Chapter 6: Flower Palace/Forest in the palace

"You know where we are going right Sparkles?" I said. "(sigh) Yes and I have been there once. Just be careful ok?" "I will try." So we headed off towards the flower palace.

It would take at least 12 hours in the forest to get there. So every time I get tired we would stop. I would stop during Breakfast lunch and dinner. That is all. I brought some food with me to eat on the way so I don't get hungry. There is plenty of food for Sparkles in the forest to eat. She eats the same food horses do. "OK lets go again Sparkles." I said.

As we were getting closer Sparkles was getting restless. "What is it Sparkles?" "Its getting to the spot where I won't be able to follow. I'm afraid here is where I will have to leave you. I will stay hidden and wait for you ok?" "Thanks Sparkles. I love you." "I love you too. Now go hurry." There was a sort of grey fog. "Is this what I did? Is the fog because of me?" I sighed. I dressed in my hunting clothes which were a green tunic and brown pants and boots. I had my hair in a braid. I brought my bow and arrows with me to be safe. I cautiously walked inside the gate of the flower palace. 'I wonder where everyone is.' I thought. I was heading to the palace. Somehow, I knew exactly where the palace was. Luckily the stairs weren't that many.

I walked up the stairs and pushed the doors open. The same fog was in the palace as well. "What the hell did I do?" I whispered. I was looking for the thrown room then I found a fancy door which assumed could be the throne room. "Hello?" "Ah so the princess returns." Said a man voice. "Who are you." I said in a fighting stance. "Ah I see you are cautious very good. There is nothing cautious to worry about. I am your uncle." "Uncle huh? I though everyone in the palace died? I saw my father and siblings. I thought the rest of you died out." "Haha yeah well I am your fathers brother. Your mothers sister survived as well. She is just checking on the villagers at the moment." "What are you doing to the villagers?" "Oh nothing just getting taxes from them." "If you hurt them I swear." "You swear what? That you will do worse than what you have already done." "So I did do this. No one has figured out how to fix it yet?" "No. My sister-in-law and I tried. Even the scholars can't find anything." "Why are you nice to me? Why are the villagers scared to come out?" "Oh well some of them didn't pay there taxes. We had to do what had to be done. We killed them. "You what?! Why?!" "Well we need taxes to keep the palace going. Since this fog you made 13 years ago it has been hard to make money. I became this evil King." "I see what you mean. The reason you became evil is it because of the fog?" "I could be an effect. That could be why the village is scared. I think its not affecting you because you are the one who did it. I don't blame you and neither does your aunt. You were little at the time and just got your power." "Well I was told my power was sealed because of that incident." "Yes I was the one who sealed it. For safety reasons. Now I think it is time to unseal it. You need to learn to control it. Also once you do you might be able to fix this fog as well. (sigh) I know someone who can help you. You probably already met him. He is a centaur. His name is Prince." "Oh yes I did. At the fire Palace." " I see so that is where he is living these days. Well I am sure your father sent him to look after you. Go back into the forest you might find him again. Just be careful through the fog. There are dangerous animals." "Thank you uncle. Try not to kill anyone before I get back ok?" "No promises but I will try." I headed out the door and back to the gate.

As I was on my way to the gate, I heard a strange sound. I took out my bow. "Whose there?" "Grr. What are you doing in this forest young lady?" Said a creature with red eyes. "I am on my way home. I had business with the King." "Oh so you are on the kings side huh?" "No its my first time meeting him." "I see. You must be a royal yourself. Only Royals are able to understand animals." "Royals are scum. I have a feeling about you though. That you can help." "Yes I was about to head out and meet someone to train me so I can." "I don't believe you!" Said another creature and jumped me. The creature attacked Rhylie then the creature she was talking to got him off. "No! She is here to help. She has to go to train." "Huh. Sure she is." "Are you ok?" Said the creature she was talking to. "Cough. Cough. I will be. Thanks for saving me." Then I headed the rest of the way towards the gate and held on to it when I got there because I was feeling dizzy because of my wounds. "I hope I can make it back to Sparkles." I said to myself. "Ha….Ha….Ha…." I just barley made it back to Sparkles when I collapsed. "Rhylie!" yelled Sparkles. "Sparkles. Find Prince. He should be able to help me." Then she passed out. Sparkles picked Rhylie up with her mouth by her tunic. She looked around for Prince. She knew who he was because she has known him for a long time.

