Elena opened her eyes and without a second waste, she sat up straight. Her entire body was sweating while her breathing was short and quick.
Her eyes ventured around her surroundings and were met with her own chamber. The curtain was slightly agape as the moonlight peeked through it.
And it was then she realized, her conversation with Aslan and the merciless harsh wind were just a dream. Though everything felt so incredibly real.
She crawled over to the edge of the bed and put on her slippers. After putting on her night robe, she headed towards the balcony. She opened the floor-to-ceiling window. Another cold wind rushed past her that reminded her of the excruciating wind she'd dreamed of. Despite the fact that the wind was far more serene than the one in her dream.
The door to her chamber suddenly burst open, revealing a concerned Cassandra with a tray of medicine in her arms. She furrowed her eyebrows as the sight of the empty bed. When her eyes landed on Elena, she immediately put the tray on the nearest table and rushed to her with open arms. A relief sigh was heard, "I'm glad you've woke up."
"Glad to be back," Elena returned the smile.
But the smile disappeared as Cassandra noticed trails of sweat on her forehead. She palmed her hand against her with a worried look. "You look so pale," she said while dragging her inside before closing the window shut.
"You shouldn't go out with such thin clothing," she gave her a motherly look.
"It's not that cold."
"El, you just woke up from days of sleep."
"How long have I been unconscious?" she changed the subject before Cassandra would further scold her as if she was a five-year-old child.
"A week since you got to the castle," Cassandra replied and she continued after she saw the queen jolted in surprise. "Everything is under control. Both Matthias and Isadora have been dealing with the council and nothing much happened in the past few days."
The queen was quick to catch on, "No one would act so boldly at this time."
"That's exactly what I thought. So what's your next step?"
"Don't tell anyone that I'm awake until I say so. I need to investigate this matter myself," Elena said as she seated herself on the bed. The bed was soft and comfy under her fingers and yet all she could think of was what Aslan had told her.
Be wise with every step you choose.
She decided that it's safer to do the investigation on her own since nobody was trustable enough. Not to mention that this includes the safety of her brother and Lucy. But when she thought about it more, she learned that that wasn't only about the young queen anymore. It concerned peace of the entire Narnia.
"Very well then, I'll excuse myself," Cassandra gave her a smile before she left.
In the middle of the night, with the moon that accompanied her. Her mind was centered on the list of names that General Elias had given her before he passed away. "They're only two names left," she mumbled to herself. The last time she knew, Matthias haven't given her any further news about his investigation and so she decided to start investigating before the sun rises.
──────
The sun haven't fully risen but a small part of it had peaked through the horizon. Elena took a comb and brushed her hair before tying it into a perfect high ponytail. She was wearing a delicate black coat matched with black tunics, black gloves, and a pair of high black boots. She wore her hood before slowly opening the window to her balcony. And a second later, an eagle perched on her shoulder.
"Just like the old days," she whispered, earning a nod from Ezio.
The queen slowly opened the door and once Ezio flew through the hallways, she connected her vision with his. Fortunately, the whole castle was still asleep at that time. There were only a few soldiers walking around for patrol.
She carefully step out of her chamber and shut the door. Her steps were as light as a feather and as quick as the lightning stroke. Not a single sound was made as she was running through the hallways that lead towards the stable.
Once in a while, she would hide on the corner to avoid gaining unwanted attention from the guards. Everything went smoothly until she was met with Edmund on the corner of the hallway. It took him a few seconds longer to recognize the queen since she was wearing a hood. She swore she saw his lips curve into a smile but she was too focused to a soldier that was walking to the exact hallway they were in.
So before he could say a word, Elena pulled his arm and pushed him against the wall. She covered his mouth as she kept her eyes on the soldier, watching his every move. Her attention was fully on the soldier that she didn't realize how close she was to the king.
On the other hand, Edmund's attention was entirely on her. Her lips were only a few inches away from his and the cold atmosphere around him was suddenly replaced with her warm breathing. This was the closest Edmund have ever been with her and he took his time taking in all her beautiful features. From the way her lips pursed into a thin line to the way, her body fits perfectly against his.
He was glad that she had woken up, even if he wouldn't admit it. Apart from him felt guilty but he genuinely cared about her. He had been worried about her almost every night. That was the reason he was up at this hour, he would usually sneak out to her chamber to check on her. And he knew he was digging his own grave for slowly falling for the queen that was once his enemy. Though Edmund himself would never know the reason why he hated her in the first place. Maybe, Peter was right. Elena wasn't as bad as he thought she would be.
When the guard made his way towards the other way, Elena let go of her grip on his arm. She switched her gaze from the hallway towards him and they stared at each other's souls. It was then the king realized her eyes were not entirely black but it was the color of fall, a mix between gold and brown.
The queen straighten up her body and cleared her throat before taking a few steps back. Edmund shivered as the warmth from her left his body, he felt somewhat empty without her presence.
Elena shook her head as she remembered why she was there in the first place. She wore her hood and continued her walk. She quicken her pace when heard Edmund's steps behind her.
"Hold up! Where are you going?" he whispered yelled, just enough for her to hear.
"It does not need your concern," she replied without even bothering to look back.
Edmund being the stubborn king he is, took a few steps faster so he was now walking beside her. Elena held her steps and tilted her head to the side, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Following you," he said in a matter-of-fact.
"And why would you do that?!" she asked in annoyance.
"I know this might seem foolish but you have my word, I won't bother you not even a second"
"You're doing it right now."
"Look, I'm sorry for dragging you down the cliff without your permission, and just so you know, I'm doing it for the sake of myself. I would never owe anyone. You've saved me countless times so let me repay that."
She never expected that the king would say such things and most surprisingly those words seemed sincere enough. She considered it for a moment before nodding her head in agreement. The king could actually help her along the way and as long as she won't tell him, he won't know a thing.
- ☽.
