White Demon

>> Chapter 2 D <<

It is night.

The Royal family is seated at dinner.

The children are sitting at the Empress' side of the table.

The Empress is seated at her official seat.

Ana is seated to the right of the Empress, Gal to her left.

Zea is seated to Ana's right.

Tasia is seated far left of Gal, then Alex is seated between Gal and Tasia.

This is how the Royal family sat at dinner tonight.

The Emperor is not at the table with the family tonight.

The maidens are standing by the corner of the hall, Maiden Clara is standing there too.

The family is already rounding up their dinner when the Empress announces:

"We will be going to Bavaria in three days," she says.

"Yes, mum," the children answer in accordance.

"The maidens assigned to you will pack your luggage and get you all prepared for the trip," the Empress says.

"We will be traveling with the Royal Calvary, so I will like you all to be of good behavior from now and when we embark on the journey."

"Yes mum," the children answer but this time, with less enthusiasm.

The Empress rises from the dinner table and her maiden train moves closer to her.

The Empress maiden train acts on reflexive impulse.

Wherever the Empress goes they go.

If the Empress raises her hand, they run to her, if she rises, they approach her, if she moves, they move, if she stays, they stay.

"Everyone will be in their courts tonight, packing their luggage," the Empress says.

"Maiden SANTARINA, you bring Alex to me when he finishes his dinner."

This the Empress says to Maiden Santarina, one of the maidens in her maiden entourage.

"Yes, your Majesty," maiden Santarina answers and bows to the Empress.

The Empress walks to the doorway, her maiden train following her like the rest of the centipede follows it.

She leaves the dining hall along with her entourage and the door closes.

The children eat in silence for a moment.

"I want to tell you something," Zea says to Ana, she leans forward and whispers to her.

Ana keeps picking on her Cream Cake desert with no interest in her dessert.

"What's that," Ana says. "You want to finish the story now?"

"No, not the story," Zea says.

"What then,” Ana retorts.

"Sshhh," Zea hush's her down.

"I want you to come with me as I go out to the woods again tonight," Zea whispers, almost inaudible to Ana.

"What, what did you say" Ana shrieks in amazement.

Ana’s reaction to Zea's words attracts Maiden Clara's attention, she walks up to the Duchesses at the table.

Zea quickly seats properly and eats her dessert.

"What's the matter," Maiden Clara says from behind.

She stands behind, between seated Ana and Zea.

Zea quickly responds: "Ana wants to seek permission to sleep in my court tonight."

"No, I didn't," Ana declares, looking surprisingly at Zea, astonished by her comment.

Zea kicks Ana by the shin from under the table.

"Ouch," Ana shrieks in pain.

"What's that child," Maiden Clara asks Ana as she screams in pain.

"Please Maiden Clara, permit Ana to stay with me," Zea continues. "We want to finish our story of the afternoon...please?"

This Zea says as she pleads with maiden Clara.

Ana leans forward under the table to rub her aching shin.

"Please Maiden Clara please," Zea pleads further with Maiden Clara.

Maiden Clara, feeling empathy for Zea about her mood since the day, and not wanting her to do anything crazy again tonight because Ana will be with her, then allows both Duchesses to stay in Zea's court.

"Alright, alright, you both can tell your stories," she says. "But no noises and you must go to bed early, okay?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Zea says in excitement.

She holds Maiden Clara's hand as a sign of appreciation.

"Are you okay with that your Highness," Maiden Clara asks Duchess Ana, looking down at her.

"Okay," Ana replies, though with some air of perplexity.

She is still cringing from the pain from Zea's kick to her shin.

Zea smiles at Duchess Ana, and Ana smiles back briefly and frowns.

Maiden Clara then walks back to the corner where she stood before, as she was walking away, Ana discreetly pinches Zea's left ear.

"Ouch," Zea shrieks.

Duchess Gal, from across the table, looks at Zea and Ana as Zea shrieks in pain.

