Chapter 18

The next morning Natalia and Ana Sofia made their way to the village leaders house, they rode in a carriage alongside Malcom. Ana Sofia gazed at the lush trees and nature outside it was relaxing and incredibly peaceful if she weren't queen this would be the exact place she would choose to live. The carriage finally came to a stop, and Ana Sofia stepped out, followed by Natalia. They were led to a small cottage nestled among the trees.

As they approached, Malcolm knocked on the door and called out, "Lord Forsyth, the queen and her mage have arrived."

There was no response, taking the lead Ana Sofia entered the cottage it was dark, and a stench filled the air Ana Sofia had to brace her core, "What happened here Malcom?" she questioned covering her nose as she stepped deeper into the house.

"My lady, when we arrived, we found Lord Forsyth in this state. His condition has quickly worsened over the past few nights," Malcolm replied, his voice thick with concern. Ana Sofia nodded and gestured for Natalia to follow her deeper into the house. They made it into the back of the house where caretakers were moving busily with their supplies. 

"Ladies, Her Majesty queen of Elynor has arrived". Malcom announced. 

The maids paused in shock, they quickly fumbled with their supplies and bowed deeply. She greeted them all before entering the room. The sight before her

The sight before her made her stomach turn. Lord Forsyth lay on the bed, his skin pale and waxy. He appeared to be in great pain, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. It made her uncomfortable to look at him too long.

"Natalia, can you examine him?" Ana Sofia asked softly.

Natalia stepped forward using her magic to spread through his body, her touch seemed to instantaneously alleviate the pain he felt. 

Natalia closed her eyes deep in concentration, "I will attempt to find the cause of this sickness and why it occurred." After a few moments, Natalia opened her eyes, a frown on her face. "My lady, it seems that the cause of Lord Forsyth's illness was not natural. There are traces of a poison in his system. However, I cannot determine the source or the exact type of poison."

"Poison?" She replied. 

Who would have such malicious intent?

She turned to Malcom, "Can you think of anyone with such intentions?"

"I... I can't think of anyone, my lady. Forsythia has always been peaceful and welcoming to all who pass through our lands. We've never had any issues with poisonings or anything of the sort," Malcolm said, clearly perplexed.

"But we must investigate further," Ana Sofia replied firmly, "Natalia just try to focus on healing him, we can get more answers once he's better. In the meantime, Malcom can you show me the towns ledgers there might be answers there."

As Natalia concentrated on healing Lord Forsyth, Ana Sofia followed Malcolm out of the cottage and towards the village center. The town was bustling with activity, merchants selling their wares, children playing in the streets, and villagers going about their daily chores. The townspeople were incredibly eager and excited to see their queen, Wesleynard was not able to accompany her but, a group of guards stayed close. As they made their way into the village center Malcom Unlocked Lord Forsyth's office.

"Please Your Majesty, everything including records, ledgers, and activity should be in this room if you need any help at all I'll be outside."

Ana Sofia nodded, stepping into the small office. The room was cozy, with a small desk and chair, a bookshelf filled with leather-bound tomes, and a large wooden chest. She sat down at the desk, feeling a sense of dread as she began to sift through the papers and ledgers.

 She began to look through the town's large purchases, nothing looked out of order she then moved to the tax records, nothing seemed off there either. She began to feel frustrated but then noticed a small ledger tucked away in the back of the drawer. The pages were yellowed and worn, almost as if they had been hidden for a long time. She opened the ledger and began to read through the meticulous handwriting.

"It's a journal, Lord Forsyth's journal. It seems to detail all the transactions and dealings of the town. There are mentions of a black market and illegal trades." She flipped through the pages, her eyes widening as she read on. "Trade with..." Her eyes widened as she read the journal, Ana Sofia realized the source of the poison and the reason behind Lord Forsyth's illness. She quickly closed the journal and exited the office, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do next.

"Malcom," she said, her voice grave, "Gather the villagers."

 "Your majesty is everything alright?" Malcom questioned growing increasingly nervous at the shift in the atmosphere.

"No, it is not alright" she leaned in "Lord Forsyth's has been funding Daeth. Do you know what this means? The Villagers are in danger."

