Suddenly I'm a Villainess

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Fort-Four|| Nightmare Flowers

I stand by the dungeon where Layla was placed in. I sit and watch as she's looking hazardous and dirty. She looks up at me with dead eyes. It was like she had no soul like I could see right through her. 

"As I said, there was nothing in the smoke. "

She repeated the words she said not too long ago. I don't want to believe this girl, but she doesn't seem like she's lying which is irritating me even more.

"Then why isn't she waking up?" I growled. 

It's been 2 weeks. Two bloody weeks and this person still doesn't want to say anything. I know she's hiding something, and I'll get to the bottom of it if it's the last thing I do. 

I get up from my seat. I turn around to look at the knights who stood behind me waiting patiently, one of them eyes me confused. 

"Get her." 

They nodded and headed over to her cell. They open it up and drag her out, they drop her to her knees, placing her hands behind her looking up at me. I turn back around and glared at her. 

"Tell me or I'll kill you myself," I warned her.

"Tell Me!!"

The knights start to beat her. I grind my teeth against each other and look away from the scene. I really don't have the stomach to watch it. 

I know that I'm not currently in my sane mind, but I need to be strong and anything absolutely necessary. This had been prolonged for far too long and with every passing second, I feel like I'm losing Aleah.

"Fine! Please stop. I'll talk!" 

She finally gives in and the knights let her go. She falls onto the ground panting, blood trails down her skin along with accumulated sweat. Her eye looks up at me.

"Nightmare flower." She says.

"What?" I asked confused.

"The cure to waking her up, in the building I placed a nightmare flower. When it burns, it releases toxins that will put even the strongest person to sleep forever. While the flower was the poison, it's also the cure. Nightmare flower and honey are all it takes to wake her up. So now please stop."

I bite my lip. I don't think I believe her. It's extremely suspicious, she endured 2 weeks of torture only to give up so easily. How useless.

"Place her back into her cell. If she does anything suspicious... kill her." 

I walk out of the dungeon and immediately met up with the team. By team I mean, Christian, Jackson, Rosiera, and Anna who wanted to be here. We circle around a map that I laid out on the table, there are numerous circles on the map of possible locations of where Nightmare flowers grow.

Some are also places where they were spotted, and some were just pure rumors. So really, we don't really know which is which. We could split up into groups which is the better option or we can stay grouped so if any problems occur, we can work together. 

"We can't trust her. We don't know if she's telling the truth or not. She could be saying that it's the cure when in fact it could kill ultimately kill Aleah!" Jackson says, his tone was persuasive and so was his reasoning.

"I second that," Rosiera says her finger in her mouth from being nervous.

"Look. I know Layla isn't trustworthy, believe it or not, I don't even think she's being completely honest. But, when she's sleeping like that, lifeless, emotionless, barely breathing! She's as good as dead!"

I lean onto the table and tilted my head down. I try to not let my frustration and fear get the better of me, I need to be strong in order for everyone to stay strong. My hand brushes my forehead to keep it from aching.

"I've decided, we get into pairs. We go to a selection of these areas and check. Since you four already know who you want to partner with, I'll take Fernand with me. Meet back at twilight. Got it?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"yes."

"Of course!"

"Got it."

"Okay then. Dismissed!"

I quickly head to the southern fields, where the recent sightings of nightmare flowers have been said to be seen. This was some news from a traveling merchant who saw him on his way to the Salvatore Empire.

Since it's the most recent, it's the first place we need to look. On our horses, Stephan and I are on full stride. Going as fast as the horse could take us. 

We settle in front of a field. With flowers of every kind, there's no way we could find a nightmare flower here. There are at least a couple thousand other flowers, and the field extends farther than the eye can see.

Fernand walks towards me with a map. That's right the map will help us.

"It says that the flowers were spotted by the Portman forest. That's on the east side of the fields."

Fernand point at a certain area of the field. Great, that cuts the search into half, I nodded my head. It's still is a large area to cover but I think we'll be able to check before sundown.

"Let's get a move on Fernand."

"Yes, your Majesty."

We head into the woods and searched the grounds thoroughly. Nightmare flowers are of a rare dark purple color. It should be easy to spot especially since the field mostly consists of white flowers.

I search everywhere, every nook and cranny. Besides the trees, underneath boulders. I even searched along the river bed, almost slipping on the rocks from the strong current. 

I'm desperate I really am. I need to find this flower, dying to find it even.

"Your Majesty!!"