CHAPTER 10 - The Ruined Plan

At the time of the banquet, all the nobles feel the euphoria of the fancies and excellent banquet thanks to the hard work of the Ms. Aide of Crown Prince. When the said girl is still busy preparing herself for the banquet, the room where she resides was forcefully opened by Raphael, the girl jinx in shock but she can't throw a protest when Raphael approaches her with a chill aura.

"Be honest with me Evelyn!" Raphael clutched her shoulder tight enough to make the girl hissed.

"What? About what? Did something happen at the banquet? Did I miscalculate the food?" Evelyn showed a terrified expression at the possible mistake.

"Tch, I won't protest to you if it's about your capability"

"Then your highness? What happens? Why are the Oldenburgs also here… moreover, I'm in the middle of preparing for a banquet so I'm in an incongruous state you know" Evelyn finally can throw some protest, she was slightly uncomfortable she clutched tightly the shawl she's been draped around her shoulder because she feels vulnerable at that moment. Even though she knew the rough idea of why they were so anxious to come to her without permission. Raphael takes a seat beside the girl, he pulls out a small ampule and gives it to Evelyn.

"Alicia found it in Lilia's room this morning, at first she didn't take it but when Alicia comes again a few hours ago and cannot find Lilia everywhere she brought it back to me, Alicia said it was poison"

Evelyn looked at the vial and Raphael alternately, until that moment, everything was still according to her calculations. Evelyn opened the vial and brought it up to her nose, at that moment Evelyn realized that the plan she had made so carefully was ruined.

"Oh gosh, this… "Evelyn quickly close the lid and put the vial away, she looked extremely shocked and trembled.

"How…. This is happening….??? Lilia..." Evelyn mumbled in a lower voice she even said 'stupid' in the end but no one hear it.

"You didn't know?"

"What do you mean by that, your highness? You accuse me?"

"But you're Lilia's dearest friend, how can she…" Raphael can't finish his word. If even Evelyn didn't know about this it is mean that Lilia taking this act seriously. Raphael's scary face became pale all of sudden.

"Evelyn answer me honestly!"

"I didn't know, I swear to you your highness, the last time I saw her was three days ago you see… I was cooped up here at the palace for the banquet, how could you doubt me like this?"

"Father… "Alicia approached her father with a sad face, the only one who could help and stop Lilia at this time was her father.

"I will save her my daughter, don't worry…"

Evelyn was lost deep in thought, she was cursing nonstop inside her heart because of the mistake Lilia do and ruined her plan. It's not overly ruined yet but when the men excuse themselves to look for Lilia once again when she was pretending to look for the antidote for that poison in her office, she realizes just what slips out of her mind, Lilia even not bothering to tell her where she went, or the girl just forget to tell Evelyn. Evelyn begrudgingly slammed her head against the bookshelf slowly.

"This is the worst… real worst…" she mumbled desperately.

When Raphael and the others frantically searched every nook and cranny of the Albă Palace and still didn't find any clue of Lilia's wellbeing, they almost give up but then the duke got a hunch of where would be the troublesome girl was, now. He approaches Evelyn who sits still on the couch with a scary face. The exhausted girl flinched and was frightened. She even closed her eyes.

"Lady, do tell me if there are any possibilities of her being at Flümén Sanctum..." the duke asked her gently upon realizing that the girl was startled by his hasty approach. Evelyn opens her eyes slowly and looks contemplating and thinking so hard. She even has the skeptic's gaze about how the duke knew about Flümén Sanctum. The place itself is prohibited and forbidden from everyone except the royal family and their descendants.

Evelyn glanced at Raphael. She hesitated a little. Indeed after being reminded of the place by the duke, Evelyn could confirm Lilia's whereabouts there, because the place was so precious to her. Still, the place was very taboo for people outside the royal family. Evelyn made sure that Raphael could understand this dire situation.

"How the duke… but… it might be... Possible..." she answers with uncertainty

"Duke, how do you know about Flümén Sanctum??" Raphael looks astonished at the fact that the duke knows that place and from what he mentioned he has been there too.

