Valley of Shadows and Roses | ONC 2024

Chapter 3

Everything changed from that day. They had yet to find how much, but it made a difference.

The day went on like any other. Princess Luna dressed up in a beautiful dress. Ate a delicious breakfast. She avoided her court duties. But this time, no one objected; she wasn't supposed to be alive after all. They gave her space. It was a shock to them and must have been a horror to her. Few people would be able to keep their cool in the face of that fact. As she walked through the corridors, people looked at her like one of those shadows creeping through the forest. She was something inexplicable. They didn't trust her breath. They distrusted every beat of her heart. They were afraid of the power that kept her in this world.

Even Luna didn't trust her own existence. She was sitting in the gardens, surrounded by her favorite roses, but she felt nothing. The scent of the flowers was empty. The sun's rays shone brightly, but she couldn't feel their warmth on her skin. She was looking at the heavens, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun with her palm. Fragments of light seeped between her fingers. She felt numb. The whole world seemed far away.

The guard commander decided to keep Princess Luna company. He understood that she herself must be extremely confused by the events of the past twenty-four hours. The whispers carrying through the court only aggravated her. And also, the Commander had always liked Luna, but she didn't see it. She didn't see how he was looking at her. Didn't see that he would lay down his life for her. If he could, he would definitely stand among her suitors. However, she is a princess, and he is only a soldier. The Commander is not in a position to ask for her hand in marriage.

"Tomorrow morning, before dawn, we are leaving for the forest to find the Shadow Lord," he informed the princess of the plan.

Actually, it wasn't even a plan; he just hoped for luck that when they enter the forest, they would find what they are looking for.

"He will pay for what he did to you, princess," he vowed.

"Are you sure about that, Commander?" Luna asked him.

"Sure of what?" The Commander did not understand her simple question.

"By chasing him," explained the princess.

"Of course I am," replied the Commander. "He has to pay for what he did. He cannot just walk, uninvited, into our kingdom and disturb the peace we live in.''

"Except we don't know him," objected the princess. "We don't know who he is. He has power. Great power. He killed me and brought me back to life like it was nothing." she snapped her fingers. "He opened the veil between the worlds without the slightest effort. And I have a feeling that that's not all he can do," she said, lost in her mind.

With those words, she planted a bug in the Commander's head. He immediately had doubts. Princess Luna was right; they have no idea of his power or how great it is. He himself witnessed how the princess lost her life. He saw the fall. She was so fragile as he carried her lifeless body in his arms. She wasn't breathing. Her heart wasn't beating. And then suddenly, she opened her eyes. The impossible became real. A miracle happened. She breathed air into her lungs. Her heart again flowed life into her veins. She lived.

He also had no idea where to look for him. Where did the Shadow Lord come from? And where did he go? How will they find him? All he knew was that they had to head to the forest, which had been teeming with mysterious shadows lately. He introduced himself as the Shadow Lord; that can't be a coincidence. He's a monster. What awaits them there, however, remained a mystery.

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Dusk fell on the kingdom. The stars rose to the black heavens. Princess Luna couldn't sleep, too many thoughts racing through her mind. Just yesterday, she could play a proud princess, whom everyone from far and wide wanted, but she didn't want anyone. She is not a wild animal that needs to be tamed. But that game is over with the Shadow Lord. He made her a mere ghost of who she used to be. One day and she hardly remembered what it was like. She no longer controlled the strings of her puppets. He took it from her. Who will she be now?