Breakfast was fancy, thanks to the Queen who decided to spice things up a little bit.

There was toast, hot chocolate drink for the windy morning, scrambled eggs, curried chicken and other delicious items.

Haz and his men were not left out from the mini feast. I guess they would be staying here for a little bit.

My gaze strays to the vivid red cut on my left arm. Haz's doing. I wonder where they locked up the beast.

Immediately after breakfast, Baroness Burke made me walk with her. Because of the weather, I wore extra layers of clothes and even at that, the hem of my gown gently sways in the air.

“As a child, I had always admired my parents. How they loved each other to the point that they would ignore me. I couldn't blame them because my mother was really young when she had me, sixteen or so.” The Baroness speaks, waiting see  if I was listening.

“My mother passed on when I was six and I didn't have anyone to guide me. There were several questions I had which I found answers to in inappropriate ways. My father was mad that I tainted his reputation by frequenting the whorehouse when I only went to visit the one friend I had in this world. Diane. She was quite good to me.”

Some conversations like this are best listened to with no contribution on your part. I conclude.

“My father passed on when I was twenty, naming me as his sole heiress.”

“Did you have brothers?” I ask.

“I had seven of them. Everyone was disgusted that my father would leave his estate to a female. Edwin, my eldest brother to date does not speak to me, for he only inherited my father's title. Sadly, I have no idea why my father selected me to be in charge of his estate.”

Although, I don't care much for mundane things, but I understood how painful it must have been seeing your birthright given to your younger one.

“I met my husband at a ball. Diane taught me that I had to go for what I loved and I did. Aaron and I got married. Remember the story I told you in the dungeon?”

I nod. Tiny bits of her narration slide into my head. Her husband had a mistress and abandoned her with child at six months.

Marriage automatically means you relinquish whatever titles or properties you have to your husband. It's a crappy custom and I sincerely hope our next King would change that.

“Your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me, Iris. But I learnt never to chase after any man. You are the missing rib. Let him find you, or let him go.” Lady Burke puts a hand over my shoulder and I settle in for a warm embrace. The fact that she was my mother's best friend comforts me. I could find traces of my mother lingering around and I let that console me.

“I think I need a hug too.”

Jason appears around the corner. How much did he hear?

Lady Burke snorts, pulling away from me so she can hug him and surprisingly, he melts in her arms. Of course being much taller, he rests his cheek on her hair.

I can't blame him. The woman can hug.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, ruining the moment.

Sighing, Jason disengages from the Baroness. “What? A man can't take a walk to clear his head?”

Knowing Reik, I know he must have sent him to watch me.

Scoffing, I turn and start walking back to the main house. I sense the tension before I walk in.

There's a flurry of activities. Men running here and there, carrying boxes, others ammunition for whatever weapon they used.

“What is going on?” I ask a familiar face. One of the guards I've seen around regularly.

“Troops are forming outside the border.” Is all he says and rushes off.

I run in the direction of the bedrooms, bursting into my room. Theresa's dressing up rapidly.

“You need to get dressed. A war is just starting.”

I had barely finished  putting on comfortable clothes when Larry bursts in. He tosses a dagger at Theresa. She catches it deftly.

“We need to leave immediately.” He says, grabbing Theresa's hand and then mine.

“A scout discovered the King's troops marching to our border. We really don't have time.”  He reaches a door at the end of the corridor and pulls a lever hidden somewhere.

“You will go with Haz and his men to the warehouse and end this thing once and for all.”

“What about me?” Theresa asks.

“You will go with them.” He drops my hand and takes Theresa's left hand, holding them to his chest. “In a few minutes, all hell will break loose and you don't want to witness that.”

Haz appears in the door way with a torch. “We need to get moving.”

Larry kisses Theresa's forehead, pulls out a locket from his shirt and gives it to her. Then, he nudges us to go through the door. It shuts and we're plunged into darkness.

Even with the torch, it's hard to see where we're going. I slide my hand into Theresa's and squeeze.

“We'll be fine.”

None of us are naive. We know that a war comes with certain losses but our prayer is that it shouldn't claim the ones we love.

I didn't get to see Reik's face for one last time.

“What's the plan?” I ask Haz.

“We head to the warehouse now. From reports, the King's army is majorly made up of strange creatures. Our only hope of defeating them is you, Iris.”

I breathe in deeply, staggering at the weight of responsibility on my shoulders.

By now, the people should know what kind of person their King is. A monster marching with an army of monsters.

We reach an exit at the top but we have to climb out of it. Haz jumps and easily heaves himself to the surface, before helping Theresa and I out.

There's an insane amount of trees standing before us. On a normal day, even with my crazy self, I wouldn't dare venture into such evil-looking forest.

But we had to.

The fate of everyone relies on us.

OOPS!!!
IT'S BEEN AGES...LIKE AN UNBELIEVABLE NUMBER OF MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE MY LAST UPDATE.

I'm terribly sorry, everyone.

It's been a hectic year for me. Dealing with work stress and other life issues just took away my zeal to write anything.

It's all good now so I look forward to steady updates.

How are you guys!!!