Chapter 23

King Evander wanted to make sure Queen Cerena was safe when the walls of the castle started to crumble but at the same time, he knew he had to lead his men into battle. It was his second policy in life; the first, keep your promises, and the second; don’t expect anyone to do for you what you won’t do for yourself, so he always fought alongside his men.
King Evander ignored the enemy's first line of attackers as he knew his men will take care of them. King Evander’s concern was the contraptions that were busy destroying the castle, the castle that his Queen was in.
“Remington, you take left, I will take right,” King Evander shouted as he got on his horse and noticed Prince Remington on his.
“Go with Prince Remington,” King Evander shouted, pointing at over half a dozen of his men that were getting on their own horses. King Evander and the rest of his men went around the charing men, towards the slingshot contraptions.
As soon as his enemy ran out of rocks to sling at the castle, they charged on foot, but King Evander and his men ended them without effort.
King Evander looked at the castle that was severely damaged and kicked his horse to run faster not realizing he was running right past the former king and queen that was making their escape along with Queen Cerena in Iris’s body that had Iris in her body gagged and shackled. The wizard Lacosta was holding them in an invisible magic dome.
Iris was crying as she got forced to leave with them. King Evander had his men search for days on end. Days turned into weeks.
“Evander, it is time to focus your attention on the people of this kingdom, they are starving,” Prince Remington tried to talk to King Evander.
“These people can die for all I care! They allowed the enemy pass the wall!” King Evander shouted.
“Queen Cerena obviously thought it a good time to escape since you revealed her parents to her. I still cannot believe you did not kill them, I am impressed,” Prince Remington said.
“What magic did they use to get the slingshot contraptions past the walls of the kingdom?” King Evander asked, his eyes going from court officer to court officer.
“The next time I will kill all of them,” King Evander slammed his fist on the arm of his throne chair.
“Instead of staying here let’s go search for them or at least come with me to my kingdom for my wedding to Princess Aisley,” Prince Remington suggested.
When King Evander kept quiet Prince Remington feared the worst, “please don’t tell me you plan to keep Princess Aisley to yourself?”
“My brother never breaks his promises, and he did promise her to you,” Marchelle said, making her presence known and reminding her brother about his first life policy in hope that he will marry her instead.
“You should take your princess and go, I have wasted enough of your time, go in peace,” King Evander said, resting his chin on his hand.
“My kingdom has many young maidens for you to enjoy and take your heartache away,” Prince Remington invited.
“Prince Remington, thank you for visiting, it is time for you to take your leave now,” Marchelle said, walking Prince Remington out of the throne room before he manages to convince her brother to go with him.
When Marchelle returned King Evander was busy going over some plans with his court officials to restore the damaged parts of the castle, which was most of it.
“Why don’t we go back to our homeland while they restore the castle?” Marchelle suggested sweetly as she wrapped her arm around King Evander’s.
“That place has nothing but bad memories for me,” King Evander said stiffly as his head got flooded by the bad memories just by the mention of it.
“Forgive me. My room is in one piece, why don’t you come to join me so that I can make you feel better?” Marchelle tried nicely.
“No,” King Evander said before pulling away from her.
‘If I lay with Marchelle my memories with Queen Cerena might disappear,’ King Evander thought as he walked off, looking at the walls of the castle.
Marchelle just looked after him, wondering how she was going to win him over again.
“You can make me feel better,” her usual bed partner said before dragging her off to her room, making her chuckle.
After a heated session Marchelle came up with a plan, “find the queen and her family for me and when you do, don’t do anything, just let me know their whereabouts.”
“I will have to send a few scouts, myself, I am just a guard,” he said, getting dressed.
“Send only scouts that you trust,” Marchelle said before wrapping her arms around her pillow for an afternoon nap.
WIZARD LACOSTA’S HOME INSIDE THE KINGDOM WALLS.
Iris did not know how near to the castle she was because at some point the wizard put her under a sleeping spell and when she woke up, she was in a dark place with no windows. She tried screaming but no help came.
For weeks Princess Cerena and her parents tried to get Iris to make the wish in the mirror that will swop their bodies back, but Iris refused, “I want to see my own family, safe and sound.”
“Make the wish and I will deliver you to King Gerald to be with your family,” Princess Cerena tried.
“You take me for a fool?” Iris spat.
Princess Cerena got so mad sometimes that she whipped Iris until Iris fell unconscious.
Princess Cerena had the wizard use magic to locate Iris’s parents but to no prevail.
Every day they pleaded with Iris and every day Iris refused to make the wish.
One day the wizard Lacosta’s spy from the castle came knocking, “the king is leaving while they repair the castle.”
“Perfect. Let them finish the castle and once done we take our castle back. Any word from the kingdoms of the far corners of the world?” Princess Cerena’s mother the Queen wanted to know.
“No, word has not yet returned,” the spy said before taking his leave.
What the spy didn’t know was that he was already made by King Evander, but King Evander waited patiently. King Evander’s own spy explained to King Evander what he sees every time the traitor spy leaves, “he does not go to his own house, he goes to a house within the kingdom’s walls. He stays for a few minutes and then leaves again. I have kept my eyes on the house and only one man comes and goes, an old Gray head man, a doctor of some sort. He always collects some strange plants and flowers.”
“Could be the wizard that disguised himself as my doctor that time and put that paste on Queen Cerena’s face,” King Evander said, his hands in a fist, his knuckles white with anger, thinking, ‘she did try to kill me. I promise I will never be a fool for her again, ever.’
King Evander and Marchelle left to attend Prince Remington’s wedding but instead of leaving with Marchelle, King Evander turned back and disguised himself as a commoner. For weeks he lived near Lacosta’s house looking for any movement either than Lacosta himself. One day the king followed the spy to his own family home and it was then where King Evander revealed himself to the spy.
“Take his family to the dungeons, I will sell them as slaves,” King Evander threatened.
“Your majesty please you have to understand the wizard has my sister,” the spy pleaded for mercy.
“Why should I believe anything you say?” King Evander roared.
“If you drag my family out of here then the wizard will know that I am made. Instead, you and your guards should continue to disguise yourself and so should my family,” the spy explained, hoping that the king will know that the wizard really does have a hold on him through his sister.
“Why does the wizard have your sister?” King Evander wanted to know.
“She worked for the former king and queen and Lacosta found that she had magic in her and helped her to unfold her true powers as an enchantress,” the spy explained, his parents nodded in agreement.
“After she fulfilled her duties we wanted to leave with our parents but Lacosta locked my sister up and made me stay on as an errand boy for one of your Court Officials so that I can spy; saying if I don’t he will kill my sister,” the spy started to cry.
“How do I know that you are not just trying to get out of this, you little traitor?” King Evander asked.
“As I said, taking us with force will tip Lacosta off. Take us if you must but if Lacosta has no more use for me what do you think will happen to my sister?” the spy stated his case.