Hi loyal readers! Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews thus far. It really means a lot to me.
Work has been busy lately so apologies for the delayed updated. I hope you all enjoy!
"He did what?!" I loud and angry voice echoed in the dark space.
An elderly man, no more than fifty years old, stood in his dark and cold cellar as he stared at the person in front of him. The dungeon was well beneath the castle, made up of old bricks and wood that stole the little sunlight that came through the small barred up windows. Although a prisoner, the man in the cellar was fed meals three times a day, had access to water and blankets, and had a cell big enough to do minor excess. However, he had been trapped down there with only the guards for company for at least a decade. His grey hair sat at shoulder length and a stubble covered his face, but his purple eyes were still crystal as day, and they were shooting daggers at the person standing on the other side of the cell.
A tall muscular man stood in front of the cell, his whole body encased in a black cloak, masking his identify. He shushed the angry man in the cell.
"My lord," the man whispered. "They will hear us."
"I don't care!" the second yelled back. "How else am I supposed to react when I hear my daughter was assaulted?"
"Sire, I know this is a lot to take in but please, we cannot be exposed when we are so close," the hooded figure whispered.
"Then maybe you should have thought of that before springing it on me. Have you ever heard of the phrase, let them down gently?"
"I apologise, Sire, but there is no easy way to tell family that news. The guards can come back any minute."
King Ho-Boe slowly took a deep breath and let it out. After a few seconds he looked back at the man standing before him.
"Fine," the king whispered in reply. "What happened to my daughter?"
The man before him waited a few seconds to check that no guards were coming after Ho-Boe's outburst before replying.
"A Valkarian knight that was assigned to her attacked her while they were alone in the library," he replied calmly.
'I-Is s-she….is she ok?"
"She is fine, My Lord," the man answered. "The knight was quickly apprehended before Princess Musa's injuries were more severe."
"He didn't-"
"No, Sire," the man interrupted. "She was saved before it got that far."
The king sighed with relief and leant his forehead against the bars, his worse fears subsiding. A bit of colour returned to his face.
"Thank god," Ho-Boe said with relief. "How was she saved?"
"…Riven saved her."
"What!?" Ho-Boe yelled again, only to be shushed by the man again. "That low life saved my daughter?"
"Yes but…"
"Where were you? When your leader sent you to me all those years ago, I was assured that my daughter would be safe despite living in a hornet nest. You and your boss assured me that she would be safe."
"She is…"
"Clearly not!" Ho-Boe rebutted in a harsh whisper. "A Valkarian attacked her and the son of the man that destroyed my family saved her. A monster and a monster. Where was the rebellion then?"
"Sire, please…."
"There are no excuses," Ho-Boe hissed. "Every second of every day I worry for my daughter, but I live with it knowing that the rebellion is coming. I have not seen her in years but your intel on her wellbeing is what keeps me going. She is living with monsters – that family are monsters. How can I trust you and your boss if you allow this to happen?"
"Sire," the hooded man whispered desperately. "You can trust us."
"I trusted you with my most precious possession and you allowed a monster to attack her. It was not you or the rebellion that saved her, it was that disgusting family. The same family that allowed her to be alone with that psychopath. How do you expect me to trust you after this?"
"She is safe, Sire, I give you my word. You can trust us," the man said.
"Your word means nothing," the king spat in reply. "Actions speak louder than words, and from where I am standing, not much has happened since your last update except for my daughter's attack."
"Sire, I beg of you, you can trust us. No one regrets what happened to Princess Musa more than the rebellion, particularly our leader. We underestimated the situation, but it will never happen again."
"Do not make false promises to me," the king replied.
"It is not false. More troops are volunteering each day to join the rebellion. We now have more eyes on the inside to assure that the princess is monitored."
"Who? Where are these extra eyes?"
"The princess' hand maiden, Miss Tecna of Zenith. She has agreed to feed us information."
"No! I will not allow my daughter to be dragged into the rebellion," the king protested lowly. "She is still too young and, considering she had allowed the low life prince to save her, she does not have her magic. I will not put her in harms way. I failed her once, I will not fail her again."
"As far as we know, Miss Tecna is the only intel. Princess Musa has no part in our operation."
