Hazel and her guards entered the forest slowly, each step cautious and deliberate. They glanced back as the gate slammed shut behind them, then turned to take in the eerie surroundings.

'The Forest Land' lived up to its name—it was dark, dense, twisting, and bitterly cold. Overhead, thick leaves and tangled vines completely hid the sky. Underfoot, the forest floor was carpeted with dense, mat-like creepers.

Hazel and her guards could barely distinguish what lay above or beneath them; the forest was too shadowed to reveal much. Birds chirped sporadically, their wings fluttering faintly overhead in the dimness.

"It's so dark," Hazel murmured, wrapping her arms around herself as her teeth chattered from the cold.

"It's freezing too," one of the men, Raymond, commented.

"Do we have anything for warmth?" Hazel asked.

"Yes, yes, we do," Mask answered quickly, setting his bag on the ground. He loosened it and brought out four lanterns. He lit them, handed one to Hazel, one to Crest, one to Raymond, and he held one.

"You must be freezing, Your Majesty," Raymond said, noticing her shiver.

Hazel nodded, clutching the lantern tightly. Lailack, Hazel’s maid, quickly produced a cloak and wool scarf from her bag. Lailack wrapped the scarf around Hazel's neck and her shoulders.

"Better?" Lailack asked, looking very worried.

Hazel nodded. She raised her lantern to see Lailack's worried face and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine now, Lailack. It's warm," she ruffled her black hair. "Don't worry about me, honey."

Lailack mustered a smile while her lips quivered. Even with her smile, she couldn't hide her fear from Hazel.

Robert had appointed Lailack as Hazel's maid after their wedding, replacing her former maid, Kate, who had worked with Queen Lucida to make Hazel's life miserable. Lailack had promised Robert to serve his queen sincerely with loyalty. And she had kept her promise, which made Hazel love her. Hazel treated her like a younger sister, as Lailack was two years her junior.

Hazel raised her lantern higher to see the expression of the rest; she looked from Raymond to Crest, Ranya, Goltha, Mask, Joseph, Dav and Reed. They all looked worried. Hazel could tell they were more worried about her than themselves. Warmth spread through her heart at their concern for her, and she mustered a smile at them.

They were all her husband's guards, except for Raymond and Crest, whom Robert had specifically assigned to protect her.

"You all look worried," Hazel remarked, glancing around at them.

"You have no skill to fight, my Queen," Crest, the giant among them, said. "And I'm especially concerned for you, Your Majesty, as none of us knows what lies ahead. But no matter what, Queen of Mazi," Crest knelt on one knee, placing a hand over his chest, "I'll protect you till my last breath."

"Yes!" All guards, including Lailack, fell on one of their knees with their hands on their chest. "We'll protect you till our last breath!"

Hazel mustered an ambivalent smile and sniffled as she fought the urge to cry, but her eyes were welling with tears.

"I'm glad you're all here with me," she said softly, pausing before adding, "But please protect yourselves as well."

The guards looked up at their queen and nodded.

**********************************************************************

Queen Lucida frowned when she pulled out her drawer and found it empty. She looked at her dressing table but didn't find what she was looking for. She quickly searched the rest of the drawers, but each one was empty.

"What is going on?" She muttered to herself.

Lucida climbed over her bed; searching over the bed, she threw away the pillows, the bedsheet and the blanket.

Did I misplace it? She wondered, climbing down from the bed and scratching her head like a child who had lost a precious belonging. Where do I put it? She asked herself.

"Alice!" she yelled for her maid. Instead, Stacy, her husband’s second wife, entered the room.