Lady Calantha smiles and squeezed his hand. Go see what he wants, she said.
I'll be here when you get back.
Rainer nods and turns to leave, but not before giving Calantha's hand a gentle squeeze. He walks to his father's study, wondering what he could want now.
When he arrived, he saw his father sitting behind his desk, a serious look on his face. Rainer, he said. I've been thinking, and I saw how close you are with Lady Calantha. I want you to stay away from her.
Rainer is taken aback. What? he asks. Why?
The king sighs. I don't think she's a good influence on you.
You've been acting strange lately, ever since you started spending time with her.
I think she's poisoning your mind.
Rainer laughs. That's ridiculous, he said. Calantha is the only one who truly understands me.
You just don't like her because she's not a princess.
The king shakes his head. That's not true, he says.
I just want what's best for you, and I don't think Calantha is it.
Rainer scowls. You don't know anything, he said.
I'm going to be with Calantha, no matter what you say.
The king's eyes widen in shock. Rainer, you can't be serious.
Rainer takes a deep breath.
I've been thinking. I've done everything you've ever asked of me.
I've trained to be a good king, I've represented the kingdom in meetings and ceremonies... and I even agreed to marry the princess, even though I didn't want to.
The king nods. Yes, Rainer, you have done your duty, he said. And I appreciate that.
Rainer's expression turns cold.
My duty, he said.
That's all it was to me.
A duty.
And now that I've fulfilled that duty, I expect to be able to make my own choices.
The king looked at him, sensing where this is going. Rainer, I don't think...
Rainer cuts him off.
No, Father,I don't want to hear it. I've done everything you've asked of me, and now I'm going to do what I want.
And what I want is to be with Calantha
The king looked at Rainer, Calantha? he asks. Rainer, she's your step-sister. She's not a suitable wife for you.
Rainer shakes his head. That doesn't matter, he says. I love her, and I want to be with her and we're not related by blood.
The king sighs.
Rainer, you know that's not possible, he said. Even if she wasn't your step-sister, she's not of royal blood. She's not fit to be a queen.
Rainer scowls. That's not true, Calantha is smart and kind and beautiful. She would make a great queen.
The king shakes his head. It doesn't matter, he said.
We have a contract with Princess Ayla Kingdom.
You are married to Princess Ayla, let go of your feelings for Calantha.
Rainer's eyes flash with anger.
I don't care about the contract, he said. You made me marry someone I don't love. And now she was poisoned and almost died. Who knows if she's even capable of having children now?
The king slams his fist on the desk. Rainer, that's enough, he said. You will marry only Princess Ayla, and that's final.
If you don't, it will mean war with Princess Ayla Kingdom.
Rainer shrugs. Maybe that's what we need, he said. A war to shake things up around here. To get rid of all the old, outdated ways of thinking.
The king looks at him, shocked. Rainer, what's gotten into you? he asks.
You're talking like a madman.
Rainer turns and walks away.
I'm finally thinking for myself, Father, he said. And I'm going to do what I want, no matter what you say, he left leaving the king dumbfounded.
Weeks pass, and the princess remained unconscious.
Rainer and Calantha's relationship becomes more and more open, and soon the whole kingdom is talking about it.
The prince is having an affair with his step-sister, they whisper.
He's abandoned the princess and moved on to another woman.
The news spreads like wildfire, and soon the entire kingdom is abuzz with the scandal.
The king is furious, but he doesn't know what to do.
He's tried talking to Rainer, but he won't listen. He's tried reasoning with Lady Valtira, Calantha's mother and his concubine.
Lady Valtira, he said . I know you want the best for your daughter, but she's not suitable to be queen.
She's not of royal blood, and...
Lady Valtira interrupts him, her voice cold. If she's not suitable to be queen, then why did you keep her here at the palace all these years?
Why did you educate her and train her alongside your son?
The king sighs. That was a mistake, he said. I was trying to do the right thing, to give her the same opportunities as other nobles. But I never intended for her to think she could marry Rainer.
Lady Valtira smiles, a sly smile.
But she does think she can marry him, she said.
And she will. Mark my words, Your Majesty.
Calantha will be queen one day.
The king storms off, furious.
I can't believe the nerve of Lady Valtira.
I'll never let her daughter become queen, no matter what it takes.
As he walked outside, he runs into Ryker.
Ryker,I need to talk to you, he said.
What is it, Father? Ryker asked,looking concerned.
It's Rainer and Calantha, the king said. They're still seeing each other, and Lady Valtira is behind it all.
She's manipulating them, using them to get what she wants.
I've ended things with her for my sanity.
Ryker's eyes widen.
What are we going to do? he asked.
The king shakes his head. I don't know. But we have to do something. We can't let Calantha become queen.
Ryker sat in the chair beside Princess Ayla's bed, watching over her as she sleeps.
He's been doing this for weeks now, ever since Rainer stopped visiting her.
It's not that he minds, though - he's grown quite fond of the princess even more, even if she is still unconscious.
