Chapter 2 - That Day

Vasco was enjoying the moment of peace before it was ended by his most trusted and top advisor Fabian.

He turned around a bit to see Fabian kneeling down as his red eyes looked down upon his servant with rather disappointment, especially after hearing "Your Majesty." as he always expects to hear the words that his beloved has gotten better.

Silence was his answer as Fabian decided to continue "I have reports from OOL, It's urgent and I have found a solution to your predicament." Those words were met with Vasco turning his back towards Fabian as Vasco actions were to show Fabian he didn't care.

But Fabian knew how to get his attention. "Solution to save her, Your beloved the Queen." upon hearing those words Fabian lifted his head up to see the reaction of the King.

But the moment he lifted his head up, turning his gaze onto the king his whole body shivered as the king was indeed looking down on Fabian with his two red eyes which were shining, perhaps the rage which he had held back inside of him for a decade.

He could only feel fear as he broke eye contact as it was too much of a pressure as Vasco showed no signs of joy as he knew it was useless to be happy in another one of the so-called solutions as he has faced such scenarios more than often.

Vasco walked forward towards the carriage used by Fabian to travel towards his location as Fabian followed as their destination was the Capital City.

Inside the carriage, Vasco sat near the window as he preferred to stare out instead of wasting his time on just talking as it was a hassle for him since he sorta had a feeling that Fabian lied about this so he could be taken to the capital again.

Fabian sat on the opposite side of Vasco as he was looking inside his bag to bring some papers as it were the reports and other important documents to show the King.

The carriage they were in had no horse pulling it as it looked like a typical royal carriage which requires horse but here only the driver sat in front with his hands at-top a magic circle which appears mid-air.

It's difficult to control this vehicle as it requires utmost precession with mana control reaching the very peak.

As if the driver fails to control the mana which is sent inside the vehicle to move it, it will stop or move slowly as the pace of the vehicle depends on how precise the driver can send their mana into the vehicle.

It was fast enough to let them both reach the Capital in a day as such carriages are reserved for the government only.

Mainly because they are light, cannot carry heavy loads as it's used to send important letters, for diplomats or royalties to quickly travel as well as for scouting missions which have similar types but different models of mana carriage.

Fabian grabbed the necessary files and showed it to Vasco who was still keeping his gaze outside the carriage via the windows.

Fabian cleared his throat making noise for Vasco to see but he didn't budge which made Fabian say "Your Majesty, Please look at the file. As this is what OOL requests from you." It was met with more silence.

. . . .

Fabian sighed as he placed it down and began to speak "If you are not interested in politics then let's talk about her majesty the Queen." as his words were met with silence but it didn't stop Fabian.

"My Lord, The only way to remove the curse is by bringing the castor or someone who knows about the curse." He continued "The castor committed suicide that day but I have found someone who knows about the curse."

Fabian for a second blinked his eye as the moment his eyes were opened it saw those red eyes which were shining as Vasco had diverted his gaze from outside towards Fabian.

Fabian felt chills but he kept his composure as he continued to say "Yes, That is what I meant about the solution for what happened that day."

That day — 13 years ago

It was a pleasant day as the Palace on the Capital City Dale was lit up as if there was a festival as that's how the palace was back then at night.

It was so shiny that one could see it 50km away at night as there were many inside the palace halls including the new king who was busy talking to his advisors and ministers.

There was no fear in the eyes of the men who were standing in front of Vasco as he had red eyes but they were gentle and filled with warmth as well as hope.

Meanwhile on the other side of the palace, Inside the chambers of the Monarchs there were many maids and sitting on the edge of the bed was her, the Queen who was talking to her maids.

Her face was filled with joy as she shared her time with the maids who all seemed to be happy to interact with her as well.

The white hues of the moonlight gently embraced the figure of a queen. Seated at the edge of her regal bed, she emanated an aura of grace and warmth that extended far beyond her throne. The room itself seemed to bask in the glow of her presence.

Her smile, a radiant expression that could rival the sun's brilliance, illuminated the space. The queen's joyous demeanour reflected a kind and benevolent ruler, weaving an enchanting tapestry of tranquillity within her quarters.

Adorned in garments that mirrored the elegance of her character, the queen's attire flowed seamlessly, a harmonious dance of fabric that accented her petite frame.

Her skin, a testament to the beauty of diversity, embraced a soft shade of brown, reminiscent of warm mahogany.

It was a hue that spoke of sun-kissed lands and whispered tales of ancestry. The queen's complexion held a velvety smoothness, a canvas upon which the sunlight played, leaving a trail of golden kisses.

Her hair, a crown of glory, cascaded in smooth, straight strands with playful curls at the ends. Jet black like the midnight sky, it framed her face with a natural elegance, each lock a testament to the beauty that lay in the simplicity of authenticity.

As she conversed with her maids, the room resonated with laughter and shared stories. The queen's voice was a melody of kindness. Her eyes, pools of warmth and understanding, sparkled with wisdom and a touch of mischief.

The maids, enchanted by the queen's aura, moved gracefully around the room, attending to various tasks with an air of devotion.

Their camaraderie with the queen painted the scene with strokes of familial affection, creating an atmosphere that transcended the traditional boundaries of ruler and subject.

In the midst of it all, the queen's laughter echoed, a symphony that harmonised with the joy that filled the room.

Her petite form exuded a quiet strength, a reminder that true power often resided in the gentleness of a soul.

In this regal haven, where the queen reigned not just as a monarch but as a beloved presence, the beauty of her brown skin, the grace of her curls, and the genuine warmth of her smile became a living testament to the radiance that diversity brought to the realm.

