Kidnapped?

A few hours had passed and Anthony's hand went to his head as he regained consciousness. The blood on several wounds had dried up, leaving him with a headache from hell.

He looked around... scenes flashing through his mind, as he remembered what had happened. "PRINCESS!", Anthony screamed. But that was a bad move because the pain that coursed through his body left him paralyzed.

Anthony laid on the floor trying to gather himself. He got up when the pain had subsided a bit, "I have to get help" "I have to get help".

He looked to his left and right, not knowing what to do first. Dizziness is an understatement for what Anthony was feeling.

[Maybe I have a concussion. I have to report the princess' kidnap before any other thing], he thought.

"The Red Kingdom"

Anthony remembered how Ruby said the King was receptive towards her. [Definitely, they would render some assistance. Especially with the fact that she was coming from the palace].

He wondered if the men had been from this kingdom... he couldn't place his hands on who will want to harm the princess. [The only people that will want to cause her harm would be the person sitting on the Ziviel throne. But how do they know she is alive? How?]. A numbing ache swam in his head. Anthony's hand flew to cradle his aching head.

He tore the hem of his garment and wrapped it around his head. Then, he untied a horse and galloped away, towards the palace they had come from.

* * *

"Get the physician!", King Sek exclaimed.

"Please wait, Your Majesty. We have to find her. I have to know she is not dead. I have to find her!", Anthony said.

Anthony was frantic... he fainted after those statements.

"Carry him to the royal infirmary. He was with Princess Ruby! Get my generals! They should report here At once!", King Sek ordered.

"Where is Seth when I need him?"

Brien answered the king, "He left the kingdom yesterday, during the dinner with the princess. No one knows where he went to, sire"

"Who must have done this?"... Sek asked. More to himself than to another person.

He was pacing the throne room. It didn't speak well of the Red Kingdom, and Sek was well aware of that.

"My King"... His four generals came in and bowed.

"The Princess of the Ziviel Kingdom was kidnapped just outside our borders!"

They all looked at each other, then one of them said; "But sire, that is not our-"

"She had left our kingdom when it happened. Does it mean that our lands aren't safe anymore? People...Royals can not come in and out of the Red Kingdom as they see fit? It is wrong and I will not have it"

They nodded their heads, finally seeing where their king was coming from. "What would you have us do, My King?", another one spoke this time.

"First, I want units reinforced on our borders, and even 50 yards outside our boundary lines. Secondly, get some talented soldiers to find out who is responsible for this insulting act"

"Yes, Your Majesty"... they all chorused.

* * *

No positive news came to Sek's ears and he wasn't happy about it. He was more unhappy that Seth had gone to another kingdom without his knowledge.

"I told you. Do not trust that demon"

"Stop calling him that, Mother. He hasn't done something like this before. So, I guess it was pretty important"

"Believe whatever you want but I know he is not to be trusted"

"Okay. I have heard you. Thank you"

"Are you sending me away? Never mind that. Have you found the princess of the Ziviel Kingdom?"

[Oh my stars! As if it wasn't disturbing me enough]. "No, Queen Zyne... We haven't found her yet"

King Sek called his personal assistant, "Brien, get the man that accompanied the princess in here"

"Yes, Your Majesty"

"What do you need him for?", Queen Zyne asked.

[ARGH]. "Mother, I love you but I need some space to think. I have some businesses to attend to. We can chat later, okay?"

"I knew you wanted to send me away. I was already leaving"

* * *

"Have you found Ling?"

"Not yet, My Queen. He is hiding somewhere, and he is hiding pretty well. Soon enough, he will have to crawl out from wherever that is"

[The general was right. If I resort to my last option... but I do not want to kill Ling]..."He is just a stubborn wizard. I am tired of him. Whenever you see him, drag him here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, My Queen"

* * *

At the same time, in the cottage on the outskirts of the Red Kingdom...

Ling had recovered fully and was ready to go back to his cozy house. He knew that the queen had been searching for him.