"What are you both up to again, you two freaks," Gal asks.

She is looking at Zea.

Zea lets out a tongue-out to tease Gal.

Gal throws a piece of food at Zea, Zea throws back some food at Gal, and a food fight ensues.

Zea, Ana, and Gal throw pieces of food at themselves for a moment, making a mess on the table.

"Okay, okay, okay, it's okay now, everyone, let's go to our courts, and get ready for bed," Maiden Clara declares.

The other maidens approach the table and begin to take the dishes away.

Zea rises from the table, and so does Ana.

They both walk together to the doorway holding hands.

Gal and Tasia also move out of the hall together.

Maiden Santarina is leading Alex by the hand.

Other maidens follow the children and Maiden Clara out of the hall.

Some maidens stay behind at the table clearing the dishes and the mess the Duchesses made on the table by their food fight.

Walking the hallway, Zea and Ana keep walking ahead of the group down the hallway.

"Let us go into the woods tonight sister, you want to come with me," Zea says to Ana as they walk on by.

"You know that's why I lied to Maiden Clara so that she can let you be with me in my court tonight, for us to make it out easily," Zea says.

"Go into the woods, or what," Ana asks.

Zea stops walking and looks at Ana for a moment.

"I want to go search for Omiji," Zea says to Ana.

She looks at her with a worried countenance.

"Are you going mad Zea," Ana asks Zea.

Zea ignores the question and walks away briskly from Ana.

Ana pursues her in fast-paced steps, she catches up and pulls Zea by the arm.

"I'm asking you, have you gone mad," Ana asks yet again. "You want to go into the woods again tonight?"

"See, I'm a big girl alright, and I can go and come back on my own if you're not coming with me," Zea says and she walks away again.

Maiden Clara, walking behind them, is observing the antics displayed by Zea and Ana.

"If you go again tonight, I will tell mum," Ana says to Zea as they walk on.

Zea stops briskly, looks at Ana, and holds her hand.

"Ana, I've never felt like this before,” she says.

“But now I do feel a certain way, but the next morning, everything is gone?"

“Come on Zea, what is heaven’s world are you talking about,” Ana says surprisingly.

"I think it's time I just live my life the way I want it, I don’t like all these, ‘don't do this, don't do that, I'm just so not cool with it anymore, I will go try and see if I will find the camp tonight, but Maiden Clara has to help me with that, to know where the camp is."

“What camp,” Ana asks.

“Can you just understand me for a moment,” Zea says, she’s feeling rather sad, her eyes glassy, this can be seen from the reflections of luminescence that her eyes are glassy with tears.

Ana stays quiet for a moment.

She is calm and speechless because she can see that something is not usual.

Her sister is in love, and it is obvious.

But this seems rather strange to Ana.

Because Zea had always been very arrogant toward the opposite s*x.

She always rejected any romantic advancement by High Princes, Dukes, and other Noble young men around the Palace.

Ana thought Zea never took interest in men.

But here she is, Zea, she’s groping in love with Omiji, a Palace Guard?

And nothing can stop her now, nothing can stop her from going to search for Omiji tonight.

As they spoke, Maiden Clara walks up to them from behind.

The rest of the maidens walk on by, Duchess Gal, Duchess Tasia, and Maiden Santarina with Alex, all pass by the hallway and continue down to the courts' section.

Maiden Clara, places her hands on Zea and Ana's shoulders, to comfort and reassure the Duchesses in some way.

"Now what's the matter now, I have allowed you both to go tell your stories, what now," Maiden Clara asks them both.

Ana and Zea stare at each other not saying a word to Maiden Clara.

Zea then looks at Maiden Clara.

"I want you to do something for me Maiden Clara," Zea says.

"What's that, Your Highness," Maiden Clara answers.

"I want you to go find out from someone, anyone, what camp they took Omiji to, and come tell me now," Zea says.