"Then keep it that way."
The hooded figure nodded his head at the order.
"Where is my daughter now?"
"Miss Tecna has taken her to seek medical attention. She has not left Princess Musa's side."
"Why would the so-called prince save my daughter after everything his father has put us through?"
"I cannot say, Sire, but I assure you that my leader has increased efforts to speed up the rebellion. We are keeping an eye on the princess and I assure you, that the rebellion will punish him if the Valkarians do not."
"What makes you so sure?"
"The answer is the main reason for my visit, Sire."
Musa felt numb. It was like despite her body being physically sitting on the nurse's table, her mind was elsewhere. It was like an outer body experience. A part of her registered Tecna holding her hand while a Valkarian nurse checked her over. A part of her recognised the hesitation when Sir Hammon ordered her to check over me and she vaguely remembered the words 'I am a nurse, I took an oath to do no harm, no matter their blood,' but outside of that, her mind kept replaying the events over and over again. Like a terrible nightmare on constant repeat.
What could she have done differently? Where were her powers when she needed them? Why didn't she take Tecna when she had the chance? Was that really Prince Riven who pulled Sir Jet off her? Tecna's hand tightened around her own, breaking Musa from her thoughts. She looked up and noticed both Tecna and the young nurse smiling at her.
"Lady Musa," the nurse said gently.
"I'm sorry, what?" Musa whispered back.
"I asked if you wouldn't mind unzipping the back of your dress so that I might check your back for bruises," the nurse repeated kindly.
Musa immediately tensed up and Tecna tightened her hand again.
"I'm right here," Tecna said.
"You are safe, Lady Musa," the nurse reminded. "I promise I will be quick and gentle."
"I will never be safe," Musa whispered, her eyes drifting down to the floor. "I will never be safe again."
Tecna started to get nervous wondering if Musa's façade had disappeared. The nurse walked closer to Musa and carefully took her free hand in hers. This caused Musa to look back at her.
"Sir Jet has been apprehended," the nurse explained. "He cannot hurt you."
"B-but….I'm Melodian," Musa replied. "H-He was right….h-he outranks me. He will be released. Then he will come after me again until he destroys me."
The nurse immediately shook her head. "He may be Valkarian, but you are a guest of the king. His orders were to protect you, to monitor you, not harm you. He broke them. As warriors, honour is one of our staples and he showed none by disobeying orders and harming a guest of the king."
"B-But…."
"You were also an unarmed opponent," the nurse continued. "Valkarians do not attack an unarmed opponent. He was a coward for doing so and we do not tolerate cowards. Melodian or not, what Sir Jet did will ultimately be punished, so I assure you, Lady Musa, that he will not hurt you anymore. You, and the rest of the court, are safe."
Musa's eyes widened a little at the nurse's comment on the court. How did she know? The nurse suddenly looked sad.
"You are unfortunately not the first woman I have treated after a meeting with Sir Jet," the nurse answered Musa's silent question. "You are lucky in the fact that you have witnesses and evidence. They did not so it has been a he said/she said situation for a while."
"So, no one will be mad at me?" Musa asked nervously.
"My Lady," the nurse began. "No one will be mad at you. You are not to blame for what happened to you."
"The nurse is right, My Lady," Tecna added. "You are not to blame for anything."
"The only one who will be blamed for this is Sir Jet," the nurse explained. "After today, he can no longer hurt you."
"W-What will happen to him?" Musa asked.
The nurse shrugged. "It will depend on what the king and prince say."
"Why?" Musa asked sadly. "Why would they protect me?"
"They are protecting their honour, Lady Musa," the nurse answered. "Again, we do not tolerate cowards and dishonour. They are sworn to uphold and protect our people no matter who their opponent is. You are lucky enough to be on the correct side. One thing is for sure, Lady Musa, is that Sir Jet will not bother you again."
Musa nodded her head and suddenly felt a little easier knowing that she was indeed safe. Tecna and the nurse helped Musa to her feet and slowly took her to a screen so the nurse could examine her back for additional injuries.