As they were sharing good times, a knock was heard which suddenly plunged the whole room into silence as they all looked at the door as it was unusual for someone to come especially since the King was at the hall being busy.

One of them opened the door to see a maid standing there holding a tray as on-top of the tray there was a Golden Chalice filled with what it seems to be a purple liquid.

There was a moment of confusion amongst the maids as the Queen didn't ask for this as it was random.

"What is it?" asked the Queen who looked at the door as the maid who opened the door turned back facing the Queen and replied "Your Majesty, A maid came with a drink as you ordered for some."

But their conversation was interrupted by the maid who appeared with the drink as she began to explain her situation "Your Majesty, The King sent me this as telling me to tell you to try this wonderful drink from Aronos."

The Queen paused for a moment before gesturing to her to enter as the doors were closed at the moment she entered.

The Queen grabbed the chalice and looked at it before asking "Hmm, Did he drink it?" for which the maid nodded while saying "Yes."

Before she could drink, others began to ask why she asked such a question for which she replied "My husband tends to be so busy as he desires to work hard for his homeland. In his busy life, he tends to not eat at times. I would rather not fill my belly whilst he is empty. So I asked if he has also drunk this as there is no enjoyment in drinking this without knowing he has enjoyed it as well."

As everyone was happy, there was a sinister wide smile which no one said as it belonged to someone who saw the Queen drink the liquid inside the Chalice.

Back at the main hall of the Palace, everyone seemed to be rather enjoying or busy with their jobs as suddenly the doors to the hall were forcefully pushed open with a yellow cloak which the guards of palace rushed in before kneeling in front of the King.

Everyone looked at the yellow cloak who seemed to be panting and sweaty as he trembled for a bit as if there was important news as Vasco walked closer to the yellow cloak asking him in the process "What happened?" as he has a gentle tone which helped the yellow cloak to calm down a bit.

"There is a problem." He continued "It's her majesty the Queen, sir she has been..." before the yellow cloak could continue Vasco ran as the moment he heard the words problem and queen at the same time.

His heart was beating fast as in his mind the same words were repeated over and over again "Please be okay." as if it were words of desperation.

Maybe it was a curse, maybe it was fate being cruel as the corridors towards their chamber were filled with corpses of the yellow cloaks laying on the sides as his footsteps were heard as if he was running on water but it was blood.

As he reached the room, it was filled with the corpses of the maids as before he could enter he saw it.

The body of his beloved lay on the ground as her eyes filled with tears reflected him running towards her as he sat down, grabbed her and placed her closer to his chest before roaring in despair as he hoped in his mind saying "Please don't leave me."

After some minutes, Fabian arrived on the scene with some other men as they saw Vasco sitting down, leaning towards the bed while his queen laid on his lap.

He was caressing her hair as there were tears on his eyes but his eyes were shining bright as if in the darkness only his eyes stood out.

"She is alive." He said in a rather sorrowful tone "Paralysed... A curse... where is the castor?"

The men there couldn't give an answer to his question before the commander of the yellow cloaks walked in and kneeled in front of the king.

He began to explain the situation "My Lord, It was a lone woman but she was no ordinary woman as she was well capable of killing as she murdered 68 yellow cloaks on her way in and out, 16 maids."

"Where is the castor?" Vasco asked.

The Commander paused for a moment as if he didn't have a proper answer or didn't know how to answer that specific question properly but he began to say "The Castor unfortunately killed themself before being captured by my men, I apologise to my lord."

Vasco lifted her body up as laying her back on the bed before walking towards the commander as he looked down, his eyes no one could stare at it anymore due to how much pressure it was exerting.

"Commander." He spoke in an emotionless manner "Take out your swords." He then moved closer to the commander's ears and whispered "Kill yourself, you are useless, as the commander of the ones who are tasked with guarding this palace."

Vasco walked away from the commander as he looked at Fabian and other others "Bring the mages."

Fabian asked "How many?" for which Vasco replied "All of them... Every high ranking mages in the City.. bring them in and task them with the job of bringing her back to me."

Vasco ordered them before walking out as Fabian did ask where he was going "Where are you going my lord?" As Vasco didn't stop, instead he simply said "To butcher the ones who dared to touch my woman."

There were numerous purges in the coming months, starting with the death of the commander of the yellow cloak who executed himself.

Nearly 5000 yellow cloaks were burned to death for allowing a Assassin to enter and to not give proper protection to the Queen.

After that, he spends more time on finding a proper cure as the mages said she cannot be saved without the caster or the ones who know about the curse as instead they could keep her alive but she will feel the pain till the curse is removed.

Perhaps it was hell for her as many suggested ending her but they were the ones who met their end which made many remain silent in front of him.

He visited Aronos as the Imperium held the Magic tower where the strongest mage in the continent lives but they too rejected his request saying it's not possible without the ones who know the curse.

He felt like this was it, As he began to realise the only way to end this was to put her out of her misery and follow her to the afterlife but that would jeopardise his kingdom as it will be desecrated by the Church and all those who desire this land for themselves.

Righteousness had value but in front of his beloved it was nothing as he decided to hunt for anyone who may know it as every path he took led to the Church.

He tried numerous times to declare war or purge the church but it was far too late as he was busy trying to find solutions, the church already moved forward with their plans to take over the Kingdom and turn it into a theocracy.

It was way too late as such a war would plunge the whole kingdom into a civil war as the winner will only rule ruins.

But the main reason why he decided to not take the civil war path was because if he kills everyone in the church, he by default also kills people who may know about the curse which would render him with no solution to curing his wife.

A dilemma, a cruel cruel dilemma he faced but if the words of his advisor is correct then he is closer to retrieving his beloved from her misery.