Royal Rebel 4 ~ The Return

Chapter 61: A Mother's Sacrifice

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" I asked Ellet as we walked through a large hallway, one that I could only assume was leading us through the East and North sides of the clan. "I mean, it feels like we've circled through here already." He held up the lantern he had stolen from a captain we conquered a while back, looking for the end of the hall.

"I know what I'm doing." He stopped us for a moment to listen for the sound of the army and clan soldiers battling, and then he sighed and we continued moving. I could hear them, but they were still pretty far off. "We just have to get there in time to alert the champions that your parents are in the Yiga's hands. Then they can tell the army to scatter while we all search for them."

"Why don't we just try to find them?" I suggested, and he made a face and shook his head. "Look Ellet, by the time we get to the champions, call the army to search and get looking again, what if it'll be too late?"

"And what if we don't find them in time? What if we get captured? What if Irvine finds you?" He asked, and I opened my mouth to counter his 'what if's' but I realized he was right. Sure, we could find them quickly, but we could also waste time searching an entire hideout by ourselves. "We just have to stick to our plans and we'll be fine."

"I'm just worried about them." I sighed, and he glanced back and gave me a soft, reassuring smile.

"I know. But we'll find them." We continued walking in silence, and I sipped at the drink Jester had given me. It tasted like wildberry mixed with mighty banana, though it's color was mainly that of a wildberry. It wasn't clear like most juices were, it was a very solid violet color, and even had a half of a wildberry slid onto the rim of the glass.

I was in a daze as we turned into another hall, and I could hear the clan battling louder the further down the hallway we got. So we must've finally been getting close. That was a good sign.

I kept drinking my juice, until finally I got down to the last slurp. I looked into my glass, and saw a laminated piece of paper taped to the bottom. I looked a little closer, and I gasped when I read what was written on it.

"Ellet!" I grabbed his arm and stopped him from walking any further before showing him what was written on the note. "This note tells us how we can find my mom! It says 'The queen is in a place of dark, that's one thing I can say... she's hidden deep within the halls, behind a golden ray'."

"Wait really?" He looked into the glass too, and then he downed the last quarter of his drink. There was also a note at the bottom of his, and he looked closer at it. "Jester's a genius! This one's about your dad! 'The king is with a foe of yours, one who's tall and old... they will soon be in the arena, go only if you're bold'."

"Arena? What arena?" We both exchanged looks with each other, and then we looked down at the notes again. "The foe must be Sooga. But I don't know where the arena is." Ellet handed me his glass so I could look between the two, and I thought carefully. "But I do know where my mother could be."

~~~~

"I know that girl is slow but for the love, it's been hours." Ulia groaned, tugging slightly at her restraints as she stared down at the dagger in her chest. It wasn't aimed well enough to kill her, just enough to cause a sore aching in her body. "Maybe she finally got caught by those retched hylians. They'll deal with her properly."

"What kind of mother are you to wish harm upon your own child?" Esther asked, only her eyes moving to look at the woman on her right. "I may hate Elric, but he was right about you. You're a shell of a woman, Ulia."

"Esther, darling, do I look like I care for what that disgraceful fool has to say?" She snorted, and Esther rolled her eyes and looked away from the woman. "I already told you, I do not love. I did not have Irvine out of love. I was offered a promotion if I agreed to carry the prophet's child, and you know how much I like promotions." She shrugged, and Esther scoffed quietly. "I handed Irvine over to Elric within the hour after she was born. That day, he got his baby, and I got my title as captain of the Southern Yi Post."