III. The Impact of Her
~ Thirty-One ~

A long while has passed and I was still stuck in Lord Cyrus’ office.

I read each document meticulously to avoid complications in the future. I tried to keep my focus here. But something inside of me was being difficult. My mind kept thinking of Laura. I was increasingly uneasy about being away from her. And I shouldn’t be feeling that way because she was accompanied by two servants and Wonder as well.

“That would be all for Wonder’s release,” Lord Cyrus said as he sat across from me. He rummaged through everything and anything in his table. He continued, “All that is left is your signature and everything is finished.”

His words were muffled to my ears as I continued to be restless. The quill was in my hand. It was only a few inches away from where I should sign. But I couldn’t move. Instead, my eyes were at the door as I hoped for her to enter.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness?” Lord Cyrus asked as he tried to get my attention.

I returned to him, my brows knitted together. “I don’t know why. But I feel incredibly uneasy for a while now,” I replied.

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Lord Cyrus leaned forward as he got even more confused.

“It’s as if something wrong is bound to happen,” I said as I struggled to find words to express my emotions. The only thing that was on my mind was Laura.

Lord Cyrus stayed quiet for a bit. Then, in a cheerful tone, he answered, “Perhaps, you are just nervous, Your Highness. To lose a beloved champion and to choose another is not an easy decision. But I am certain that Lady will be happy with your decision.”

I looked up to meet his gaze. I tried so hard to believe his words.

‘Was it possible that I was only afraid to upset Lady’s spirit?’ I thought to myself.

Lady would want me to be happy. I was told that many times. However, to choose a new champion felt like I had forsaken her and everything that we shared.

“Your Highness,” Lord Cyrus spoke, which removed me from my swirling thoughts, “There is no need to fear a new chapter. Lady meant a great deal to you. No one and nothing can change that,” he looked earnestly into my eyes. He continued, “However, to remain in the past is to die as well. You will not be able to move forward. You will always believe that she does not want that for you.”

As I listened carefully to his explanation, I somehow found myself believing his words. Lady would never want a miserable life for me. I shared so many fond memories with her. And they would be cherished until my last breath. But I should move forward with my life.

Lady would always have a special place in my heart.

After a bit of thought, I nodded with a smile. “I may have been overthinking too much. I apologise if I am in such a state. I am still in shock about everything that has happened,” I explained.

Lord Cyrus chuckled as he laid back on his chair. “You simply acknowledged your emotions, Your Highness. You have nothing to worry about,” he replied. “We are all created with our hearts and own minds. You are allowed to feel defeat after such a heavy loss. Now, if you can sign all the needed documents, that will be perfect. We can also return to your new champion and the lady Laura.”

“Of course.” The quill finally landed on the paper as I signed.

Lord Cyrus took the documents and marked two seals beside my legislation. One seal represented his stables and the other represented the royal family. He then rolled the documents into scrolls and slid it through elongated, wooden tubes.

“Here you are, Your Highness,” Lord Cyrus said as he handed the wooden containers to me.

I smiled as I shook hands with him. “Thank you for your help, Lord Cyrus.”

Lord Cyrus bowed and replied, “It has been my honour. Thank you for trusting me with this decision of yours. Shall I have the servants prepare Wonder for you?”

“That will not be necessary, thank you,” I said as he approached me. I continued, “Perhaps Laura and the workers have already prepared Wonder whilst we were in here.”

“Ah, yes, the lovely lady that accompanied you today,” Lord Cyrus smiled teasingly as he crossed his arms. He rested his chin on top of his knuckles and added, “If I may, Your Highness, I am happy that you found love for yourself.”

My eyes widened but I quickly calmed myself. I cleared my throat and said, “I am not sure what you meant by that, my lord.”

Lord Cyrus chuckled briefly. He slid his hands into his pockets and replied, “I am past the years of my prime, Your Highness. But, the tantalising gaze of two lovers is all too familiar to me. No need to deny anything to me, especially to yourself.”

I could not help but smile. “You saw right through my facade, my lord,” I remarked.

Lord Cyrus nodded as he stepped forward. “And with all due respect, Your Highness, you cannot hide your affections for her,” he said. He continued, “Your eyes cannot hide the truth. And that is the fact that she makes you happy and she brightens your world. And I am a firm believer of choosing whatever it is that makes you happy.”

I sighed. “I am afraid that my happiness is not something to be considered, Lord Cyrus,” I remarked as we headed for the door. I continued, “As the future ruler of our kingdom, my happiness must not get in the way of my duties. The comfort, the benefit, the security of my people will always come first. My kingdom should be my priority. And as of this moment, my quest for love has taken over that sense of duty.”

I shook my head slowly as I hid my hands behind me. “I now fear my rule as king. If my emotions are not kept under control, it can be fatal for my realm,” I added.

