The royal family remained huddled in their raw grief for God only knows how long until O'Ryan and the other protectors rushed the throne room.
Seeing them filled Sofia's pure and slightly naïve heart with a glimmer of hope. A doctor and a sorcerer might not be able to save her sister, but the protectors were the most powerful beings in the land.
"O'Ryan! O'Ryan please help! My sister Amber, she needs you!" Sofia pleaded desperately.
At that moment a burst of glowing green light came from the amulet on the floor. Miranda rushed to gather James and Sofia in her arms, she wasn't losing any more children.
"Princess Sofia, what exactly happened with Vor?" O'Ryan asked urgently.
Sofia was frustrated that everyone seemed more concerned with Vor then her own sister, but she convinced herself they would help Amber as soon as the issue resolved.
'A-Amber was the one who went ahead of me…trying to protect me…she tried to get the animals, but-but Wormwood alerted Vor and then…" Sofia put her head in her hands and sobbed as she glanced over at her sister's body.
Cedric looked like he wanted to fry Wormwood on the spot, but he figured there had been enough death for today.
O'Ryan appeared to be in deep thought when he suddenly got an idea.
"There is no greater act of love or sacrifice then to lay down one's life for those she loves…it's an act strong enough to drive out the darkest evil," he said as he picked up Sofia's amulet and tenderly placed it around the cold neck of Princess Amber.
When he did a great beam of white light came down and engulfed Amber in it. Her body lifted a few feet off the ground. Roland tried to catch her for fear that she would physically float away.
A few moments later she descended and from out of the amulet Prisma appeared.
"YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! SHE KILLED MY SISTER!" Sofia shouted hysterically as she tried to rush the harmless woman.
Hearing Sofia's words Roland drew his sword, fully prepared to avenge his baby girl, when the protectors formed a barrier.
"We will return her to the Mystic Isles, where she will be severely punished," O'Ryan assured.
"PUNISHED?" Roland and Miranda shouted. How dare these perfect strangers come in and punish the person who took their daughter away from them?
Punishment is not getting dessert for roughhousing in the castle, or losing riding privileges for getting caught eating in bed. Prisma deserved an eternity of suffering…after all eternal suffering had befallen the royal family.
"I-I never meant for this to happen," Prisma tried to explain as she glanced at the body of the dead child.
Sofia had always prided herself on being a pacivist, but she had never wanted someone dead as much as she wanted Prisma dead. She had been taught the importance of mercy at Royal Prep, but that was always used in the context of one kingdom hurting the feelings of another kingdom, this hurt was far deeper.
It did give her an idea that might help bring her some closure.
"You can take her, but there's something else I need you to bring with her," she said as she ran off.
She returned with a piece of paper. On the paper was a portrait that had been taken of the three royal children during a summer picnic. James had watermelon on his face and Sofia was making a silly face which had eroded Amber's typically professional demeanor to a girl who was laughing belly-laughs.
"I want this in the most prominent place in her cell, so that every day she has to wake up and see my sister…the beautiful princess and future queen of Enchancia…that she took from us."
The protectors could only give her a curt nod as two of them led her away.
Sofia looked up at O'Ryan with a pleading pair of eyes, "isn't there anything you can do for my sister?"
O'Ryan was considered the wisest and bravest of the protectors, but looking into those innocent eyes of a child destined for too much greatness at too young of an age for her own good, he knew he couldn't lie to her.
"No Princess Sofia…Amber's gone…for good."