King Kataar stood in front of his throne as he stared down at the man who knelt on the floor. His face was bruised and swollen, and blood stained his shirt. Two knights stood on either side of the kneeling Sir Jet; his hands bound behind his back. Prince Riven stood next to his father, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes never wavering from the man. Minor cuts covered Prince Riven's knuckles but other than that, there was no evidence that he had been in a fight. Darcy sat crossed legged on her seat next to the throne, watching the scene with keen interest and slight amusement. She always did like gossip.
"Sir Jet," King Kataar said, his voice booming in the throne room.
A few members of the court stood around the room eager to see if the rumours had been true – that the knight disgraced the Valkarian name and attacked the Siren.
"You are charged with the attack and attempted assault on the Siren," the king continued. "How do you plea?"
"Not guilty," Sir Jet hissed in reply.
Murmurs echoed from the witnesses. Darcy immediately looked at the gallery, shutting them up instantly with her stare. The king merely chuckled at the knight's response.
"Did Prince Riven give you brain damage?" The king mocked earning a scowl from Sir Jet. "Allegations were made, not by the Siren, but by your colleague Sir Hammon and my own son, Prince Riven. They witnessed your disgrace and apprehended you, and yet you still plead your innocence."
"It is not crime to teach a Melodian who is in charge!" Sir Jet yelled. "I did not attack her, I put her in her place. That is not a crime."
"No," Prince Riven interjected, his eyes hard as steel. He uncrossed his arms and slowly descended the stairs with each sentence he spoke. "You just disobeyed my direct orders. You just attacked your charge, a guest of the king, no less. You just attacked an unarmed opponent, against one of the first pillars of your training. Those are not crimes to you?"
Darcy rolled her eyes at the prince's sarcasm. His constant follow-the-rules attitude and constant brooding always bored her. Murmurs in the room echoed again at Prince Riven's comments causing Sir Jet to look around in annoyance.
"I did it for our own good!" Sir Jet yelled. "The Siren was bewitching me, she had to be put in her place. What I did, I did for our people."
"You did it for your own selfish goals," Prince Riven yelled. "You disobeyed my direct order! I do not care who that girl is. You are in my palace, under my direction, and here you play by our rules."
"Clearly the man was thinking with other instruments at his disposal," Darcy smirked. "A beautiful girl that could sweet talk anyone can sway any man to do anything if given the chance. Perhaps the knight was correct in his actions."
Murmurs started echoing in the room again.
"From what I heard, Darcy, he was not under a spell and even if he was, all of our men are trained to fight the siren call," the king replied with an eye roll. "Whether or not he was indeed bewitched does not justify embarrassing himself or our people."
"She is just the Siren," Darcy said standing up from her seat, clearly annoyed. "Why do we care what happens to her? Do we really have to go through all this drama?"
The king immediately looked at Darcy with a death glare. "Valkarians are bound by honour! We take pride in a good fight and a good fight means attacking an armed opponent. I will not dare have my blood be associated with such…..lesser qualities. The Siren may be the Siren, but I will not tolerate a disgraceful warrior in my army, nor in my home. Or do you forget, Darcy, that you too are not Valkarian. Should we hold you in the same stature as the Siren?"
Darcy immediately understood the warning and kept her mouth shut. She may have powers, but she knew that the king was not to be trifled with. She slowly sat back down in her seat but the king clearly was not finished. He stormed up to her and leaned forward so that his mouth was by her ear.
"That girl must be relatively unharmed while in my control," the king whispered harshly. "Her life is the only reason the rebellion has remained silent this long. Do I have to remind you of our conversation in my study?"
"N-No Sire," Darcy replied.
The king stood upright again and turned back to the task at hand.
"I have received two eyewitness testimonies, a medical report on the Siren, and have seen with my own eyes your disobedience," the king called to the room. "Aside from your ridiculous notion that your lust and anger towards the Siren were in the benefit of my people, what else do you have to support your innocence?"
"Her blood should be enough to prove my innocence!" Sir Jet yelled angrily. "Every day you give her more freedom and every day she is slowly destroying us. She may look like a Valkarian but she is still an evil Melodian."
The king laughed coldly. "Freedom? You dare speak against my judgement? Such claims from you would have immediately brought your demise when my father was in charge. Do not anger me!" the king yelled, his eyes turning dark and cold. "I am your king! My son is your prince and heir! We have more brains in one hand than you do in your entire body. That creature is not toying with me. She is alive because I allow it! Do not think I can be so easily manipulated."
