Silver: The Lost Royal

20 | The Warning in The Garden

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Endoni ~ En-doh-nee
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"WHO'S there?"

"No need to shout, my princess," came a voice before its owner stepped out from behind some trees.

"Dan?!" she asked with wide eyes, and he responded with a polite bow.

She had only seen and talked to him once, but that was enough to burn the memory of his face and voice into her mind.

"How did you get here?"

The question came before a feeling she recognized at once. A swirling feeling that started from her gut crawled up her arms and down her legs, leaving a prickling sensation in its wake. Her legs itched to run, and she knew that was what Her Sense wanted her to do, but his presence confused her.

How had he gotten there? Did he have something to do with the explosion and the crumbling of the fountain?

"I'm here to break you out of this dungeon," he said, and her eyes drifted down to take in his appearance. He wore a black top with black jeans. No cloak. No hood. Just like the person who killed Kara. Just like Luke.

"Don't worry," he started when he noticed her wary glance at his clothes. "It helps for camouflage and the cloudy skies just make the most suitable condition."

At his statement, she glanced up to see the sky had gone from the clear blue it was when she was talking with Zack earlier to a dull gray.

She returned her steely eyes to his and with a firm voice, she said, "You didn't answer my question."

"My princess, I-"

"I am not your princess!"

"Yes, you are. I'm sure that after being here all this while, they wouldn't have hesitated to give you your life history. They might have even told you the history of this town and brainwashed you."

She cast him a look of incredulity and crossed her arms. "Brainwashed me?"

"You know what the word means, and you must have realized that is what they were doing." He tilted his head and rolled his eyes as he added, "Let me guess, they've been saying you're not safe here and you have a kingdom to save or some heroic shit."

She remained quiet.

"Your silence says yes. Did they tell you that the so-called kingdom you're going to save is hunting people with magic? The same magic you have. They're leading you to an even bigger dungeon. Wlerden's rules are strict and have no room for mercy, especially for the Endoni."

She recalled the word as a name for those who still wielded magic in Wlerden after the destruction of The Elder Stonne.

"Even for their princess?"

Her question prompted a dry chuckle from him.

"That's cute that you think they'll pardon you. Ever since your parents made the worst decision of their lives to abandon their throne, the people have resented them. The tales they sing aren't ones of glory and valor but of curses. Your parents left in their place a great tragedy upon Wlerden, one that the people are still reeling from ten years later. How receptive would they be when you come back? Not much, if you ask me."