Chapter 3

Sighing, I replayed everything that had just occurred in my mind... As strange as it was, I couldn't help but wonder why on earth I was strolling through a forest... in the middle of the night... between two weirdos. It's possible that I longed to be duped. 

They told me that they were transporting me to Mystic Lake and that it was situated on the far side of Redwood Forest. Julie told me that the witches who lived so close to the lake kept regular people away from the area. The reason the witches lived here was revealed to me by Ryder, who entered the discussion.

“It's a short walk to the water for them. They increase their magical skills by drinking the water from Mystic Lake. - In addition, the forest offers good cover from witch hunters.”

Nodding my head in agreement, I realized what he meant. However, I was only able to concentrate on one thought at a time.

I can't wait to see my mother for real this time.

My heart surged with anticipation and pleasure as a crisp breeze blew softly in my face.

To my horror, Ryder suddenly stopped walking, and I was on the verge of colliding with his back. As if he had just seen a ghost, his face went a light shade of white. I saw a boat on the lake slowly making its approach to shore as he looked at Julie. "Julie, please take her and conceal her. Now.”

Julie seized my hand and dragged me behind a large tree. “There's the King of the Xanathan!” Julie murmured. “He is the Moon Stone pack's Alpha and opposes Prythian.”

“The Alpha??”

Once again my mouth dropped open in surprise as I cautiously poked my head out of the way to peer at the boat.

In other words: Holy crap. You can't help but fall in love with him.

Unmoving, the King sat still in the skiff, staring intently at the shoreline. His boatman held the long oar and rowed with steady strokes as he sat back and watched. Royalty instilled him with an air of self-assurance and authority that was contagious. I could see that he was clad in a dark suit by the light of the moon. A savage glitter in his eyes and wavy hair streamed across his forehead, making him look like a wolf. 

Honestly, he was the most handsome man I had ever seen. Before I could be discovered by his searching gaze, I had hastily retreated to the safety of my cover.

When the boat struck the bank, I watched Ryder take great strides to greet the stranger. A phony smile appeared on Ryder's face as he bowed slightly.

“Alpha Atlas.”

The man's brow was lifted in a suspicious manner. “What are you doing here? Being a butler, do you not have enough to do at the castle without running errands?”

“Butler?” With an inquiring gaze, I muttered, “Julie?”

Strictly speaking, she declared, “He is working as the butler at Xanathan Castle. In no way should you, Caroline, talk about this. If anybody finds out about him spying on them, the game is over.”

I gave a nod and turned to face the magnificent-looking man again.

“Milord, I'm sorry, I was here to help you select a good secretary. If may I ask what brings you here? If there is any assistance needed, I'd want to help in any way possible.” Concerned Ryder inquired, his voice trembling.

Really superb acting, I'm impressed with him.

“To get the things I need, I came here today. We need to be prepared for battle. It's possible that it'll happen at any time now. Any day now maybe the day."

“You could have asked me, Milord. The errand would have been an honor for me to accomplish.”

Sighing softly, King Atlas tucked his hands snugly into his coat pockets.

“In order to avoid bothering anyone, I decided not to ask for help. Ryder, have a good night and I'll see you at the castle in the morning.”

After passing Ryder, I noticed the king and his retinue moving toward downtown. He sighed, took a big breath, and signaled for us to emerge from our hiding place when they had vanished into the forest.

Taking a jab at the boat next to him, he spoke, “Get in, miss.”

I followed the instructions without question. As I entered the vessel, Julie held my hand and sat down next to me when I had settled in. Ryder grabbed the oar and set himself up in front of us. It was quite a sight to behold.

“Earlier, what war you two were talking about? What kind of conflict is this?” I inquired, and he didn't oblige.

It was as if Ryder didn't hear me; he just kept rowing without even a glance in my direction. Well, if he didn't want to talk about it, I wasn't going to hound him about it.

“Do you know why is it called mystic lake?” Julie asked.

It was difficult for me to recall the stories my uncle used to tell me as I attempted to recall them and scratched my head.

“Isn't it because this lake connects to the Mystical Realm? No one knows for sure. Anyone who has tried to find out has never returned. ”

Ryder chuckled as his gaze remained fixed straight ahead. “The answer is "yes," if you pardon the fact. Nevertheless, you'll learn something new today."

My brow furrowed, inquiringly, “Learn what?”

Julie gently tapped me on the shoulder and smiled at me. “Where the lake leads to.”

As the frigid wind whipped my face and torso, I felt my muscles clench. I wasn't sure if my shivering was caused by the cold or by my anxiety, so I tried to ignore it.

A deafening silence fell as the boat sped toward its destination. Because Ryder was sitting directly in front of me, I couldn't help but glance at him. Awkward and a touch inadequate, his look made me feel every time. In the process of turning my back on him, I wondered aloud whether it had all been a bizarre dream. I couldn't believe it.

The thought of seeing my mom made me nervous. These people informed me she was a Queen. My mother shouldn't have borne me if she planned on leaving me. In the pit of my stomach, a knot began to develop. Why? Who knows why she wanted to see me after all this time?

Does it even matter that she abandoned me?

It wasn't long before my thoughts were racing and I started to feel a little dizzy. Massaging my temples with my fingertips, I switched my sight back to the front of the boat and took a long breath. My mouth dropped open in surprise. Fog was looming ahead of us. We were speeding toward a wall of smoky mist.

I swallowed my dread and massaged my eyes in an attempt to clear my vision. Panicking set in when it didn't operate at all.

That... “What the heck is that?”

My ears picked up Ryder's soothing words. “It is forbidden for humans to cross the water. To prevent them from ever making it to the opposite side, the fog serves as a deterrent.”

Peering into the fog, my heart started to thud uncontrollably in my chest. I couldn’t see anything! Not in front of us and definitely not behind us.

Julie placed her hand on my shoulder and murmured, “It's okay, miss. In the end, you're no longer what you used to be. It's going to clear up in a second.”

I thought hard to find the meanings of her words. What I used to be! Right! I was not a human anymore.

Instantly, my tight shoulders relaxed in response to her assurance. Regardless of the circumstances, these people were friendly and welcoming, making me feel at ease. 

Because I had never had somebody eager to be close to me, it was a new experience for me. It was funny, but I felt like I could call Julie and Ryder my friends even before they said anything to me.

After a few seconds, the fog began to evaporate and my vision began to improve. I gasped when I saw a large kingdom in the distance. I was really aback by the group of people who waited for their turn on the bank. They seemed like humans.

However, when we approached the shore, I was able to discern that their eyes were distinct from mine. All of the inhabitants had paper-white skin and vivid yellow eyes.

I couldn't help but stare at them. Is it possible that such a planet may exist? Everybody bowed deeply to Julie as the boat finally reached the shore. However, when they spotted me, they were terrified and startled. As a result, I was perplexed.

What makes them think I'm a threat?

“Caroline, they didn't expect us to bring someone else back when we departed. That's why they're surprised,” Ryder said with a chuckle.

I observed a woman approach us with curiosity as he stepped out of the boat. “Princess Caroline?” she said through the gasp. 

Ryder smiled at her, nodded, and extended his hand to me as he escorted me to land. I watched as Julie and Ryder lowered their heads in reverence as I regained my bearings.

“Welcome to Prythian, Princess Caroline,” In tandem, Julie and Ryder welcomed me to my new realm.

Princess, oh my!