CHAPTER FOUR

Prince Arthur woke up to the bumping ride of a carriage. 

His head woozy and his senses disoriented, he blinked several times to adjust his vision. With a groan, he rose, turned to the carriage wooden window and pushed it open. 

A gasp left him as the ray of sun kissed his face, using his hand as a shede he waited until his eyes became a inured to it after that he quietly took in his surrounding.

They have obviously crossed the great mountains, probably far from DeHaven. 

He could see so many strange beings moving about their way, freely going about their various activities on the road, but that wasn't what had Arthur's jaw on the floor.

The young prince couldn't believe what he's seeing, if his could remember correctly, the great kingdom of Kansas is the only place were creatures with their upper body like a human’s and lower body like animals exists. Last he could remember he was with Lancelot his personal guard, how did he end up in a chariot? Or is this some kind of dream, he pinched his arm only to let out a groan.

“ Oh heavens!, this was no dream!, Mirabella!” he jumped out of his seat only to have his head hit the chariot roof. The sound that follows attracted the people outside.

“ Arthur, you are finally awake!"

“ Mira?!" Arthur was both happy and surprised to have the princess here with him, he made to stand up… 

“ Don't move!" The princess warned making him seat back, “ how are you feeling now?" Even though she ask, the princess already placed the back of her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. “ Thank the sky, your temperature has finally gone down." She pulled him into her embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. 

“ Mira, what happened?" Arthur could tell she's crying by the trembling of her shoulder,he gently tap her at the back to coax her.

“ Arthur, I thought you will never open your eyes, I was so scared, I thought I would be left all alone in this cruel world, I.. I… ” she got chocked by her tears.

“Ssshh, don't cry, I promise to be by your side, how can I bear to leave you behind, look, I'm up and kicking nothing happened." He tried to cheer her up.

“Nothing happened, do you know how scared I was when Lancelot found you lying unconscious on the cold floor?"

“ Lancelot. Speaking of him, where's he?" At the mention of his guard's name, memories of what happened last night started flooding his head.

“ That's right!, I should let him know you're up!, we've been on the road for days, only stopping at night two hours of rest, everyone in the crew are probably exhausted, Lancelot subject we take a day off since we are now in Kansas.” The princess explained, unaware of how deadly pale her brother has suddenly become.

“Did you just say we're in Kansas city?!”

“ Yes, let me go inform Lancelot." Unable to contain her joy the princess hurried out of the chariot to a little make shift tent beside it.

“ Your highness," a young guard called her attention immediately he saw her approach the tent.

“Lancelot!" Mira's pupils enlarged more than it usually size immediately she caught sight of the guard whose drown curly hair fell forward covering one side of his face thereby adding to his undeniable manly charms.

“ At your service,your highness.” Lancelot gentle voice called the princess mind back to the matter on ground.

“ Oh!,no, not me, I mean, brother . He's up and needs your attention.” Mari's face was as red as a rose as she struggled with her words.

“ Yes mi lady." Lancelot replied dropping the little basin of water he used in cleaning up his face.

“ I will join the other maids then." Without waiting for his response Mari bolt off, before she further embarrass herself in his presence.

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Inside the chariot, prince Arthur stared down at his best friend and most trusted aid kneeling in front of him with disappointment written all over his face. No matter how much he thought about it he still couldn't believe Lancelot could betray this way.

“ Even at this point you are still insisting on disobeying me?”

 “Your highness, I will accept whatever punishment you will be giving me, but my answer still remain the same.” 

“ Lancelot! ”

“Please understand your highness, this is the only way out for you and the princess, Kansas might be a dangerous place for humans, but sometimes the most dangerous place might turn out to be the safest place. Believe me there's no place we can go that the king won't find us, he has every other kingdoms under him apart from Kansas. We can pretend to be carrying out the assignment he entrusted you while secretly plotting our escape here.” This has been his plan since he heard the prince will be representing the king in Kansas, if they were to follow their previous plans, it won't take long before the tyrant king will have them brought back.

" I'm entrusting you with our lives." After a long thought Arthur decided to go by his plan, hoping everything goes well. With Lancelot's help Arthur stepped out of the carriage. 

“How much longer do we have to rest here?" He ask sternly.

" We will proceed with the journey after you had your breakfast, I had to make everyone out work themselves while trying to escape the king's guards, before they noticed the disappearance of her highness, I thought it would be safer if we're already inside the castle walls.”

 “ Lancelot,”

 “yes, your highness.”

 “ Thank you for always looking out for us.” the prince said with heart filled with unspeakable gratitude.

∆∆∆∆∆∆

“Wow!!" Arthur and Mirabella exclaimed in amazement. 

Together, they took in the beauty of the commanding fortess in front of them. Which was where the carriage was heading . 

It stood tall and intimidating, thick stone walls surrounded it. It's towers reached towards the sky littered with vigilant soldiers armed to the teeth. 

"This place looks extremely luxurious." Mira commented. Arthur silently agreed with her.

As royalty, they beganwere well-acquainted with luxury, but this was on a different scale.

They watched as the gates opened and their carriage proceeded into the fortress.

Time passed as they were escorted through the vast fortress, passing numerous chambers and passages. Prince Arthur to feel overwhelmed, struggling to keep track of their route. He's constantly looking behind to make sure his attendants were closely behind him, not because he cares but his sister was among them, he can't bare to be separated from her. 

The interior of the fortress surpassed even its magnificent exterior. Finally, one of the Kansas soldiers leading them ushered him into one of the wings "the south wing shall be your your place of residence through out your stay here, tonight, the supreme King will be having dinner with all the ambassadors and each prince are allowed to come with just a hand maiden."the soldier took his time to explain, after passing down his message, he took his leave. 

The room was not only surprisingly spacious it was tastefully decorated too. Remembering that he still has an appointment tonight and needed all the rest he could get, prince Arthur turned to instruct his personal guard, “Lancelot, see that everyone get enough rest, before noon princess Mira should be prepared, she will be accompanying me to the gathering."

“ As you wish your highness!"

“You are all dismissed."

“Yes your highness!" They echoed in unison.

<><><><>

“ How are you feeling now, your highness?" Inside a barely lit chamber, a tall young man, with beautiful that could put the sun to shame, stood in front of a large window. His dominion appeared to be calm but instead he was in a heated fight with his beast that has suddenly gone feral since this morning. 

“How is the preparation?" Instead of answering his underline who has been rocking in the shadows the young man responded with another question. Earlier today he has instructed his men to bind him to a chain on noticing how restless his beast had became .

After the war it took decades to tame his beast but since then he has never been himself. More than hundreds of years now the beast has suddenly want to take control of his body.

“All the ambassadors are present in the dining hall awaiting your presence," keaden the king right hand man reported.

After a while the beast stopped wrecking havoc inside the supreme King and he ordered to be let loose.

After confirming the king was the one who gave the order, keaden unlocked the chains .

King Xerxes walked out of his chamber with his guards behind him, on getting to the front of the double door leading to the dining hall, his steady foot steps came to a stop, his beautiful forest green eyes suddenly turn black like a bottomless pit. Slowly he turned to face the two people approaching him, his black eyes guled at the maid that was standing behind the young prince. 

“ MY...MATE ”

 the atmosphere turn depressingly tensed because the king himself have just uttered the forbidden word.