The Beloved One!

Chapter 34

In the deep of night, only the soft even breaths of a child could have been heard within Ashnah's bedroom chamber.

Sitting on the plush canopy bed, Maria leaned in closer and her golden blonde strands fell in front of own her face. She gently stroked Ashnah's hair, feeling the softness of it.

She was pondering about Ashnah. Why was she the way she was? Thinking about it clearly, she was a ghost, who had told her that she had known her grandmother. Why did she believe in her?

Was it because she was still a child? Maria shook her head. It couldn't be that. If she possessed the mentality of a child, why hadn't Ashnah been afraid of her? Or better yet, why had she calmly answered that she was Alice's granddaughter then had went onto question about her grandmother's and Charles' death? Why had she believed in her then as well?

After chatting with her through most of the night, the first time they had met, Maria had decided to visit Ashnah on the nights to talk with her. She had talked with her on topics about Alice, that Alice had given permission to, about Anzor, other members of the Morley Family along with other things such as sweets, magical beasts, clothing or anything that had just came to their mind.

And through that, Maria had found herself beginning to like Ashnah, becoming even more closer with her than she had with Alice when the two of the had first met years ago. The ghost wondered why that had been so. Did it had something to due with her forgotten memories from when she had been alive? She shook her head at the idea of her memories. But anyway, she had decided to ask Ashnah the next night.

Then seeing Ashnah get even more comfortable in her sleep, Maria gently smiled then questioned in a whisper. "What are you dreaming about?"

Long loose curly silver strands blew gently in the spring's night breeze along with petals of small white lilies. The back of a woman in an elegant yet simple white gown stood, staring seemingly at nothing.

"Alice." A voice called out to the woman. Just as he thought, she was in this lily field .

Even after hearing the familiar voice, the silver haired woman's gaze did not move.

Walking up to and now standing beside to her, the man helplessly sighed. "Another ghost?"

The woman's head turned to him and a smile blossomed on her face. "Hmmm. That, I too myself wonder."

"Your report, I didn't receive one."

"...Then I guess I....forgot?" Alice said in a questioningly tone, tilting her head to the side.

"Why does it sound like you're asking me that, as if you don't know the answer to your own question?" He quizzed.

"I probably ...... am?" She took several steps forward.

His body moved by itself, quickly taking a hold of her hand because he felt like she would disappear. Once he realized what he had done, the blond haired man released her.

At these actions, Alice slowly turned around, removing a single white lily petal from his clothes. "...The one in the hue of this petal dressed as a man of the cloth will be the ....one."

White? Man of the cloth? Someone pretending to be from the church would be the one to try to assassinate him. He covered his mouth in thought of this information.

"... Why are you still here?" Asked Alice.

The Duke's little sister struck a slight nerve in him. He pondered which one was the superior and the subordinate between them.

"Then I will be on my way. Return home safely." Once he was gone, the ghost of Maria appeared with her cheeks puffed out.

Alice giggled at the expression of her friend. "What's the matter Mari?"

"For some reason I don't like him!!! Why do you have to be one of his secret agents?!!"

Alice gazed up at the moon as she spoke. "Because when the crown is passed down onto him, the kingdom will flourish even more in his hands." She added. "..... It did, didn't it....Ashnah?"

Once the girl had heard her grandmother said her name, Ashnah's eyes fluttered open from her sleep. Sitting up, she thought, '....this is the second time of me having a dream like this....' A dream that looked like the past of her grandmother's. The first time had been when she had visited Adnah's Cemetery, after she had been sent to the land of dreams when Maria had left.

With this, Ashnah wondered exactly what were all her grandmother's magical abilities. And it seemed like before she had even been a lady-in-waiting for the previous Queen, she had been a secret agent of the previous King. She had never heard of her grandmother being a secret agent of the previous King.

"What a surprise, Ash. You're up." Ellen stated. "Did you get up early today, because you're going to visit your Papa Al?"

••••

Meanwhile within another location of Emphraim Kingdom, bone chilling screams resonated throughout the dense forestry.

Falling onto his rear from trying to escape, the man backed away as he felt his crotch area becoming wet.

Golden eyes glinted.

Seeing those predatory eyes, he fervently shook his head. "NO!!! NOO!!! NO-"

Harshly grabbing him by the jaw, a cold voice said. "-Shut up. You're noisy."

Through his tear filled eyes, his saw the expressionless face of a fragile looking beauty who's green hair fell into waves. Even now, it still looked like she couldn't hurt a fly. But if the dead could talk, his fallen comrades would had said otherwise.

He tried to beg for his life. "Ple-"

But before he say anything blood spewed out of his mouth as a thick branch grew out it. Slowly his body started to transform. Even with his desperate shouts and cries he turned into a tree.

Flipping her notepad open, Iduna saw that he had been the last on her list. Finally she could go home. Just when she had been so excited about teaching her cousin's daughter, Ashnah, that when she had received an assignment right after Anzor had agreed, she was had been more than vexed. Plus, in this time, she couldn't spend time with Ben.

She wanted to quit this job! It had no benefits to her whatsoever!!!