"Robert," Queen Lucida cried, holding her son's hand. "It's a day now, and Hazel is not back," she caressed his hands. "I'm really scared right now; I'm scared of losing you. I'm so sorry," she wept.

“King Robert lay unconscious on the bed, dressed in his royal robes and trousers, his face pale and lifeless. In his unconsciousness, he moaned his wife's name in pain as if he could feel her distress.

"Hazel,"

Queen Lucida heard Robert moan for the sixth time since she had entered the room. She heaved, tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Since when has he been moaning her name?" She asked Julius, who had been standing by the door since the king had been unconscious.

“From the moment he first lay there, Your Highness,” Julius replied.

"Robert…." Queen Lucida sat on his side on the bed. "I'm sorry," she cupped his face and wiped the tears at the corner of his eyes. "I'll be good to you and Hazel from now on; I know you love her, and nothing can change that. I’m so sorry I didn’t realize sooner. Please, Robert, just wake up and speak to me… please wake up…" She begged her shoulders shuddering as she cried.

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

Only four of the nine remained, groaning in pain as they pressed on—their bodies ached, feet throbbed, and heads pounded. They'd walked another long walk.

"I'm tired," Lailack panted, resting her hands on her waist. “I’m so thirsty; my throat feels like it’s burning,” she said, grimacing.

"I can hear a sound like rushing water," Ranya said, straining her ears to catch more of the sound.

The rest did as Ranya did and listened.

"I think I can hear it too!" Lailcak exclaimed in excitement.

They all rushed down the sound's direction. Their eyes widened in surprise and awe as they found a hill, pure water cascading down from it, forming a river beneath.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

They looked up and saw the sky clear and blue-- it was dawn. They saw bats flying in a multitude of triangular shapes. The beauty of nature was breathtaking.

Smiles crept over their faces as if they reached their destination.

"It's beautiful," Goltha commented.

"You're right, Goltha," Ranya agreed with a big smile.

Hazel sighed with relief and rushed to the river, plunging her head into the water like a desperate traveller crossing a desert. The others watched her with bittersweet smiles before joining, eagerly drinking as they dipped their heads in and out of the cool water. Only Lailack hesitated. She had been ready to jump in, but thoughts of Mask stopped her. Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around herself, watching the others with a look of fear.

"Ahhh!" Crest sat with his hands dug into the white sand like that of a beach. "This place is calm and beautiful; it's like we've reached our destination," he remarked.

"I agree with you," Goltha joined Crest. "But it's more freezing here," he curled up and hugged himself.

"Maybe where we are going is around here?" Hazel said, swaying as she stood.

The guards stood immediately.

"Are you alright, my queen?" The worried Lailack asked.

Hazel nodded, "I'll be fine; let's find where we're going. We left Mazi at night; the dawn here might mean it's now a day or half a day. We have to find someone living here; we need the antidote to save the king," she said, searching their pale faces.

"Of course, Your Majesty; you're right; we have to move!" Crest shouted and laughed to brighten the rest; he patted Goltha on his shoulder, and Goltha laughed, looking at Ranya and Lailack.

Lailack mustered a smile and nodded, "Yes, yes," she muttered.

"Lailack, you haven’t had a drop of water yet. You said you were thirsty earlier," Ranya remarked, noticing Lailack hadn’t touched the water, and asked her curiously.

"I will," Lailack chuckled.

Lailack had decided to wait a few minutes to see how the water affected the others before quenching the burning thirst in her throat. She was too young, too scared to risk death just yet, she had thought.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking from Ranya to Crest and Goltha.

"Why?" Ranya asked. "Scared?" She scoffed.

Lailack admitted by nodding her head.

Ranya patted her shoulder, chuckling, “We’ve been talking for minutes now, and nothing’s happened,” she pointed toward the rushing water. "This is pure and holy water, Lailack; don't be…."

A sudden spat of blood from Goltha’s mouth cut Ranya off mid-sentence.

"Goltha!" Crest cried. When he wanted to run to him, his legs stiffed while feeling blood rushing up his throat. He fell to the ground, blood spouting out of his mouth.

"No, no, no," Ranya screamed, touching her body.

"Your ears!" Lailack gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

Ranya's ears and nose were bleeding like Mask. When she opened her mouth, blood streamed down from it.

"My Queen, my Queen…" Lailack turned to look at Hazel, who had frozen on her spot with her eyes widened.