Nuada strolled down the hallway with Arwen at his side. Lily had disappeared a little more than a month ago. Nuala, Abe, Meldiron, and the enchanters had worked endless hours since then to figure out a way to rescue Lily, but all seemed hopeless.
"You should end the treaty with the humans, with your queen gone." Arwen told Nuada. He had confided everything in her, not knowing where else to turn for answers that were not laced with foolishness like the ones his sister believed. "It would be too tiresome to search for a queen all over again."
"No one but a few have been told of what happened to Lily." Nuada said. "A surprise attack would be the best way to defeat the humans."
"Yes. Whatever happened to the Golden Army? Did it die with the demon?" She asked.
"I do not know. I could always try to command it." Nuada stopped walking. "I shall try that, if it is successful, then we will wage war with the humans immediately. No use in keeping this nonsense treaty any longer."
Arwen had stopped walking when Nuada had and nodded in agreement to his plan. Nuada pulled her close, kissed her quickly, and left to find the crown to the Golden Army. Arwen smiled after him. Her evil plan was working, and nothing could stop it.
HBHBHBHBHB
Nuala, Abe, Meldiron and several enchanters were all sitting around the enchanters' rooms with open books around them. They all looked tired and hopeless and they continued to flip through books with bored expressions on their faces.
"There's no spell or enchantment anywhere that fits the description of what was in that book." Abe said hopelessly.
"There has to be somewhere." Meldiron insisted.
"Meldiron . . . " Nuala pleaded.
"She can't be gone." Meldiron shook his head.
"She is gone, though. Queen Lily is gone, lost in that book." Nuala said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We should give up and leave the enchanters to their work, which we have rudely interrupted."
Meldiron's shoulders slumped and he sighed. He closed his eyes tightly.
"Very well." He said softly.
Nuala, Meldiron, and Abe all carefully packed away the books they were using for research, leaving only the book Lily vanished into on the table. The enchanters all breathed a sigh of relief and began blowing out candles and torches so they could leave as well. Then, the torches were out and the room was dark. Meldiron cast one last longing look into the room, when he noticed a glow. A glow in this dark room. Nothing in that room was supposed to be glowing. He rushed to the source of this light and found himself staring at the book.
"Princess Nuala! Abraham! Come quick!" He shouted.
Both rushed quickly into the room to see what he was shouting about. He spun around to face them, gesturing to the book.
"We've never left it alone, have we? Never left it in the dark. We've been so focused on solving this mystery, that we never extinguished the torches and called it a night. Think about it, can you remember the last time this book saw darkness?" Meldiron quickly blurted.
Nuala and Abe's faces held surprise and realization.
"You're right, Meldiron." Abe said. "I cannot remember a time."
"What does this glowing mean, though?" Nuala asked.
"It has to mean magic." Meldiron explained.
"There is no trace of magic in the book." Nuala told him.
"Then the magic must be hidden." Meldiron paused, staring at the book. "We will try anti-cloaking spells so we may see what spell is being used to trap Lily here." He placed his hand on the cover, the soft glow giving off slight heat. He looked up, excitement in his eyes. "Yes, we will bring her back."
HBHBHBHBHB
Arwen was lounging in Nuada's room on his bed. She was on Lily's side and she was waiting for Nuada to return from his search for the crown. An evil smile was on her face as she thought about how everything was just falling into place for her. She would be queen in no time.
She suddenly felt a tugging in the back of her mind. Her smile fell instantly as she recognized the feeling. Someone somewhere had taken off her cloaking spell on the book and was currently trying to undo the trapping spell Arwen had put on Lily. She quickly muttered a few spells to hinder their work and prevent them from tracing her magic back to her. She scowled. She thought they had all given up on Lily.
The door opened and Arwen quickly morphed her face into a smile again. Nuada stepped inside and closed the door.
"Did you find the crown, my king?" She asked.
"Yes, I have. It was with the demon's personal belongings. Tomorrow I shall ride to the resting place of the Golden Army and find if it works." Nuada said as he pulled the crown out of a pouch on his waist.
