Cedric wandered by the tremendous walls of the Mountnero house in a frantic search for a clue on Lulu's whereabouts. A hand touched his stiff shoulder, and the prince glanced back to see his aide, Wolff, stop and sniff around. The wolf's ears of his friend moved rapidly, capturing every sound, but while Cedric hoped it would lead to Lucreatia's, the strong nails carving his coat meant someone else.
"Your highness." the voice held deep scorn underneath the sing-along tone. "Happy to see you here."
The prince turned to the voice and looked at the tall and prim high priestess. Her hair flowed like golden cascades and her vivid blue eyes pierced through his. A moment passed before he did a curtsey nod, noting she had done none, herself more preoccupied with watching Wolff walking closer to him. Though held as a bringer of light, she carried herself out with coldness and dryness instead of the warmness promised by the sun's faith. To them, Lady Belladona was nothing more than an enemy disguised as a benevolent saint.
She stepped forward and her energy made the prince's neck shiver. He had to force himself to avoid stepping back as a response to her power.
"High Priestess." he acknowledged, never losing sight of her domineering frame. Inspecting her stern features that graced him with a tight smile, he saw the uncanny resemblance she had to the Duke, her younger brother. And if he was known as the snake of the Empire, she, on the other hand, was known as the shadow of the Sun.
"You seem disoriented, your highness. Has your dog lost his way?" polite and still facing him, the high priestess tore a glance to the side. Both her voice and her eyes bore a horrid distaste, which made Cedric's blood boil.
"Wolff is my royal aide and he deserves the respect that position entitles, even from you, High Priestess." he moved forward, a straight hand covering his friend.
A haughty smile appeared on Belladona's lips, while she touched her long blonde air, her white sleeves moving with the movement. She made little effort to hide her genuine feelings towards them.
"Indeed. I apologize your highness." her aura grew more powerful as the light shone upon the room, causing a nauseating feeling on the prince. A feeling he hid from her, as he growled.
"We are in search of Lady Lucreatia, your excellency." intervened Woff, cool and collected. He moved away from Cedric's protection and took for himself the indomitable aura of the high priestess.
The air around them got tight and the High Priestess smile disappeared along with her lacklustre pretences. Now she was an angry lady, whose hands pressed firmly her everflowing blank tunic.
"Oh... you were?" she focused on Cedric. Her body was a little closer by then. "For what purpose? More trouble?"
"Trouble?" his voice echoed the large corridor, incredulous with such accusation.
Belladona crossed her arms and peered below her chin. "Oh yes, your highness. Maybe you can tell me who has taught my niece alchemy? The dark arts? Who used her to cause a gigantic ruckus in the palace?" Their quiet faces became a triumph to her, and the air cleared with her radiant smile. "Of course I would know of your plans. I am not an idiot and neither is my brother, for that matter... We just pretend to go along, due to your lineage and because children are children. They are bound to do some naughtiness." she then bent her knees, her face close enough for her to whisper to them. "We ought to forgive them unless their behaviours cause too much chaos and pain..." blue against red, heavy breaths from both sides.
"Too much chaos... us? You dare to accuse a royal prince of a mess your people created?!" his voice was low and dangerous, and he felt Wolff preparing himself for a confrontation.
It never came, as Lady Belladona straighten herself, turning her back on them. He noticed her hands shake and herself glow, the nauseating feeling on his stomach getting worse. Then, she rotated her body back, the light gone and a cold smile on. Without care for them, she went and touched a big, floor to ceiling, painting which told the creation story of the Goddess of Light. The darkness, the evilness that surrounded her all bore red eyes, and all wanted to a piece of the blonde, light and perfect woman that came through a giant diamond.
"Let me take care of those... they are my problem." the chill that he felt at the High priestess detached voice, intensified when he saw her touch a pair of red eyes with her finger, wrapped in a golden sun ring, that shone due to its encrusted diamond. "I suggest you take care of yours, your highness." leaving the painting, she walked to them, her words ringing in the prince's head.
"What do you mean?" there was a gulp in his throat, that prevented his voice from sounding confident.
The first response he got was a wooden laugh.
"Flôr di Aniz."
He caught a gasp and let her proceed.
"The crown flower of the Moon Empire." She peered into the painting again, focusing on the shadow above the Sun Goddess. A shadow that surrounded everything, its dark tentacles moving the black beasts that approached the girl. "It was a gift, right? Left behind by the God of Darkness... His only gift besides the dark arts and those beautiful eyes." Belladona turned to him, her features stiff. "Beautiful and deadly. A nasty poisonous flower... And the main ingredient used to poison Lucreatia."
"That is impossible. You lie High Priestess!" accused Cedric, his finger pointing at her.
Lady Belladona grew silent and looked past Cedric, her focus on the aide, then a cold and mocking smile appeared.
