The sun was slowly reaching up to the sky and the sunlight dappled between the dried branches that made the forest a little more enchanted. Unlike the first time he stepped his foot on the forest, Edmund could see the beauty of the forest as if his eyes were being washed. It was indeed different from any other forest he had been to, but that's what made it out of the ordinary.
The king began to wonder if the forest was truly cursed or was it just a rumor that spread through folks. "Was this forest always like this?" he asked, merely above a whisper.
"No," Elena shortly replied in discomfort. Edmund didn't ask further questions since he saw how her body tensed at his question. He put aside his desire to uncover the secrets that lie behind the forest and stayed silent.
"Mind telling the reason you went here the other night?" she asked while pulling the rein of her horse to stop. Edmund looked around and realized that they were on the exact same spot where he and Leon were attacked. "I saw foxes running along the forest," he said.
Elena looked at him with squinted eyes and a smirk before she jumped down from her horse. "I'm not joking," he defended himself. She ignored him and kneeled down to examine her surroundings. The shining metal that was embedded on the ground reflected the sunlight and caught the queen's eyes. She took a closer look before picking up the metal. It turns out to be a dagger when she pulled it out. It might seem ordinary but the design and the weight of the dagger was perfect. And it could only be made by a talented blacksmith.
Edmund peaked his head through her shoulder which ended up receiving a nudge from her. Then, he noticed that symbol. The fox's tail curled up into a circle.
"I've seen that before," he spoke as his finger was pointing towards it.
Elena tilted her head to the side, "Where?" Her eyes were full of curiosity and were looking directly towards his.
The king stayed silent for a moment, considering whether or not to tell her the whole thing. And in the end, he decided to tell her. She might know some things that could lead him closer to finding his sister. He had wasted enough time and it's time to take Lucy back home.
Edmund was caught off guard when Elena's hand waved in front of him. She saw his puzzled look so she asked in slow motion to make sure that every single word was heard. "Where have you seen it?"
"Right," he nodded his head. "Do you remember the chief gave me a letter?"
"The empty one?"
"Well, it's not entirely empty. You couldn't see anything with bare eyes. You have to spill an amount of water and put it on top of the fire, the exact same symbol could be seen on it."
"Like a hidden message?"
"Yes," Edmund nodded his head.
"And how did you discover it?"
"Leon was the one who discovered it, accidentally from the other letter that I got on the same day the dungeon in Cair Paravel was attacked."
"So they are the ones who plot all these things," Elena concluded while her mind was still absorbing all the information she just got. "Can you show me the letter?"
"Sure, but we have to head back."
Elena nodded her head as she took the dagger and secure it inside her pocket. She mounted her horse in ease before they headed straight towards the castle.
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Edmund opened the door to his chamber, everything was neatly placed exactly as it should be. The only thing that made the difference was the smell of crisp, aromatic, and clean cedarwood lingering around the room. The scent reminded Elena of her father. She closed her eyes and took a breath as the memories of her father whirled inside her mind.
By the time Edmund placed the letters on the table, Elena was already standing across from him. She took the letters in her hand and there wasn't any clue of ink. It was merely a useless empty letter. Wrinkles could be seen on the whole surface of the paper since it had been watered before. The king poured a small cup of water into both of the letters. He then waited a few minutes for the letters to dry a little bit before taking a piece of letter on top of the candlelight. A thin line slowly revealed and it merge into the paper. And just like he said, the exact same symbol was seen.
Elena took the other letter before placing it above the candlelight just like what he had done before. Her mouth was slightly agape as she started to gather all the missing pieces together. "Fox," she mumbled to herself.
"What? Is there something I don't know?"
"Oh, there are many things you don't know about," she whispered while her lips turned pale.
"Elena, are you alright?" Edmund asked in concern. Receiving no reply, he took the letter and placed it on the table before he guided her towards the nearest chair. He left Elena on the chair for some time and returned with a warm cup of tea. He placed it on the tea table beside her.
There was a moment of silence where Elena was trying so hard to deny it but the evidence she had been looking for was right in front of her.
A great ruler would put the people first.
Justice must be done.
Those sentences kept whispering back and forth inside her mind. Elena reminded herself what her parents had taught her for years, they might've prepared her to be a wise and tender queen. But they never warned her about the consequence of being one. They might've taught her about manners, swordsmanship, and battle strategies. But they never tell her how to deal with this kind of problem.
She trusted her with her whole heart. They even grew up together. She was always there for her for both delightful and difficult moments in her life. And even until that very moment, she still couldn't believe it.
Elena was fully aware that rebels would be faced with a death sentence. She would do anything to give a chance for her to escape but no matter how hard she denied it, she couldn't ignore the fact. She knew that for the sake of her people, she needs to put justice, to whoever it is. There's a certain reason that rules are made and the more it is neglected, Vremoor would fall apart.
They were right, trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.
- ☽.
