Dear readers,
this is the third chapter of the story.
I just hope you like the direction this story is going until now.
As usual, please R&R, I always love your feedback.
ps; Mara, thank you for your review. Yes indeed the seer died, but I added this character assuming that it exists many other seers, not only one. Rumple killed one, but there are still few others like her. :)
Aurora woke up slowly, as she felt her child kicking inside her. She pressed her hands softly against her belly and felt another kick. She smiled. She had slept wonderfully and wondered if Mulan had slept well too, wherever she was. Little did she know that Mulan was on her way back to her, but she missed her warrior terribly. It was very early in the morning and Philip was still asleep next to her. It was a warm morning, and this always made Aurora feel happy. It reminded her of the time when she lived with the three fairies in that cottage in the woods.
She kissed her husband on the cheek, and got out of bed.
"Are you as hungry as mommy is?" she asked her unborn child, pressing the palm of her right hand against her belly.
She felt another kick that filled her with joy and happiness.
It was only then that she heard screams.
Several women were screaming.
However, Philip was still asleep despite all of this.
Since Aurora had ever known him, he was a very heavy sleeper.
Without even taking the time to wake Philip up, she ran towards the source of the screams.
And to her horror she saw two dead maids.
The screaming was coming from the other maids who had just found the bodies.
They just laid on the ground, on front of the main entrance.
Aurora did not know them very well; she had spoken to them only three or four times.
But one thing she was sure of- none of them were over twenty.
But then, one thing caught Aurora's attention.
It was the expression of the two dead maids.
Both young women had their face frozen in an expression of fear.
As if they had seen the devil.
"They died of fear" realized Aurora.
"Something scared them to death."
Later that day, she was talking about that tragedy to her husband.
"Philip. I am scared" she said.
"Whatever that thing was, maybe it is still in the palace." She continued.
"No, that won't happen. Stop thinking about that now." Philip said, sounding strangely calm after what had just happened.
"How can you tell me that?" Aurora asked, disturbed by Philip sudden change.
The old Philip she knew could have never acted so cold, especially after what had just happened.
"What are you going to do, Aurora?" he asked, suddenly very sheepishly.
"I will call my three god mothers. With their magic, they will be able to know if whatever caused the death of the two women is still here."
"Yes," replied back Philip, "I think you are right, they will be able to use magic to know the cause of the two poor young women's death."
This made Aurora relax.
"But first, there is something you need to see." He added.
Prince Philip brought Aurora to the upper tower.
"Why did you bring me here? What is possibly there to see?" she asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.
"Nobody ever comes here." She said, her voice trembling despite of her.
"That's why you have to remain here." Philip replied back, his voice suddenly sounding very cruel.
"I cannot allow you to contact your three old and stupid fairy godmothers, I will lose too much!" he spoke in an uncanny tone.
As he said this, he locked Aurora inside the tower, and placed the key in his pocket.
Aurora could not understand what was happening to her.
She screamed for help, her hands drumming against the hard wooden door continuously until she could not stand the pain anymore.
She touched her stomach, curving with maternity.
What was going to happen to her and her child?
What was going on?
Aurora stayed locked for hours.
Then, the prince finally came to her.
"If I let you out, can you promise not to contact your fairy god mothers or are you too stupid for that? He questioned her, as he held her wrist firmly.
"I p… pro… promise… I promise… please let me out… please…" She pleaded.
She was not afraid for herself, but for the child she was carrying.
She did not was to stay here, being pregnant.
Philip brought her into their room.
Her hands and wrists were still in pain.
Then he turned to her.
It was only then that Aurora saw his eyes.
They had turned completely black.
And he did not seem to walk to her.
His feet were not even touching the ground.
He was literally floating a few centimeters above the ground.
"You did not expect that when Mulan and you rescued me from the wraith, did you?" he asked, in a disturbing manner.
"What scared the two women, it was you." Said Aurora.
"That was the reason why you did not want me to call up my three god mothers."
Philip continued to float towards her.
Aurora was scared.
"I won't hurt you, not you. The body I inhabit has strong memories of you, so I cannot possibly harm you or your child." Philip said.
"What are you saying, Phi…" started Aurora.
But then, she understood what was happening.
The Philip she and Mulan had known had died since the day the wraith had taken his soul.
What Mulan and Aurora and rescued was the leftovers of Philip's soul.
What the wraith did not need.
Seeing the expression on Aurora's face, Philip understood that she had finally grasped the whole situation.
"You are not the real Philip, you are what was left of him after the wraith took his soul…" said Auora.
The realization finally hit her.
"And now, you are becoming a wraith…"
Mulan finally stopped her horse on a hill, were she could see everything surrounding her.
From where she was, she could finally see Aurora's and Philip's castle.
She could not help but to smile when she thought about seeing Aurora's face again.
However, it also meant that she would have to face the fact that Philip was a danger to Aurora.
She needed to make sure the love of her life was safe.
But deep inside, she felt that Aurora was not.
A feeling of fear and apprehension engulfed her utterly.