Elara blinked rapidly as the sunlight pierced through her eyelids.
Her head throbbed—a dull, pounding ache that pulsed just above her temple.
Her limbs felt heavy, and every muscle ached as though she'd been trampled.
Slowly, she turned her head and tried to understand where she was.
The room was dimly lit, with beams of morning light slipping in through wooden slats.
A kettle whistled in the background, and the air smelled faintly of herbs and ash.
She let out a low groan as she tried to sit up, her fingers digging into the coarse linen beneath her.
"I advise you to stay still, Princess. Your body is incredibly sore."
The voice was gentle but firm. Elara turned sharply toward the source, wincing at the movement.
An older man with grey in his beard and kindness carved deep into his face stepped closer.
He wore a faded brown robe belted with a twisted cord. A small wooden pendant hung from his neck, etched with markings she didn't recognise.
"You know who I am?" she asked, voice raspy.
"Of course," the man said. "The moment I saw you lying by the ravine, I knew. There are only so many young women riding alone through Aldovia's villages in the dead of night—especially not ones dressed in royal-stitched leather and crying in their sleep."
Elara blinked, stunned. "What….what am I doing here?" She asked.
"You fell," he continued. "Hit your head quite hard on a log, sprained your ankle too. You're lucky I was outside when that forest scream came."
"The… scream," she echoed, trying to recall. "You heard it too?"
The man's expression shifted subtly. "All of Aldovia heard it, child. Some say it came from the forest. Others think it rose from beneath the soil itself. Either way—something changed last night."
He lowered himself beside her, placing a hand on her wrist to check her pulse.
"My name is Cedric. I'm a healer of the eastern province. You have nothing to fear here."
Elara looked at him—really looked at him—for the first time. His presence felt like a quiet fire, warm and watchful.
Her lips parted, but she didn't know what to say.
"Rest," Cedric said. "There will be time for answers. And perhaps… questions you are dying to ask."
Elara lay back, her head still throbbing from the pain, her eyes flickering faintly before she completely closed them, losing her consciousness again.
______
Kaelos woke to the sound of birds chirping near the window. Athena lay naked beside him, her legs and hands intertwined with his.
He sat up in a jolt, sweat cooling on his back, his breath uneven. The room was dim, the morning sun barely threading through the shutters. His tunic lay crumpled on the floor, Athena's perfume still clinging to his skin like a confession.
He had been unable to sleep last night, not after the terrifying sound that startled the whole kingdom. Kaelos had heard it before, long ago—before he understood what it meant. And now it was—
Athena stirred beside him, cutting through his thoughts, her bare shoulder slipping into view as she reached for him.
"You're awake early," she said, smiling.
He stood without replying, pulling on his breeches and tunic with slow movements.
She propped herself on an elbow. "You don't have to run off like a thief. We didn't do anything you didn't want."
"I'm not running," Kaelos said. "However, I would not be caught like this."
"Caught like what?" she said, getting up from the bed. "You do not have to be ashamed of us, Kaelos."
"Not now, Elara," he said.
His eyes shut as soon as he realised his mistake.
"Elara?" Athena said, brows raising. "I see. That is who is on your mind. Even when the thoughts are not pleasant."
"I'm not about to talk about Elara," he said, wearing his boots and heading toward the door.
"And that is fine. You're only here because you wanted to forget her."
"Listen, Athena. I love you. I do. But last night was a moment of weakness, and I am sorry for what you might think of it."
Athena's brows furrowed. "What are you saying?"
Kaelos took in a deep breath. "I shall see you some other time."
With that, he turned and shut the door behind him.
When Kaelos stepped out, eyes began to follow him, and he heard whispers among the villagers.
"That is Prince Kaelos," one woman said.
"What is he doing in the house of a seer?" a man chipped in.
"I hear that he has taken his daughter as his mistress."
Kaelos said nothing as the words concerning him were passed around. He mounted his horse and rode back to the palace with full force.
_______
Kaelos charged into the palace, swinging the door open.
He had forgotten why he had gone to see Athena, and now he had lost his way, hoping Elara would not know of it.
As Kaelos walked up to their chambers, he closed his eyes, as if dreading what was on the other end of the door.
But when he opened it, he was met with the stale scent of extinguished candles.
