"First prince Nathaniel, you are to take one thousand soldiers and proceed to the northern feif to protect it" the older man, which I now registered as the king, declared.
"Yes father" prince Nathaniel acquiesced.
"What about me, father. Anything I can help with?" The second prince inquired with a faint smile, his eyelids drooped. His expression remained unreadable.
"You will stay here and help gather information" the king replied dismissively.
"Understood" the second prince's reply was curt. The faint smile remained unchanged but I could see the grip on his tea cup tightened.
"Linali, you are to inform us if you see anything. Your visions would help us greatly" the older woman, the queen spoke for the first time.
"Yes mother" princess Linali replied, "excuse me mother, father" she stood up and curtsied before walking out the door with Kailan walking beside her .
She spared me a final glance with Kailan doing the same before the door closed behind her.
"I shall also take my leave now father, your majesty the queen" the second prince bowed and walked towards the door, his countenance stiff.
Something about his body language made me suspicious of him, so I decided to follow him.
***
He walked through hall after hall with maids, guards and knights bowing as he passed by while I followed behind.
We walked through many doors, down staircases until we reached a certain door with weird patterns on it which seemed like veins.
The second prince brought out a strange key that had a big black gem at the top with intricate silver patterns that match those on the door.
He put the key into the keyhole at the middle of the door and twisted before he then removed it. There were a soft click before the patterns on the door glowed. A faint hum could be heard from the as if it had a life to it.
The door opened to reveal a staircase. The prince began climbing down, I followed, the door shutting behind me.
There was an eerie chill in the air that brought shivers down my spine.
I hesitantly took the steps found after the second prince.
When he reached the last step, he continued down the dimly lit corridor that had similar odd patterns to the key and door.
This place looked like it was beneath the palace.
The prince's footsteps echoed through the quiet space. He passed by some doors until he finally stopped at the last one.
He knocked four times at regular intervals, most likely some kind of special code of some sort. The door was opened by a shirt man wearing a long black robe that covered his entire being apart from his face.
"Your highness" the man gave a deep now with flourish
The prince gave a single nod and walked passed the man into the room. I followed behind.
A gasp escaped my lips the moment the scene registered in my mind.
It wasn't just a room, it was some sort of lab filled with glass cases containing different mystic creatures—elves, fairies, griffin, siren, pixies, nine tailed fox and even a medium sized dragon—all locked in glass cases. Their blood and essence were being extracted continuously with needles which flowed through tubes into a bigger container.
They look lifeless, pale and helpless, like they they have no more hope in being saved so they gave up struggling.
It was absolutely heartbreaking. This was cruelty at it's finest.
"Your highness" my attention got diverted by the people, also on black robes, standing juxtaposed bowing collectively, very dramatic if I think about it.
"You may rise" said the second prince.
'cocky much'
"We have completed the formula for activating the portal. Although, the exact time is uncertain, it was after he was sealed" one of the men in black robes stepped forward and announced, a sinister grin plastered on his face. His eyes were not visible because of the hood obstructing them.
'who was sealed? What are he talking about?'
"The place he was sealed is the same I presume?" The second prince asked displaying an air of superiority. He looked at the robed men as though they were mere objects.
His blue eyes were cold, filled with a twisted glint. The man who showed understanding to his family now stood with no remorse for what he was about to do.
It was all probably fake, acting like he cared only to stab them in the back.
'two-faced bastard'
His lips quires up I. A crazed smile before he burst out in manic laughter.
"Finally. I can finally have it all. Everything I've always wanted, everything I deserve" he blurted out and continued his crazy laugh.
He was truly and utterly the definition of an ambitious man who bears no regret to the price he was willing to pay.
But if only he knew what a huge mistake he was about to make.