The Royal Mark-Chapter 83: A Year Ago - Chris’ Story (2)
Chris found the woman unconscious on the ground near the demon soldier and found a snake bite on her arm. He had sucked out the snake venom from her wrist and made her drink some of his blood to make her heal faster.
His satisfaction deepened knowing he had located a secure cave, offering the woman refuge from the elements and potential threats. He left her with firewood, some food that he gathered, and his gray cloak. He waited for her to wake up but she didn’t and he had to go back before the portal permanently closed.
He knows that he can no longer wait for her to open her eyes. He fixed her reddish hair before covering her with his cloak to keep her warm. As much as he wanted to keep the woman safe by her side, her grandmother firmly instructed him to not bring the woman back to their world for her life is in great danger, and leaving her in the other world is much safer. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
"I hope you will find peace in this world," he said to the sleeping woman and stared at her one last time before leaving. She is a beautiful woman and if their circumstances were different, it would be very easy for him to fall in love with her. Someone must have been after her beauty and sent the demon soldiers to take her.
However, the injured old woman told him to get back before the sun rose or he would be trapped forever in the other world for that’s the only amount of time that she can keep the portal open so he must hurry.
With great hesitation, he left the red-haired woman and ran back to the portal as fast as he could, he almost didn’t make it but he did. But now he is utterly baffled about his current situation. He is now standing in the same place where he was before entering the portal but now it looks like time has changed the place, almost unrecognizable.
He head towards the road where he came from before spotting the injured old woman. The road that he knew was still there but a bit different, it was unkempt and abandoned. He frowned once more, completely confused for it didn’t look like that when he stepped down from his carriage to help the man fighting the demon soldiers.
"Right, the man asked for help. He must have taken the old woman to the healers," he told himself.
He continued walking on the rough road that was once full of cobblestones, towards the King’s castle in Zemaria. That was his original destination before he commanded his soldiers to stop and help the man and his guards for they were clearly outnumbered by the demon soldiers.
"I must be dreaming. Can it be the effect of traveling through the portal? Where is everyone?" He kept asking himself things that he knew he had no answer for.
He continued walking along the trail, the crunch of dry brown leaves beneath his boots and the gentle rustling of the trees were the only sounds that broke the complete silence of the place.
His confusion was suddenly shattered by a distant rumble, a sound that grew steadily louder and louder as it came near him. He halted, his heart quickening as he turned around to see the source of that noise.
His eyes widened and he felt delighted to see a group of soldiers burst into view as their horses gallop along the rough road in a thunderous procession. They are carrying a yellow banner with Zemaria’s coat of arms, and that sight gave him joy for his help has just arrived.
As the soldiers drew closer, their faces came into view. He saw the expression of the knight commander and panic gripped him as he realized that they were not there to rescue him but they are there to arrest him.
The soldier pushed him to the ground forcing his hands behind his back.
"What is this impudence? How dare you treat me like this. I am Prince Christopher Jorgensen of Arcanis! I command you to release me at once!"
"Commander, should we take him to Prince Drake? He surely fits the description of the missing Prince of Arcanis," one of the soldiers said.
"Don’t they all look and say the same? Take him to the dungeons, where the others are," the commander said.
"What do you mean missing? I am right here, I am the Prince of Arcanis, betrothed to the second Princess!" Chris exclaimed.
The soldiers all laughed, puzzling Chris, "What is so funny?! You are all going to pay for this! Take me to your King!"
Chris was treated by the soldiers in the same manner as any other captive. He was placed into a wagon designed for prisoners – a tumbleweed wagon, alongside a group of recently captured demons and witches. Chris stopped struggling, for he knew that it was futile, as the soldiers didn’t even spare him a single glance.
He patiently occupied a seat within the wagon, attentively absorbing the conversations exchanged between the soldiers and fellow prisoners in his vicinity. He also observed their surroundings and noticed that some things had changed and some did not.
Despite the occasion being the day of his upcoming wedding with the second princess of the Zemaria Empire, not a single banner or decoration was put up for the upcoming ceremony, as would be customary. Throughout the entirety of Vectus Mundus, it was tradition for the wedding of a royal figure to be extravagantly commemorated. It is a festivity celebrated not solely by the people in the castle but also by everyone in the whole kingdom.
He remembered seeing the coat of arms of Zemaria and Arcanis on a banner side by side the moment he and his men landed in the port of Zemaria Empire. It symbolizes the union of two kingdoms either by alliance by marriage or alliance by truce.
In this case, it is an alliance by marriage, that will solidify their union with the humans and this includes the hope for the future royal heirs to inherit the divine magic that the second princess possesses that could only be inherited through birth.
