The Cursed Prince

Emmelyn and Kira washed up and changed into a clean outfit with the help of the palace maids. Then, they went to the dining room to dine with the king.

Dinner went well and after they were done, Emmelyn excused herself to rest in her chamber. She was exhausted by the journey and, at the same time, she was also giddy about meeting Edgar tomorrow.

It's been a long time since the last time she saw Edgar. She hoped the man was well and healthy. If anything bad happened to him, Emmelyn would feel guilty because she was the one who sent Edgar to Atlantea to find information about the curse that befell her.

It's been almost six months. Did Edgar know what happened in Draec? Did he know the queen was dead? If he didn't know... then, tomorrow Emmelyn would be the bearer of bad news.

It was not easy to do. She knew how much Edgar liked Queen Elara because he grew up with Mars from when they were little. He must be sad and mourning for the queen.

Sigh. Emmelyn tried to close her eyes and forced herself to sleep, but it was so hard to do.

KNOCK

KNOCK

"Emmelyn, do you want to go out and sightsee?" Kira knocked on her door. "I have enough rest and want to explore a little bit."

Emmelyn opened the door and saw Kira. She shook her head and told her she was not in the mood to explore.

"Maybe tomorrow?" she suggested. "I am a bit tired now."

"Ah, okay. You can rest then. I will just grab Lysander from the knights quarter and ask him to show me around." Kira patted Emmelyn's shoulder and then left.

Emmelyn only watched Kira leave with a smile. She admired Kira's energy and her passion to explore the surroundings whenever they arrived in a new place. She was a true adventurer at heart.

Once Kira disappeared from view, Emmelyn decided to ask a maid from nearby to make her a cup of tea so she could sleep. She remembered Mrs. Adler gave her a pouch filled with medicines and herbs that would be useful for her trip. One of the herbs was good for sleeping.

After she took the herbs, Emmelyn went to her bed and rested her body. She started to feel drowsy and sleep came to her soon after.

***

"You will see your friend soon," said Maxim with a smile.

They were having tea on the terrace after enjoying a sumptuous breakfast. Kira was sitting together with them too. She was happy with her exploration the night before and decided to stay in the palace with Emmelyn after breakfast so she could see Edgar.

"I am very excited," Emmelyn replied. Her face showed how much she was looking forward to meeting Edgar.

Maxim was happy to see the woman he loved could finally get what she had been looking for. Being a king was not so bad if you could help the people you loved, he thought.

"Very well. We will see him in half an hour."

Emmelyn had prepared a letter for Queen Elara to give to Edgar. She woke up really early in the morning and decided to write something to explain to her mother-in-law a little bit about what happened.

She thought Queen Elara must be confused when she woke up and other people told her all different versions of what happened while she was 'sleeping'. Emmelyn cried several times when she was writing the letter and had to throw away the paper.

Finally, she could write a simple letter and put it on a scroll. She put both the letter and Raphael's scarf in a wooden box she asked from Horatio. Now, she was ready.

"It's time," Maxim informed  Emmelyn when he saw Horatio came to see them. He asked his butler if the guest he had been waiting for had arrived. "Has he come?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Horatio bowed down and gave Maxim his report. I brought him to your personal lounge."

"Did he come alone?"

"No, he brought several men, but they were polite and were willing to wait outside," Horatio explained.

"Very well." Maxim was satisfied by the explanation. He knew from Emmelyn that Edgar Chaucer was a nobleman, so he must definitely know the etiquette of visiting the royal palace. He turned to Emmelyn. "Let's go and see him."

The king rose from his seat and walked toward the said lounge. It was a nice and spacious room facing the lush garden in the middle of the palace compound. There was a small lake there that was filled with white swans, swimming leisurely and basking under the sunlight. 

It was a perfect place to unwind and enjoyed a relaxing time. Emmelyn clutched the wooden box tightly as they walked closer to the lounge. Her heart felt like it was about to leap from her chest.

Gosh.. she couldn't wait to see Edgar.

"Come in."

After Horatio opened the door, Maxim spread his arms to welcome the ladies to enter his private lounge. Emmelyn and Kira stepped inside the huge and beautiful room. There were several soft sofas in the middle of the room and some bookcases. 

The floor-to-ceiling windows were opened to the garden, showing so many green plants and colorful flowers and of course the view of the beautiful lake.

This place looked huge, Emmelyn thought to herself. She admired the designs. The shapes of the buildings and the decoration showed a unique culture, different from other places she had ever visited.

Aside from the palace walls that were dominated by white, the rest of the decoration showed earth colors and made the place look so elegant and soothing to the eyes. Her mind slowly felt at ease and she took a deep breath.

"Please sit down, and make yourself comfortable," Maxim told Emmelyn. Then he turned to Horatio who was standing by the door, waiting for his order. "Please,  let my guest in."

"Will do, Your Majesty."

Horatio left them and return five minutes later with a burly and handsome man wearing an elegant knight outfit. His hair was longer than what Emmelyn remembered, but Edgar looked healthy and formidable like usual.

"Edgar!!" Emmelyn couldn't hold back any longer and quickly went to hug Lord Edgar Chaucer.