The Royal Mark-Chapter 271: Lost Soul
Their trip to Queen Yvonne’s castle didn’t go as smoothly as they wanted it to be but it was expected. Because of the rebel witches’ help, they were able to defeat anyone who stood their way and they were able to reach the castle by sundown the next day.
The grand welcome that they had been expecting the moment they reached the castle gate was not the one they had in mind. They were welcomed by the castle guard that Yejin was talking about in her story.
"Kuma! What happened here?" Yejin asked after seeing castle soldiers, witches, and civilians already lying on the ground, defeated and wounded.
"Yejin, thank goodness you’re alive! The witch queen was badly injured when she returned and went straight to one of the classrooms and killed a lot of children by sucking their life force. It didn’t heal and gone mad! She went to the castle grounds where some children were practicing magic and did the same.
Some of the parents visiting that day saw it and news about the queen killing their children spread like wildfire. Our people revolted and acted upon themselves. What you are seeing is the result of it."
"Where is the witch queen now?" Chris asked in a hurry.
"She must be in the north tower where her laboratory room is. Go and take the east route for the soldiers and the people are still fighting on the west side of the castle. You must hurry, there is a mage helping the witch queen, and as far as I know, her experiment is almost complete and once it happens, she will be stronger than before."
"Understood!" Andrius exclaimed and turned to Baahu. "Let’s split, your group will take the west side, and help the people fighting the witch queen. The four of us will take the east side and face the evil witch queen."
Everyone acted fast and went their way. Everywhere they look they can see witch soldiers and they can’t believe how many witches are willing to risk their lives for a queen that don’t even care about them.
"You should go! I can handle it here. Go and stop the evil witch queen and save Princess Neia," Drake shouted to Andrius, Chris, and Stefan while fighting.
As if on cue the three men kicked the enemy they were fighting with and ran towards the north tower.
Stefan had to grab Andrius so the three of them could reach the laboratory all at the same time.
"Woah, please do that again with no warning!" Andrius complained after feeling nauseous because of Stefan’s super speed. Stefan and Chris couldn’t help but laugh at the poor prince who still needed some adjusting to be able to stand on his feet.
"Fuck! Stefan, you should have taken a mage as well. We’re here with no magic defense," Chris uttered upon realizing their situation.
"OK, stay here..."
It didn’t even take a minute before Andrius and Chris heard two men puking behind them.
"What the hell! How can they cast protection magic if they are in that state?!" Chris yelled at Stefan, who again used his super speed to take Baahu and Dasher from the battle.
"Well, they’ll get over it soon..." Stefan smirked as if he had done something simple before patting Baahu and Dasher’s backs. "Right, powerful mages?"
The two men rolled their eyes at the vampire king as they tried to calm their stomachs.
"You could have at least warned us before grabbing us. We were fighting one moment and then here the next second. Our stomachs literally flipped upside down," Baahu grumbled as he put pressure on his upper abdomen.
"Alright, my fault, but we have no time for that. We’re already here so be ready."
Baahu sighed and straightened his back, ready to cast a protection spell anytime and so was Dasher.
Chris signaled them to be ready before kicking the huge door of the room that Queen Yvonne used as her laboratory.
But instead of surprising the evil queen who’s inside that room. It was them who were surprised, especially Prince Andrius.
"Mother..."
The Prince of Zemaria weakly uttered as he pursed his lips in both disappointment and sadness.
The sight of the former Queen of Zemaria, Irina, pricked their hearts a little at how pitiful she looked. The once grandiose and elegant queen who always wore expensive and majestic gowns now wears an ordinary dress and her hair was let loose and dishevelled. From the looks of it, she hadn’t had any sleep for days at how dark the circles under her eyes were.
However, Andrius was able to put aside his emotions quickly after remembering what his mother had done, not only to their family but also to the innocent citizens of Zemaria. He was just thankful that Milda and Drake were not with him at that moment or else, their hearts would really be broken when they saw their mother in that state.
"Andrius! What are you doing here?" Irina asked, totally confused.
"That’s supposed to be my question. So the rumors are true that you fled the southern island to ask help from the witch queen! You disappoint me, Mother..."
"No, my son, don’t say that. I am only here to ask for help. Once I am powerful enough, even more powerful than Valeria, your father will see me differently and will surely love me more than his mistress," Valeria said as she walked towards Andrius, ready to hug her son.
But Andrius stepped back and raised his hand, signaling his mother to stop approaching him further.
"You have lost your mind! Can’t you understand? Father does not love you, nor he will ever will. But you don’t have to throw your life like this. Milda, Drake, and I are here for you, why can’t you see that? Are we not enough for you? Why do you keep pushing yourself to a man who does not love you? Why don’t you focus on us, the people who truly love you?!"
Andrius tried to suppress his feelings just like the day that they arrested her mother and sent her to prison but this time, he could no longer hold it. All those times that he tried to be strong in front of his sister and brother piled up and now it is overwhelming.
He thought that it was not too late yet for their mother, that she just needed time and still could change. But hearing her now changed his point of view, his mother is a lost soul who could never be saved anymore.
