CHAPTER 31: HEAT STROKE?

“Strange…” Xcerox murmured.

“What is it, Your Highness?” Gizelis asked.

Miulwess, Nish, Frix and Ashla beside them also turned their heads at him. They were resting in the palace garden under the gazebo.

“It’s almost evening and I didn’t see their shadows. Didn’t they go to the city to find supplies for their journey?” Xcerox was talking about Zeliker and Silvert.

“Now that you mention it, Your Highness. It does seem strange. They should have been back by now.” Nish agrees and wonders what has happened.

“You’re right, royal brother. Another strange thing is that Stiria and her maid have returned but not with Zeliker and Silvert.”

Miulwess remembered he saw Stiria a few hours ago when he was walking toward his room in another palace building.

“That is very strange indeed.” Frix feels it too. “Should we check whether they were in the mansion?” He suggested.

Xcerox nodded. “Let’s go.”

Gizelis opens the door to the mansion using his door keychain. When they were inside, the mansion, as always, was very quiet when there was no one inside. It looks haunted and creepy too if you come alone. Trez and the teenagers weren’t around either.

“Their rooms are downstairs,” Nish said to them.

Everyone walked to the stairs leading downward on the right side of the living hall. They appeared in another hall with a golden double door at the end with two other doors in oak colour on each of them. The half-lamp above the gold door was the same as its colour while above the oak doors have purple colours.

Zeliker had told them his and Silvert’s room and it can be found easily. They realised something and turned their head to the right. Another stair led down again. They wondered what was below them. Zeliker didn’t mention it before.

“We’ll go down later. Let’s meet with Zeliker first.” Xcerox said to them and walked toward the double door first.

He pushed the doors to open them but they didn’t budge. He felt confused. Could the door be locked by Zeliker?

“Maybe he’s not inside.” Ashla noticed his action and the door.

Xcerox nodded. “He’s not home. Then, Silvert too won’t be here. Where did they go?”

“Let’s check downstairs,” Gizelis suggested. Actually, he was curious about the down below.

He got everyone's agreement and so, they walked to the stairs again and moved downward. They were surprised to see a big hall with dark walls surrounding it. And in the middle of the hall was a big round table, which can be occupied by twenty or more people around it.

At the end of the hall stood two steel doors, one on the far right of the wall and one on the far left, with one small opening on them. The dim lamp made the hall seem creepy and dark.

“What is this place?” They were confused and looked around.

Nish, Frix and Ashla went to the steel door and looked inside through the small opening.

“A prison?” Nish turns his head to Frix and Ashla.

“Seems like it.” Frix turns the knob and opens the door.

It seems it was not locked like Zeliker’s room. The three of them went inside.

“Every cell is empty.” Nish checked with them one by one.

They went out of the prison hall when there was nothing there except another door at the end with a red half-lamp above it. There was no way they were going to enter the door since they knew what was behind it.

When they were out, they saw Xcerox, Miulwess, Gizelis and Rispetos also got out from the other door.

“What’s over your side?” Ashla asked them.

“Prison,” Gizelis answered her.

“I wonder why such a place existed here under the mansion.” Nish was curious.

“Perhaps this place will be very useful in the future. What if we found some criminals and wanted to interrogate them secretly? We can put them here.” Miulwess answered with deep thought.

“And that will be the reason this place exists. Let’s go out. Since Zeliker and Silvert are not here, let’s wait for them.” Xcerox moved to the stairs.

The dark hall was the last section in the mansion and there was nothing else for them to check.

As for Zeliker and Silvert who had reached a small village, they were resting in their rented room. Zeliker was closing his eyes when they snapped open suddenly. A smirk slowly manifested on his lips.

“It seems Xcerox and the others are worried about us, Zeliker,” Silvert told while sitting on his bed beside him.

Both of them can feel anything happening inside the mansion because they have put their powers inside, including their friend's presence.

“Yeah, let’s meet them. I don’t want them to think I am leaving now when I am supposed to leave tomorrow morning.” Zeliker replied and stood up from his bed.

Silvert stared at him for a while.

“What?” Zeliker asked.

“If I’m not mistaken, you have promised Stiria and others to leave after the party next month.”

“I changed my mind. And we will still be at the party. So, they don’t need to worry about it.”

“Alright.”

“As for going to the Shildia Kingdom…”

“No! We’re not going there yet! You have promised me to go to the Miko Kingdom first and we will go there after the party!” Silvert cut in with enraged eyes.

After hearing Zeliker wished to go to the Shildia Kingdom immediately instead of Miko Kingdom, Silvert was horrified and he scolded Zeliker angrily. It was the first time for Silvert to raise his voice at Zeliker and the latter was dumbfounded.

Zeliker wondered why Silvert was mad and then was reminded that his eldest royal brother was killed by Shildia's calculated move. Silvert didn't want the same thing to happen to Zeliker and made Zeliker promise him he would not step there until they felt it was safe.

No, he would investigate first before letting Zeliker go there. He would not allow any danger to come at his prince. Moreover, Shildia Kingdom was all demons’ nemesis including Nekruis. Thinking about it, he felt strange for Nekruis not destroying the entire Shildia Kingdom after knowing the crown prince was killed and only destroying several cities at that time.

Nekruis has great power and abilities to eliminate a kingdom but he didn’t do it. Could it be that the crown prince was not favoured by him? Unfortunately, Silvert has no answer to it.

