The Hunt for Her

The knights of the seven travel for days, searching for the lost princess. They all knew the risk they faced if they didn't find her. Some knew the consequences all too well, and some others had their own reasons. The king shared with them the secret, it also came with a story, the story of Christopher.

—— Ballroom ——

"Cristopher was the original heir to the empire," the king explained to the room, "I know those of you who served my Queen knew this, but to the rest of you this is news."

Mariam spoke," I never met him directly, I learned threw Ivory, who let it slip, I believe Dennis is the only one."

"Regardless," the king continued," people know about my position of king, but many were not told the details. We kept the kids a secret, because it is obvious that they didn't look like me, they looked like there father."

"But aren't you Ivory's father?" Liam asks.

"Yes, but only by law. I am her adopted father, that is why I have no power like she does or like Chris did. I'm not the rightful king, I am his replacement."

They all gasp except for Dennis who looks to the side.

"I'm not king Damion, I am Edger I'm a common boy that the Queen picked to help fill the role publicly, and do his role."

"I'm sorry I'm confused," Liam says," wasn't the Queen picked by the king, how does the princess have the power?"

"The Queen obtained the power of light from carrying a child of light. That doesn't work the other way, so her line became the rightful heirs, since she was the last to have the ability of the light. Once Chris came of age he would be reviled to the public, as well as Ivory. However the Queen died from illness, since she didn't have royal blood, she was still prone to sickness. The kingdom panicked when they thought there were no heirs."

"That's when you revealed them to the public?" Cloudio ask," I don't remember the prince though, only princess Ivory."

"That's because that day he was abducted by the Kiro clan, I'm sure your familiar, sir," he say responding to Cloudio," they didn't kill him deliberately though. However I know that you Cloud, and Dennis know what happens when the royal line is far away from home?"

Clouds eyes widen as he remembers something Dennis told him when he beet him, the day he became the strongest seven," there not supposed to be away from the castle,because if they are to far away from the gaurdianium crystal...."

"Yes," Dennis says adding to it," they will slowly get sicker and sicker until they die without a proper scores of power. The Queen told me once that they have to carry shards of it when they know they are going to leave the castle."

"Yes so you can imagine what happened to Chirs, and they delivered us his dead body. Ivory was distraught for years, it definitely made her a little shut off," the king said," well until she had you Cloud."

"Even then," Cloud says," for the longest time I couldn't figure out how to make her happy this time of year."

"She usually is depressed this time of year," Dennis explains," not only is it the month of Chris' birthday, it is also the month that has the day her mother died."

Liam lifts his head looking at Cloud," Cloudio?"

Cloud turns his head to Liam," yes?"

"Didn't the princess bring a necklace with her?"

Cloud stops in thought," you know, I think your right, it had a ring on it?"

"Yes!"

Mariam looks to the 'king', "Is it possible that it had gaurdanium in it?"

"If it's the one I'm thinking of then yes, it was a ring her mother created. She started wearing it out after the incident with Chris."

"We can't be certain who it is who took her, or there intentions. It's possible they confiscated it without knowing," Dennis explains.

"That means that time isn't on our side," Katherine speaks up," we need to start looking as soon as possible."

—— Present Day ——

The tree was made from light magic, but it wasn't Ivory's. The two of them learned this after Cloudio touches his sword to the bark. There was no reaction, so it must have been grown by another royal.

"Waist of time," Liam grumbles mounting his horse again.

"It's getting late, let's go back to the village and sleep then we can continue," Cloudio suggest to Liam, who nods and follows behind him.

The two ride back to the village and book an Inn. They walk to the room and lay in a bed to get ready to sleep. The sun was far gone and the moon was out glowing next to the twinkling starts.

"Cloudio," Liam says in the dark of the room.

"Yes?" Cloud answers with a sigh.

"I know why I'm trying to hard to find her, but excuse me when I say, you're hard to read. Why are you trying so hard. And don't give me the duty shit, because the rest of them have that and you try harder than them."

Cloudio is silent," it is the same reason as you Liam. I love her."

Liam sits up from where he was laying down, to look across the room at Cloudio.

"I didn't used to, when I meet her I tried to be professional, and friendly. The more time we spent together as we got older, it just happened one day I noticed. The. I got distant, shut off, because if I ever was like that to her, I wouldn't be able to be her knight. Yet you have no problem with this."

"How long?"

"Since I was seventeen. A year before you had come into the picture."

Liam laid back down on his bed silent. The silence continued through the night, and into the morning as the two of them left the Inn to get back to the search.

—— The Manner ——

Landor looks to his sister after my words," since when?"

"Brother, you have no clue the shit our parents signed us up for. No matter how great you are, your dreams of working as a knight, will never come true when they learn that you're name had a connection to this place."

I feel a jolt run threw my body, and a tug in my heart. I stand suddenly,' Ivory, run, leave, you need to get out of here before they get you.' Chris' voice reverberates in my head.

"Chris?" I mumble tears falling from my eyes, my voice feels choked and his name make sits way out.

I start to walk in the direction of the voice down the opposite way.

"Princess!" The maid yells.

Landor grabs me in his arms before I can get away. I struggle against his grip.

"He's not there Princess."

"Yes he is, I heard his voice clear as day."

The two look to each other," princess I think you should go cool off."

"I'm fine."

"If your eyes glowing still means you're fine. You're also freezing my arms right now."

I stay quiet as he takes me back to my room and I sit on the bed, wiping tears from my eyes.