Chapter 18

"Uhukk ... uhuk ..."

Zavier coughed, from his mouth water came out of his throat. The bright sunlight disturbed his vision.

"Where is this?" He muttered. He remembered nothing but cold, dark water.

After his throat was clear of seawater, she tried to take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Realizing that he was still alive.

The beautiful face of the mysterious woman who brought her to the surface flashed through her mind. Her white skin, long white hair, pointed ears and glowing green eyes.

"He has a tail like a fish? what is that creature? is it human? impossible! I'm sure she doesn't have legs. But, ugh ... it hurts!" bouts of pain stung in her head. Spontaneously, Zavier immediately touched her head.

"Dazzled!" apart from the dazzling sunlight, the scene before his eyes was only a vast blue sea.

After she tried to recall what had happened to her, Samuel's face popped up. She did not know what happened to Duke Aiden when the ship moved after being hit by a wave so big that it pulled him, falling into a very deep ocean.

"Is Ella all right? or am I the only one slipping?"

Remaining still on the warm sand made her even more confused about what to do. Zavier got up slowly, his eyes turned back, saw the green trees that reminded him of the forbidden forest.

Hesitating, he stepped slowly into the forest. Unlike the forbidden forest which is surrounded by big trees that look creepy. This forest actually looks very beautiful. It wasn't just trees, there were gardens of wildflowers that stretched out. The butterfly was flying so beautifully, she could hear the sound of the water stronger than the river.

"Wow...what a beautiful forest right by the sea. Where is this? it seems I've never been to this place before!" Zavier was impressed by the beauty of the forest before his eyes.

She walked into the forest without knowing which way to go. There is no one in this place who can help her. But somehow, He was not afraid.

Peaceful and so calm, that's how she felt. It reminded her of the paintings she had seen in the palace gallery. The more she took a step, the clearer the sound of the water became. She felt that this sound was not coming from the river flow because it was too heavy.

"Where did the sound of this water come from?" she thought. Her feet stepped further from the edge of the beach where she was stranded.

"Hahaha ... feel this, you idiot!" came the voices of people talking along with the sound of the water.

Nathania accelerated her footsteps until she was in front of the lush bush. The voice of the water and the voice of the person speaking came from behind these bushes. Nervous, Nathania swallowed hard before she sneaked and peeked at what was behind the bushes.

"Hahaha ... feel this!"

"You bastard! get back my pants!"

"As punishment, you must cover it with leaves!"

"No way ...!"

"Ha ha ha..."

Nathania was astonished to see what was seeing before her eyes. A group of youths swam and played in a large waterfall that flowed directly into the rivers that were very clear.

"Wow ..." her mouth was wide open, this waterfall is exactly like the one in the painting.

For 10 seconds, she was lulled by the natural beauty that so spoiled her eyes. Until she realized too late that the young men playing under the falls were naked.

"Haaah ...?" surprised by what she saw, Nathania immediately screamed hysterically. Her face flushed red and she felt very embarrassed.

Her screams reached the ears of the young men, even some of them realized that someone was peeking at them.

"Did you hear that?" said the brown-haired young man who sat casually on the rock.

"Of course!"

"Someone's peeking at us! must be a clothes thief, I saw him hiding in the bushes! nust be taught a lesson!" said the blonde youth who immediately rose to the surface and put on his pants.

He immediately ran after the 'peeping' who tried to escape after seeing the forbidden sight.

"Richard, hurry after him! take your arrows, don't let him escape!"

This young man named Richard carried his archery tool, nimbly, he jumped on his horse's back to chase Nathania who had no intention of peeking at some of the young men bathing in the river.

"This is bad ... I have to hide!" realizing that she was being chased on a horse, it was impossible for her to escape. The only way is to find a place to hide.

"Don't run away...!" shouted the young man.

"Cetaaakkk ..."

The arrows shot out quickly, hitting Nathania's arm. The arrows pierced her clothes and touched the outer skin, the pain made Nathania give up on running or hiding.

"Agh ... it hurts ...!" her foot tripped over the root of a tree, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

Fresh blood came out of the wound from the arrow that had scratched her left arm. It was so painful, she didn't know why she was attacked just because she accidentally peeked at the men taking a shower.

The young man named Richard immediately stopped his horse and got down right near Nathania, who was cowering in pain.

"Hey, what are you doing? you're stealing?"

"Richard, how? did you catch him?" the other nine young men immediately followed on their respective horses, having put their clothes back on.

"Yes! I shot him with an arrow!"

"Is he dead?"

"No! it looks like my arrow only injured his arm!"

"Is it true?" one of them approached Nathania who was grimacing in pain. Cautiously, he drew closer to check on her.

"He's bleeding! how about this?"

"Let's just take him home and treat the wound!"

"Just leave him!"

"Are you crazy, Claude? if he dies, how? his spirit will haunt you!"

"If anyone be haunted, it is Richard!"

"What? why me?"

"Never mind! I'll take him on my horse! hey, you can endure it, can't you? we'll heal your wounds!" said the man who seemed the most mature.

The man helped Nathania up and climbed onto the back of his horse, poor Nathania could only surrender and follow them. Because it hurt too much, Nathania didn't have time to look at their faces one by one.

"Hold on! we will treat your wound!" he said.

***

The ten young men took Nathania to a palace. Nathania was shocked, she didn't know why she was brought to the palace. It made her suspect that they might be palace soldiers who happened to be swimming in the waterfall and caught her peeking out by accident.

"Pa ... palace? if this is a palace, that means I'm no longer in Lithonia? but, where is this? what kingdom?" she thought. At this momen, her anxiety was far greater than the pain she felt.

The young men got down in front of the horse stable. After they got off their horses, two men dressed as soldiers approached them.

"Welcome, Your Majesty! Queen are waiting for the tea party!"

"Drinking tea? geez, I wish we could drink the best wine of the year, I'm old enough to get drunk!" complained the curt face whose voice had not been heard.

"Richard accidentally shot someone with his arrow, now he's injured and we have to take him home! please treat him!" said the man who brought Nathania on his horse.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the two soldiers immediately helped Nathania down. One of them accidentally saw the Coat of Arms of the Lithonia Kingdom on the clothes Nathania was wearing. They looked at each other, realizing that the youth they had brought was a stranger from outside their kingdom.


***