe until then?" Daphne could not help worry for the woman who seemed to have lost everything in life.

"Yes, Mother. I have someone keeping an eye on her and he will make sure to keep her safe at all costs." Alastair replied thinking about the guard he had appointed to take care of the lady. Although at first, the man had been hesitant, he later agreed when he saw how cruelly the lady was being treated.

"What if she comes behind us?" Daphne voiced out her concerns, remembering the past she had heard from her mother-in-law. She was worried that Lady Odalis would try to harm her family, especially her son given that a witch's spell could take down a creature as strong as Alastair.

"She will not, Mother. Have faith in her. The woman is kind and gentle and even if she does, I have someone with me who will shield us from her."

"Who?"

"Her son, Calix."

"Her son? Why is her son with you?" As Alastair had expected, his mother questioned him right away about it.

"Mother, I saved him from the wicked Duke's clutches who is actually his father. The child was sent away from his mother when he was too young and only the Duke knew where he was. I found out about him by fortuity and brought him with me. He is now training to be a knight and will eventually take over his father's position once the time comes."

"Doesn't Duke Zale know about it?" Daphne questioned, bewildered by what she hearing. It was a lot for her to take and everything still seemed to be a mystery to her.

"No, Mother. The wicked man has not visited his son for quite some time now and I don't think he will in the future."

"Poor mother and the child. What are we going to do about the Duke's next part of the plan? And that reminds me, why does he even want to kill us in the first place?" Daphne voiced the question that was in her mind for long.

Her question made Alastair to chuckle lightly. He hugged the beautiful woman from the side and mumbled, "That is because my mother saved me from a scheming woman and foiled their plans. How do you think the Duke should have reacted?" Alastair's words made Daphne to blink before she started to laugh out loud.

"The Duke must be delusional to have thought about even such a thing. Don't worry, Mother. If he is going to seek the help of a witch, I have an even more formidable one with me. Come what may, I'll never allow the Duke to succeed."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys,

Many of the readers have raised their concerns regarding Alastair and Samantha's possible difference in their ages. Not to worry people. As you have already read in the first few chapters that Alastair is not normal and he hasn't aged since the time he took over the throne. Age will not be an issue between them.

Also, in one of the chapters, I had mentioned that Eleanor first saw Alastair eight years ago. I have changed it to three years so that it would make the story more sensible. I apologize for my mistake.

Thank you everyone for reading this book.