Portal to Vrigaria

Chapter 6

Do I still need to look up and confirm whether they're looking at me or not?

Fay stood there silently while trying to think of something to say. The people in the room were confused about why the princess (or so they thought she was) unexpectedly came inside the room. She gulped silently and looked up.

"Freya? What are you doing here?" The king asked. "Can't you see that we're in the middle of something?
 
Before she could reply, Ellastro cleared his throat. "Well, if it isn't the future queen of Vrigaria, it is such an honor to see you again, Princess Freya."

Fay immediately curtsied to acknowledge his greetings. "Indeed, it is such a pleasure to see you again, Great Wizard Ellastro of..."

The king and queen shared a look, and Hendrix felt like he wasn't supposed to be here. Fay gave an apologetic look, and the wizard chuckled. "No need for such formalities, Your Royal Highness."

The young woman let out an embarrassed laugh and turned to the door. "I'm going to take my leave..." And with that, Fay went to the door before slamming it, leaving the throne room full of awkward silence. Ellastro had an odd look on his face before turning to the king and queen with a smile.

"I am terribly sorry for that," the king apologized. "She can be a burden to us sometimes."

The queen eyed her husband, who tried his best not to admit defeat. The wizard sighed, "Please do not try to bring the young princess into this. My king, for the past ten years, I have been observing every move that Davina makes, though she hasn't made any appearances yet. Trolls have been rampaging around the outskirts of the kingdom, and more citizens have lost their lives to the shadows. The Sovereign Court and I have been suspecting that she will plan something. And it seems that your daughter has caught the witch's attention."

"Oh, Freya," the queen said, full of concern for the safety of her daughter. Freya had already gone missing, and as a mother, she wasn't going to lose her daughter once again. "Sirenix, we must do something."

The king thought about it for a moment before turning to the general. "General Hendrix." The general then walked up and knelt before them.

"Gather some of your best men and head to each of the villages that live outside of this kingdom," Sirenix commanded. "None of you may take refuge until every last citizen is safe from the witch's harm."

"Yes, Your Highness," he solemnly replied.

Later that night, Fay watched the central town from afar. It was quiet as always, unlike Gilramore, which had always been so lively, even at night. As she was about to doze off, she noticed that several torches had lit up. Her eyes widened when she saw Hendrix ride his majestic brown and white horse as he led the king's army. The gates from the borders of the kingdom opened, and Fay continuously watched as they all left until she could see them no more.

Where could they have gone? She wondered.

Fay yawned, feeling exhausted from all the recent events. She hopped on her bed and threw the blankets on herself before shutting her eyes, fantasizing that one day she could finally wake up in her own room and realize that it was all just a hallucination.

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Fay soon woke up with a jolt; she could've sworn she heard someone humming. The young woman found herself in an endless white room. Could this be another dream? She stood up and observed her surroundings. For some reason, she felt a warm and comforting presence everywhere. She couldn't explain how or why she felt this way. But Fay thought that she was in some sort of memory rather than a dream. Her attention was caught by the silhouette of an unfamiliar woman. She was standing beside a tree with silver branches and gold leaves.