Ling knew about everything that had been going on in the palace. Sek had become king, the red-haired princess' visit...and to his surprise, her kidnap? He had to go back to the palace to be by Sek's side.

But he wondered how he'd face the queen.

Queen Zyne was acting a little bit unhinged and that bothered Ling.

[Could it be Seth's presence doing that to her? The queen was somehow obsessed with the harm the boy could cause]. Ling didn't see that threat. He knew Seth adored his half-brother. [Where had Seth gone to though?], Ling thought.

Looking around the little house that had served as a worthy refuge... he felt homesick. The place had been peaceful, which had contributed to his recovery. But, duty called.

He put on the clothes Seth had brought for him and left the house...He was going to get to his house first.

* * *

Ling reached his house and met it upside down.

"Hahaha... They came here to search for me. But why did they scatter my bookshelf? Not like I would be hiding between the pages"

Then, he opened a chest full of clothes and picked one to change into.

"Time to face my troubles". Stepping out of his house, he was grabbed in a rough way. "Who-". Ling saw the people who had taken him captive and kept quiet. They were taking him to where he was already going to anyway. [No need to struggle or fight], he thought.

Getting to the palace... "My Queen. He has been found"

Queen Zyne took a while... about ten full seconds before she cleared her throat and left the chair she was sitting on. "Where were you, wizard?"

They released him as he was meant to reply to the queen. "I almost died in the cave. I was res-"

"BY WHOM?!", the whole room shook.

[There was no need to shout. It isn't even good for her health], Ling thought.

"By the prince"

"Which prince? Sek is the king now. You missed that"

"By Prince Seth, My Queen"

Queen Zyne's eyes glazed over...as if her spirit had left her body.

"My Queen... My Queen", Ling called, walking towards her. The soldiers that were behind attempted to restrain Ling, but a force field he had put up around him, sent them flying backwards...just a little. Ling didn't want to destroy anything in the place. "My Queen", he said again.

Queen Zyne's eyes focused again, and she turned to go back to the seat she had been sitting on. "What did you say, Ling? Who released you from those chains?"

"My Queen... it was Prince Seth"

"Do you know that those chains... they weren't ordinary chains. How did he do it? Are you about to tell me the demon has magic as well?", she held her head in her right hand. Queen Zyne's head was banging.

Ling looked around at the soldiers that were witnessing the queen call a prince of the kingdom a demon. He was so uncomfortable. "Your Majesty, if we could go inside and talk about this in private. I can explain to you how it all happened"

"Fair enough"

"Before we go, Your Majesty, I want to apologize for keeping the truth from you. I didn't know how to explain what my eyes saw. I was confused. Forgive me"

Queen Zyne looked at him, ignored him and walked towards a private room where she could hear the information that interested her the most. [He can swallow the apology for all I know], she thought.

* * *

"Tell me. How? What in the world are we dealing with here?"

"He is more powerful than I know, and it is not magic, Your Highness"

"It is what, then?"

"It is his nature. I had called out to him through the mind. At first, it was just me trying my luck, then I saw him in front of me. Meaning, he had gotten my summon"

[So, he summoned the demon?], the queen thought.

Ling continued; "Then, it was like he began meditating and my queen, physical changes occurred in front of my very eyes. He grew horns..."

At the sound of horns, Queen Zyne screamed! "I told you. I told you, Ling! Remember my dream? We have all nursed a non-human... welcomed IT into the palace. Into MY home! Liiiiiinnngggggg"

Ling hurried to the table in the room, poured water into a chalice, and brought it for the queen. He didn't know what else to do. "Your Majesty, you have to calm down"

"Leave me, Ling. I need space. Leave!"

He looked at her for a while, genuinely concerned for her health then took a bow and left the room.

* * *

A few days passed and Seth returned to the Red Kingdom.

"King Sek! Missed me?"

Sek looked behind him and saw his brother, "No. Where have you been?"

"I will tell you all about it later, brother. Your face, what troubles you?", Seth asked.

"The Princess that came to request for soldiers... she was kidnapped on our land"

"..."