ROYAL PALACE, FRANCE
The chamber was long, dark and looked as if built hundreds of years ago. Guards were stationed not far than 10 metres from each other dressed in blue coats, red piped white cuffs, white piped red labels with blue piped red cuff flaps, red epaulettes and brass buttons. Their arms were stationed heavily and their eyes focused on the huge beast-like man tied with ropes under the dim fading lamp. Rapid footsteps echoed in the chamber , King Phillip with his guards were nearing towards the man- Lord Harrington. His broad shoulders stretched the limits of his tattered shirt. Thick, unkempt hair cascaded down his back, framing a weathered face with a strong jawline and piercing, determined eyes. Despite his current predicament, there was an air of defiance and nobleness that emanated from him. The air thickened as King Phillip sat on his royal chair opposite to lord harrington.
"Why are you being a menace, Harrington?" he continued. "what will you get by being silent? I myself had to come to you for answers."
Harrington remained silent, his gaze fixed on the pale table. Harrington's silence seemed to unnerve King Phillip, who leaned forward, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and frustration. "You were once a trusted advisor, Harrington. What changed? What could possibly drive a man of your stature to such an act of betrayal?"
As the tension hung thick in the chamber, Lord Harrington finally lifted his gaze to meet the king's eyes. His expression was stoic, revealing little of the turmoil within.
"What changed, Your Majesty?" Harrington's voice was low and measured, carrying the weight of years of loyalty and disillusionment. "What changed is that I finally saw the truth behind the facade of this kingdom. I saw the injustices, the corruption, and the lies that you perpetuate to maintain your grip on power."
King Phillip's brows furrowed in disbelief, his grip tightening on the armrests of his throne. "You dare accuse me of corruption? Of lies?"
Harrington's gaze didn't waver. "I dare, Your Majesty, because it's the truth. You promised prosperity and justice for all, but what have you delivered? Fear, oppression, and a kingdom on the brink of collapse. You've said to everyone that you'll bring the princess back for the wellbeing of the country! But the truth is that you want her just because of the curse. Once she uncovers the greatest secret of the Callopes, you will kill her! "
The King's face hardened. "You have overstepped your boundaries, Harrington. I will not stand by your accusations. Why would i kill the only heir of our great lineage?"
Lord Harrington's voice remained steady, his eyes locked on the king's. "You know exactly why you would kill her, Your Majesty. You don't consider her a real callope, and after you're done knowing the secret, you will kill her and take over the throne completely." A flicker of uncertainty passed over King Phillip's face before he masked it with anger. "Enough of your nonsense, Harrington. Tell me who you contacted, where the princess is hiding, and perhaps I will spare you from a more severe punishment."
But Harrington remained defiant. "I have no allegiance to you anymore, Your Majesty. And as for the princess's whereabouts, even if I knew, I would never betray her to you. She represents hope for our kingdom, a chance to break free from your tyranny." Enraged by Harrington's defiance, King Phillip roared, "Take him away! Send him to the darkest dungeon, and let him rot there until he sees the error of his ways." The king's guards quickly dragged Harrington away, leaving the king standing alone, fuming and furious. He knew that he would never get to know about the princess from Harrington. He had no alive family left or any other close relative with whom he could threaten him. As he reached his room after confronting Harrington, there was a thud on his room's door.
"Enter!" he commanded his voice still raging from being unsuccessful at getting the truth from Harrington. When one of the guards entered, he bowed and said in a serious tone, "Votre Majesté, un homme est venu sur place et a demandé un rendez-vous avec vous."
(Your Majesty, a man has come to the premises and requested a meeting with you.)
" Qui est-il?" (Who is he?)
" Il a caché son identité et dit qu'il a été engagé par Alban Verany pour avoir kidnappé la princesse alors qu'elle était en Écosse, et il sait tout ce dont vous avez besoin. "
(He has hidden his identity and says he was contracted by Alban Verany for kidnapping the princess while she was in Scotland, and he knows everything you need.)
The king's heart raced as he considered the information presented to him. A mix of curiosity and desperation filled his mind, as he realized that this mysterious man might hold the key to discovering the princess's whereabouts and securing his power.
"Bring this man to me immediately in the courtroom, after running a security check " King Phillip commanded, his voice echoing with a newfound urgency. "I need to speak with him at once and extract every piece of information he possesses about the princess. Waste no time." The guard bowed and left the room, swiftly carrying out the king's orders.
"Personne ne peut m'empêcher de te trouver, Jane!"
(No one can stop me from finding you, Jane!)
His words lingered in the air.