"She is bewitching all of you!" Sir Jet hissed. "She is singing her song and corrupting you. Sire, you are letting her control you. She is not one of us! She will never be one of us!"
Sir Jet attempted to free himself from his binds, stumbling to his feet, suddenly in the Prince's face ready for a fight. The knights either side of him grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away from Prince Riven's face. The prince merely stood completely straight and watched as Sir Jet came into his face but then was yanked away. He looked at the man before he gave a smirk.
"Get in my face again and see happens," Prince Riven said. "Please."
Sir Jet saw the warning in the prince's eyes and stopped struggling against the knights. A part of him knew that the only reason why he was standing there alive was because the prince allowed it. None of his men were strong enough to beat Riven one on one but Sir Jet never thought he had to find that out the hard way.
"I have had enough. Sir Jet," the king boomed across the room, breaking Riven's fun. "For the crime of treachery, disobeying your superior's direct orders, and dishonour, I find you guilty."
"You cannot do this!" Sir Jet yelled angrily, the knights keeping their hold on him. "You are letting her win! How can you be so blind?"
"You bring disgrace to the Valkarian name," the king hissed. "A Valkarian who brings dishonour to us all is no Valkarian at all."
"No!" Sir Jet yelled again. "I am a Valkarian! My blood is the same as that which courses through your veins! You are making a mistake!"
"I am the king!" King Kataar roared angrily. "You dare defy me? Test me further and you will no longer stand where you are. I will gladly wipe that smirk off your face for good."
"My duty is to protect our people!" Sir Jet continued, ignoring the king's statement. "The Siren needed to be put in her place for all our sakes! If you had let me continue, I would have assured all our futures. She deserved all that she got and more and I will gladly do it again!"
Prince Riven's hand immediately shot out and he gripped Sir Jet's throat tightly, immediately silencing him. The prince's eyes immediately turned dark, like they were almost void of any light.
"You were selfish and only thought of yourself," Prince Riven hissed in Sir Jet's face. "I never thought I'd say this, but Darcy was right. Your brain was not the one in control. You had a point to prove and you did not care what orders you broke to do it. Valkarians do not assault women. That is cowardly, you little piece of-"
"Prince Riven!" the king called. "I need him alive to continue my sentencing."
Prince Riven hesitated for a second before he reluctantly released the man's throat and stood back.
"Sir Jet, you are hereby stripped of your knighthood. From this day forth, you shall not show your face to me again. Men, you know what we do with traitors. Get him out of my sight."
Prince Riven and his men nodded their heads before two additional knights appeared and the four knights started dragging Sir Jet out of the room. Everyone in the room watched as the disgraced knight yelled his innocence and struggled to free himself from their grasp. Prince Riven watched them leave and soon followed after them, leaving the room shocked. The room fell quiet as the group finally left the room.
"Prince Riven," the king said, gaining his son's attention and stopping him in his tracks. "What you said before caught my attention."
"Father?" Riven asked confused.
"Sir Jet was under your direct supervision," the king explained. "He disobeyed your direct orders and, under your watch, allowed himself to be disgraced. He also made you look like a fool. As Sir Jet will be punished for his failings, so should you. Our family will not be mocked. After all, the training and acts of your men are ultimately your responsibility."
"Father, I-"
"You will be punished for allowing this to happen under your watch," the king interrupted. "We also cannot risk the Melodians rebellion again so this incident must remain quiet. You are hereby assigned to escort the Siren to the library from this day forth. You will make sure Sir Jet's disobedience has not spread to your men. Are we clear?"
"But father," the prince rebutted. "I have an army to train, battle strategies to finish. I cannot waste my time protecting the Siren."
"If you cannot do the punishment then you should have not allowed the crime to occur. Do you understand?"
"Father-"
"Are we clear?" the king repeated loudly.
Prince Riven's eyes widened at his father's orders. The other people in the room dared not say a word. The intense gaze his father was giving him left no room for argument.
"Yes, Father," Prince Riven replied, clenching his teeth.
