The search
Qhah-el's sharp gaze lingered on Constance's gently closed eyes and naturally resting lips before he turned to the welcoming party. "Return to your duties. Chamberlain, stay."
"As you wish, your highness." The attendants bowed in unison and dispersed.
Once they were out of sight, Qhah-el gave the chamberlain a brief look before turning to Constance.
However, before his eyes could land on her, he met Qu-mar's scrutinizing gaze.
With his eyes slightly widened, Qhah-el understood he was warning him.
However, it wasn't new, so he ignored it, thinking it was ridiculous.
He doesn't need to be warned for something he thought was untrue.
Qhah-el crossed his arms as he faced Constance's meditative state.
She usually speaks on the spot once she becomes aware of something, but this time she's taking longer than usual.
When her forehead creased, Qhah-el's brows knitted.
Rarely was she disturbed in the between.
When her eyes fluttered open without a word said, Qu-mar tugged on his horse to move towards her. "What happened, your highness?"
"I…" Constance glanced at Qu-mar, then at Qhah-el before her eyes darted around to scan the surroundings.
When she didn't see the welcoming party, she clasped the tips of her fingers, forming a triangle at the level of her chest.
"Let me try again," she said as she opened up her heart chakra to all that is and activated her third eye to perceive beyond the confines of the material world.
When her energy surged, a gust of wind circled around her, cutting up anything that cannot withstand it.
When blood spluttered from the hand of the sole squire, who accompanied them, Qhah-el raised his hand.
"Surround," he said.
As soon as he did, particles of sand encased the outburst of wind and energy, trapping it within.
With the force of the wind gathered inside, Constance's hood was blown away, revealing her lengthy silver that was immediately sprawled in all directions.
After a few seconds, the wind dispersed and her hair cascaded to her shoulders.
"I see her…" Constance said in a trance-like state as the center of her forehead glowed.
"She's filled with joy at the moment."
Constance unclasped her fingers and kept her hands still on the sides as the image in her mind became clearer.
Lydia had a carefree smile on her face.
There were snow-covered trees around her and, although vague, Constance could see a blurry image of a man beside her.
When she was about to close in and focus on Lydia's companion, the image in her mind shattered.
The dark energy that had blocked her in the between has intervened again.
Now that Constance had encountered it twice, she could tell someone extraordinary was protecting Lydia.
Curious, she located this person, but instead of seeing a path and a person, she entered the galactic realm and saw the stars.
A shiver ran down Constance's spine because she could tell it was a person and not a light being.
Since she was shown the stars, that means the person she was looking for was not in the same dimension as they were in, but the protection he or she had placed on Lydia remained strong.
What madness… for someone to be able to do that, they must transcend the limitations of the physical body, and manipulate time and space.
"Lady?"
Constance flinched when Qhah-el's voice echoed all around her.
With his call, she was reminded of what she was supposed to do, so she shifted her focus to Lydia again.
Since her perception was blocked, she reinforced her heart chakra instead so she could connect to the essence that permeates all things.
However, when she navigated the open field, it had become a hostile maze that led her to several dead ends.
Determined to find her, Constance continued to reinforce her heart chakra until she could tap into Lydia's essence.
"Found her," she said when she felt a faint but familiar essence.
"She's moving at a steady speed."
"It seems like she's on horseback," she added since the vibrations on the ground were deeper, more resonant, and spread in a quartet.
Constance directed her energy on the path that leads to Lydia.
To ensure it would reach her, she made it as thin as a tread. Then she expanded her energy once she reached her.
The space was empty at first, but as she spread her energy, the density of particles in that space formed vague shapes that slowly became more solid as she heightened her concentration.
"She's in a rocky terrain. There are cliffs and narrow passages…"
"She's not far from here," Constance said as her eyes opened slowly, revealing her bloody red orbs that shone like rubies.
"The exact location?" Qhah-el asked as he wondered what had brought Lydia joy and laughter when he hadn't even seen her smile again after he captured her.
"Seven mountains away, east, probably at the Ah-ihtier, your highness."
Qhah-el nodded. "Is there anything else?"
"There's only one person accompanying her. A man about his size," Constance said as she looked at the chamberlain.
When the entourage heard this, their ears perked up.
Since Constance said Lydia was filled with joy at the moment, plus she's on horseback and accompanied by a single man… they couldn't help but speculate that she's running away with a lover. After all, it was an open secret that she's not pleased with her marriage. Plus, there were rumors that she's interested in someone else.
The entourage glanced at Qhah-el.
When they saw his unchanged expression, they doubted their conclusion, so they turned to his advisor to search for clues, but even he did not seem bothered by the information.
Noticing the entourage's behavior, Constance added that Lydia and her companion are not moving away from the palace but towards it.
Upon hearing that, the entourage stopped side-glancing to look for clues.
Meanwhile, Qhah-el's unwavering gaze remained on Constance.
The information he was looking for, she hadn't said it yet.
Just like him, Qu-mar's major concern remained unanswered, so he tugged on his horse to move towards her. "Is there something else we needed to hear, your highness?"
Constance nodded subtly before pulling her hood on. "It seems someone powerful is watching over her."