The Reluctant Queen

Chapter 3

A/N: Hi everyone!! I hope you are enjoying my story so far. Please rate, share and comment if you like my work. I would really appreciate it.

FYI: The Reluctant Queen will be updated every Wednesday.
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"No, Sophia. This is real. I wish to all the Gods I could tell you that you are dreaming."

Wow. I felt lightheaded. I had almost expected him to laugh and tell me it was all a joke. Another world? And magic? How could it be real? But what I saw him do to the door wasn't a joke. And the fact that I saw him in my dreams was proof too.

I really had no choice but to believe him.

"Hey," he said, bringing me out of my thoughts. "I know that this is a hard pill to swallow, but I do have some good news." He gave me a half smile.

"What's that?"

"You have me." I blinked and he laughed. "What, you didn't think I went through all that trouble just to drop you off here in Kilader where he can easily find you? No, I'm going to help you to the end, whether that be good or bad."

The worry in my heart lifted a little bit. I was still a little stunned after seeing him perform magic in front of me, but I noticed that any fear I felt wasn't really directed at him anymore. "Why are you putting yourself at risk? For me?" 

He looked a little sad. "Like I said, I am why you are in all this trouble. I want to do what I can to get you out of it."  He rubbed his face again, awkwardly trying to rub the soot off.  "I know you are probably still in denial, but it's important that you get past that soon. Real soon." I didn't think I was in denial. No, I think I was in stage two: shock.

I could feel a headache coming on. "I'm still so confused. Who is this guy that's after me?"

Louis shook his head, the corner of his mouth turning up in an almost angry smile. "How to describe the infamous King of Kilader...I suppose I should begin with the basics?" I raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, there is not much information about the young king. Little is known about his origins, and even less is known about what he is."

"What he is?"

"Kilader is a land filled with diverse creatures, each more powerful than the last. To be the ruler over all of those individuals, it says a lot of your power. He has never revealed to the public as to exactly what he is, only that to question him will bring his wrath." He tilted his head to the side.  "Other than that, most of what people know of him are rumors and stories. Things people say to explain something they don't understand."

"So you don't know if he's even human?" I could feel my face scrunch up. 

Louis chuckled. "He's most definitely not human. There are hardly any humans left in Kilader, let alone powerful enough to rule the magical realm. Hmmm... what else? As far as his reputation goes, he is no one to meddle with. He can sniff out a rebellion and crush it with little effort. Foolish assassins are killed by his own hands. He is unstoppable force. Many have tried to overrule him and none have succeeded, obviously." 

Okay, so that got a little dark.

Someone like that-a man shadowed in legends and mystery- was hunting me down?

"Wait," I shook my head, trying to stop the thousands of questions from overwhelming me. "You said my song moved him. Are you saying he is only interested in me because I play the cello?" 

"When you appeared before us, you were in the middle of playing a piece of music that is unlike anything we have in our country. You fascinated him. Eventually, after requesting to watch you play for months and months, you captivated him."