Demian was feeling extremely anxious about how Seraphina was in the dungeons and at the same time, he had to faint. He wanted to use his powers to get her out of it but his consciousness gave out.
When he opened his eyes, his body was drenched in sweat and the scales had grown to his left chin. Half of his body was devoured by it and he didn't feel it. It was numb as if he was stuck with poison. His heart was racing like a horse in a marathon and every beat was painful. From the tip of his hair to the nail of his feet, every single part of his body felt like needles were piercing through it.
He breathed heavily as he tried to sit but his hands weren't moving. He could not see anything as if he was seeing through a glass. Where was he?
Was he dying?
He felt water on both sides of his face, wetting the cloth beneath his head. It was his tears. Was he crying?
He moaned. Pain jolted through his veins as black and blue dots appeared before his eyes.
"Seraphina..." His voice was barely audible but somehow he managed to breathe it out.
The red haired girl appeared in his mind and smiled at him. Her freckles spread on her face like sand dusts. She had occupied every thought of him and all he wanted to see was her.
Just one last time...
"Seraphina..."
He got up with all the power he could muster. He was burnt in pain yet he dragged his feet. As he moved his eyes around the room, he found it was his room.
There was no one in it. Just him and the emptiness of it that he was well accustomed to. But today, he didn't like it. He wanted to be with her. He was scared of the hollowness of his heart and the loneliness of dying.
He wanted to see her.
He didn't know when he reached the door. He tried to twist it open but it seemed he had no strength.
"Seraphina..."
His body was giving out slowly and painfully. He leaned against the hard wood as he could not risk falling down. He was afraid if he fell down on the floor, he would never stand again.
He took his breaths as his mind recalled the times he had spent with Seraphina. The anger of her which he used to enjoy teasing with, the shyness when her face portrayed the same color of her hair. The sadness on her face which made him even more sad and the crying face of her which made him angry at whomever made her cry.
Drops of tears came out of Demian's eyes as it fell on the ground.
Why was he crying?
He thought he had closed his heart long ago. He thought he had forged it with iron. He thought no one could ever break him. But why was he breaking down?
"Seraphina..." He mumbled as each breath he took hurt.
The red haired boisterous girl had managed to melt all the iron from his heart before he could know. She was indeed a great wizard and he loved that wizard.
It was always forbidden for them but fate had bound them together and now he was going to die before cherishing it.
He regretted not telling her that he loved her. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to cherish her and more than that he wanted to live with her.
Seraphina...
Suddenly as if his hands had gotten its strength back, he opened the door. He will see her today.
If he was dying, he wanted to take the last breath she breathed.
When he left the room, he saw, the guards his brother had appointed to watch over him were lying on the floor. No one moved. They were alive as their chests moved but they were lying still.
The castle corridor was empty and he didn't understand what was happening. But a strange smell of sweetness lingered in the air. It was bitter in the mouth yet the scent was terrifyingly addictive.
Demian felt like his body suddenly was floating on the ground and he was losing the balance.
He knew whatever the scent was, it wasn't a good news. It could be a poison but Dragonborns are resistance to the poisons yet why it was affecting him and his men?
As his body collapsed on the ground, he saw a few people were coming in his way. His vision was blurry but he could recognise their robs. They were wizards.
His body stiffened from inhaling the weird air of sweetness as his mind filled with worry. How did the wizards intrude in the castle? Were they after Seraphina?
Or, did they want to capture his brother?
Before closing his eyes, he heard a man saying, "Prince Demian, it seems I have to capture you to lure the Flame Queen out..."
No... It can't be...
And he went deeper into the darkness.
*****
Alonzo's work was done somehow as he had left the last of his work to their general. He was a good man and was very hard working. He could trust his work with him as the gentleman seemed to be good at everything.
Alonzo breathed deeply as the ship entered the port of Dragon Landing and nostalgia hit him. His mustache flattered with wind and he felt like he was away for a decade. He was missing his home.
He had left two days ago after giving the rights to the riot leader. Of course, he had to arrange the riot leader's marriage to Lady Diana, the eldest daughter of the former Lord of Rockdelia, Lord Heartstone.
Although he felt he didn't like her as she had the same tendency as her father, she still was the Lady of Rockdelia. And marrying her with the riot leader would do some good for the people.
After their rushed marriage, it seemed Lady Diana was far too scared of the riot leader but Alonzo didn't see him behaving poorly toward Lady Diana. He was a smart young man with a capable mind. Somehow the riot leader reminded him of the young prince of the Dragons.
Alonzo gave it a thought. Was he missing something?
Why was Lady Diana so scared? Maybe she was perplexed because of all the things happening with her suddenly.
As his ears heard some commotion in the dock, his thoughts vanished and he looked down at the people. There were hundreds of men from Dragon's Guard. Had Master Valentine send them for his safety?
Well, if it was for him, Master Valentine had overdid it. Alonzo's mustache shook with shyness. The old advisor was considerate sometimes.
Alonzo's eyes moved toward the end of the port and he saw a wooden carriage. Master Valentine seemed to send him a carriage and he rushed toward it. He had to leave Rockdelia because he knew the big day was coming and he had to be present at the castle.
As he moved around, he saw the port was busy rather than its usual crowd. The men of the Dragon s Guards were everywhere and they seemed eagerly finding and running some investigation. He saw most of them working in groups and asking questions and answering to the people who were about to sail off to ships. Some were even entering into the fishermen's spot.
Alonzo with his usual flapping mustache wondered what was happening.
He approached his carriage and asked the chauffeur, "Has something happened?" He pointed at the soldiers and added, "They seemed in a tense atmosphere..."
"Pardon me, Lord Alonzo, but Master Valentine has asked me to take you immediately to the castle and I have no clue what is happening." He answered as Alonzo nodded.
The carriage arrived at the castle and he went out of it. As he entered he felt something was off. He didn't know what but it was definitely not good news as here seemed to be the same case as well. The crowd of soldiers who were either departing or approaching.
He asked one of the guards, "Erm... What happened here?"
"Well, Prince Billard had put the human princess into the dungeons." He answered.
Alonzo thought he must have heard it wrong, "What?"
"Prince Billard had put the human princess in the dungeons."
"What!"
"Err... Prince Billard had put the-"
"I've heard it!" Alonzo was stunned as he heard the news. Why did the crown Prince put Seraphina into the dungeon?
He asked again, "But why?"
"Because she isn't the real princess." Alonzo's mustache seemed to freeze along with him as the guard added, "She is a wizard who was living here in the place of the princess."
"What!" Alonzo exclaimed.
"Erm... Because she isn't the real princess -"
"I've heard it!" He growled as he looked at the castle. He was still in denial. Seraphina was a wizard? It seemed as if a rock had hit him hard and for a moment, he could not hear a thing.
He had to talk to Master Valentine and his legs took speed as his old heart thumped in his ears.
The whole castle was in chaos. Some of the soldiers were lying on the ground and some of them seemed to be waking up from a deep sleep and the others were trying to wake the sleeping beauties up with water and slaps.
Honestly, what was happening here when he was away?
As he was crossing a passageway, he saw Master Valentine was giving orders to a few soldiers. Without waiting a moment, he rushed toward him.
"...sure to check every little thing in the city. I am certain they are in Rockmond." Master Valentine's voice was rough as the soldier nodded and departed immediately after taking his orders.
As the old advisor turned around, Alonzo asked in a breathy voice, "Valentine, what is this commotion?"
Master Valentine seemed to be startled but he composed himself as he said, "Alonzo, I am so glad that you have arrived safely."
"Forget about me. What is this I hear? Seraphina is in a dungeon?" He asked as he felt short of breath.
Valentine didn't say anything for a couple of seconds then he nodded as he pursed his lips, "Yes, Seraphina is a wizard."
"Wizard?"
"Yes, the infamous Flame Queen of the fire nation."
Alonzo could not believe in his ears as he asked, "What about Demian? Is he coping well with it?"
Valentine's face painted with pain and anger as he looked Alonzo in the eyes. It seemed the old advisor's wrinkles had increased in numbers in just a few weeks.
"Is-is Demian angry?" Alonzo asked, forgetting to put the tag 'Prince' as he was afraid the young Prince would be ferocious after knowing it.
However, what Valentine said made the ground beneath Alonzo's feet disappear, "Prince Demian had been abducted last night."
"What!"
Valentine nodded as he started to walk and Alonzo followed him from behind. "What do you mean he was abducted? The castle is guarded with Dragon armies."
"Yes, but it seems they had found a weakness of Dragons."
"What is that?"
"A poisonous flower named Arhoura Grandelious." Valentine informed.
"But poisons don't work on us."
"The flower isn't poisonous at all but for Dragonborns, it has some reaction to us. It numbs the body just by inhaling its scent."
Alonzo had never heard of such flowers and he was curious why Valentine knew about it. "How do you know about it?"
"Because," Valentine stopped and turned toward Alonzo as he said, "I was the one who discovered it in the mountains of the Alburg."
Alburg was in the middle of the vast Dragon Forest and it was almost impossible to reach there as the routes were blocked by large trees and its twisted roots. Even the birds didn't go there.
Even though someone went they would forget the route and end up dying.
Alonzo looked at Valentine with a series of questions forming in his mind as he thought he didn't know a thing about the person before him even when they were working for decades.
"Have you told anyone about the flowers?" Alonzo diverted his queries to the present situation as he could always ask him later but now, they needed to know who dared to capture their young Prince.
Valentine shook his head, "I have never told anyone as it would spread the words about our weakness and soon everyone would use the flower against us."
Alonzo nodded as he seemed to be well aware of that. "Then someone has found it as well."
"Or maybe not." Valentine said, making Alonzo raise a brow. "I may have said just one person."
"Who was that?"
"The informer, Franq Almar." Valentine growled, "That damn informer! I will kill him."