Decreash Imperial Palace
Two days later.
A typical breakfast at the royal table was where everyone was gathered around as one big family to feast and dine with the king, even when they didn't feel like it.
For a person like Selena, the queen dowager, who has endured sitting beside her nemesis… Johanna, for years, it was like reliving hell over and over again.
Every morning just by seeing Johanna's face, her mood becomes sour.
As for Johanna, it was another day to survive being in a castle filled with toxic people, like herself.
It didn't help that her son, William, resented her like some kind of plague. Most times, the only time she got to see him was at the breakfast table, so she never missed breakfast.
At the dining table, Ragaleon's wives were always seated according to their position at the right-hand side of the table.
Amilek was always seated after Tamina, who was Ragaleon's last wife, but since she was not present at the table, he sat next to Jia.
Seated at the left-hand side of the table… Next to Ragaleon was the queen dowager Selena; beside her was Johanna, followed by Leah, then William.
The seating arrangement at the table was crucial; it signified orderliness, which the king so much admired.
Racheal had just settled down on a chair drawn backwards by one of the maids.
Her belly bump was conspicuously bigger, and her pregnancy glow was already taking place.
Her brown curly hair was pinned up in a bun; she was wearing an orange gown with white lace on the hem of the dress. Barely was there any jewelry on her, except for the golden chain on her neck.
Seated beside Racheal was Jazell, her small belly bump hardly noticeable under the gown she wore. Her blonde hair, which she loved to keep short, was slowly growing a little bit over her shoulders.
Unlike Racheal, Jazell was fully melanged with jewelry, but of course no one can outdo the queen of luxury… Jia.
The door to the dining hall opened, and Ragaleon stepped in, the sound of his boots clicking against the marbled floor.
His hands were crossed behind his back; his dark, shoulder-length hair hardly moved as he glided down the hall, with his countenance unfathomable.
The royal family seated at the table rose; Rachael, however, struggled to keep up with their pace. With her protruding stomach, rising up proved to be difficult.
"Sit!
Ragaleon's voice echoed from across the room before he got to the table. Racheal was grateful for his swift command; she collapsed back on the chair, her breath heavy.
Ragaleon took his seat at the head of the table, and immediately the servants got to work. They served him first and filled his cup with wine before attending to others.
As always the room was silent, save for the noise of cups and spoons clicking; except for that, not a word was heard… until,
"Forgive me for this sudden interruption, my lord, but Queen Micah has not been present at this table for two days."
Racheal pointed out, plucking a cup of grape wine from the table, her gaze skimming through the faces at the table.
"If you are so worried about her, why don't you go and talk to her? She will be happy to finally have some royal company."
Jazell said after a brief pause, her eyes fixed on the roasted meat she was dividing with a knife while trying to use a fork to pin it to her mouth.
Rachael wasn't at all surprised by Jazell's harsh words; in fact, if Jazell had said anything nice, she would have thought it was the pregnancy hormones talking.
However, Ragaleon seemed unbothered, but then he slowly raised his gaze from his food, his eyes darting towards the chair Micah always sat on during breakfast… It was empty.
"That girl is nothing but trouble; you have disrupted the serenity of this room for no good reason, Racheal."
Selena said with dismay before bringing a spoonful of soup to her lips.
Amilek was rather stunned by his inability to have noticed this earlier. His eyes trailed off to the chair Micah was seated on, and when he saw she was indeed not there, his shoulders dropped.
Johanna was seated beside Leah, who for some reason has been giving off low pure energy. She seems relaxed until her eyes roam around the table and then inadvertently land on William.
Her face became contorted when his gaze locked with hers. She eyes him with disdain before retreating her gaze back to her food.
"Get one of the guards to summon Micah for breakfast."
Ragaleon said after silence had returned to the table and he was done eating. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, then raised his gaze from the half-eaten meal in front of him.
A maid who was standing beside him, ready to render any service, nodded her head curtly and then took off on the errand.
Moments later the maid scurried in breathlessly, just when Ragaleon was halfway from the door to the dining room, already taking his leave, a knight trailing from behind.
"Queen Micah is nowhere to be found."
Her gaze was fixed on the floor as she spoke to Ragaleon; her words were absurd.
He halted, then turned to look at the maid.
"If she is to be found lurking within the walls of this kingdom, I want you to decide what I should do to you."
His voice was so cold, the maid felt a shiver crawl up her spine. She was greatly intimidated by his words, but she stood her ground.
"Your Majesty, it turns out she has not been seen around the castle for two days. The servants thought she fell ill; therefore, she remained within the walls of her chamber…but,
"Enough!
Ragaleon rolled his eyes, narrowing them at the knight standing behind him. To him, the maid was blabbering rubbish; he would deal with her later.
Everyone seated at the table just a distance away turned their head almost immediately in the direction of the sound of his voice.
"I want her to be found and brought to me…immediately."
His lips hardly moved as he spoke, but the atmosphere in the air was suppressed by his tone.
Just then another maid walked up to the scene, her head down, her legs seeming to tremble, yet she maintained her balance until she got to where Ragaleon stood.
"The guards have concluded Queen Micah is not within the walls of the castle."
It was Tamar talking, Micah's personal maid.
The pupils in Ragaleon's eyes shrank.