He twirled it in his hands before placing it on the nearest surface. This ended up being Lily's vanity. He paused and stroked her hairbrush slowly before snapping out of it and facing Arwen once more.
"May I accompany you tomorrow?" Arwen asked, batting her eyelashes.
"Very well. I do not see why not." Nuada said, approaching the bed.
"Now then, why don't we retire to bed?" Arwen sat up and beckoned Nuada closer to the same bed he had slept with Lily.
He walked towards her and she pulled him into a deep kiss. Soon she was removing his clothes. Her elven background gave her the knowledge to swiftly and skillfully remove each article.
HBHBHBHBHB
The very next morning, Abe, Nuala, and Meldiron were working diligently to undo the spell on the book. Also, Nuada and Arwen were leaving for the resting chambers of the Golden Army. Only one truly knew the race against time each one was in at the moment, and she was anxious.
"How much longer until reach it, my king?" Arwen asked from her place on her horse. Nuada was riding next to her on his own horse.
"I brought you because I thought you would not be bothersome. Do not make me regret it." Nuada answered.
"I am sorry. I am just anxious about awaking the Golden Army again. I cannot wait." Arwen skillfully lied.
"Neither can I. I have waited for this moment for too long." Nuada said before lapsing into silence again.
Arwen turned her eyes forward and mentally put more enchantments on the book while she rode. Lily had to stay in the book before the Golden Army was awaken. Nuada's link to his sister would tell him of Lily's survival and then he wouldn't awaken the Army and make her his queen. Arwen did not want that to happen.
HBHBHBHBHB
Abe, Nuala, and Meldiron were all staring intently at the book on the table. They had managed to remove the cloaking spell on the book, and were working tirelessly to remove the multiple other spells that were on it. Enchanters stood around them using their magic to remove each layer of spells.
"How soon until all of the spells gone?" Abe asked.
"I cannot tell, there seem to be many spells. Whoever cast this does not want Queen Lillian to return." The head enchanter said. "It even seems that more spells are appearing as we work to remove the previous ones."
"Then we must work faster." Meldiron instructed. "And figure out who has trapped Queen Lillian so they may be put on trial for treason."
The enchanters all nodded in response, not ceasing in their work.
HBHBHBHBHB
Nuada and Arwen arrived at the resting place of the Golden Army, the same chambers where Nuada and Hellboy fought for the control of the army with the fate of the entire world at stack. King Nuada removed the crown from a pouch on his hip, examining it as he did. He and Arwen walked onto the platform overlooking the resting army before using the crown, Nuada always was one for theatrics. Nuada held the crown up and placed it on his head. It fit like he remembered and it felt like power.
A sharp pain hit Arwen's head and her vision changed. She saw Lily, alive, with Princess Nuala and others. She saw this image for a second before her normal vision returned. When it came back, she saw Nuada had paused, his mouth open for words to awaken the army. He had a faraway look in his eyes and Arwen knew he was seeing what Nuala was seeing.
HBHBHBHBHB
"Lily!" Nuala screamed, running over to the collapsed form of Lily. That was how she had come to them. It was a burst of light after the enchanters had undone the spell and she had been there. She was lying on the floor, her hair covering her face. She was definitely advanced in her pregnancy by a month.
"We did it!" Meldiron said, hugging Abe in relief.
Nuala suddenly sat up and looked ahead. Her joyous expression turned scared. She was seeing what Nuada was seeing.
"Lily! Lily! Please wake up! Things have become terrible! You must wake up!" Nuala turned Lily onto her back and began to shake her. No response.
Abe pushed his way through. "Let me check for a pulse." He held Lily's wrist and all was silent. He dropped her wrist. "Let me check her neck for a pulse." He held two fingers to her neck. Seconds ticked by. No one said anything, or even breathed.
"I found it! She's alive!" Abe shouted.
Everyone gave their own shout of celebration.
"Let us get her to the healers." Nuala said.
"Yes, and I will find the sorceress responsible for this." Meldiron said. He knelt down and kissed the back of Lily's hand. "You were dearly missed."
Then he stood and left.
Yay! Now Arwen's really going to get it!