Chapter 88 - Ash Is Missing!

"I checked all around the palace but he is nowhere around but..."Alfred said as he used his divine power to feel Ash presence.

.

"But what?" Irene asked as she looked at Alfred with a worried look.

.

"But I feel his presence somewhere far from here and along with him there is some other presence which is kinda powerful and erratic," Alfred said as he closed his eyes trying to use his powers.

.

"Powerful and erratic...By any chance does his highness mean..." Rose said as she looked at Alfred. 

"The black magicians," Rose said as she looked over Irene who's eyes went blank.

.

"What does...that mean?" Irene asked as she bit her lower lip with fear in her eyes.

"I am afraid to say this but maybe..." Alfred said as he looked over Alan. He nodded his head as he held onto Irene's shoulders.

.

"Maybe the black magicians have taken him," Alfred said as he looked at Irene whose face has turned pale.

"Taken him....does his highness mean...Kidnapping...." Irene asked as she stuttered.

.

"Yes..." Alfred said which made Irene so shocked that she could no longer feel her legs but luckily Alan was holding her so she didn't hit the ground.

.

"Why?... Why would they take him...why" lots of thoughts ran through Irene mind. The black or dark magicians usually used the forbidden magic and they were known far and wide for their manic nature, and to think that Ash was with such magicians. There was no way Irene could handle it.

.

"What should I do now?" She said the desperation in her voice could be clearly felt and looking at her like that everyone else felt dang on their heart.

.

"Lady Winter get a hold of yourself," Alan said as he looked at her.

"Your Highness...Ash..." Irene said as she broke down into bitter tears.

.

"Irene please don't cry we all will help to look for Ashton," Molly said as she held her hand.

"We are here, so don't worry," Violet said as she looked at her.

.

"I will tell our family knights to help us," Harris said as he immediately threw a firework into the sky and it busted into the shape of Roses.

"Just now did you use the emergency card," Kelly asked as she looked at the sky.

.

"Yeah, and if I am right they must be here in two minutes," Harris said as he looked towards the doorways.

.

"But how did he get kidnapped? We are here and the palace is full of divine powers so anyone with black magic won't be able to enter it so easily. So how?" Rose said which grabbed everyone's attention.

.

"She is right we were all here so how did he get kidnapped? Alfred said as he looked around.

.

"Something is fishy in here," Harris said as his eyes pierced through every nook and corner.

.

Everyone started thinking hard, "wait! They are black magicians so they can for sure not enter here but What I Ash left himself?" Molly said as she looked at the chocolate syrup on the ground where Ash sat.

.

"That right, Some syrup fell on his clothes while he was eating so he must have left the room but how come he left the palace?" Kelly said as she looked over the door.

.

"Why would anyone take him? Ash is weak and his divine powers don't mingle with his soul. In such a situation with the exposure of black magic won't it be harmful to Ash...?" Irene murmured under her breath anxiously until a hand was placed over her head.

.

She looked up and her eyes met with the red ones, "Your Majesty...." She said as her mind calmed down.

.

"Ashton body might be weak but his will isn't, so lady winter get your act together." The empress said as she clapped her hands and maids came inside the room.

.

"Take everyone one of them to a safe room. And call for the solar knights right now!" Empress said in a serious tone.

.

"Yes, your majesty." Saying that a maid ran out to for the knights and the others were now pushing us to enter another room.

.

"Your Majesty why are you sending us away," Irene said as she struggled to move from the maid's grip.

.

"Yes, mother we can help!" Alan said as he shook off the maids' hands.

.

"Your Majesty let us stay here," Harris said as he looked over Irene who was losing every bit of her sanity.

.

"I know you all could help but right now the situation is a lot difficult than you think it is and I am afraid if I let you out now everything would be completely destroyed so please stay in. I promise to bring

back Ash safe and sound." She said as everyone else was locked inside a room.

.

"What just happened?" Molly said as she sat down on the floor.

.

"We are locked inside a room whereas Ashton is somewhere all alone..." Violet said as she bit her lower lips. Her emerald eyes clearly showed pain as her eyes wandered and stopped at Irene who was standing facing the door without a single movement.

.

"Lady Winter...Are you okay?" Alan said softly as he approached her. He tapped on her shoulders and as soon as he did that Irene fell on the ground unconsciously.

.

"Lady winter!!" 

"Irene!!" 

Everyone in the room started to panic but not a single voice reached Irene's ear.

.

"Lady Winter!" Alan who held her in his arms was shocked to see her in such a state, 'You are like this again...' He thought as he remembered the time when she had a misunderstanding with her father.

.

"Please let me check her," Rose said as she came forward and checked her pulse and eyes.

.

"She is fine but maybe because of too much stress and shock she fainted....and maybe we should just let her sleep since waking end up would only make her condition worse," Rose said as she looked at Irene who was breaking in cold sweats.

.

"I agree with it, let me just stabilize her a bit," Alfred said as he used his divine power to make her feel better and sleep without a worry.

.

"Now what should we do?" Violet said as she sat beside Irene and stroked her hair.

" I know saying this isn't the right option but please follow the empress words and stay here," Ethan said as he bowed towards them.

.

"Do you want us to stay here doing nothing!" Molly said as she snapped at him. "Sister.." Kelly said as she tried to calm her down.

.

"It may sound selfish but it's an order by the empress for everyone's safety and there is no way I can disobey it not let you all do it," Ethan said as he looked at the other kids, who had raged in their hearts but still they knew that what Ethan said was not completely wrong.

.

The empress who cared the most about the winter siblings is being like that so there is no way that everything is fine. 

.

"We understand it...but the moment Irene wakes up and asks for Ash...I don't think we will have a good excuse for it...and if Ash doesn't return we may lose even her..." Violet said as a tear rolled down her eyes.

.

Everyone in the room more or less understood what she meant cuz for Irene Ash was her everything. If he had even a little problem Irene would worry for a whole day and to think that he might never return to her side would be enough to make her give up on everything...which includes even her own life.

.

"Nothing like that would happen...I won't let it happen." Alan said as he clenched his fists.

.

"It's not just you... every one of us is in this too!" Alfred said as he held his hands.

.

"Yes, Lady Winter and young lord Ashton are not some normal kids who will surrender to such a small circumstance. They will fight with all they have." Molly said as she looked at the boy's faces which lit up hearing her words.

.

"We know that~" Three of them said as they shrugged. Which made Molly flinch a bit.

"For God sake can't they just stop acting all cocky and get to work," Molly said as she sighed.

.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Meanwhile, in a place far from the capital, two people wearing a brown clock were standing beside their carriage and talking among themselves.

.

"Are you sure this will be fine?" One of the men who had a scar on his hand said as he opened e the carriage door.

.

"Don't worry everything will be fine or even better..." The other man who was wearing specs said as an evil smirk appeared on his face.

.

"...with the help of this kid now our time will surely change." That same man said happily as he pulled a boy tied with ropes and covered face out of the old carriage.

.