Four Paths- Liberation Series- Book One

Chapter Five...

Violet enjoyed the peace. Her mind hadn't been crowded with thoughts and voices. She was alone and liked it. But why did she feel so lonely? What had been missing? Then she felt something, someone, calling out to her. Who?

Violet closed her eyes and tried to focus on the voice, it remained faint but the feeling felt familiar, then it came to her.

"Orchid?"

"Finally, I haven't heard from any of you in so long. You scared me shitless," she could hear the panting in her breath.

"Why are you breathing so hard?" she asked.

"I don't know since you've been gone I've started to feel weak, disoriented and tired. I can't find Allyssa or Amaryllis, its like they've vanished."

"That doesn't make any sense, where could they have gone?" Orchid didn't reply. Violet called out to her but there was no answer, it was pointless to move about in the pure darkness. Her head started pounding, an overwhelming ache made her screams travel in the darkness as the pain radiated through her entire body, something had been ripped out of her mind. She passed out next to the tiger's large body.

The entire castle had been filled with whispers of his arrival. The blood stained rivalry between his family and the royal family that ended in a truce had been widely known throughout the four lands.

"This is your room young lord," said the maid. Daunte scanned the room filled with golds and royal blue. It was his first time going somewhere without supervision. He had gained his uncle's trust enough to do this on his own.

"Thank you, do you also come with the lovely room?" He said with a smile, the maid blushed. Daunte was rarely let out of his miserable home so he made it his business to explore his own desires fully.

"Someone will come to fetch you later to take you to the main hall so please rest till then," he lightly pouted making the innocent girl despise herself for not accepting his invitation.

"I shall and thank you," he replied.

"Wait one more thing," he said just before the maid stepped out, "Am I allowed to walk around the castle such a vast place, I can't help but have it tickle my curiosity."

"O- of course, the King encourages you to treat this place as another home, but I would advise you to stay away from the west wing."

"I won't ask why but I shall take heed." The maid left and Daunte scanned his room with hidden envy.

"Not bad, it's better than that cage in the forest they kept me in my whole life," he sighed. Daunte had only been allowed to leave his small cottage in the woods on the outskirts of the village when his uncle gave him orders and he'd comply without much force. He had no sense of living after he'd been taken away from his grandmother. The blood of the Red Hunters and a Dark Nymph flowed through his veins making him the product of a lost species and vile evil beings many despised because the their actions. He despised the blood that cost him who he cared for and who he wanted to be.

His uncle didn't break his spirit but his sense of willpower had diminished. He'd been tortured and trained for years to become his uncle's puppet in order to still have control of the tribe. He'd wandered around the room aimlessly. Admiring the details in the pottery and the bouquet of yellow roses on the table next to the window. he chuckled as he recalled the meaning of yellow roses; jealousy or a sign of friendship, joy and caring. None of which he knew about. His uncle's orders played over in his head.

'You are going to help that girl. Once you marry her all that white snake's belongings will be yours. Afterwards you can get rid of her, I will handle the destruction of the royal bastards' credibility.'