Chapter 204: The Wait
Septimus stared after her, utterly stunned. He still couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. Evelyn had unleashed enough power to kill an ordinary Lumen outright, and she had done it while wearing a restraint that siphoned her very life force. She should have been dead. Yet she was still conscious...still being able to walk.
As the shock faded from him, something else rushed in to replace it....anger. Cold but controlled anger was burning beneath his calm exterior.
Slowly, the High Priest rose to his feet and turned his gaze toward Queen Viva, who stood pale and gobsmacked. His silver eyes locked onto hers with a sharp, unyielding gaze, "Queen Viva," Septimus said, "care to explain how such a dangerous object ended up on Princess Evelyn’s wrist?" His words were polite, but his eyes were anything but.
Viva quickly schooled her shocked expression and replied, "Well, what object are you talking about?" She feigned ignorance, but Septimus continued to hold her gaze unblinking.
"The object on her wrist." He spoke in a steady voice, "The magical restraint that drains a person’s life force whenever they use magic."
Viva gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest as she lied through her teeth, "Oh my god! I cannot believe this! Did Princess Evelyn really have something like that on?!"
But Septimus was not born yesterday; her theatrics meant nothing to him. His eyes hardened. "Are you saying Princess Evelyn would willingly put something like that on by herself?"
Queen Viva narrowed her eyes at the priest, her tone turning icy, "Are you implying that I have something to do with it, High Priest Septimus? She is to become my daughter-in-law by marrying my son. Why would I ever jeopardise my son’s happiness like that?"
Septimus’s jaw clenched at her blatant denial, but Viva continued, her voice calm but venomous, "Instead of questioning me, the Queen of this kingdom, shouldn’t you be asking these questions to the Princess herself?"
It was then that Elara recovered from her shock, and she responded, "High Priest Septimus, you shouldn’t go around and ask a queen of the kingdom these kinds of questions. It can come across as offensive."
Septimus shifted his gaze to Queen Elara. He could see right through her attempt to defend Viva, as it was transparent. And judging by her past cruelty toward Evelyn, he wouldn’t have been a least bit surprised if Elara herself had played a part in placing that cursed restraint on the princess’s wrist.
Before the tension could escalate any further, Solan cut in sharply, "There is no point discussing this now, Septimus." His voice was bitter and cold. "As we all witnessed, Princess Evelyn is clearly doing whatever she pleases."
Viva seized the opportunity to redirect them all out of the room. She needed to get to her secret chamber as quickly as possible since her hands were now in an appalling state. The pure cleansing light that had burst from Evelyn had undone the layers of black magic she used to keep her skin youthful, leaving the exposed flesh shrivelled and ruined.
She silently cursed both father and daughter’s powers, their timing and most of all, herself, for allowing their confrontation to escalate into something that had now backfired on her so catastrophically.
"I agree with His Majesty," Viva announced smoothly. "The ball is about to begin. Why don’t we all head there now? Our guests must be waiting. I still have a few matters to attend to and will join you shortly, so please excuse me."
With that, she slipped out briskly, keeping her hands hidden beneath her shawl so none of them would notice her withered skin. Most paid her no mind as they were still reeling from what they had just witnessed. All except Septimus.
His keen silver eyes followed the queen, like he could see right through her that she wasn’t excusing herself but running away....and he wondered what could be the reason.
With the Queen finally out of sight, the group began making their way back toward the ballroom.
Septimus, however, remained lost in his thoughts with his growing worry for Princess Evelyn. As they walked, something moved at the edge of his vision. A shadow swiftly and silently zipped past the far corner of the corridor.
He stopped abruptly and narrowed his eyes in that direction. Had he imagined it?
Sensing the priest halt, Solan also came to a stop and turned sharply. "Why did you stop, Septimus?"
"It’s nothing, Your Majesty," Septimus replied smoothly. "I simply remembered that I left something in my chamber. Please go ahead, I will join you shortly."
Solan frowned slightly at the explanation but didn’t press further. With a curt nod, he turned and continued forward with Elara and Gideon, their footsteps echoing faintly down the long hallway.
The moment they were far enough, Septimus pivoted silently and moved toward the direction where he had seen the shadow vanish, his expression sharpening with suspicion.
.....
The sun began to set, and most of the guests had already gathered in the ballroom. Some indulged in the drinks and the array of dishes being served, while others admired the opulent luxury of the grand hall as they awaited the arrival of the queen and the crown prince to officially commence the ball.
A stir rippled through the crowd when the guests noticed the arrival of the Lumen King and Queen. People were surprised to say the least since after the death of King Solan’s first wife, he had not attended a single social event in any kingdom. His sudden appearance tonight was nothing short of extraordinary.
Naturally, the nobles rushed forward, eager to surround him, desperate to seize the rare opportunity to curry favour with the powerful, thriving royal family of Luminear.
Oliver and Aden were also present among the other students, and the moment Oliver noticed the arrival of the royals from his own kingdom, he immediately understood why the king had come.
Prince Aden, standing beside him, leaned in and whispered nervously, "Lord Oliver, I won’t lie....all of this is making me extremely anxious. How are you able to stay so calm?"
Oliver gave him a sideways glance and replied, "Just don’t think about it too much."
Aden’s brows knit together. ’Yeah, right. As if it’s that easy to pretend the world isn’t crumbling around us,’ he thought, releasing a long sigh at the stoic man beside him.
All they could do now was wait for things to unfold, little by little.
While soft music continued to play inside the ballroom as the guests awaited the host’s arrival, on the other side of the palace, in an expansive chamber, a man dressed in custom-made royal white attire, adorned with intricate silver threadwork, stood by the window overlooking the bustling activity around the castle. His dark green robe hung from his shoulders, partially concealing the pristine white beneath, making him look every bit the perfect prince.
Valen had been genuinely surprised when, earlier, a maid arrived bearing a message from Princess Evelyn that she wished to speak with him before the ball. The request had caught him off guard, but the moment he heard it, excitement surged through him. His golden bird had asked to see him of her own accord. How could he refuse?
Now, standing outside the designated chamber, he waited eagerly for her arrival. His mind churned with endless possibilities, intoxicating scenarios of how he would move forward with his plans to claim her. His heartbeat hammered wildly in his chest, excitement curling through his veins at the mere thought of it....at the thought of her.
He had made sure every staff member was cleared from the hallway leading to the chamber he now waited in, wanting absolute privacy for the meeting he believed would change everything.
But as the time passed, far more than he expected and with the ball starting to draw near, Valen’s impatience grew sharp. Why wasn’t she here yet? Had something happened? A dozen possibilities raced through his mind, each darker than the last, and the uncertainty gnawed at him.
He lifted his hand, ready to summon someone to check on her, but froze, cursing under his breath. He had dismissed all the servants earlier in his eagerness to have Evelyn entirely to himself, so there was no one nearby to send.
Restlessness surged through him. He began pacing across the room, boots dragging slightly against the polished floor as he contemplated his options.
Should he go and look for her himself?
But what if she arrived while he was gone?
What if he missed her entirely?
The conflicting thoughts only fueled his agitation, leaving him coiled with impatience and anticipation.
He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, his brows furrowing at the frustrating dilemma. After a tense moment of indecision, he finally chose to take the risk rather than stand here doing nothing. With one last glance at the door, he let out a frustrated sigh and strode toward it, ready to step out and see what was going on.
Just as he neared the door, a soft knock echoed through the silent room, making his steps quicken. He swung the door open, and the breath instantly caught in his throat.
There she was.