"Impossible"
He muttered firmly before turning around, his shoulder-length hair slapping across his shoulders.
He made his way to Micah's chamber in quick strides. The guards and servants within the castle were scattered around, searching for Micah with no success.
A knight kicked the door open, and Ragaleon stepped into Micah's chamber, his head snapping in numerous directions.
The bed, the reading table, the hammock swing… She wasn't present in any of those places.
After moments of looking around without finding her, he became enraged.
"How could this have happened?!
He roared, the veins on his neck straining against the surface of his skin.
He had one job, and that was to protect her. How could he have failed this miserably?
He stormed out of the room, the sound of his boots echoing with a thud. He gave orders, and soon all his able men were gathered by the lord commander.
Moments later, he was standing at the pinnacle of the battlement terrace, his face encarved with disdain.
"She must be found!
He shrilled with his voice laced with authority. He was giving orders to his men; as he talked, his eyes jumped from one knight to another.
"I don't care how; you all must bring her in one piece. Search every nook and cranny of Decreash, even beyond; bring her to me!
At his finally words, the knights did a salute, bowed then took of on their important errand. Ragaleon remained at the terrace, his golden brown eyes looking distant.
"I have failed you, Your Majesty."
It was Sir Lamech talking, Micah's personal knight.
His words unnerved Ragaleon greatly, but he suppressed his exasperation, then turned to look at the knight.
"Begin to count your days, Lamech, they are numbered."
....
"Mother, what is happening?"
Amilek questioned, his eyes glaring at the hundred of knights dispatching in different directions. Some mounted their horses, others jumped on the moving royal carriage, and they embarked towards the direction of the castle gates.
He was standing on the terrace in Racheal's chamber, and his mother was beside him, raking her hand through his brown curly hair.
Racheal's eyes were focused on the knights trooping out of the castle, her gaze growing distant.
"Queen Micah, she is missing."
She managed to say after a brief moment. She didn't know whether to be happy or deeply afraid.
Never has she seen this side of Ragaleon before, quite obsessed with duty, to the extent of going miles just to bring Micah back.
Amilek thought about her words for a fleeting moment.
"I have to go; my tutor must be waiting for me."
Amilek said before scurrying out of the terrace. Racheal registered his words before turning around.
"Amilek, your tutor doesn't come on Tuesdays!
She screamed but was pretty sure he couldn't hear her.
Amilek walked down the hallways, his mind filled with thoughts, almost bumping into a maid carrying a tray of used dishes.
He barged into his room, then shut it behind him; his eyes darted around the room before landing on the black owl perched on the ledge of the window.
He had made an excuse to leave the presence of his mother, just so he could be alone. But it seems that with the owl always lurking around, he was never alone.
He ignores the creature; walking up to his bed, he pulls the bedsheet down, wanting to climb up the bed, but pauses when his eyes catch something.
It was a scroll.
Hesitantly, he reached out for the scroll and took it in his hands. He scanned it thoroughly before rolling it open.
His eyes began to trace the words written with dark ink; the more he read, the more his hands trembled.
By the time he was done reading, his mind went blank.
"She ran away?"
He questioned nobody in particular.
She didn't even let him say goodbye; she was his favorite stepmother.
His mood soured instantly, and soon his eyes became cold.
Then his mind began to link up thoughts of possible solutions; he wanted to see her again. Inadvertently, his gaze landed on the owl.
Something clicked!
As if counting his steps, he trudged towards the window, then halted some distance from the window.
"I need your help." Came his voice.
The eyes of the owl were closed. Its body was stiff, as though it were dead. Amilek inched closer, his eyes peering at the creature in sheer curiosity.
But soon it fluttered its eyes open, revealing big round eyes peering at him.
That sudden action caught Amilek off guard, and he was slightly petrified.
"I want to know where Queen Micah is."
Amilek said, puffing out his chest, apparently bold.
The owl was silent; it ruffled its feathers before slowly turning its head around without moving its body.
The head of the owl rotated until the body was facing Amilek, but the face of the owl was in the direction of the window.
"I will do as you say, but you must help me find her… I beg of you."
His voice became low, desperate.
The owl listened quietly and, without making a sound, took off in the air, passing through the window.
Amilek's shoulders dropped in defeat. He walked up to his bed and sat on it, exhaling tiredly.
His head hung down, his mind deep in thoughts; he remained there for a while before deciding to return to his mother.
He rose to his feet and was about to take a step when a magnetic force hit him. He froze, his hands falling limblessly to his side, before he could process what was happening.
His green emerald eyes slowly rolled to the back of his head and were replaced with a white cornea.
He tried to resist it, but it was hopeless. When he finally relaxed his nerves, his spirit eye fully opened, and he saw her… Micah.
She was walking down the path of a lonely forest; she looked tired, but she trudged ahead, like some wanderer lost in the wilderness.
Above Micah was the owl circulating in the air, its wings spread out. The eyes of the owl were also white, the pupils absent.
The owl had taken off to search for Micah, and when he found her, he summoned his master. Amilek could see through the eyes of the owl, even though he wasn't there.
When Amilek saw Micah through his spirit eyes, at first he was speechless. She looked horrible, afraid… helpless.
He became terribly distressed; he knew she had always hated this place, but he was going to bring her back.
"Fly higher, pinpoint her exact location, and I will have a guard go after her."