She looked around for 10 minutes and found him. "Prince! Oh Prince!" "Sparkles there you are." "What happened to Rhylie?!" " I don't' know she came out of the flower palace forest like this." "That explains it. Give her here. I will take her. Follow me Sparkles." She gave the Rhylie to Prince and she followed him to a small village of centaurs. "We have to take her to a healer. This is beyond my help." "Hmm. Cough cough. Ha….Ha…" "She doesn't sound good at all." Said Prince. "Hang on Rhylie you will be ok. I promise." Said Prince.

The Centaur knocked on the healers door. "Come on in." said the healer. "Oh Prince. What seems to be the problem?" "Uh this girl went into the flower palace forest." "Ah yes. Let's see what she was attacked by. Lay her here." "Cough cough. Ha….ha…" "She is pretty bad. She is bad. The wounds are deep. I may not be able to help, but I will do what I can. Why don't you both hang out outside so I can help her." "Yes sir. Thank you."

"You really think he can help her?" said Sparkles worriedly. "(sigh) I certainly hope so." Said Prince. "This is the first time someone was so wounded he wasn't sure if he could help them." (sigh) "She will be a handful to train won't she." "Hehe. You have no idea Prince." Said Sparkles.

"Ok Rhylie. I did what I could. Now its up to you to wake up and survive." Said the healer to her unconscious body. He moved her carefully to a bed then he went out to tell the others. "Hello you two. I did what I could. It was pretty bad its up to her will now. When or if she wakes up." "thank you, healer. I'm sure she will be fine. She looks like a fighter." Said Prince.

4 days later Rhylie was still asleep and hasn't woke up once. Sparkles and Prince stayed by her side. The healer came to check on her once in awhile. The last time he checked on her he said, "If she doesn't wake up by the time the week is over, she may not wake up again." "Thank you healer." Said Sparkles. "Lets just hope she does."

It was about noon now. Rhylie was just waking up. "Hmm. Ow. Why am I hurting?" "Rhylie are you awake?" said Prince. "Oh Prince. Where am I? What happened?" "Rhylie your awake! Thank the spirits." "Yeah how long was I out?" 3 days straight. This would have been your 4th." "That bad huh?" "You are in a centaur village by the flower palace." Said Prince. Then I thought for a minute. It was all fuzzy but I remember a little bit. "I remember going into the palace and talking to my uncle. He told me my moms sister was still alive as well. I remember him telling me to train with you to control the fog. He took the seal off then I was heading to the gate and the next thing I know I'm here. I don't remember how I got hurt." (sigh) "At least you remember why you were there. (sigh) You were told not to go there. What if your uncle did something worse to you?! What if you were killed?!" "I'm sorry. I just had to know the truth and see it for myself." "I know you did." Said prince. You stay here and rest. I will let your parents know what is going on. Your father should know me." "Ok thanks be careful." "I'm not as careless as you. I will be fine."

He rested a few times and finally got to the forest palace. "I'm here to see the king. I have information on his daughter." Said Prince. "Go on in." So Prince went in and went to the kings office door. "Is the king in? I have business with him." "Yes he is who might you be?" "An old friend he will know if you say that." "Your majesty an old friend of yours is here." "Let him in." Prince went in and said, "Your majesty." He bowed. "Rise Prince. Please tell me you have information on Rhylie." "Yes I do. She went to the flower palace. She got wounded pretty bad but she just woke up and should be fine. She is staying in the Centaur village with the healer right now until she officially heals. After that I will have to train her. I was afraid the king would unleash her seal. Its for safety for her and everyone around her." (sigh) Thank you Prince. Take care of our daughter." Said the king. "Yes sir I will. Oh and its ok if you come visit with your boys an wife. Let Liam know its ok for him and his family as well. Oh and Rhylie's biological family already know they are welcome." "Well thank you. It's the one near the flower palace right?" "Yeah I will have to train her there." "OK thank you Prince. You don't know how much of a relief it is to know she is ok." "I better get back. Sorry I can't stay long." "Its fine I will let everyone know." Then Prince bowed and headed back to his place.

