Hoodwinked: The Summoning Book One

Chapter 22

King Nathar leaned back in his seat at the dining table. His dinner plate remained untouched and his hands were hidden under the large sleeves of his new robes. Klav noticed the king was cleanly washed and shaved. However, he appeared discontent at the princess and the captain. "You mean to say that it is Ediliana whom you must kill to break the curse?"

"Yes," Captain Greypol said. "We also believe that when Zyvon removes the Dragon statues tomorrow, she will eventually reveal herself to get to Princess Otswana. She will use the princess to open the last portal in Draconia." But will fail, for I will not let it come to that, thought Klav.

"All this information you gathered from conversing with the queen and from what you have seen from your visions?" King Nathar asked.

"Yes, your majesty," Otti answered. "I am to be present for these ventures, so Ediliana will be found out and the captain will kill her. Then he may finally be crowned King of Loboria."

"We will first go to the North. There, we shall meet this grandmother sorceress of yours in Draconia and you end the curse," King Nathar said.

"We are uncertain where she meets us. We saw only this portal here and the Osoria portal in my vision. Her death would have to be after we seal the west portal across the sea," Captain Greypol recalled the vision.

"What makes you believe you can trust what Hilvasha told you?" Zyvon asked.

"Because I don't have any memory of Ediliana living with us at the manor. Nor did anyone there make any mention of her. However, my father remembers her for a brief time when he met my mother," Otti answered.

"This is true. I cannot recall many years of us living at the manor. My memory of Ediliana is very brief. I believe she is in fact waiting to use Otswana to complete this circle to open the portal," Lord Briggon reiterated. He took his serviette and wiped his mouth.

"Even if she was not telling us the truth, we know what we must do because of what we saw in our visions," Captain Greypol said.

"What have you gathered from the other vision?" asked the king.

"There are only slight variances from the first. Your majesty seals the west portal with diamond; Captain Greypol fights in a tournament; he will kill the sorceress; he will try to keep me from falling, but releases me; I will die. In the captain's vision, there is another queen to bare him more children, and Klav dies of old age," Otti stated solemnly.

"Old age, huh?" Greggor asked, popping a piece of fruit in his mouth.

"What is our next move then?" Lord Briggon asked, ignoring Greggor's comment.

"We have each fulfilled one portion of the visions thus far. What remains to take place from Otswana's vision are: the circle of fighting demons with Zyvon; killing the sorceress we believe to be Ediliana; our marriage; my coronation; Otswana bearing a son, and then falling from the cliff in Draconia," the captain listed. He took Otti's hand under the table and gave it a slight squeeze.

"In that specific order?" King Nathar questioned.

"Not necessarily," Zyvon answered. He too, leaned back in his chair.

"Otswana may not die in Draconia. She may simply fall," Lord Briggon asserted.

"She would have to be alive to be married to you, to witness the coronation and bare you a son," Prince Greggor pointed out with a small grin.

"If we are to close the portals soon, there will be no time for a marriage, a king's coronation, nor a baby to be born," Zyvon added. "No, if Otswana were to perish, it would not happen until all the portions of the vision are complete, as long as we do not waiver from this course of your fates."