Along with the guards, Layla and I flew high in the sky inside our bubbles, gaining a bird's eye view of the world. Unlike what Layla had told me, there weren't any guards outside the destroyed palace, which was surrounded by a vast, dense area of forest. From above, Jaden Palace looked like a shadow of its former glory, with crumbling walls and collapsed towers. Not a single part of it was left intact. I looked back at Layla; she remained subdued by that electric field around her, while the guards focused straight ahead.
A minute later, we arrived at a sprawling city. It housed hundreds, maybe a thousand homes and shops, all protected by a thick, towering wall that encircled the city's perimeter. A shimmering magic barrier covered the entire place, providing an additional layer of protection. In the centre of the city stood a large palace, its white marble walls and bright gold-lined roofs distinct and imposing. Walls and doors alike were adorned with intricate designs and carvings, embellished with gilded accents, exuding an aura of authority. The palace stood high, towering above all buildings in the city, like a watchful guardian protecting its people. Four long, white bridges connected the city to the palace, providing entrances into the majestic structure. The guards opened a small, temporary hole in the barrier and brought us into the palace, leading us into a large open hall. In the hall, a long, red carpet strung from the door to the throne where a crowned man of muscular build sat, with an old lady in a purple robe standing beside him.
"Your Majesty, as per your orders, I have brought Her Majesty to you." The leader bowed and greeted the crowned man. So Layla really is the Queen. But it doesn’t make sense. Why would she say we are together then?
"Well done, Gaurus.” The King turned his gaze toward me. “And who is this young man beside her?"
"I do not know. We found him next to Her Majesty," Gaurus replied.
"Hmm. And the device?"
"Sorry, we were unable to move it without destroying it, your Majesty. I have instead sent some men to guard it."
"Hmm. All right."
With a wave of The King's hand, the bubble around us disappeared, and so did the cackling electric field surrounding Layla. Her facial expressions relaxed, and for once she was no longer in pain. The King got up from his seat and approached me, looking me in the eye.
"You look familiar. Have we met before?" he asked.
"Umm, maybe we did a hundred years ago?"
"A hundred years ago?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Look, why would you arrest Layla if you were trying to protect her? It doesn't make sense! Is that how you treat your wife?"
Gaurus suddenly produced a sword out of thin air, stepping in and pressing it against my throat. "Watch your tongue, you insolent fool. This is His Majesty you are speaking to."
A bead of sweat trickled down my temple. The cold blade was threatening to bite into my skin. Don’t tell me I’m going to die again!
"It's all right Gaurus. Stand down."
After some seconds of contemplation, Gaurus begrudgingly lowered his sword and took a step back, his gaze still piercing into my soul. The King, who was most likely Javen, turned back to me.
"Is that what she told you?" His gaze went to her for a split second. I didn't like the implication of that question. That meant that someone was lying here.
"I see," he remarked upon seeing my hesitant look.
I looked over at Layla. Why isn't she saying anything? In fact, why does she have that defeated look on her face?
"Take him to the holding cell for now," The King commanded.
"W-what? Why?"
"No more questions. Get up." Gaurus threatened me with his sword again. Afterwards, two of the guards lifted me up by the arms and dragged me away, toward the exit. Why am I being treated like a criminal? It’s not like I eloped with the Queen!
As I was dragged, I watched The King take a knee to talk to Layla. Layla's lips opened for the first time as she said something back. But I was too far away; I could only hear the heel of my shoes dragging against the marble floor.
***
In the open hall
"I've been worried about you," King Javen took a knee. "Why didn't you come back to us?"
"You or the ghouls, either way I was doomed."
"That's not true."
"Really? So can you touch your heart and say you wouldn't have sold me out to the ghouls just like how you sold your father out?"
"Layla, that's different." Javen's hand reached for his heart. "And I wouldn't have done that. You're the Queen after all. What King would do such a thing to his Queen?"
Layla snorted as she looked away. "Tsk. Of course you can say anything you want now."
"I mean it, Layla. Regardless of what you did."
"Haha. So even you think I did it?"
"It doesn't matter what I think. Look, the ghouls, they were planning to attack us from the start. The scouts have--"
"Would you believe me if I say I didn't do it?"
