The Mysterious Lady

Prologue

PROLOGUE

"Mother where are we going?"

"Shh darling, just keep walking. We're almost there precious."

"But where is father?" she whispered. Her mother just squeezed her hand tenderly but didn't answer.

They were walking along a dimly lit tunnel with scones blazing eerily casting shadows across the passageway. They were accompanied by four guards, two up front while the remaining two where cautiously on alert and was making sure no one was following them from behind.

Leilah don't actually know what's happening since her mother just woke her up an hour ago and hurriedly informed her nurse to ready her things and that they'll be going for a short journey.

At twelve years old, Leilah was known to be kind, perceptive, intelligent and would one day become a great beauty like her mother, although it was said that she very much looked like her departed great great grandmother.

With eyes the color of lilac, a silvery blonde hair you think it's almost white and two adorable dimples that peeked whenever she smiles or scrunched her too perfectly sculpted red lips. Almost all people who knew her sung her praises and just couldn't wait to see the Princess Leilah bloom into adulthood.

Everything was at peace until tonight. Leilah glanced at the worried look on her mother's face. She was like this the whole time they've been walking along the passageway. Her mind is somewhere else and something was definitely troubling her. Where's father? Something is not right, she thought.

"mother....." she started. Just then they heard numerous footsteps running towards them.

"Run! your highness! We'll intercept and hold them off as much as we can." shouted one of the guards who was behind them.

Her mother held her hand tightly and they both run with two other guards protecting them from behind. The tunnel was an array of passageways that goes beyond different places where the King had built for protection just in case despicable and untoward things happen inevitably. Only the Queen, the King himself and other trusted Royal Guards knew its existence.

Finally after running for quite a long while, they've reached the end of the passage and entered a clearing in the heart of the woods. Her mother ushered her into a stone wall covered with moss. She stared at her mother questioningly.

"No matter what happen, remember who you are. Your father and I loves you so dearly. Stay hidden my sweet." her mother had said after one lingering kiss and pushing the side of the stone wall where it creaked and swiveled open. She pushed her inside unceremoniously and closed the wall on her shocked face and muddled brain. But before the wall closes, she saw her mother dashed relentless tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her mothers eyes linger lovingly as if memorizing her face.

"But I don't understand, mother. I can fight. I can help......"

"My Queen, we need to go." Leilah heard one of the guards informed her mother before she could finish her sentence and the wall ended her view of her mother's beautiful face.

She heard a commotion behind the walls although not quite clear, just like a murmur of sounds as if a sword fight was at hand. A few minutes later, silence prevails.

"mother.." she whispered through broken sobs.