Chapter 119 Here It Lies

"Growl!" A cloud of whitish frigid fog washed over my face. I froze once more because that sound wasn't mine.

Instead of deliberating whether to confront the source of the sound or not, my head instantly snapped forward.

Thump! Thump!! Thump!!!

My heart drummed, unstoppably. My arms spasmed and shook as I steeled my legs to stand up and take a step back after stumbling on the snow a few times.

I had forgotten. No! I had almost forgotten. The sacrifices of the hundreds -thousands of men that laid their lives that day, the years it took before the news reached my ears and the months I had spent to devise a plan to capture it.

And yet, just this morning I was stripped of all those memories. How?

There was nothing I wanted to know right now than how such a thing was possible!

"CLIING! DING!!" The chains tied around the pillars shook. The sound reverberated around the room again and again. But, I didn't bother to look because my eyes were fixated on the one responsible for it.

With shimmering blue scales on its skin that glinted in the pale light winter sun, frozen spiky bones that looked like crystals, each arranged in a straight line, from its head down to its tail, and a body -a body with the monstrous shape of a reptile, with four long bulging legs and three long brilliant blackish claws that extended from its three reptilian appendages, the beast towered me on the enormous circular platform and stared down at me.

"Huff! Growl!!" The fog that escaped its mouth washed over my face again.

How could I have forgotten?

I gulped. My legs trembled beneath the assault of the cold, and I collapsed on the snow.

But, my eyes never tore off from the beast, because this was it, this was the beast that brought about the 'Moonlight's Ice' and froze the lands within the Cryptic Sea.

I had captured it! I sealed it here!!

I used it as the catalyst to stop the 'Moonlight's ice' from rampaging into my kingdom. And yet I..... forgot.

Suddenly, as though reality began to tear away from my vision, the cold around me faded. The chains fell and scattered into nothingness. And the beast that brought about the emergence of Moonlight's ice vanished.

The world around me spun back to normal. And all I could see once more was an empty room filled with dirt and cobwebs.

My hands cleared away the dust on the ground, and momentarily, I understood.

"Gideon" I spoke.

He responded, "Yes. My Queen". Her voice sounded too close to my ears, forcing me to turn my head to the side and stare at him.

And it was only then that I understood that he had been by my side. And from the way he looked at me, it was clear that he had no idea of what was going on.

Well, from what I had just seen and experienced, I wasn't expecting him to. I stood up and dusted away the dirt on my clothes.

Tch! They weren't coming off!

I sighed, seeing as I had just wasted a beautiful gown as the dirt was now glued to it.

"Send an invitation to the leaders of every fallen kingdom in my kingdom" I descended from the platform and walked towards the door "Tell, them that the Queen has invited them for a meeting".

"My Queen" Gideon opened his mouth to speak, however, I interrupted him, already knowing what the aged butler of mine was going to say.

"You were going to ask me why I haven't called them for a meeting all this time since I granted them asylum in my kingdom, right?" I clarified. If I had a reason for doing so before -even though I could guess what it was, but right now, those reasons were useless.

"Yes, my Queen. Those were exactly my thoughts" He responded.

My hands pushed the door open and widened the narrow road which Gideon was quick to seal shut the moment he made his way through it.

My response, however, was obvious "Whatever reasons I had before are now useless. If we want to make it through the following months, then we have to work fast".

"Work fast?" He repeated. "You are sounding as though some kind of calamity is about to befall all of us. I am sorry my Queen, but I do not understand anything that has happened since the moment you woke up".

Feeling his confusion behind my back, I halted my steps.

"Gideon, I will explain everything to you after I have confirmed some things first" I turned around and explained to him "However, for now, just carry out my others and come to meet me when you are done with them".

He stared at me doubtfully. The faint expression that I- HIs Queen might have lost her mind didn't escape my sight as I took in every detail of his expression.

With a sigh escaping his lips, he bowed and responded "Whatever you say, my Queen".

I nodded and continued my way forward.

"Oh! And don't forget to check the food crops and livestock. I also need to know what the situation at the farm looks like" I stated, suddenly remembering that I also needed that important piece of information.

"Yes, my Queen, I will make sure to check it out and report back to you" He answered.

Our every footstep echoed and reverberated around the barren hall as we made our way up the stairs. We reached the door where the guards were stationed and walked out of it.

Unsurprisingly, Gideon never left my side until I was back in my room and surrounded by my maids.

"I think you need to take little rest my Queen" He suggested

.

I nodded. Even though just an hour or two had passed, I think that I deserved a little rest after my experience this morning. So, after having a quick bath and a new change of clothes, I slipped into my bedsheets and quietly went to sleep.

…........

"Click!!" I watched as Claire blew me a kiss before walking out of the door and closing it behind her.

"Well, that was exciting" No, I wasn't developing some kind of fetish. That was just a once-in-a-one-time thing that I needed to experience.

"What?" I sat down and awkwardly rubbed my nose when I noticed Nina's stare.

"Forgive me for saying this Prince Wyatt, but, that was the most embarrassing and scandalous display that I have ever witnessed" She stated.

Yet, her face burned red as I could see her still trying to stabilize her breathing.

"Thank you. It seems that you observed the scene quite well for you to notice the embarrassing details" I expressed. I didn't know if I was right, but I could tell that Nina was still a virgin.

Instincts. My instincts told me that.

"I-I…" She shook her head suddenly and muttered "I wasn't watching".

Damn it! How could someone be so cute while lying?

Regardless, I laughed "Don't worry about it" I waved my hand playfully at her expression "I just wanted to break off that stiff mask on your face. We are going to be by each other side for a long time, so the sooner you learn how to behave when we are together or when we are in public, the better for the both of us".

A slight pause engulfed the conversation.

"..And how would you presume I do that? By taking off my pants and presenting my bare ass in front of you"

".…"

That was… fast! I honestly only expected her to be more open after a quick back-and-forth retortion. And not this quick.

"Yes" I nodded my head "That will definitely bring us closer to each other" I said.

Nina sighed in defeat "This conversation is getting nowhere" She stated.

Her eyes flickered around the room before she stared at her empty plate "At least, I can peacefully think of what to do next now".

I nodded in affirmation "Yeah, take all the time you need. I don't have any more visitors f---"

"Knock! Knock!!"

"Ahem!" I cleared my throat as I watched Nina's sudden change in expression. Now, I feel like a lying husband.

.

"Knock! Knock!!"

"Should I help you get that?"

"No, don't worry" I stood up, walked towards the door, and opened it "Sorry, I think that you are at the wro…".

"Good morning Captain"

I stared at the figure of Annabelle dressed in her usual robe.

"Annabelle" I blinked.

"Yes, Captain" She walked into the room and instantly noticed the presence of Nina "I see that you have been enjoying yourself, Captain".

A bad premonition immediately arose in my gut.

"Captain, can you tell this prostitute to excuse us for a minute?"

"Ahem!" I almost choked on my words "Annabelle?"

"Yes, Captain"

"She isn't going anywhere"

Her brows rose and her lips twitched in irritation "Captain! This isn't the time for your lascivious -"

"Let me explain!" I blurted.