As he sat there as usual, he starts to feel a strange sensation.
It's like a buzzing in his fingers and toes, and it's spreading throughout his body.
He tried to shake it off, thinking it's just fatigue, but it only gets stronger.
Suddenly, he's hit with a vision.
He sees the princess, standing in a garden filled with flowers. She's smiling and happy, and she's walking towards him. He tries to reach out to her, but she disappears before he can touch her.
Ryker is left feeling stunned and confused.
What just happened? he wonders. Was that some kind of vision, or just a dream?
He looks at the princess, still sleeping peacefully. He hopes that she'll wake up soon, so he can ask her what's going on. But until then, he'll just have to keep watching over her, and trying to make sense of the strange thing that just happened to him.
Ryker is on his way to the stables, looking forward to his morning ride. He needs to clear his head, and riding always helps him think.
As he left for the stables, he came across Lady Calantha in the hallway. She bows to him, and as they pass each other, their bodies brush against each other gently. Ryker felt a spark of electricity at the touch, and he quickly moves away from her.
Calantha looks up at him, a smile on her face.
Good morning, Prince Ryker, she said. Beautiful day for a ride, isn't it?
Ryker nods, trying to hide his discomfort. Yes, it is, he says. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way.
Calantha nods, still smiling. Of course, she says. Have a good ride.
Ryker quickly walks away, feeling a sense of unease. What just happened? he wonders. He's never felt that way around Calantha before. Is it because of the strange vision he had yesterday? Or is it something else entirely?
Ryker gets on his horse and rides into the woods, trying to clear his head. As he rides, he starts to feel a sense of calm wash over him. He's always felt a connection to nature, and being in the woods usually helps him relax.
As he rides, he started to feel a strange sensation. It's like a buzzing in his head, and it's getting stronger. Suddenly, he's hit with a vision. He sees a dark forest, and a figure in the distance. The figure is walking towards him, but he can't make out who it is.
Ryker is confused. What is this? he thinks. Is this some kind of vision? He's never had anything like this happen before.
He tries to focus on the figure, but it's too far away. He can't make out any features. The figure is just a dark shape against the trees.
The vision fades, and Ryker is left feeling stunned, he wonders. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. He's still in the woods, but he's not sure where he is. He was so focused on the vision that he didn't pay attention to where he was going.
He turns his horse around and starts to head back to the palace. As he rides, he can't shake the feeling that something is off.
He feels like something is watching him, following him. He looks around, but he doesn't see anything.
He shakes his head, trying to clear it. He must be imagining things. He's just spooked from the vision.
I'll feel better once I get back to the palace, he said.
Ryker riding back to the palace, trying to make sense of the strange vision he had in the woods. As he approaches the stables, he starts to feel a sense of unease again.
Something feels off, but he can't quite put his finger on what it is.
Suddenly, everything goes blank.
He sees a glimpse of the future, but it's not clear. He sees his father, the king, in danger. He's surrounded by dark clouds, and there's a sense of foreboding in the air. He sees his brother Rainer, surrounded by darkness and destruction. He sees a heavy storm, destroying everything in its path. He sees the palace, in ruins. He sees his people, suffering and scared.
Ryker is left feeling stunned and confused. What did i just see? Was it a vision of the future? Is it something that's going to happen?
He doesn't know, but he knows he has to tell someone.
He has to warn his father, and the rest of the kingdom.
He quickly gets off his horse and runs to the palace, determined to tell his father what he saw. He bursts into the throne room, out of breath and panicked. Father, he said.
I had a vision.
I saw... I saw the kingdom in ruins. I saw you in danger.
The king looks up at him, concerned. What are you talking about, Ryker? he asks. What did you see?
Ryker tries to explain what he saw, but his father just looks at him with concern and a hint of disbelief. Ryker, have you been hanging around with those people who practice dark magic? I warned you to stay away from them.
Ryker shakes his head. No, Father, I haven't. I'm telling you, I saw something. I saw the kingdom in ruins, and I saw you in danger.
The king sighs. Ryker , you're just stressed. You've been spending too much time with those fake psychics and magic users. I told you they're not real.
Ryker tries to protest, but his father's voice starts to fade away.
Everything goes silent, and Ryker felt a strange sensation. He heard his name being called, but it's not his father's voice.
It's a soft, gentle voice that seems to be coming from all around him.
Ryker...Ryker...
He turns to look around, but he doesn't see anyone.
The voice is calling him, leading him somewhere. He felt a strange pull, and he starts to walk out of the throne room, following the voice.
Ryker...Ryker...
The voice leads him through the throne room, and he walks without thinking.
He doesn't know where he's going, but he feels like he needs to get there.
The voice is calling him, and he can't resist.
Finally, he arrived at a door.
It's the door to Princess Ayla's room. The voice is coming from inside. Ryker hesitates for a moment, then opens the door and walked in.
The room is quiet and still.
Princess Ayla is lying in bed, just as she has been for weeks. But Ryker felt like there's something different about the room. Something is calling to him, drawing him closer to the princess.