Tangled: Away from Old Corona

Chapter 1 - The Test

One year earlier...

Further away from Old Corona, there was the pitch-black territory surrounded with big sharp black rocks.

It was called the Dark Kingdom.

The ruler who resided the Dark Kingdom was a king.

His name was Edmund.

He hears the raven's fluttering from outside. King Edmund wanders to the sounds of the bird's flight. He was fierce yet curious. "Hamuel's back." King Edmund said. He looked up.

The raven arrived from the window above. Hamuel flaps a couple times. The raven caws thrice times. Hamuel prepares its claw-feet to land. All of the sudden, the raven stumbles on the floor. Hamuel bounces off from the ground. The raven ends up on the king's throne.

King Edmund crisscrosses his arms. He smiled and shook his head. King Edmund was confident yet awkward. "Hamuel, you not ever cease to amaze me." He said.

The raven sits up steady. Hamuel ruffles its black feathers. The raven glanced at King Edmund. Hamuel cawed several times at him.

King Edmund raises his eyebrow at the raven. "Adira's coming to the Dark Kingdom?" He added, wondering. The raven nodded its head twice. King Edmund was puzzled. "Why would she be arriving in my kingdom instantly?" He asked himself.

King Edmund ponders. "Hmmm..." he added. King Edmund was unsure yet believing to be. "Hamuel, on my shoulder. If my trusted warrior comes to warn me about someone who seeks the Moonstone, I am ninety-nine point nine percent precise that someone will try to get the Moonstone." King Edmund said.

The raven flies to the king's right shoulder.

He readies to encounter her arrival.

She appeared in a hurry with the torn-out brown satchel.

King Edmund was contented. "Hey, Adira." He added, greeting to the female warrior. "How's the outside doing lately?" King Edmund asked.

She goes kneeling before the king. Adira was panting. She was exhausted. "Fine...Your...Majesty..." Adira answered.

He was quizzed. "Say, that satchel you have here." King Edmund added, mentioning. "Is this why you have come to see me unexpectedly?" He wondered.

She was serious with her frown. "Your majesty...You have to..." Adira added. She handed it to him. "see for yourself...It's a matter...of urgency..." Adira replied.

King Edmund shrugged. He was perplexed. "Whatever the matter of urgency..." King Edmund added. Hamuel tilts its head. The king walks forth. "I am ninety-nine point nine percent exact that it's nothing consequential." He reassured.

King Edmund takes the brown satchel.

She let go of it.

He goes thru in the brown satchel. King Edmund brought out the headwear jewelry. He was bewildered. "A tiara?!" King Edmund added, exclaiming. He raised his eyebrow at it. "I don't have a daughter for my kingdom." King Edmund mentioned.

Adira shook her head. She was perturbed. "Keep checking, your majesty." Adira urged.

He shrugs. King Edmund leaves the princess's crown on his throne. He continues scrambling in the brown satchel. King Edmund was wide-eyed. He gasped. King Edmund pulled something out of the satchel immediately. He dropped the broken satchel. King Edmund unfolded the ruined posting. It was a wanted poster. He grinned at it. King Edmund was happy. "It's my son! Horace!" He exclaimed.

She was relaxed. Adira gets up straight. Then, she was solemn. Adira raised her eyebrow. "Don't you mean Eugene, your majesty?" She asks.

King Edmund faced her. He was confident yet awkward. "Of course, Adira." King Edmund answers.

She took a couple steps forward. "Your majesty, if your son was the one who stole the crown, why did it end up on the river bank?" Adira wonders.

He was definite yet believing to be. "It could some danger that my son had no choice to face." King Edmund added. "Horace..." he said.

She crisscrossed her arms. "Eugene." Adira mentions.

King Edmund raises his eyebrow. "Right." He added. King Edmund gestures his guess. "My son have to choose one out of two options. And it has occurred in the river. To pick up the crown. Or to rescue the princess from drowning." He speculates.

She was bemused. "Are you saying that Eugene saved the long-lost princess of Corona from drowning?!" Adira wonders again.

King Edmund shrugs. "I am ninety-nine point nine percent certain that my son did it for love." He added, replying. King Edmund was cheerful yet awkward. "Oh, that would be a beautiful story here. The Princess and the Thief." He said.

She rolled her eyes. Adira groaned. She was peeved. "Your majesty, we can't just find and keep the tiara here. If the princess of Corona was found in her kingdom..." Adira argued.

King Edmund made up his mind. He smiles. "Then, let my son take her to the Dark Kingdom." King Edmund suggested.

She was alarmed. "But, your majesty!" Adira exclaims.

He gestured her to a halt. "Call it a test!" King Edmund exclaimed.

She extended her arms. Adira was astonished. "And the Moonstone, your majesty?" She wonders one more time.

He was delighted yet awkward. "Adira, I am ninety-nine point nine percent absolute that they won't go after the Moonstone." King Edmund replies.

She was befuddled yet stern. "Your majesty, test or not, we can't keep the tiara." Adira bickers.

He crisscrossed his arms. "Well, you're going to lead Horace and the princess here." King Edmund suggests.

She facepalmed herself. Then, Adira was annoyed. "Eugene. From Corona to the Dark Kingdom IS a long travel. It's going to be taken me longer than a year to reach the destination." She complained.

He was pleased yet awkward. "Then it's settled." King Edmund added. "I'll have Hamuel to send a message to Hector." King Edmund decided.

Adira was disbelieved. "Your majesty, you can't be meaning to say." She said.

King Edmund nodded his head. "I am, Adira." He added. King Edmund goes to his throne. He held the crown with his both hands. "Hector will be visiting Quirin in the Old Corona. I trust Hector that he'll be asking Quirin about my son and the princess. Once Hector tells Quirin about the missing tiara from Corona, I am ninety-nine point nine percent precise that they'll go to the Dark Kingdom without any problems of the world." King Edmund declared.

She was bewildered. "And if anything goes wrong, your majesty?" Adira asked.

He encountered her. King Edmund was resolute. "That's when you be their only guide to the Dark Kingdom. And that was my order to you." He answered.

She bowed to him. Adira was frustrated yet acknowledged. She took a deep breath. "Yes, your majesty." Adira said.

King Edmund wrote a message for Hector. He trusted his raven to send it to the male warrior right away. Hamuel flew to the high window.

King Edmund faced her. He nodded his head.

She nodded her head back.

Adira left the Dark Kingdom.

She was tasked to be the guide for Eugene.

Little does they know, King Edmund and Adira has no clue that Eugene didn't rescue Rapunzel from the tower.

Next part soon!