"What, what the…" Maiden Clara answers in surprise.

"Go now, Maiden Clara, Go now," Zea yells at Maiden Clara.

"Yes, Your Highness," Maiden Clara answers and she walks out instantly down the hallway.

Zea and Ana walk on by gently behind her.

As they approach Duchess Ana's court, Duchess Ana looks at Zea.

"Do you want to do this," Ana says to Zea.

"Yes Ana, are you coming with me," Zea asks one more time.

Duchess Ana is about two years older than Zea.

As an elder sister, she sees it as a responsibility to either tell the Empress about this crazy escapade Zea is about to embark on.

Or should she support her sister in her quest to find her heart's desire and also protect her?

Ana has to make a choice and fast.

Duchess Ana is in a dilemma.

She looks at Zea and sees her sad countenance.

Zea's worried look moves Ana.

She knows Zea would go into the woods, even without her.

Ana goes against the odds, she nods in affirmative to Zea’s request.

"Okay sister, I will come with you, but do you know where we are going,” Ana asks.

"Let's go to my court, Maiden Clara will meet us there," Zea says.

They both girls walk briskly to Zea's court.

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

Maiden Clara walks very fast down the stairway.

She is in a hurry and a panic.

"What am I going to do, what am I going to do," she keeps telling herself, as she panics down the stairs.

"I think I should just go tell the Empress!"

Maiden Clara meets a group of knights marching by the hallway.

"Hey wait, wait," she calls out to the knights.

"Wait!"

The last knight right behind the troop stops and turns while the rest keep marching down the hallway.

Maiden Clara walks fast, she catches up with the knight, she’s breathing fast but she pauses to catch her breath.

"I...I...want to ask, where is the Royal Army camping at the battle by the creek bed," Maiden Clara asks the knight.

The knight raises his face shield, he looks at Maiden Clara, he recognizes her, and he speaks.

"The army camp is based at the Great Oak by the river, west of the palace," the knight says.

"At the great Oak, where is that?" Maiden Clara asks.

She sounds rather confused.

"When you get to the bridge, you cross it," the knight says.

The knight walks away immediately.

He marches fast to catch up with his team, leaving Maiden Clara standing by the hallway in oblivion.

Maiden Clara watches as the knights disappear down the hall, she turns back and walks back up the lonely stairs.

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

In Duchess Zea's court, Zea and Ana sit at the tea table, waiting for Maiden Clara to come back with some news about Omiji’s base camp.

"I'm scared sister," Ana says.

"Why are you scared," Zea asks.

"Why am I scared," Ana says. "Are you serious right now?"

"Yes, why are you scared," Zea asks yet again.

"Everything, everything," Ana shrieks and she begins to cry.

Zea gets up from her seat, walks up to Ana, and holds her by the shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ana, I'm scared too, but we need to stop living our lives in fear," Zea says to Ana.

Suddenly the court door opens gently, it's Maiden Clara, she peeks in.

"May I come in," she asks, peeking by the doorway.

Zea turns and sees Maiden Clara.

"Come in, Maiden Clara," Zea says.

Maiden Clara enters the court, but she stands by the doorway.

"The army camp is by the riverside, right by the great Oak," Maiden Clara says.

"Thank you, Maiden Clara," Zea replies.

"Is there anything else I could help you with your Highness," Maiden Clara says.

"No thank you, Maiden Clara, you can leave us now," Zea says. "We will be fine, you may go to bed and try to find some rest, okay?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Maiden Clara says.

Maiden Clara looks at Ana and sees Ana crying by the tea table.

"What's the matter, Duchess Ana," Maiden Clara asks.

Ana says nothing, she tries to wipe her tears with the sleeve of her dress.

"You can leave now, Maiden Clara," Zea says again.

"Yes, Your Highness," she answers and turns around, she exits the court, and the door closes.

Zea goes back to sit at the tea table.