He got to a tree and rested until the next morning then headed home. He got home around almost dinner time. "Hey everyone I'm back." "Oh Prince welcome back. You and Rhylie will have a visitor by lunch time tomorrow. They want it to be a surprise." "Oh ok. I have a feeling I know who it or they are. How are you feeling Rhylie?" "Really sore right now." "Yeah you were hurt pretty bad. Once you heal we are going to train you ok?" "Yes sir." I said. "Your father knew that you had some business in the forest because your brothers told him but you were gone a long time. He thought you would be back by now." "Oh. I'm glad they told them or they would worry even more. I meant to leave them a letter but I spaced." "Well they know now so don't worry." "So how long will It take me to heal?" "Well with the way you are healing, in about a week or two." "Two weeks? Aww man. I can't wait to get out of here again and run around. Ow I hurt." "Your lucky whatever attacked you didn't get your face." "Yeah I don't want any scars on my beautiful face." "Haha yeah." Said Prince. "Ok well get some sleep. We will see you in the morning." I laid down in pain. "Ow." I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

The next morning Rhylie was still asleep. She slept in later than she did. Prince came in to check on her. "Rhylie are you up? Rhylie." He went in to see she was still asleep. He went over to her and her face was really red. He scrunched up his face then felt her head. "Oh crap. She has a fever. I guess its normal when you have a wound that bad. I better get the healer." He went out and found the healer. "Yo. Rhylie has a fever. Can you make sure she is ok?" "Yes I will." The healer went to the room she was in and checked on her. "Well you do have a fever. Lets give you a shot to bring it down. It's a pretty high one." He got the shot ready and put it in her arm. She didn't even flinch. "Oh dear. I hope she will be ok. Its bad she didn't even flinch." He got some cold water in a bucket and a rag to put on her head. "Assistant. I need you please." "Yes sir." "Can you please stay here with her. I gave her a shot because she had a pretty high fever. She didn't even flinch so I am worried." "Yes sir. I will stay with her till you get back." SO he went out to tell Prince and Sparkles what's going on.

"Prince. Sparkles." Then they turned around and he explained her situation. "I see. Do we know what it is that attacked her yet?" "We are still looking into it, but we have an idea. (sigh) It's a white tiger." "A white tiger? I thought they were extinct?" "Well not all of them. This isn't any normal one either. This one walks and talks like an elf. He has the body of a human but the body has fur like a tiger. His hands and feet are paws. Everything else is tiger like." Then sparkles spoke. "I have heard of them. There a very few of those left. If its in the flower palace forest, he was an old friend of mine. Something happened and I never saw him again. I guess now I know." (sigh) "Well whoever it was hopefully she will be fine in a few hours."

A few hours later Rhylie woke up. "Huh? What time is it? What just fell off my head?" I felt my head. "Oh I must have had a fever. My head still feels warm." The assistant came back and said, "OH Rhylie your awake." "Yeah you must be the assistant. Thanks for taking care of me. Do you know what time it is right now?" "Yes its almost noon. The visitors should be here shortly." As if on cue she heard a sound. "Oh that must be the visitors." I said. I heard them getting closer to the door and I told the assistant not to tell them but I will pretend to be asleep. He nodded and I closed my eyes. "How is she?" said Liam. "She is still sleeping. She just got over having a pretty high fever." "Oh you two are here too. Nice to see you sage and Lily." "Yeah thanks sir." Said sage.