Tecna had managed to get Musa into a new dress, one with long sleeves and was not too restricting, and slowly sat her friend on her bed. It had been a while since Musa was released from the nurse's care and she had not said a word since. Tecna wondered if Musa had lost her nerve and may refuse to continue with the rebellion. Of course, she would not blame her if she did, but she hoped it hadn't come to that. Luckily for her, Musa only received a concussion, two stiches for the back of her head, bruises on her back and a sprained wrist from her ordeal. The nurse strapped her wrist in a bandage and provided ointment for her back and her head, and asked that Musa returned in a week's time to remove the stitches. Tecna had never been so scared in her life. She had been so shocked when she heard Sir Hammon bang loudly on the bedroom door.
"I'm coming," Tecna called as she rushed over to the loud banging on Musa's main door.
She opened it and found Sir Hammon standing in front of it. Before she had a chance to ask him anything, the knight had grabbed her hand and started running down the corridor, pulling Tecna along with him.
"What are you doing?" Tecna asked, trying to keep up with him.
"No time," Sir Hammon said and continued running.
Tecna started to worry as she noticed they were heading in the direction of the library. Her small legs were no match for the knight's long strides, so she tripped a few times. The knight managed to keep his grip on her and practically dragged her the entire way. As the pair rushed down the stairs, Tecna started to hear screams and crashes. The blood in Tecna's body instantly went cold at hearing them. She recognised Musa's voice anywhere.
"Musa!" Tecna yelled and started running in front of the knight, pulling him towards the library instead. Forget royal protocol when your friend was in danger!
"Coward!" the loud deadly voice boomed from inside the library.
Tecna and Sir Hammon arrived to find the doors to the library wide open, and Prince Riven pulling Sir Jet off Musa. Without hesitation, Prince Riven threw Sir Jet into the air and watched as the knight hit the bookshelf on the other side of the room, smashing it in two. Tecna was stunned for a split second as she watched Sir Jet being thrown like he weighed nothing more than a pillow.
"How dare you defy me! Get her out!" Prince Riven ordered, his eyes never wavering from his opponent.
Sir Hammon and Tecna immediately ran over to Musa. Tecna grabbed her friend's shoulders but Musa tried to shove her away.
"My Lady!" Tecna called out to her.
Tecna noticed the pale colour in Musa's skin and saw trickles of blood on the floor. She felt sick to her stomach but had to persevere to get Musa out of there.
"Sir Hammon, get the ladies out of here, now!" Prince Riven ordered again as he pummelled Sir Jet.
In other circumstances, Tecna would have been horrified at the display. However, since it was Sir Jet, there was a part of her that wanted to cheer the prince on.
Tecna shook her head, breaking her trip down memory lane. If the prince had not been in the library looking for those maps, Tecna did not even want to think about what would have happened to Musa. Tecna knew that the only reason the prince saved her was because of their sick sense of honour and battling an armed opponent. That and the fact that he disobeyed his direct order. At that moment, Tecna did not care what the reason was, she was just glad that it was in Musa's favour.
Tecna went to throw away Musa's dress when a small voice caught her attention.
"How….how did he know?" Musa asked softly.
Tecna turned back to her friend. "What do you mean?" Tecna asked.
"The….the prince," Musa replied. "How….did he really…."
"Did he really save you?" Tecna offered. Musa nodded her head in reply. "He really did. Remember, his father asked him to collect some maps and…..luckily for us that he decided to go down when you needed help."
"But why?" Musa asked. "Why would he help me?"
"Does it really matter?" Tecna answered. "What matters is that you are now safe, and Jet is being punished."
"What will happen now?"
Tecna was silent for a moment as she contemplated Musa's question.
"I do not know," Tecna replied. "But do not worry about that right now. Take things one step at a time. What do you want to do?"
Musa shrugged her shoulders in reply.
"I could bring you one of your books to read or I could run you a bath to help with your back," Tecna offered.
Musa shook her head in reply.
"Musa," Tecna said gently taking Musa's hands in hers. "I am so sorry. I should have been there. I should have insisted that I went with you."
"You did not know he would do this."
"No but we both knew something was wrong with him. Lady Mitzi warned us," Tecna replied. "Please, Musa, let's do something to take your mind away from the pain."
"M-My powers….they abandoned me, Tecna. How….how can I forget that?"
