Where Is The Justice?:ZeldrisxReader

Chapter: 16

Kora and I rushed down the massive black, gold, and marble hallways until we reached the royal families quarters. I slowed as we passed by my quarters and noticed a small white rose placed on a golden tray on the floor in front of my room. I smiled at the notion before I remembered who left it there.

It was Zeldris. On the numerous occasions I brought him to Satulumia, we would always visit the royal gardens. 3,000 years ago, on what turned out to be our last visit together, Zel picked me a white rose and left it outside my room. I used a preserving spell on the rose and could never find the will to move it, so there it'd always lay.

Despite our rush, I just had to stop in my tracks. I again for the first time in years picked up the rose and held it close to my chest. I swore it still smelled a bit like him too.

Kora turned her head and looked at me with both confusion and concern. "I won't ask why you still keep that rose your highness. However, if this is as urgent of a matter as you suggest. I think we ought to keep moving." She spat at me with a tone I hadn't heard from her in a while.

"You're right..." I murmured through my breath. We turned away from my quarters and kept rushing down the hallway. I had to tuck away my feelings of Zel or else we wouldn't make it in time. Although, doing this would be the very thing that would make sure I'd never see him again.

. . .

When we reached my mother's chambers I felt a sense of nostalgia that I hadn't felt before. I could suddenly remember times when I'd come running to my mother's room calling for her and become engulfed in her warm gentle presence. She was always so kind, just as my father was. To be honest, when Zel used to tell me stories of his father's cruelty, I nearly couldn't believe it. How could a parent do anything that would harm their own child?

Kora took out a large key from her pocket and placed it gently inside the knob on the door. As soon as it turned, it made a unique clicking noise that almost made me shiver. We pushed open the giant door and there it was. My mother's chambers, untouched since the last time she had been here. Her gowns were still hung up in an open mahogany wardrobe to the left and her vanity stood collecting dust to the right.

I was in shock. For a few good minutes all I did was stand there and relive the flood of memories in my mind. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and the sadness enter my soul. Nothing could hide the truth that without my mother, my father, and my sister, a part of my heart will always remain empty. I stared so long into space I nearly forgot my original intentions. That's when I looked up to the antique clock and realized an entire hour had passed since my arrival.

I quickly snapped out of it and walked towards the vanity. There were six identical drawers, three on each side. I combed through every single one of them until I reached the bottom right. This one was locked.

"Kora. Do we have a key for the drawer?" I asked her with worry.

"I don't think there was a drawer key ever placed aside when we received everything from the family locksmith. But let me check." She replied.

Now I was concerned. I knew the key to the stone just had to be in this drawer. But without the key, there was no getting into the drawer. After all, my mother spelled it shut so I couldn't just break it.

I began to get frantic and check other places where my mother could've hidden this key. The night stand, the desk, behind the bed, deep within the wardrobe. But I came up empty handed every time.

"(Y/n), I have some bad news." Kora began. "There's no record of a drawer key ever being recovered. But there is evidence that your mother was buried with a key of some sort. Would you like us to open her-"

"No." I interrupted. "We've already taken too much time and anyways, I will never open up their tombs willingly." I finished in a very upsetting tone. That was the moment that I knew that my entire trip here had been in vain. I sighed before slowly walking to the door. Then I again checked the time. It was thirty minutes past the hour. I'd still have time to make it back. However, I'm sure I'd have a lot of explaining to do as to why I couldn't be there during the fighting.

"I suppose you have to leave now?" Kora asked me nonchalantly and I just nodded. "I swear you only ever come back to Satulumia when you need something." She spat.

"Kora it's not like that and I really have to go-" I started.

"No it is like that. For years you've neglected your country. Do you have any idea how hard it is governing without a leader (y/n)?" She continued to question. I could hear the pain in her voice and I knew it hadn't been easy. I could only imagine what she had been through.

"Kora please, I have to go. But I promise I'll be back soon. Alright?" I said to her calmly but sternly. She began to relax and I could feel the tension in the room go down just a tiny bit. I knew this wouldn't fix the years that I'd been away, but it was a start.

Kora nodded her head and we both ran out of my mother's chambers, down the many hallways and corridors, and then all the way back to the portal.

When we found ourselves back in front of the portal that I had entered in just hours prior, I smiled at Kora and waved goodbye.

"Just like I promised. I'll be back soon." I reassured her.

"I know (y/n). I hope you know I'm holding you to it." She responded with a smirk on her face. I nodded my head and jumped into the portal.