Hiding Royalty

10

"Why can't he remember us?" Emma shrieked and shook Lyra who was feeling the same sense of overwhelming confusion.

"I don't know... I never predicted that this would be the outcome," the wizard scratched his head and looked at Liam who was slowly standing up, looking wearily at the three people standing in front of him.

The necklace lay on the ground having settled on a dull grey colour and the girls' eyes flickered constantly between Liam and the necklace.

"What do we do with..." Lyra pointed over to the object, "that thing now?"

Reagan again looked bewildered and it became clear to the girls that the wizard hadn't thought this far into the ritual. Emma began to feel like losing hope as her gaze became fixated on Liam who was standing awkwardly in front of them, squinting his eyes as if he was trying to recognise them.

"Will somebody tell me what's going on?" Liam grunted and Lyra shot him a sympathetic smile while Emma tried to control the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"What if he's lost his memory forever?" She blurted out and Lyra placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder; despite the fact that the girls did not often get on, Lyra knew that Emma needed someone to depend on in that moment.

"I think I know what to do," Reagan cried out and everyone directed their attention to him, "But I need to get my sceptre, I will be back shortly- don't move!"

The wizard departed the trio, leaving the three travellers to stand in an uncomfortable silence together.

"Please, will one of you tell me what's going on?" Liam begged, walking slowly and apprehensively over towards the two girls.

"You've lost your memory," Lyra blurted out and a puzzled look formed on Liam's face so Lyra continued, "We were traveling to the port so you can smuggle me out of the country when you suddenly became this monster type thing..."

"You're overwhelming him with information," Emma stopped Lyra before she made everyone's brain hurt by talking too much.

Silence fell over them as Liam tried desperately to remember something until Reagan returned, holding an old staff in his hand and wearing a grin on his face. Walking cautiously over to the necklace, Reagan began chanting something under his breath.

Emma and Lyra watched in astonishment as Reagan lifted the sceptre above his head and smashed it down onto the necklace, shattering it into pieces that flew out in every direction. A black smoke filled the area and everyone found themselves choking on the thick stuff which oozed around them.

But as the smoke cleared, all that was left of the necklace was a small pile of ash. Reagan cheered triumphantly before sensing that it was time for him to depart.

"Thank you for your help," Emma said, lying between her teeth. Reagan hadn't really helped at all because now she was left with a man who didn't even know her name.

"What was all that?" Liam asked once the trio were alone again and the two girls sighed.

"It's a long story, let's just start by reintroducing ourselves to you. I'm Emma, we're childhood friends," the words 'friends' didn't exactly explain their relationship but she didn't want to overcomplicate the situation, "And this is Lyra, she's a princess who we've got to smuggle out the country before assassins get to her."

Liam sat down and placed his head in his hands, trying to process all this information that was being thrown at him. Everything was happening so fast, and he could barely remember his own name let alone this long and complicated past he seemed to have.

"And that man was...?" He lifted his head up slowly and Emma and Lyra both looked at each other with a raised eyebrow.

"His name was Reagan I believe, he's a wizard that helped to get rid of this demon-like thing called the Yamach that was possessing you," Lyra said, trying to simplify everything so as to not to overload Liam's brain.

"This is all so much to take in..." Liam muttered and Emma felt so much sympathy for him.

Both the girls came and sat down beside Liam and placed comforting hands on his shoulders; no more words were spoken mainly because no one knew what to say. Their situation had suddenly become ten times more complicated than it had originally been and emotions were running high.

"Everything will be alright," Emma whispered into Liam's ear and he smiled slightly at the comforting message from the girl sitting beside him that he had no memory of ever meeting.

"Let's go and find a camp, night is setting in," Lyra said, taking charge for the first time on the expedition.

Liam followed the two girls into the forest blindly, accepting the fact that his companions probably knew what they were doing more than he did. The forest became denser as they moved away from civilisation again, and there was an eery quiet that fell over the trio.

Emma led the way, wiping away stray tears that fell; it was difficult to accept the fact that Liam didn't remember her. He didn't remember their childhood that they spent together, all the fun times that they had shared. Lyra felt slightly despondent as well, and constantly looked back to check up on Liam whom she was worried about.

This new hurdle made their expedition seem even harder, especially now that their original leader (Liam) was incapable of leading the way. The role of chief orienteer was left for Emma and Lyra to share despite the fact that neither of them really knew the way. Things were getting immediately tougher, and neither of the girls knew quite what to do except find a camp and rest their weary heads.

So has Liam lost his memory for good? At least the Yamach is gone now though! What will happen next? You'll have to wait and see!