A brief pause ensued as they both looked at each other. Javen then firmly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I believe you."
Layla stared into his eyes, looking for hints of sincerity. Then she averted her gaze. "...as you should. This doesn't change anything between us, just so you know."
"I know."
***
In the holding cell
“Get in there, lowly peasant.” The lead guard shoved me in, causing me to stumble and fall on all fours. Then came the locking of the cell door and the dwindling sound of jangling keys.
Ouch. Dusting off the dirt and dust off my clothes, I shifted into a comfortable seated position. The walls were stained brown with rust, and the only hint of sunlight came from a small slit of window high up the wall opposite the cell bars. Looking around, I only saw a few others who were in the same predicament, but none of them remotely resembled what you would expect a criminal to look like.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"So, whaddya in here for?" A bearded, aged man in the cell to my right smirked at me. His face and clothes had small patches of dirt, and his hair seemed rather rough. And that odour coming from him...
"You look young. And smart. Probably tried to do something clever, eh?"
"I shouldn't even be here," I replied, my eyes facing forward.
'Hah! That's what Jarnos and Densey said too." He laughed away. "It's fine, you'll get used to it. I've been here for three weeks. Other than this stinking place, the food's pretty good. The guards here also treat you way better than they do in Haventry Prison."
Three weeks?! WillI be here for three weeks as well?
"Hey, you actually kinda look like someone I've seen before." He pressed his face against the cell bar, staring intently at my facial features.
However, my mind was too focused on the situation at hand to hear his words. What did the King mean when he asked me that question? Was Layla really lying to me? But why would she do that? She didn't seem to have any bad intentions. But if she did, then it makes sense as to why that destroyed palace was so empty.
"Sigh." The man backed away and headed to his bed. "Welp, don't worry young one, you'll be out of here soon enough. They said I'll be leaving in a few days. Can't wait!"
Silence befell the holding cell after. The guards made their rounds every ten minutes or so, and also passed us our lunch, a decently-sized rice with curry chicken and potato. It had an enticing aroma that made my mouth water; guess that man wasn't lying after all. I swiftly gobbled up all of it and went back to lying on the bed, pondering about Layla, and myself. Who was I like before? How did I meet Layla? What was the world like, now and then? As my mind cycled through these thoughts, a guard presented himself before my cell.
"Get up. His Majesty wishes to speak to you." He then unlocked the cell gate and escorted me out.
Minutes later, I found myself in a classroom. The air was thick with the scent of oak, emanating from the walls, floor, tables, and chairs. At the back of the room stood an array of metal and wooden dummies, some perfectly intact, others bearing severe damage. As I walked through the door, a sense of familiarity lingered in my mind, stirring memories I couldn't quite grasp.
"Take a seat," The King, sitting in one of them, commanded.
I picked the seat to his left.
"It's been a while, Genon. Welcome back to the Grand Palace."
My brows raised and my eyes widened. So we do know each other. At least Layla wasn’t lying about that one.
"I heard from Layla that you have lost your memories. You can call me Javen by the way." He then extended his hand. I figured as much. His tone sounded informal and friendly, unlike earlier in the open hall. But based on what Layla had told me, I thought we would have a more strained relationship than this. Nonetheless, I still extended my hand, warmly returning the handshake.
"You must be quite confused, waking up a century later, with no recollection or knowledge of anything," he continued.
"Y-yeah I am. Nothing adds up. Layla said we were together, but she's the Queen? And this whole deal around the arrest and the war..."
Javen clasped his hands, interlocking his own fingers and resting his elbows on the table. "It's complicated. Layla and I, we are only spouses by title."
"What? What does that mean?"
"Like I said, it's complicated. Lots of politics went into this. You'll know about it sooner or later."
"Okay... then this ghoul war thing?"
"What did Layla tell you about it?"
"She told me that weeks ago, there was this ghoul who single-handedly destroyed a palace, killing... King Gazaar? That's how the war started."
He looked at me, as if waiting for something more.
"That's all she said?"
"...There's more?"
A deep sigh escaped his lips. "That's not how the war started. That ghoul, it was retaliating to what Layla had done."
I furrowed my brows, preparing for the words to come.
"Layla, she had killed several ghouls. Just to steal the resurrection device to resurrect you," Javen continued.
