Theodore woke up feeling miserable. He had let his emotions out last night in the form of tears, but he still felt sadness and grief. It clung onto him, trapped him, like an insect would be caught in a spiderweb.
"Sir Theodore, the general has summoned you. Your presence is required immediately. And this is important." The voice of another guard, Tommy, came through the web of hard feelings and shocked him to attention. "I'll come in a minute," Theodore said, forcing his voice to be normal. "I understand that you need time. But don't take long. The kingdom is in danger." Theo could hear the emotion cracking Tommy's normally smooth and clear voice. Tommy was probably the only person apart from Elizabeth who knew Theo's love for Diana.
Taking a deep breath, Theodore composed himself as best he could. He knew he had to put his feelings aside for now and focus on the immediate threat to the kingdom. He tumbled off his bed and put his armour on in a hurry. Theo's mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened. Was Diana and Elizabeth all right? He couldn't bear the thought of Diana being in danger or being forced into a marriage with... Jasper. He knew he had to find a way to protect her and the kingdom, even if it meant risking his own life. As he approached the general's quarters, he saw the worried expressions on the faces of the guards standing outside. Without wasting a moment, he entered the room, where the general and other high-ranking officials were gathered, discussing the situation.
"What happened?" Theodore asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.
The general turned to him, concern evident in his eyes. "The kingdom is in grave danger, Sir Theodore. We have reason to believe that an imposter has infiltrated our ranks and is planning to use Princess Diana's powers for his sinister plans."
Theo's heart sank at the confirmation of his fears. "Do we know who this imposter is?"
The general nodded grimly. "Yes, we have identified him as Jasper, the son of Meria and Captain Hunter. He is a dangerous and ruthless individual, and he must be stopped before he can harm the princess or the kingdom."
He paused to let the words sink in.
"Queen Oralie and King Orace is also no longer with us. We discovered their passing this morning." The general's voice cracked with emotion, an event which was very rare.
The colour drained out of Theodore's face and his mind raced with thoughts of how to approach this situation. He couldn't confront Jasper, not when Diana's life was at stake. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast.
"I - I'm sorry, I need to think about this," Theodore said, his mind numb and blank. He once again rushed out of the room.
Just as he rounded the corner he saw a flicker of purple coming from one of the secret passageways.
"Elizabeth?"
Written by Juline
YOU ARE READING
Hunted
FantasíaWritten in collaboration with Zilin ( @MusicanZilin) , Juline and Lucia Having a magical ability and having to hide it is never easy- even when you're a merfolk.