"Everything is going to be fine okay," Zea says to Ana, she holds her by the hands across the tabletop.

"I know where the great Oak is, it's just right down the valley across the palace gates," Zea says to Ana. "If we get out, it's not that far from here."

Zea says this to Ana, to reassure her, and to boost her countenance.

"Are we still going," Ana asks, she sounds a bit panicky in her tone.

"Yes, we are," Zea says.

Zea stands and walks over to her wardrobe.

She brings out her fur coat, the fur coat she wore the other night, the fur coat the General gifted her, and she brings out another coat, it is a red coat, she walks to Ana with the two coats.

"We will be right back before you know it," Zea says, she holds out the two coats to Ana.

"Which would you want to wear, it's freezing out there," Zea says, she hands over the two coats to Duchess Ana to choose one from either of the two coats.

Duchess Ana looks at the two coats, she first stretches her hand to the red coat, then she changes her mind and reaches for the coat the General gifted Zea.

She slowly takes the coat and looks at it, it wasn't looking so clean because it has not been cleaned after Zea's escapade of last night in the woods.

"No, give me the other one," Ana says, giving the fur coat back to Zea.

She then takes the red coat and holds it.

"Right," Zea says.

Zea walks to the dressing table, she picks up her mirror and fastens the mirror to her waist girdle.

Ana sees Zea tuck the mirror in her girdle.

“And what in Saint Petersburg are you doing with a mirror,” Ana asks.

Zea pays her no mind, she walks around the room picking up a thing or two.

She walks to the window and looks out to the palace grounds.

Down the palace grounds, Zea sees a troop of soldiers parading the floors.

The troops below walk in groups of tens, to and fro the grounds.

They walk across the grounds in detached groups of ten men a group.

The entire palace grounds are teeming with palace guards and patrol troops.

Zea looks across the palace walls, everything seemed peaceful across the lands across the fence.

There were no cannon shells tonight.

The night is pitch black, the moon is just rising at the horizon, looking golden yellow.

Zea heaves a sigh and turns to Ana.

“It is time,” she says. "we are going down from here."

Zea points out through the window.

Ana quickly walks to the window, she’s holding the red coat in her hands.

She peeks down to the grounds from the high window.

"Zea, have you going mad, Ana says. "How do you want me to climb down from here?"

Zea pays Ana no mind.

She walks over to her wardrobe and brings out a piece of long fabric tied in several knots.

The rope is about enough to get to the palace grounds from the window.

"For your sake, you can use this, but I can climb down by myself," Zea says.

Zea walks back to the window, she ties the fabric on some metal by the window and cast the piece of fabric out the window.

The fabric is about long enough, it flies out from the window down to the grounds.

Zea climbs out of the window, she stands by the window seal.

"See, it's not that scary," Zea says to Ana as she stands by the window pane.

She begins to climb down.

Ana looks on in amazement as Zea climbs down the wall with ease.

She can see Zea placing her feet and her hands at specific crevices and cracks in the palace walls.

Zea continues her climb, then jumps down the few remaining feet down below, and within a moment, Zea is at the palace grounds.

She sees a troop of palace guards coming her way, and she hides.

The troop passes by.

Zea comes out of hiding and beckons on Ana to climb down using the fabric she tied to the window.

"Come on Ana, you can do it," Zea, says.

She looks up to Ana standing perplexed by the window.

Ana looks down in fear.

I...can't do it, Zea," Ana says. "I'm afraid of heights."

"Yes, you can," Zea retorts from down below the palace grounds. "Just hold on to the knots tied to the rope and climb down."

Ana frightfully climbs out of the window and stands by the window seal.

She is scared, very scared.

"Don't look down," Zea says.

"Just hold the rope tightly, and release it gently, and you will be down here in a moment,"

"Okay, okay," Ana says.

She fearfully holds the rope and takes her feet off the window, she begins to climb down the rope holding onto the knots.

