Chapter 3: Symbol
"Where is she?" She screeched making the entire court shiver in fear. Her grey eyes flickered with sparks of blue as ice crystals began to form where she stood. None dared to speak. Who had the right to speak in front of the great Queen Idalia. Especially not when she was angry. And when they had failed her. She swished her hand around the table in front of her throwing away the single glass globe that stood on the gold patterned wooden table.
The ball rolled across the royal blue carpeted floor until a shoe came over it making it pause mid movement. The owner of the shoe bent down picking up the globe in his hand he twirled it around. His lips turned up from one side in a smug smirk. "Maybe you should have looked at the correct place and asked help for the correct person" And no one had the guts accept him to dare to speak up.
"And I am guessing you have got your hands upon what I am looking for, Nicole" The queen folded her arms across her chest not letting herself be hopeful.
"I will answer your question if you answer mine" The young men dressed in his armor walked forward taking a cautious step towards the queen.
"And What might it be, general" Her words were filled with spite. It made her furious, how dare he take advantage of her.
"Why are you looking for her now, when you were the one who sent her away 20 years ago shouldn't you know where she is?" He carefully articulated his question assessing the queen's emotion. She didn't even let her emotions flicker for a second but the rage and shock in her eyes were clear by the furious change of colors.
"I pity myself for thinking you were smart enough to have figured it out by now "Sarcasm laced her every word.
"My guess is she has a seal on her or else the globe would have found her by now. But of course your highness who would know the correct answer than you?" He smiled and his smiled was enough to make people step away in caution. But she was the queen of course.
"Yes General Nicole, she has a seal on her, so tell me how did you find her?" She was running out of patience.
"What can I say your granddaughter loves to be in the spotlight" He stood on the opposite side of the table now, he knew not to provoke the queen any further. Placing the globe down he whispered a few words causing black fog grow inside of the globe, filling it slowly.
Within a few seconds a picture replaced the fog a school girl stood with a black phone in her hands. A video of Audra played on the screen as she kicked the guy in a coffee shop" The queen stared at the girl, unable to remove her eyes from the girl.
"Doesn't it feels like looking at a mirror." She despised how that young boy had easily spoke exactly what she feared to speak aloud. There she was, the girl she had been trying to locate for 20 years.
"What is that black thing?" one of the ministers gathered around the globe questioned.
"It's called a black box. It's like this globe. But it has even more magic than this globe "another answered.
"How can you say it has more power?" One of them countered.
"It fought over the seal. Can't you see?" the second one replied.
"Enough" One yell from the queen and silence prevailed upon the court. "Get me that girl Now. I do not care how you do it but I want her back alive"
"And what about her mother?"
"Bring her as well, but if you harm her I will not let you off" Idalia's words were more than a threat.
"Wasn't she banned from this kingdom and stripped of her title" Nicole questioned.
"You do not question me" She hissed at him making sure he spoke no more words.
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Her legs ached. Her heart drummed against her chest. Stray hair stuck on her face from sweat. Her breath came out ragged. Ignoring it all she ran and ran on the jogging track, trying to process her conversation last night.
"He loved you. He never got a choice in any of this. He must have his reasons" Idalia felt her voice breaking. It had been…
"It has been 20 years and yet he didn't get one reason to return to us. You don't even know if he is alive or not do you?" She took in a shaky breath stopping her tears from escaping her eyes.
"He has to be" There was hope in her mother's eyes. No it was faith. It was confirmation.
"You know, I used to imagine... him all the time. I didn't know what he looked like, since I had never seen him. There were times when I wished he w-would appear out of nowhere for me. But he never came mumma" She couldn't stop her tears this time. For first time she had confided to her mother about her father. And she wished she hadn't.
"He can't come here. If he could he would be here. He was the happiest when he saw you for the first time" Idalia found herself again reliving the moments from 20 years.
"I really don't want to talk about this please. It doesn't matter anymore" She wiped away her tears and tried to smile at her mother but she failed miserably.
"I'll let you work" her mother nodded at her leaving the room
And she knew that it was to be a long night for both of them.
She couldn't take it anymore, before her legs could give up she got off the jogging track retreating on one of the benches in the park. No matter how much she had tried she couldn't get out the conversation out of her head. She felt guilty. With one more deep breath she resumed her run and this time she didn't stop till she was at her front door.
Audra stopped right in front of her house. Bracing herself to apologize to her mother. She reached for the door handle and to her surprise the door was unlock. Finding it peculiar she cautiously pushed the door open hearing her heartbeat in her ears. The sight in front of her was more than shocking for her. Loud scream escaped her lips before she could stop herself. The view in front of her made her want to gag. It frightened her.
Her house was a mess. The dining table in the center of the lounge was slanted one side broken. At the end of it was a man covered in blood. He held one piece of the broken table in his hand. Her eyes assessed the house further and she found another unconscious man hanging from the staircase railing. She was frightened. She moved further ahead clutching her heart. All sorts of thoughts occurred in her head about her mother. She wanted to call out her mother but she wasn't sure if she still had her voice or not. She looked around the house and noticed blood at the end of the island table of the open kitchen. Scared she still moved towards it. Afraid of seeing something she isn't want.
"Mumma" A cry left Audra's lips seeing her mother sitting there by the support of the cabinets. She was covered in blood. Her hairs were a mess as if someone tried to pull at it. Her lips were bleeding. Her hands were covered in blood; Audra wasn't sure hers or someone else. Sleeves torn from one side. And blood dripped from her arm where she was cut horribly. She couldn't see anymore; her eyes were turned blurry from the tears in her eyes.
"Mumma" She leaped at her mother hugging her.
"Audra, you are here" Idalia hugged her back from her one good hand. "It's okay it will be fine. Mumma is here right" She comforted her daughter whispering to her.
Audra pulled back looking at her mother's bruise face again. "Get up we have to take you to the hospital right now." She had regained her courage.
"audra, you have to listen to me well. We don't have much time." It was taking her a lot of effort to speak. "You have to leave this world"
"What are you saying?" She wailed. Worry for her mother filling her.
"Do you know this ring?" Idalia tried to get it off of her finger. She flinched having to move her injured hand. "This ring symbolizes you. Your father gave it to me. "She took Audra's hand slipping it on her finger as she sat still unable to understand her mother. The metal band was cold against her finger. "And thanks to My father it has kept us protected until now. But now it's time for you to leave" Idalia clutched her hand soothing her.
"I am not going anywhere without you" her voice was sore from crying. She didn't understand a word her mother was saying yet those words frightened her.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone