Devotion

Chapter 45

Xylvie

I felt like a traitor for letting my emotions rise out of me, but that man... That insolent fool kept insulting me when all I wanted to do was save his sister. I looked around my room, covered in sun patterns and yellow tulips. It was the only design my mother and father would let me pick.

They wanted to make my room covered in axes and corpses, but I never loved seeing a dead body and sitting on my bed, not sure where to start or where to go. I still need to find Princess Aurora and get out of here before the King and Queen find me.

I looked into my journals, which I had spent the last 10 years writing, and I saw every little thing about what my parents longed for me to do and become. I never knew that after all this time, I would be betrothed to the heir of the Moon Kingdom and go against my parents to save Princess Aurora.

As I ran through the pages of my journals, I began to hear Queen Issele's voice approaching near my room. "Make sure you get rid of all those awful things that Xylvie has in her room. Turn it into a guest room," she said, her voice growing louder. Immediately, I grabbed all my journals and warped them away before she entered my room.

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I appeared back into the forest near the Moon Kingdom. After I argued with Princess Azra, the forest was utterly cleared of guards, butlers, and my fiancée. In this kingdom's few moments of peace, it will all go to ruin because of a family planning to rule over the continent.

'Throughout darkness, there's light. Don't you ever turn back?'

When I finished reading the sentence, I didn't notice that I had crossed to the human realm, where the trees were more glum. The wind is more drastic and complex, and the grass is dry and dead. I wasn't thinking, but I took one deep breath and continued walking. The woods were duller than Kuata, but I was now here. There's no time for complaints.

Withdrawing my sword from my stomach, I slowly began to go through the woods. What do I do when I manage to find her? Where do I go? The moment my brother sees her, she's as good as dead. Sylas hasn't given up on finding her, and Queen Issele and King Paris haven't either. King Eden and Queen Audelia seem to have caught up to what my parents want. Absolute power.

For centuries, my ancestors have been trying to gain absolute power. They were never interested in having a 'partnership' with any other kingdom. They always wanted control, power, and absolute harvest. King Paric only decides to befriend King Eden to get what he wants.

Just what plans do they have? Arranging a marriage means they're up to something, but I've always been in the dark as I was always considered the family's black sheep. After hours of walking in the woods, I stumbled across a cottage house with a barrier around it. To the human eye, they see nothing or a cottage, but to a vampire's eye, you see everything. As I entered the barrier, the energy flow was more substantial than usual. I had never felt it, but it felt warm, as if there was no corruption within their power. Walking over the branches, I neared the door and opened it. Inside were Princess Aurora and Erixx Wixx covered in flour. They both looked at me as shock coursed through my body. The air left my lungs, and I immediately turned around. 

"Princess!" distant screaming came from nearby. "Princess," again as I tried to leave the barrier until someone grabbed my arm. 

I snapped out of my trance and looked around at a pair of red eyes and hair. Wixx held my arm with a triumphant smile and began dragging me towards the cottage house, where Aurora came out running. 

"Princess Xylvie?" she asked as I swallowed a lump and gave her a small smile. I didn't think locating her would be easy, but why is she out here? This makes it so accessible. She immediately grabbed my arm and embraced me, and the power came from her body. 

"Y-you? Y-you have your powers?" I asked in shock. It was well known throughout Kuata that Princess Aurora was the only princess without powers. Although she was seen as weak and impotent, she was very well-loved. The Princess expressed quietly before nodding and walking away. 

I'm sure she has reservations about me, but at least she's not like her brother. "I've been waiting for you," she said making my blood chill as she put her hand on the knob and smiled. 

"We have so much to talk about," she said as her eyes turned slightly red. She opened the door, letting Erix and me in before making sure no living thing was nearby.