"Musa, I cannot imagine what you are going through right now, but please, you cannot keep reliving the whole event. It will consume you and it will hurt you."
"I am useless without my powers, Tecna," Musa said, her eyes looking vacantly at the floor, tears rolling down her face. "D-Do y-you know what it is like, to stare death in the face twice in your life and see no way to help yourself?"
Tecna was silent but she held her friend's hands tightly in support.
"D-Do you know how terrifying it is to feel your whole body paralysed in fear? Do you know how sick I feel hearing that m-monster rip my dress? That noise is still replaying in my head and I cannot shake it."
"Then let's find something positive to replace the sound!" Tecna insisted. "Please!"
"I….I think my powers are gone forever, Tecna. H-How can I p-protect Melody when I cannot protect myself? When I am not strong enough to lead?"
"You are strong!" Tecna said proudly. "No one would be this determined to keep going with the rebellion after a trauma like that. No one would continue to live in the same place as the monsters who took your family away and still find the strength to wake up every morning."
Musa closed her eyes and pulled her hands away from Tecna, and wiped her tears away.
"We will find a way to bring your powers back, Musa. I promise," Tecna continued. "You cannot let Sir Jet win! Do not let what he did destroy all the hard work and strength it took to get to this point. You are way stronger than he is. Yes, it was traumatic and I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying it was, but please fight it. We need you. The rebellion needs you. I am right here. You are not alone, Musa. You will never be alone in this. Let me help you."
Musa was silent as she let Tecna's words slowly sink in. A part of her knew that she was right – that her people relied on her and she cannot let the attack break her, not when they were so close. A knock soon sounded at the front door, causing the two girls to jump a little. Tecna gave Musa a smile and headed towards the door.
"If it is Mitzi, tell her I am in that bath," Musa said with a smile. "I….I cannot deal with her right now."
Tecna nodded before she opened the door. She immediately dropped into a curtsey upon seeing who was on the other side. The quietness from the other room made Musa curious. She slowly got up from the bed and walked to the parlour only to see Prince Riven and Sir Hammon standing at the door. Musa's eyes widened and, on reflex, she dropped into her low curtsey. Tecna stood up and noticed Musa's stumbling attempt at a curtsey and she rushed to her side to help her.
"That is not needed," Prince Riven said stiffly.
Tecna gently helped Musa to her feet and Musa continued to grip her friend's hand in support. She clearly did not want to be left alone right now.
"Y-Your H-Highness," Musa stuttered. She vaguely remembered the sheer anger and violence the prince displayed in the library and, although it was not directed at her, Musa was nervous at being left alone with him. "W-What….what can I do for you?"
Prince Riven's gaze looked at Musa's face before slowly looking her up and down. For some reason, Musa did not feel nervous unlike when Sir Jet did it. It was like he was analysing her, checking to make sure everything was….in place.
"Sir Hammon will be the only knight assigned to you," Prince Riven informed, when his gaze returned to hers.
Musa noticed that this was the first time he had spoken directly to her in weeks. She was taken aback for a minute.
"Very well," Musa replied with relief.
"You shall continue visiting the library," the prince continued. "However, I shall escort you from here on out."
"What?" Musa could not help but reply. She immediately covered her mouth and blushed. "I-I mean…..that is very kind but not necessary."
Tecna could not but help notice a slight smirk appearing on Sir Hammon's face at Musa's reaction. Such a reply would have been punished a few months ago. Perhaps they were cutting her slack today?
"It is necessary," the prince said seriously. "As part of my army, Sir Jet was my responsibility which also makes his disobedience my responsibility. I will escort you to the library. For one hour, no more."
Musa nodded her head in reply.
"Do you need anything, Lady Musa," Sir Hammon asked in a monotone voice.
"Ah….n-no, thank you," Musa stuttered a reply.
A slight tension filled the room for a moment before the prince nodded his head and started to turn to leave.
"Thank you," Musa quickly said.
The prince stopped and turned back to Musa. He raised an eyebrow at her in reply.
Musa cleared her throat. "Thank you for saving me. Both of you. I….I am sorry that you had to choose between your knight and….me."
