8 Bloody sword

As the man turned to look at Astraea, he uttered in a deep, husky voice, "Hello, stranger." Astraea was about to turn and flee but she heard the same voice call out to her. "Don't worry. I will not harm you." Astraea stood her ground and didn't move an inch. She had no idea what to do. She wanted to find David, but something was preventing her from doing so, and her fear kept her from approaching the stranger.

"Are you crying?" Fearing that she would flee, the man stood up and took slow steps towards her. "Can you tell me why you're crying?" He inquired when he was able to see Astraea more clearly. He approached her and extended his hand. The man gently asked, wiping Astraea's wet cheek. "Can you tell me your name?"

The man spoke with such elegance and power that Astraea assumed he was a high-ranking official, but he was dressed as a servant. "Astraea." She responded without considering the question. She spoke in a dazed tone, as if under a spell.

"Astraea," The man tested her name on his tongue. When Astraea regained her composure, she shook her head and took a step away from the man.

" Who are you?" Astraea demanded, her cold gaze fixed on the figure in front of her.

The man chuckled and turned around to face the log. "It doesn't matter who I am." He took a seat and patted the space beside him. "Please take a seat." Astraea shifted her gaze to the location and then back to the hooded figure, wishing she could see the expression on his face. Astraea approached the man and sat down, hesitantly. "What matters is the reason you're crying. Perhaps I can assist."

Astraea let out a sigh. "I came to the forest to spend the day with a friend." Astraea blinked back tears that threatened to fall from her eyes "But got separated, he seemed to be thinking about something, and I was curious what it was. I was irritated that he wouldn't tell me, so I looked away for a second, but when I returned my gaze, he had vanished."

The man listened to Astraea quietly before sharing his thoughts on her situation. "Don't just assume that something happened. Perhaps he strayed without realizing it. Did you have a plan in place to meet up if something like this happened?"

"I should check the cabin," Astraea said, her eyes brightening. She stood up and brushed her dress elegantly. The man gave a small smile as he watched Astraea's actions. "Thank you," Astraea said as she dashed away.

The man locked his gaze on Astraea's receding figure and felt an unfamiliar smile creep onto his lips. "Goodbye, my darling princess."

She followed the wisps as Ophelia had suggested, ignoring the nagging doubt that David would be at the cabin. The familiar path became visible. When Astraea saw the cabin, she quickened her pace and almost tripped.

"David!" When she noticed the familiar face staring at her from the cabin's doorway, she smiled and called out. Astraea embraced him in a hug without hesitation. "What happened? Are you in pain? I was worried." The words rushed out of Astraea's mouth so quickly that she couldn't understand them.

"A princess does not ramble or hug commoners," Ophelia pointed out. Astraea took a step back and apologized for her imprudent behavior.

"I was abducted," David explained. Astraea scanned him from head to toe and looked him in the eyes with concern. David offered her a small smile "Don't be concerned; I'm fine. They took me away from you and drove me in circles until I couldn't figure out how to get back to you. After a few moments, I noticed the wisps. I followed them in the hopes that you would notice them as well."

"Princess?" Astraea turned to face Ophelia, who had called out to her. "Did you run into anyone?" Astraea brought back her thoughts to the strange man, but she shook her head.

"No, I didn't," Astraea replied calmly, which surprised her. Ophelia nodded, but her expression was unsure.

"Your soul has changed. Depending on the person you met, the change could be positive or negative." Astraea pondered what Ophelia had said and wondered who the stranger was.

"Let's go inside," David proposed. Astraea nodded, and they entered, closing the door behind them.

"The ritual will take place tomorrow at midnight." Ophelia reminded them before departing for her room.

______________________

Bright green eyes stared at the kneeling man from the throne. "Have you had any luck finding my sister?" Astrophel inquired. When the guard shook his head, Astrophel grabbed the nearest vase and smashed it against the wall, yelling in frustration.

"Do you have any idea where she is?" Astrophel threw another vase into the wall after the man shook his head again. When Astrophel stooped down to his level, the spy flinched. "I'm going to give you a week to find her." He addressed the kneeling man. "Bring them in!" Astrophel yelled.

The doors opened, and two guards entered, one holding a middle-aged woman in her early thirties and a young girl no older than six. Astrophel stood up and took hold of the woman's hair. Astrophel drew the woman who screamed in agony over to the spy.

Astrophel drew his sword and threw the woman in front of the man. "It will be one week. This woman will die if I don't see the princess within a week." As he gazed at his wife in torment, the man sobbed. Astrophel made a motion toward a guard, and the child was dragged over to them.

"It's all right, sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine." The man attempted to comfort his wife. When he saw his five-year-old daughter, the man's face turned horrified.

"Leo, I'm fine," the woman stated.

"I'll let you decide which one dies right now," Astrophel said softly as he unsheathed his sword.

Leo sobbed and shook his head. He pursed his lips and cried out. "I can't do it, please don't do it, I'll find the princess, don't do this to me." The man begged. When he heard a scream, his eyes widened. The man took a slow look and noticed his wife's tear-stained face staring at him with dull, lifeless eyes. "Honey?" He screamed. With trembling hands, he reached out to her and brushed his hand across her cold cheek.

When he felt the presence of someone kneeling beside him, he didn't react. "Mama?" his daughter inquired. As she cried and tried to run towards her mother, the little girl struggled in the guard's grip.

"Allow me to reveal a secret to you." With a dark chuckle, Astrophel whispered into the man's ear "Your wife was pregnant," Leo's eyes welled up with tears as he remembered their conversation before he arrived at the palace.

"I have a surprise for you, sweetheart." Sarah, his wife, had said to him. As he stood up, he chuckled at her and shook his head. He kissed her on the cheek and picked up his coat.

"I have to be at work right now. You can tell me later." His wife nodded, and he walked away and walked towards the palace.

"From your reaction, can I assume you did not know?" Astrophel inquired with a sigh of regret. He turned to face the dead woman, then the child. "I'm curious, who would you have chosen if you knew your wife was pregnant?"

"You're a psychopath." The man mumbled. Astrophel glared at him before kicking him in the back of the head. The man yelped in pain and attempted to crawl towards his daughter.

Astrophel took hold of Leo's dark curls and drew him back. "Get. Me. My. Sister," he gritted before hurling Leo to the ground. Astrophel approached the doors. "Clean up the blood, lock up the girl, and get him out of here," Astrophel said. The guards at the door yanked the door open, and he exited the throne room.

"There's blood on my sword."