"That's not important right now your highness. Princess Lilia is in danger and that place has the possibility... I'll go there alone first and the rest please follow from behind" the duke, in hurry, he is panicking, ran to the barrack and snatch one horse, then he marches towards the vague destination. He needs to hurry because he feels uneasy about this. On his way, he began to regret why he didn't think about that place sooner, they can cut off the time. The old man glances at the moon once in a while, the time is running out and he needs to hurry.

"I'll go too! Licia you wait here with everyone, I promise I'll bring her back safe and sound, so you can nag at her to your heart's content after this"

Raphael pats Alicia's shoulder to soothe her, the girl nods in response, her face still pale because of this fiasco. But before he could move from there his hand was stopped by another hand that was smaller than his.

"Eve…"

"Your Highness stays here… I'll go there with Luke, you are the only royal present at the banquet now, if you go the banquet will be ruined… I beg on you to stay here, we will bring her back… but please stay here…"

Raphael seemed to want to be angry and disagree when Evelyn told him to stay and have to take care of the banquet when his dear cousin was in danger, but he was silent when he saw his aide's face, a look of fatigue and despair adorned her young face, the girl didn't even finish her makeup properly because Raphael interrupted her in the middle of the preparation. He let out a loud sigh. Raphael gives Evelyn a royal insignia so that the girl can enter the sacred place.

"Bring her back unscathed"

"Your orders are clear and absolute, Your Highness… do excuse us" Evelyn bow deeply at Raphael then went to Lilia with Luke, on the road she didn't stop grumbling. Because they run out of time, Luke goes fast with his horse. She hugs Luke tightly and continues to chant some weird prayer about her wanting to live a happy and long life and cursing the horse and also cursing Luke.

Flümén Sanctum was a special place where the climate or season has no effect there, it is said that the Goddess Esta endowed the first Emperor with a miraculous wellspring that will never dry nor freeze. Besides that, many other mysteries remain strictly confidential, especially the entrance to it is guarded by the entity Janus the gatekeeper so that not just anyone can enter.

Not anyone but Royal Family can enter but why the Duke can enter it easily? When even Evelyn needs to borrow a Royal Insignia from Raphael so she can enter it. This is an obscure mystery that needs immediate explanation from the Duke, but just for now, let him focus on finding Lilia first. Some minutes ahead, the duke arrives at a deserted forest, he runs hastily towards the center of the outlandish place without any rejection from Janus. He run deeper to where he saw the light reflection of the lake he hurried his pace. The closer he can figure out that someone is there, near the bank.

The lake was hidden by thick trunks but its glow under the moonlight was enough to guide him to the lake. Someone he saw from afar is now clearer as he draws closer. The sparkling blonde hair, fair skin as pure as snow, and a pair of exquisite shades of emerald eyes, he found her, his heart at ease for a while before he pointed out something that was being held by the figure. Like what Alicia said this afternoon, a suspicious vial with a dark color is the same as the one that Alicia took in.

The girl seemed to be sitting on the ground, her dress was simple but rather open for the chilling winter, it was a pale green layered muslin dress, she wore no jewelry and her hair was simple down, all wavy and swayed by the breeze. The sanctum might be magical because no drop of snow is to be seen around it but the winter wind still blew horribly. She opens the vial and brings it closer to her lips, ready to chug it down. The duke saw this and quickened his pace, he reached out for the vial deliberately. When the poison almost touches her delicate lips, the duke snatches it away from her and throws the bottle elsewhere. He just didn't realize that a few drops already went down to her throat.

He stood there out of breath, cold sweat down wetting his face and his clothes. The girl is startled by the appearance of the duke before her eyes. Many questions flood her mind but she can't even utter a single word and just gap through the shock. There are many questions pop up in her mind but she seems unable to utter any of those questions because her tongue froze, her body floated and staggered with blurred vision and a burning sensation in her throat. With difficulty, she managed to utter a word before the darkness engulfed her.

"Your grace….."