Sir Hammon looked at the prince, who had not taken his eyes off Musa, and then back to the woman.
"No apologies are needed, Lady Musa," Sir Hammon answered first. "He may have been a knight, but he sealed his fate when he showed dishonour and cowardice."
Musa nodded her head and gave a small smile back. "Well, regardless, I sincerely thank you."
"Valkarians take honour and loyalty seriously," Prince Riven finally spoke. "I gave him a direct order and reminded him that you were not to be harmed, he broke it. Our interference was merely to punish his error in judgement. He will not make that mistake again."
"Um….what will happen to him, now?" Musa asked.
Prince Riven stared directly into Musa's eyes, silence filling the room for a moment before he answered. "Believe me when I tell you that you do not wish to know the answer to that question."
Musa and Tecna stiffened at the response.
"Rest assured, Lady Musa, that he will not harm you again," Sir Hammon added.
Musa did not know how to respond to those statements and Tecna noticed. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze before giving a small smile to the men.
"Thank you for saving Her Ladyship," Tecna said. "We shall not keep you further."
Tecna and Musa gave a curtsey to the two men and watched as they both turned to leave. Prince Riven suddenly stopped and, with his back to them, suddenly asked, "Were you injured badly?"
Musa was shocked at the sudden question. Tecna gently nudged her.
"N-not badly, Sire," Musa answered honestly. "Y-your….your interference assured that."
"He will not make that mistake again," the prince answered, before the pair left and Sir Hammon closed the door behind them.
Tecna slowly turned back to her friend and pulled her free hand into hers.
"Are you ok?" Tecna asked.
"I do not know," Musa answered honestly. "I…I feel numb."
"That is the pain killers the nurse gave you," Tecna said.
Musa shook her head. "No, it is something else. I….My powers did not appear, no matter how hard I tried. They were useless. I was useless."
"You are not useless, Musa," Tecna said. "Do not say that. I just pulled you out of that rabbit hole."
"I am useless," Musa said sadly. "What good is a Melodian princess when she has no powers to even save herself? I barely held my own with Jet. How am I supposed to go up against the king and Darcy? Even the prince. I saw what he did to Jet."
"He deserved it."
"That may be but the prince easily overpowered Jet where I could not. I need my powers back, Tecna. It is the only way to help my people."
"We will find a way," Tecna said determined. "Please do not give up. What happened to you was a crime and was not your fault."
"He said I tempted him!" Musa said, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "I tempted him and made him confused. He wanted me but could not bare the thought of my being Melodian. What hope will I have to get the prince to fall for me?"
"Did you not see what just happened? He came to your quarters. He has never ever done that. He had as close to a conversation with you than he has had in years. He stopped in the doorway to ask if you were injured. You will be able to succeed."
"Did you not hear him?" Musa mocked in return. "He said that the only reason they interfered was because Jet broke the rules."
"No decent being would have let you be harmed."
"Hello! What has been happening to me all these years?"
"That was the king," Tecna corrected. "Your knights may have been following orders this whole time, but they have never harmed you. I am sure they helped you for other motives today."
"Yes, to stop my people from rebelling."
"No, because they are starting to see you as a person, not just as the Siren. To them, you are Lady Musa, a guest of the king who deserves to be unharmed."
"They helped me because they had to," Musa said. "Not because they wanted to. That is fine. In a sick way it has allowed me more time with the prince, just like we wanted."
"Musa, are you going to be ok though?"
"I do not know. It will take time and….I….I cannot be alone with other men but…..Sir Hammon and the prince are different. I….I feel safe around them."
"That is a first," Tecna joked.
"Just help me get through tonight at least. As you said, we have to take it one step at a time."
"That's my girl," Tecna said with a smile.
"I had never been so scared in my life, Tecna."
"I know," Tecna replied sadly. "I cannot imagine what you went through. I do not care what their motives were or the fact that they are Valkarians. They saved your life and that is all I care about."
"Thank you," Musa said before pulling her friend into a hug.
She was telling the truth. She did not know what will happen over the next few days or weeks. She did not know how she was going to succeed without her powers, or get the prince to fall for her, but she at least had another opportunity to figure that out.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Please R/R and let me know your thoughts.
Till next time!
~AngelAlexandra~