My mouth slightly hung open. The resurrection device? So she did that just to... bring me back? But to kill others just for it. I didn't know what to feel. On one hand, she was a murderer, but on the other I was only alive because she did so.
"I don't believe it either, Genon. Layla's not that type of person. But then there was also no way she would have gotten that device so easily without at least killing someone."
"So... Layla really started all of this?"
"No, not really. The ghouls have been planning this for a long time now. They simply used Layla as an excuse to drive their plans."
That would make sense given the scale of their retaliation. But I also wonder why that same ghoul didn't just destroy this city and palace himself. My eyelids grew heavy.
"You look pretty tired. Maybe you should get some rest. We can continue later." Javen noticed my dulled eyes.
"Yeah, I should.” I rubbed my eyes softly. “Wait, where's Layla?"
"She's safe in a hidden place. You want to see her?"
"N-nevermind. It's fine."
The two of us left the room, with Javen personally bringing me to a different side of the palace. We passed by gardens, halls and ponds, but my mind was too busy trying to make sense of the situation in this world to appreciate any of them. After some minutes of silent walking, we arrived at a chamber. A red door loomed before us, ornately carved and adorned with gilded accents.
"You can rest here for the time being. If you need anything, just let the guard know." He nodded at the guard.
"Thanks Javen."
He only replied with a smile before walking away. Stepping into the chamber, I beelined for the bed, feeling unusually exhausted, perhaps due to the training sessions by Layla, and that whole ordeal earlier. Lying on the bed, I closed my eyes, seeking refuge behind my eyelids. My mind was still thinking about Layla's acts. I too, didn't believe that she would commit such crimes, but it was like Javen said, she couldn't have gotten the device so easily if she stole it. No point thinking about it now, maybe I will ask her later if I was allowed to see her. My breathing slowed and my muscles relaxed. Gradually, my mind slipped into a different realm, one of peace and tranquillity.
---
I stood in the doorway of a classroom. There was an older lady, in a purple robe, writing on the blackboard with five young students seated before her, diligently taking notes. In the midst of her writing, the lady suddenly turned to me.
"Genon? You're late. Quickly settle down." Her authoritative voice compelled me to move hurriedly to an empty seat. I sat down and unzipped my bag, fishing out papers from a file.
"Morning Genon!" a female voice whispered from beside me. She had beautiful platinum-blonde hair. And those ocean blue eyes...
"Layla?" I uttered. She looked so young.
"Yes?" A bright smile painted on her face.
"Oh, um. Good morning!" I stuttered. My eyes then caught sight of another familiar person seated in front of Layla. His golden hair shone under the bright lights of the class. His clothes were well-embroidered, made up of visibly higher quality than the others. He stared intently at me, his expression full of disgust. After a while, he snorted and faced back forward, continuing with his notes.
I thought nothing much of it and focused on the lesson instead, taking notes whenever needed. But then, my attention was drawn to a shadow on the floor. Turning my head, my gaze fell upon a tall and imposing pitch-black figure. Dressed in a black cloak and donning a black top hat, he stood silently in the doorway. Black mists swirled around his being, dancing in ethereal patterns. Each wisp whispered ghostly secrets, their words filled with an otherworldly resonance. But his eyes, his eyes were pure white. They glowed with an unnatural luminosity that sent shivers down my spine.
"Young man? It does not hurt to stay focused." The aged lady reprimanded.
"S-sorry, I was just--"
My head turned back to the door again, but he was no longer there. What? It was then that a soft bell started to toll in the distance. I shook distracting thoughts off my head and focused back on the lesson. But those bells rapidly grew louder and louder, eventually drowning out the lady's words. Her mouth kept opening and closing, and Layla and the others seemed to be able to understand her. What is going on? Is no one hearing the bells?
"Hey. Hey!" A soft voice called amidst the bells. I looked around for the source.
"Hey, wake up!"
---
I reopened my eyes to the chandelier hanging above me. Beside me was a guard who was still shaking my body.
"The Queen requests your presence," he said, his tone filled with a sense of urgency. Through the small gap of the door he had opened, I noticed a commotion of troops, the tolling of the bells sounding in the distance.
"Hurry," he implored.
Did something bad happen?