The Lost Princess

Chapter 16

Harry is in such a rush that I don't think he's realizes he's been holding my hand.

We burst through the doors of the meeting hall, him frantically tugging on my hand and placing me down in the seat across the table from him. He runs back to his side and sits down.

"You two are late?" my father questions as he saw our joined hands.

"My apologies, King Renalde, I was showing her around to some rooms that she missed on her tour a few days ago." He pauses, and the room becomes quiet."But uh, I hope we haven't missed anything important, because I have something to add to the list." Harry says, twiddling his thumbs in anxiousness. A bead of sweat trails down his forehead and his eyes are shaky. Our parents all notice his anxiety and lean closer.

"What's wrong son, what happened?" his mother asks, leaning forward in concern. Harry and his mother have a stare-off.

A silence falls over the room for a minute exactly while they do this. I sit in confusion. 

"When did this happen?!" she shouts as her eyes go wide in shock.

Oh, she must have told her through the mental port. Sneaky bastard. 

Queen Blackmore informs my parents and their attentions shoots to me. "You were confronted by a Shadow?!"

I shrug my shoulders, not knowing how to rightfully answer. "I think so? It's arm was reaching for me or something." I look at all of them, all staring at me with pure concern. "Can someone explain, I'm horribly confused!"

"I tried to explain what I could, but I rushed us down here to tell you all." Harry adds. My mother steps in after him. "Remember what I mentioned they day after you arrived, about bad witches? Well, there are still a few of them out there in hiding somewhere. They're the ones that practice black magic, sendng those shadows out to do their dirty work while they think of new ways to torture everyone."

A shiver runs down my spine as I hear 'dirty work' again. Does that mean killing?

"So, there's a witch who practices black magic out to kill me?"

She nods her head somberly. "If they sent the Shadow, SOMETHING out there is after you. And it's hard to keep you safe because they have the ability to show up anywhere!" She puts her head in her hand an my father lovingly rubs her back. I've never noticed how in love they really are, actually! "I don't know how this could have happened!"

Out of nowhere, Mabel walks through the doors of the hall. Our parents seem startled, but welcome her.

"I'm so sorry, I know maids aren't really allowed in here, but it's urgent. I was cleaning Frankie's bathroom and there was a shadow over her bed. I put a protection spell on her room but I wanted a second opinion?" she says, looking horrified. 

"We were just discussing the matter of trying to keep her safe. But that's a good idea, your protection spells. Is there any way of you expanding it to the entire castle?" asks King Blackmore.

She nods. "Of course your highness, but I would need to bring my family in if that's alright with you all, one witch doesn't have enough power to do such a large spell."

They all nod in choruses of 'of course' and 'thank you's" and then it becomes silent again.

"Until we can get that spell active and find the witch who's sending you Shadows, you must keep a keep eye on her, Harry." King Blackmore adds on. Harry nods in agreement, saying, "Of course."

"I could try a guardian spell on you, if you'd like, Harry? I don't know every detail but I remember it from my family book of spells." Mabel asks. Harry looks up at her and half-smiles greatfully. "That would help, thanks Mabel." She returns the smile and looks back at me.