She climbs down by the rope, then about halfway down, she looks down and becomes afraid.

Duchess Ana holds the rope tightly and stops climbing downwards.

"Don't look down," Zea says in what is a very high whisper.

Ana climbs down again a bit more, she loses her grip, she falls about a few feet from the ground and lands on the ground with a thud.

"Who goes there," a voice bellows from a few yards away, it is one of the palace patrols.

Zea picks Ana up, and they run and hide in a dark corner by the wall's foundation.

A palace guard comes close.

He is about to get to the window to see what happened and to see the fabric by the window.

Zea then grabs a stone and throws it a few feet away, the guard turns around and runs towards the noise.

"You see that gash in the fence wall," Zea says to Ana, she points into the dark at a not-so-visible opening in the palace fence.

"Yes, I can see it," Ana replies.

"We will make a run for it now, okay," Zea says.

"Okay, okay, okay," Ana replies, her voice depicting some excitement and anxiety like she is beginning to enjoy the event unfolding.

"We have to go now sis, if we don't go now, we will be seen," Zea says.

They both make it for the gash in the fence wall, they run as fast as they can.

As they get to the wall, Zea guides Ana to pass through the gash, and she too passes through, and in a moment, they are outside the palace walls.

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

Zea and Ana run as fast as they can downhill outside the palace walls.

Now the full moon is high in the sky, shining bright across the lands.

"Wait," Zea says.

The girls suddenly stop.

"Maiden Clara said the camp is by the river," Zea says.

"By the River," Ana asks.

"Yes, we need to cross the bridge, and get to the great Oak," Zea says. "I know the great Oak, it's the other way."

Zea points in the other direction towards the palace gates.

“Let’s get to the bridge, and to do that, we must pass by the palace gates,” Zea says

For them to be on the right path to the river, they have to cross through the palace gates.

"But there are the palace guards there by the gates, we will be seen," Ana retorts.

"No, just come behind me, wear your coat and follow me," Zea says.

They both wear their coats and fasten their coat latches.

The girls run towards the palace gates.

They run under the cover of the night, keeping a good distance away from the gates.

As they get close to the gates, Zea stops, and Ana bashes into her from behind because she didn’t know Zea stopped in her tracks.

"Sorry sister," Zea says to Ana for barging into her from behind.

Zea stoops down, Ana stoops down too.

They sneak across the palace gates not to be seen, keeping cover with some bushes by the fields.

There are Palace guards on the battlements above the gates, they keep good watch around the palace grounds

Zea and Ana crotch down by the fields.

They creep across the palace gates like a lioness in stealth, keeping a distance of about several feet away from the gates.

Soon they are at a safe distance away from the palace.

The path to the river now lies before them.

It is a road with trees to the left and right.

Zea and Ana run as fast as they can down the road until they get to the river.

"Now how do we cross the river?" Ana asks as they approach the river.

Zea walks closer to the river.

At the river banks, she looks around and she sees a bridge to the far right of the river's bank.

"There, there's a bridge there," Zea says, and she points to the bridge.

The girls run to the bridge.

At the bridge, they walk gently because this part of the bridge is made of ropes and reeds.

Shortly they cross the bridge and soon they are on their way uphill to the great Oak.

Walking up the hill, the palace is clear and vivid in the distance across the river.

On the other side of the hill, in the distance, about half a mile, it can be seen on the horizon, through the moonlight, a very big tree, with an umbrella canopy.

The great Oaktree is seen like a giant mushroom growing from the horizon.

The tree stands very high about a couple of hundred meters away.

A bright illuminance glows from that direction.

The illuminance is coming from the Royal army's camp by the great Oaktree.

"There," Zea says, and points to the far distance. "That's the great Oak."

Zea points far to the horizon, to show Ana the great Oak.

The moon shines bright.

"Let's go, we will be back before anyone notices our absence in the palace," Zea says to Ana, she walks ahead up the road.