Lord Cyrus lightly tapped on my shoulder. “Do not be afraid to stand for what is right, Your Highness. We may live forever. But once the ancient gods decide to end our journey of immortality, we will regret the things that we should have fought for,” he replied.

I never expected that Lord Cyrus would be someone I could talk to about my woes. I only spoke to him a handful of times and that was on special occasions. Specifically, at banquets that were held in our castle. But to learn that he had different insights as an Immortal, it was surprising and amazing.

Finally, someone shared the same thoughts as I do.

“Thank you very much, Lord Cyrus,” I shook his hand briefly.

“Now, let us return to the lady and have your horse prepared.”

From Lord Cyrus’ office, we headed to where we last left Laura and Wonder.

However, upon our return, the only person there was a cleaner. Rake in hand, he focused on removing excess hay from the ground.

“Excuse me?”I called out as I approached him.

The cleaner turned to my direction and bowed immediately. “Your Highness,” he greeted.

“Have you seen a horse and three other people here?” I enquired.

The cleaner kept his head low and replied, “Forgive me, Your Highness. However, I do not know whom you speak of.”

“His Highness is asking about the newly-rescued horse,” Lord Cyrus entered the conversation as he stepped out from behind me. “It was accompanied by a lady and two of our workers,” he added.

The cleaner took his time to think. A few seconds later, his eyes widened and replied, “Oh, yes, my lords, I saw them upon my arrival.” He stood properly and proceeded, “They headed to the entrance. The workers already carried the horse’s necessities for preparations.”

I sighed out deeply, relieved. For a moment, I thought my restlessness was about to point to a disaster. ‘You panicked too quickly. Stop torturing yourself. Laura is safe,’ I scolded myself.

The cleaner then turned to Lord Cyrus with a confused look. “I thought that horse is not yet to be sold, my lord,” he said.

“I thought so, too. However, Prince Robert here,” Lord Cyrus put his hand on my shoulder once more, “He has proved us wrong. With his impeccable skills towards champions, the horse will be in good hands. I guess it is only a matter of proper timing and the right owner.”

The cleaner nodded. “That is indeed wonderful for both master and horse,” he remarked.

Lord Cyrus retracted his hand and said, “I couldn’t agree more. Well, we shall leave you to your duties.”

The cleaner gave his farewell whilst Lord Cyrus and I proceeded to the entrance.

As we made our way to the entrance, I imagined the race that I would have with Laura.

Once we reached the fields, I would introduce Wonder to Lady. I would ask for Lady’s blessing and guidance from above for my new champion. After that, a simple picnic would be the best way to end everything,

Just the mere thought of spending time with Laura made me smile.

However, when we arrived, my whole world stopped. My smile disappeared and my eyes widened at the horrific sight before me.

Wonder was on her own by the entrance. The two workers were laid out on the pavement. They were drenched in a pool of blood. Their clothes were drenched by crimson red and mud. And the thing I feared the most.

Laura was nowhere to be found.

Lord Cyrus rushed over to his workers whilst I ran over to Wonder. I checked her well-being before I ran further down the path. I hoped that Laura was only playing a trick on me with the workers. But Leo was gone as well.

“Laura?!” I called out in all directions. “Laura, where are you?!”

No answer came back. My voice was responded by the echo of my own voice, as well as the birds that hovered above me.

My head spun as I panicked. I should have listened to my instincts. I shouldn’t have left her alone! My gut already warned me that something was bound to happen. But I failed to listen to it.

I raked my hands through my hair in despair. Horrified, I struggled to paint a picture of what could have happened during my absence. I returned to Lord Cyrus and helped him with his workers.

“Where is Laura?” I asked the workers as we helped them sit by the nearest wall. “Where is she? What happened?” I asked one after the other.

One of the servants grabbed hold of my sleeve. “Your… Highness…” his grip tightened as he struggled to speak. “She… was… taken…” he wheezed, out of breath.

’Taken?!” I screamed in my mind.

“By whom??” I asked hysterically as I was unable to control myself.

The other worker groaned as he entered the conversation. “We were… blind-sided, Your Highness. Gravely… outnumbered. They crowded over us. They have… beaten us… to the ground,” he said as he took slight pauses to catch his breath.

He then continued, “The last thing… that we saw… was a knife… being held to her throat. She was blindfolded… her hands were bound… and a scarf was tied around her mouth to silence her. A sack… was used… to cover her face.”

His description of Laura’s torment broke my heart. But, it angered me to the end of my patience.

Laura… my Laura was taken.

Suddenly, Wonder whinnied which made me turn to her. I noticed that there was a note near her. It was pinned to the ground under an enormous rock.

I rushed over to it. When I opened it, it read,

“Stories said that the prince of Western Wind does not bleed. I would like to see it while I take his heart from him.”

My jaw clenched as those words were imprinted on my mind. I crushed the paper into a crumpled ball within my hands.

Only one name appeared in my mind.

Benjamin.

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