"The dog has not told you? Or is he broken?" Those taunting words made the prince hand waiver a little as he gave a side glance to Wolff and noticed his uncomfortable stance. It was true, he had smelled it. Feeling attacked, Cedric defended his honour, even if it was true it didn't explain what Francis had told him.
"Then why didn't your holy water cure her?"
Her eyes enlarged and the fury they transmitted was little compared to the light pressure he felt. About to use his stone, that dangled from his pocket, the pressure stopped just in time to prevent it. Lady Beatrice was now away from them, yet watching.
"Indeed... problem was this poison was not drank but inhaled." that surprised the boys, who continued immobile and attentive to all her movements. "And for sure that is a new development, nothing that my people would know how to do. Not that there are many people at the Sun Empire that know about the flower anyway." at this she turned to the side, looking to a confused butler who came, in rushed steps, to meet them.
"Lady Belladona." the man bowed, he had a new black suit put on, but his head was full of small cuts. "And your highness..." he did his reverence to Cedric as well, and it was then that the prince noticed the man's movements were stiff. "The Duke is wrapping his other commitments, may you care for a tea while you wait for him my ladyship?"
"Of course. Thank you, Albert." There was a genuine smile on Belladona's face and she seemed excited. Cedric wondered the reason, as the rumours said the High Priestess and her brother hardly ever talked to each other. Maybe it was a mistake... or it was the Duke who wished to avoid her. For a moment Cedric actually felt that he understood the Duke a little.
Before she followed the butler, the High Priestess made sure to give one last comment. "Your highness, I fear your stay here has expired in time. This is now a family business and you have yours to attend. I received news that the Moon Emperor is coming and that he is extremely worried about your well being. Please think of your great father, and prepare to meet him at the Sun Palace." She walked to the end of the corridor, her frame almost obscured by the darkness that crept from it. Cedric, however, noticed her head move slightly back, her eyes glancing one last time to him. "May the Sun Goddess illuminate your search."
"May the Moon God help you in your bloody quests." he heard the raucous echo that her laugh made in the corridor, as she was now away from their views.
"You cannot believe in her words, your highness." said Wolff as he turned to prince Cedric.
"Why didn't you tell me, Wolff?" asked Cedric, serious but calm.
The wolf boy became apprehensive under the ruby shine of Cedric's eyes. "I was not sure... my senses are... all over the place... though I do admit I can smell the Aniz in the walls, in the objects, everywhere... but I didn't... I believed it was coming from my head... maybe this is why I..."
"You cannot find her..." finished the royal prince with a heavy sight, his hand on his head. "Something is off."
The prince walked to the painting and checked its gruesome details. It was nothing more than a horrid and untruthful portrait of the Goddess birth in the human realm. Meant to show her as a perfect and pure creature. But he knew as many others did as well, that she was far from it. He sensed Wolff reaching for him, yet he continued to watch the Goddess, whose eyes remained closed to the overwhelming darkness that approached her.
"Yes... Lady Belladona is lying. Her Holy Water should have protected Lady Lucreatia and stopped the effects of the Flôr di Aniz. It's the only antidote it has, besides a strong blessing." his friend was by his side, staring as well at the painting that loomed over them, as a warning. A warning of what the Sun people really thought of them. Monsters trying to eat the light. Their light.
"However, I am not sure she is lying on everything..." this shocked his aide, who glanced at him with his sharp ears straight up. "Wolff, did you know about the inhaling thing?" When his friend looked to the ground, the prince knew he had his answer. "Neither did I. Which meant an effort was put there. But why? Why Lucreatia? True she is the daughter of a Great Duke, yet her power is very diminished because of her bastard status." the air around them grew ominous and stale. Just like the painting, where a dark figure with massive ruby eyes and teeth covered in blood of the innocent watched them. Or, as the sun legend said, in the blood of the Goddess protectors.
As he examined those eyes so similar to his, he felt disgusted, sick and downright uncomfortable. It was, however, the sudden movement of Wolff that brought him away from the painting. His friend's ears worked like never before, his tail wagging like crazy, and soon he went off, to where Lady Belladona had come from.
"Where are you going, Wolff?" he asked, but he got no answer. So he followed his friend, through another pair of bleak walls, listening and looking out for something.
A voice distant yet so clear and loud, made him run past his friend. And at seeing those surprised golden eyes, his only reaction was to give a tight hug.
"Lulu! I found you!"
What? Belladona and Cedric showdown (not exactly but get it XD), oh my!!
I hope you liked this chapter... I did change it a lot during the process, adding some parts about the Sun legend (which will be important later).
What did you think? Who is behind all of this? Do you believe in Belladona's words? Are Cedric's suspicions real??? So many secrets XD