~~❤️~~
VATICAN
GRACE'S P.O.V
We kept our flashlights in a way that illuminated the inbuilt cave. Our eyes took in the magnificent beauty of the statue. The sketch nowhere matched the real beauty of the massive sculpture of Demeter, the Greek goddess of fertility. She held a stalk of wheat. Her eyes depicted peace. The sculpture looked as if it had emerged organically from the very walls of the cave, seamlessly blending with the rugged, ancient stone formations that surrounded it. Moss and lichen adorned the crevices, giving the sculpture an ethereal quality. Rays of sunlight filtered in through narrow cracks, casting a soft, golden glow on Demeter's serene face, making her eyes seem to shimmer with tranquil wisdom. She seemed to be watching the world with a benevolent gaze, her expression conveying a timeless message of unconditional love. She was a reminder of the power of nature and the strength of the human spirit.
As we stood in awe before the statue of Demeter, the ambient glow from our flashlights seemed to dance with the natural light filtering into the cave, casting intricate patterns of shadow and illumination across the rugged floor. The stalagmites, resembling towering pillars of earth, framed the goddess in a silent homage, their presence adding an aura of reverence to the sacred space.
James stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the statue, a sense of determination evident in his gaze. "This is it," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the sanctity of the moment. "This is where it begins." He pulled his hand for me and I grabbed it and stood beside him. Anticipation hung thick in the air like a tangible veil. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. With a steady hand, he reached out towards the statue, his fingers brushing against the cool, moss-covered stone. His fingers hovered over an engraved series of symbols.
"The chant," he said, his voice resonating with authority. "We must recite the chant, Grace." He slid his phone out of his pocket and opened the notes where he had cracked the code. And so, in unison, we began following the symbols with our intertwined fingers and reciting the words on the phone's screen.
"In whispers ancient, secrets bound,
Element awaken, destiny found."
The words rolled off our tongues like a sacred hymn, echoing through the cavernous chamber with a haunting melody. Each syllable seemed to reverberate against the ancient walls, filling the space with an energy that cracked with anticipation. But as the final echoes faded into silence, nothing happened. The air remained still, the statue unchanged.
As we looked at each other, fear dawned over both. " Are you sure about the chant?"
He nodded, refusing to relent. "Again," he commanded, his voice unwavering. "We will try again."
"Okay, yes we'll do it!" And so we did. Over and over, we repeated the chant, our fingers continuing to trace the symbols. Minutes stretched into hours as we persevered. We glanced at each other without breaking the rhythm and giving each other reassuring looks. Then, just when we were on the verge of despair, our fingers hurting and bruised by the rough engraving, something changed. A faint, green glow began to emanate from the base of the statue, its light growing steadily brighter with each repetition of the chant. A collective gasp escaped our lips as we watched in awe. The realization dawned upon us.
He reached out to see what was glowing beneath the statue, a hidden stone slab shifted from within which the light was emanating and then there it was, the stone. The green Earth stone we had been searching for, the embodiment of the earth element we needed to complete our quest, lay before us, bathed in an ethereal glow. We smiled , my tears started flowing down my eyes and James hugged me tightly " we did it! we found the first stone Grace." I nodded , not pulling away from his chest " yes.. "
He pulled back so to kiss me and again hold me in his arms " we will find the others too, and free you from the curse.. yeahh! we will together fight for our love and we will win!"
God, I already love this man so much and he makes me fall more every single moment, calming the chaos within me, understanding everything without me even telling him about the fears trailing in every part of my body, unnerving every cell. " we will... I so goddamn love you James Ernold!" he chuckled " I love you too Jane Basil" filling his voice with amusement on the last two words. I laughed and shoved his arm, "don't call me that". He grined, relaxing his arms around my waist. " what about I change it to Grace ERNOLD?" oh Jesus, this man never stops making me blush, my tears dried up, and the cave reverberated with my laughter.
" hey don't laugh, you are gonna be my wife one day, I am serious about the full name of the mother of my child." He said making a cute face. MF knows I can't resist that face ahh!! He doesn't know how much I have already dreamt of our--
Stop dreaming, Grace. You're cursed! This is just the beginning of something that will end up in a disaster and ruin his life.
James smiled seeing me blush at his words and I basked in the warmth of his lips over mine and shut that voice inside me. We will make it! We will fight for love! We will remove the curse and start a new life, one with me and him and all our love.
We stood up with our first win: The Earth stone. He put the stone safely in my backpack and we made our way out of the cave, hand in hand, determined to soon find the other four stones too and break free from my curse.. our curse.
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