"Elara?" he called softly.
There was no answer.
He checked the bathing room—perhaps she was angry and didn't want to answer him—but she wasn't there.
Her dressing table was untouched, her bed barely slept in.
His chest tightened.
Just then, the door creaked, and Hallel entered, a bundle of warm towels folded neatly in her arms. She froze when she saw him.
"Where is Elara?" he asked at once.
Hallel blinked, startled. "I… I don't know, Your Highness. I was just bringing her towels. Is she not here?"
Kaelos moved past her, eyes scanning the hallway. "No. She's not."
"But—" Hallel's voice faltered. "She didn't tell me anything. I assumed she was still resting."
Kaelos moved with growing urgency now, dispersing guards in different locations to thoroughly search for the princess.
He stormed down the corridor, his steps growing louder, sharper and heavier.
Guards scrambled at his command, spreading out in all directions. "Search the gardens. The eastern halls. The stables. I want every inch of this palace turned over. Now!"
Moments later, two guards returned, breathless and empty-handed.
"We've scoured the wing, Your Highness. No sign of her."
"No sign?" Kaelos growled, stepping forward and grabbing one of them by the front of his tunic. "It was your duty to watch her door. How could you be so careless?"
The man stammered, "She must've left quietly—no one saw—"
Kaelos shoved him back. "Useless."
His chest was heaving now. He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched with guilt and fear.
"Send word to the king and queen," he barked at another guard. "Tell them the princess is missing."
The guard bowed and rushed off.
Kaelos remained rooted in the corridor, pulse thudding, heart sinking.
This was not how the morning was meant to begin.
_______
In the throne room, King Aegeus and Queen Alaina sat side by side as they listened to the gathered seers.
"I am certain you all heard that terrible cry at night," the king said, his voice low and edged with tension. "And I believe you have something to tell me."
"Your Highness," one of the seers replied carefully, "we can only say that it was not a sound of normality."
"Of course it was not. How could it be?" the king snapped, frustration flaring in his tone.
"There is only one thing known to produce such a terrible outcome," another seer added gravely.
"No," King Aegeus said, the blood draining from his face. "It cannot be. She dared not show her face in Aldovia again."
"While that may be true," the first seer continued, "we cannot be certain she has not returned."
Before the king could respond, the chamber doors burst open and a court official hurried in, breathless.
"How dare you interrupt us?" Aegeus barked, rising sharply from his throne.
"Forgive me, Your Majesties," the official said, bowing deeply. "I bring word from Prince Kaelos."
"What is it?" Queen Alaina asked, her expression tightening as she remained seated.
The court official drew in a deep breath.
"The Princess Elara is nowhere to be found."
Queen Alaina stood at once, her eyes locking with her husband's in alarm.
Without wasting another moment, King Aegeus descended the steps of the throne, his cloak sweeping behind him. Queen Alaina followed quickly, her face unreadable but her pace brisk.
"Take us to him," the king commanded.
The court official led them through the palace corridors, their footsteps echoing against stone and silence. Servants and guards stepped out of the way as the royal couple passed, the weight of dread following in their wake.
When they reached the royal chambers, Kaelos stood just outside, his jaw tense, hands clenched at his sides. He turned at the sound of their approach.
"She's not here," he said before they could ask. "I've checked every hallway, every corridor, every courtyard. No one saw her leave."
King Aegeus brushed past him and opened the chamber door himself.
The room was still. The air is heavy. Elara's bed was undisturbed, her dressing table untouched. A single candle had long since burned out, the wax hardened in a puddle on the stand.
Queen Alaina scanned the room, her hand rising to her chest.
The king stood silent for a breath, then two.
"Sound the warning bells," he said finally, his voice grim and steady. "The princess is missing."
Kaelos stood as if lost in his own storm.
His mother turned to him and whispered.
"Kaelos, where is Elara?"
"Mother, I—" he paused, unsure of what to say.
Aegeus turned to him, rage filling his eyes. "Where were you when this happened?"
Kaelos said nothing. He only rubbed his fingers on his forehead, shame written in the gesture.
King Aegeus shook his head and hissed. He stepped out of the room toward the court official and roared,
"I want every noble, every villager, every guard, every woman and child in Aldovia looking for her—NOW!"