Malcom's eyes widened in shock and horror as he took a step back, his hands trembling slightly. "But... but why would he do that? We've always been peaceful here."

"I don't know Malcom, but we need to act fast."

 He nodded as they bounded down the stairs her mind reeling from everything, she had just discovered but before she could reach the bottom of the steps the ground shook violently Ana Sofia stumbled forward, catching herself on the banister. The tremors continued, growing stronger with each passing second. 

"What is happening?" she asked, her voice shaking. looking at the ceiling above as it shook and dust from above drifted down.

Malcom looked equally as terrified. "My lady, it could be an earthquake. We've never experienced anything like this before." 

They all stayed still trying to take note of the situation in front of them. 

An Earthquake. It's only an earthquake.

"No" one of the knights whispered, "It's an attack."

He pointed outside. Ana Sofia squinted when she saw a plume of smoke rising in the distance, Natalia scrambled to her feet as she leaned against the doors open edge, another crack this time it shook the ground even more intensely as she clung to the doorway. Trying to protect her balance and from being thrown aside. The impact was so strong she was almost thrown back into the staircase. She grinded her teeth and kept her feet fixed to the ground. 

"Your Majesty! Get away!" A knight yanked her back as the men huddled around her in a protective stance.

"Malc--" 

The building creaked loudly, a sound of breaking filled the room, the glass began to splinter and shatter, sending shards flying through the air. Ana Sofia shielded her face with her arms as she was forced to the ground, the impact sending a wave of pain through her body. The knight who had pulled her back earlier now lay unconscious nearby. She couldn't tell if he was injured or just stunned from the impact. She reached over to feel his pulse.

Still breathing.

"Is everyone Alright?!" She cried she saw Malcom huddling under the staircase protecting himself. She felt tears well in her eyes as a cold fear filled her body. She feared for her life. She feared for the innocent lives. She feared for her friends.

Are we too late? 

As the chaos continued, she noticed several villagers helping one another to their feet. One of the knights rushed to her side, offering her a hand up. She hesitantly accepted his aid, her legs shaking as she stood.

"We need to get her Majesty out of here!" he commanded; she could barely hear her voice trembling. They began to usher her quickly away from the building she felt herself panic as she looked back at the elderly man. 

"Malcolm! Someone help Malcolm" The knights helped the man up his legs were shaking terribly.

We need to evacuate the village," one of the knights said, his voice stern. "Daeth has finally attacked." Another knight nodded in agreement, his sword drawn and ready for battle.

She reached Malcolm her hands trembling as she pressed them into the man's shoulders, "Go help your villagers. Take some of the knights with you!" She directed.

The knights nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We will not fail you, Your Majesty." He turned to the others. "We must act quickly. Gather the villagers and form a defensive line at the entrance to the village. Knights, arm yourselves with anything you can find."

Okay, okay it's going to be okay. 

Satisfied the group of knights remaining around her huddled her into the carriage as they got themselves situated. The horses took off in a frenzy Ana Sofia hadn't a second to gather her bearings she was tossed around violently. As their carriage set off into a race against time. She felt herself beginning to cry. As the booms outside increased. Then she heard their screams. The villagers.

I'm so sorry.

The carriage came to a sudden stop, jolting Ana Sofia forward. She clutched her stomach, trying to steady herself. The knights around her looked equally shaken.

"What's happening?" she asked, her voice trembling. One of the knights opened the door and peered outside. "We're under attack," he said grimly. "We need to move quickly. The enemy is close." He helped her out of the carriage, and they began to move through the chaos of the village. Smoke filled the air, and the sound of fighting echoed in the distance.

She could barely see in the distance as they weaved through the houses, "We must find a safe place to hide," one of them said. "The enemy may be looking for the queen."

They continued to move through the village, dodging arrows and swords. The banquet hall was still a thirty-minute ride away. Her heart ached as she thought of Wesleynard. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the streets. They turned a corner and saw the blacksmith's shop ablaze. The knights immediately rushed to put out the fire while Ana Sofia stood by, helpless. She watched as they fought the flames, their armor glistening in the flickering light. She stepped back when another bolt of fire lit up the shop in a loud explosion, the knights were thrown back into the air she screamed as the impact reached her. Her ears rang loudly, and the world went black.