“Okay…” Facing the angry Silvert, Zeliker slowly lowered his voice and agreed.

He knew Silvert was very concerned for him and it made him feel a little happy inside but he was annoyed because he was unable to reach his goal. Since he knew his feelings for Stiria, he wanted to change her fate and break the engagement. However, after thinking again, his decision was too drastic. He needs a careful plan first.

Zeliker and Silvert appear at the entrance of the palace using Silvert’s power of dimension. They walked inside and sensed their friends had gone to the palace garden again. They moved toward there.

“She’s not with them. I need to talk to her…” Zeliker can sense Stiria was in her room.

But he thought it would be weird for him to go to her.

“Zeliker, Silvert, where have you guys been?” Gizelis saw them first and called toward them.

Everyone snapped their heads at them too.

“Sorry, we walked outside the city to get some fresh air. What’s wrong?” Silvert asked back.

“Oh, nothing. We thought you guys had left us.” Miulwess smiled.

“Why would you think so?” Zeliker didn’t tell them they actually did leave.

“Just forget it. How are your supplies? Did you get anything you wanted?” Xcerox sips his tea with a calm expression.

Inside, he was relieved to see them. He had the same thought as everyone who felt Zeliker and Silvert had left them.

“Yes, Your Highness. It’s all thanks to Princess Stiria for showing us. But… Why is she not with you?” Silvert was confused.

He thought she had gone back before them and would have gathered here with everyone since he saw Riseptos there too.

“She must have rested in her room. If you want to go see her, go ahead. Who knows if she is unable to meet you guys tomorrow since you guys are leaving earlier.”

“It’s alright. We already met her earlier and we can see her later again in the mansion.” Silvert politely refused.

He can feel something had changed after he left Zeliker and Stiria before. The feelings he got from them were awkward. He was unable to get the answer from Zeliker and only knew he had given them some problem. So, he thinks Zeliker might not want to meet her either. But…

“Are you sure? Because Zeliker is gone.” Riseptos reminded Silvert.

Silvert snapped his head to his side and was surprised to see Zeliker was not there. He turned his head to his back and only saw Zeliker's shadow had walked away from the palace garden. His eyes twitched.

‘Why didn’t he tell me he wanted to see her?’ He sighed silently but didn’t follow Zeliker.

He guessed Zeliker might have something he wanted to talk to Stiria alone.

‘Wait, would it be a good idea to let him be alone with her again?’ However, Silvert still didn’t follow.

Miulwess silently watched Silvert's reaction along with Zeliker's movement of rushing after he got Xcerox permission to meet Stiria. He wondered if it was alright to let Zeliker meet Stiria who already has a fiance. But after thinking there would be a maid waiting beside her and some guards outside her room, he feels a bit better.

As for Zeliker…

‘... What am I doing…?’ He thought silently.

His feet had brought him to Stiria’s room. He can see two guards guarding outside the room while facing a small garden yard. He had never come here because this place was not somewhere he had taken a walk before and he doesn’t have time to walk around the palace either.

He wondered if he made a mistake in following his desire to meet her. He knew what feelings he had right now. He missed seeing her. Although they had just met in the afternoon, after knowing his true feelings, he always feels he wants to meet her, stay beside her, talk to her and see her smiling with her soft chuckles.

Just like right now, he saw Stiria coming out of her room with Kiara and they were surprised to see him. Walking to him with a graceful walk as a princess should be, Stiria gives him a small smile.

“Why are you here, Zeliker? Have you finished your shopping?” Her soft and melodious voice was asking him.

He was in a daze and didn’t realise she truly was in front of him. He thought it was a dream, manifested by his desire to see her.

Zeliker's silence confused her. She can see his gaze was focussing on her alone. Her face slowly turns red and she raises a hand to wag her fingers at him. She needs to wake him up or she might think he had a crush on her which she hopes not.

“Zeliker?”

“Erm…” He finally answered but nothing changed from his deep gaze.

‘Her voice is so good…’ He thought silently with his heart beating faster. It makes his entire being blush without him noticing it.

‘Why is he looking at me like that? And he seems to be in a muddle too. What is he thinking? Ah, his face turned red. Could it be that he was having a fever which is the reason he looks like this? We did get out in the afternoon… Did he have a heatstroke then?’ Stiria was worried.

She didn’t know a demon could get sick. This was the first time she saw one.

“Your face is a little red. Are you having a fever? Let’s go there to cool you off.”

She told him and showed him the flower garden in front of her room. There was a fountain with cool water. She thought it might help him.

“Kiara, bring me a small towel.” She told her.

Kiara nodded and went back inside the room.

As for Stiria, she walked to her garden and realised Zeliker didn’t move from where he was. She moved her hand to ask him to follow. Zeliker saw her action and slowly moved his steps toward her.

He didn’t know how he had sat on the stone beside the fountain and let the coolness of the air brush his body. It made his mind fresh and snapped him back to normal. He froze when he felt a cool towel touch the side of his face gently.

“Stiria…?” He called after noticing her sitting beside him with the cool towel.

“Are you okay now…? It seems to me you have a heatstroke but I don’t know since I didn’t touch you to know your temperature.” Stiria said and let out a sigh of relief.

She was thinking of pushing Zeliker toward the fountain water if he was still muddled by the heat. She changed her mind after hearing his voice calling her name.

Huh? Zeliker turned dumbfounded.