Something was not adding up.
Alder was convinced that the backstabbing person was from his own warriors as he believed that Lucius did reason out well.
It was naught to hide but Alder was indeed suspicious of Lucius. Although Lucius had been doing the tasks that entitled with his position as a Lord; although he found everything just fit with him, Alder was still suspicious of Lucius's passive routine.
"Are we certain that he has been occupied with his duties?" Alder asked as he rubbed his stubble wrinkly chin in thoughts.
He saw the Lord of walking dead nod his head in positive and shook his head in a turmoil going on in his head.
"He was occupied with few land tribulations that the Windcliff town was facing. He had also ordered his butler, Devon, to look into the issues of Lycanthropes as per the complaints given by few human villagers. Other than that, he was not mingled in any other work, Milord."
Alder heard attentively as he mulled over the dark shadows of suspicion he was getting from Lucius.
If Lucius really knew something secretive about him and was truly against him, then he shall be acting on his way to stop the ritual that would be taking place that night.
He is just hours away from practicing the ritual and become the ultimate power the land and skies has seen; yet, he somehow felt the need of taking a step back and see the whole depiction once again.
"Our warriors are being attacked and slaughtered, that implies someone powerful, someone we know, is behind it. I highly suspect Lucius but if it is not him, then who might it be who knows every measure we take?" Alder posed.
"Like Lucius said, we might have a backstabber from our warriors but the person who is in shadows and leading them must be somebody who is quite close to us." Alder continued as he proposed his qualms.
It must be Lucius. It must be him.
"Nevertheless he made no suspicious move in the past two days, Milord. I and my men had close eye on him." The pale looking Lord of walking dead replied sharing the same suspicion that Alder has.
Alder stood up all of a sudden and gaped into space as something caught his attention.
"Keep your eye on Lucius while I go and confirm something for myself." Alder rushed out in powerful strides closing the distance between him and his prey.
Why haven't he thought of it before?
It could her as well. It could be.
He didn't know of the purpose but it could be her.
Alder walked through the swirling staircase of the east wing and strode through the hallways of the west wing of the manor. As he closed in to a specific chamber, he could hear the light whispers of spells that the wind carried to him.
He stopped by the door for few moments contemplating on how he shall be approaching the issue while not giving her the benefit of suspicion.
With this woman, with this specific woman, he has to be very cautious. With not having little to no magic around his fingers and having lost most of his mighty warriors, this woman can wring him out like that of a mere fly.
Without knocking the door, he squeaked open the door as silently as he could. Walking inside, he noticed that the bedchamber was gushed with the morning sunlight. The curtains were crumbled to the either side of the window panes allowing the light to pass though.
The door to the balcony was open and a dozen of incense sticks were lit along the space. Next to incense stick is a pure white rose collecting the ash of the incense turning itself into grey.
His eyebrow furrowed as he was seeing the kind of practice he had never seen. He had never seen someone collect a pure white flower to collect the ash of burning incense stick. He absolutely had no thought of the purpose behind such a practice.
As he turned his head towards the center of the chamber, he saw the person of his attention sitting in the middle of two dragons pattern drawn on the floor. There were a candle each placed at the head of the dragons.
Her lips relentlessly whispered the spells as her eyes closed tightly. Alder stood by the corner silently as he watched the young witch practicing the witchcraft.
He just wanted to see what she was attempting to do and what her purpose was to be doing the rite.
He saw the very legendary young witch speak a language unknown to him as she uttered one spell after the other unyieldingly.
The yellow red fire of the candles turned to blue flames; sooner the blue flames consumed the pattern of the two dragons in a rounded shape around the young witch as though bringing the dragon to life.
The blue flames dragon patterns rose from the ground and circled around Madonna. Just as the incense sticks were burned fully, the ash from them had turned the white roses into grey. The dragon flames had pulled the grey roses into them.
As the flowers were completely consumed by the blue flames of the dragons, the flames grew stronger and formed into one huge ball of eye blinding energy that Alder had ever seen.
If it was not the morning hours of the day and if there was no sun out there, then the huge ball of energy that formed could be easily mistaken for a sun.
The energy was strong to that extent.
The ball of energy soon entered into Madonna, filling each of her inches with the blinding light. It took long moments of wait until she stopped the whispers of spells and the energy light slowly dimmed into her.
"I was not expecting you here in the early hours of the day, Milord." Madonna spoke as she slowly opened her eyes.
Alder was jerked back from him trance that was caused by the enormity of the magic the young witch could hold in.
He was somewhat envious of the young woman who was well capable of holding such energy in a fine manner.
"If I may, do tell me about the magic you performed. It's my very first time to see something like you did." Alder started off without expressing his suspicion on her right away.
He could as well take the safe path and see through her in a twisted manner.
"Ah, it is for several purposes, Milord. The two dragons signify speed and strength, mostly at the time of teleportation." Madonna answered briefly as she walked to the table where the maidservant had placed tea for her.
Madonna filled two cups with hot steaming tea and offered one to Alder as she sat in a chair near the table. Alder took another chair and took a sip of the tea offered.
"I am a warlock but had never performed something you did before." Alder stated missing the small smirk that got on Madonna's face.
She immediately swallowed the smirk and gave Alder a polite smile. "It is usually practiced by witches and warlocks who has the ability to teleport from one place to another, Milord. I am still new to teleportation and loose pretty much energy while doing so. So, this practice shall sustain energy even after appearing through time and places several times."
Alder nodded at Madonna's explanation as he thought it would be the right time to be inquisitive to her. He has to make to nonchalant and cautious so to keep her from suspecting him.
"Aye, I haven't had enough time to speak to you, dear. I apologize for being an awful elder and not give you the welcome you deserved." Alder said making Madonna smile back politely.
"You haven't told me of your kin, dear. What family you come from." He inquired gazing at Madonna intently.
He noticed no anxiety or hurry in her facial features as she proceeded to answer him as casually and simply as she should. "I was said to be a part of royals and was raised by few of the council members of royals as I was said my kin were no more alive." Madonna half lied as she knew it would lay him off if she just clarified his qualms with enough truth.
"You naught know of your kin?" Alder exclaimed as he nearly knocked the ceramic tea cup on the table.
"The council had made themselves clear that it would be better for me to not know of my kin. They raised me, took care of me and taught me everything I know, so I decided not to put them in a fix by asking them of my background." Now that Alder had heard Madonna, he did hear of a certain kin of extended royals were slaughtered by their own brother for a better rank.
It seemed as though Madonna was the last of her kin and the council had to keep her protected for the reason.
But there was another royal family that he had slaughtered with his own hands. He made certain he spared no offspring of them except for...
Expect for...
Could there be something relating this to Madonna?
After thinking for few moments, Alder, although did not fully trust the young witch, asked for something she never thought she would hear.
"May I ask you of a favor, dear?" Madonna nodded although hesitantly. "I would like you to use your magic and show the visuals of my narration to a young maiden. It was events that took place truly and I would like for you to show the visuals to the young maiden I take you to." Madonna's eyes widened ever so slightly at Alder's words.
He was talking of Fina, wasn't he?
She knew he was talking of Fina who was apparently in his capture.
But what does he wanted to show to her? And why?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hello Sweeties,
Next chapter is here. Enjoy!
What do you think of the chapter? Good?
Why is Alder suddenly suspicious of Madonna?
Why was he even suspicious of Lucius in the first place.
Do you believe what the Lord of walking dead said? After all, isn't he on Lucius's side?
Why did Alder ask Madonna for such a favor?
Is he really taking her to Fina? But why?
To show her what?
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Lady Prim