They begin to walk up the road that leads directly to the army camp to the great Oak.

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

Since the twilight, after the meeting with the Emperor, the chief captain rides to the army base camp with a hundred horsemen

This is the Royal cavalry.

The Royal cavalry is the best knights of the Emperor.

They usually are given the toughest and most important tasks in the land.

Captain Roscoe leads the cavalry to the Royal army base camp tonight.

The Royal army is encamped around the Oaktree.

The Oaktree is the tallest tree in this woods.

It is located west of the creek bed, the tree stands at about fifty feet high.

At the top of the tree are positioned ‘lookout posts' and scouts and sentinels are on duty upon these lookout posts.

The sentinels look across the horizons to spot any enemy attack from anywhere around the lands, especially any attacks from the Great Greens, the enemy's territory.

The army at this camp goes to fight by the creek bed where the war rages.

The creek bed is right by the valley down south of the Oaktree.

The creek is usually flooded by Springtime.

But it's not Springtime yet but Autumn, and in Autumn, the creek bed is usually void of water.

The Royal Army has been repelling the Revolutionary forces at the creek bed since last night.

Now the Royal army plans to reinforce the battle at the creek bed, launch a counter-attack, and take the war to the Great Greens, to the Black Castle, to crush the Revolutionary forces forever.

The Royal cavalry arrives at the Royal army base camp by the great Oak.

The camp is seething with different activities:

There is an array of blacksmiths wielding forges, beating red hot iron into swords, spears, shields, and helmets.

Another group of men are busy on the army base camp, they are harnessing battle machine guns, rifles, cannons, and big battle artillery, and there are lots of tents all over the place.

The chief captain comes down from his horse, and the rest of the horsemen remain on their horses.

The chief captain walks into one of the tents.

Inside this tent are some men of importance in the Royal army, they are mostly commanders of different regiments, and in the middle of this tent is a very large map laid down on the table.

The commanders in the tent are gathered up by the table, they are looking at the map on the table when Captain Roscoe walks in.

Standing at the door, the captain removes his helmet.

"Greetings all," he says.

"Greetings," they all answer in unison.

The officers all look at the chief captain.

"I have come with news from the Emperor," he says.

"We are sending more men to the battle by the creek bed."

He walks over to the table and opens a scroll for all to see.

"The Emperor demands we send in reinforcements to the infantry at the creeks, and if we defeat them there, we will launch a counter to the Black Castle," the captain says.

"Ay, Ay, Ay," the army officers in the tent answer concurrently.

The chief captain begins to call out names of the men that will be sent to the battle, and in that list, he mentions Omiji's name as one of the soldiers that will go for the battle.

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

Meanwhile, Zea and Ana are walking by the road that leads up to the army base camp, they are walking uphill.

"I'm tired Zea, I don't think I can walk anymore," Ana says.

"We can't stop now, we are in the middle of the woods," Zea says to Ana. "But we are almost there!”

Zea is walking about a few meters ahead of Ana.

"Please, let me catch some breath,” Ana says, she pants and leans forward in a cringe.

Ana spots a log by the roadside, she walks over to the log and sits on it.

Zea, seeing her sitting on the log, walks back to her.

Zea sits beside Ana.

"I appreciate your coming with me sister, but I don't even know what I'm doing," Zea says.

"Yea, you don't know what you're doing, and you are just realizing that now," Ana retorts.

"You realize that now that we are in the middle of the woods, right in the middle of nowhere waiting to be dinner for the lions, tigers, and bears?”

"Oh, my,” Zea retorts quickly.

"Can you just stop, I appreciate you coming with me, but we can't just give up now, should we, if we go to Bavaria in three days, and Omiji goes to war, I will as well be food for heartaches, loneliness, and sadness, I will just kill myself!"

"You want to kill yourself for this boy you just met, a Guard boy,” Ana asks.

Zea says nothing, she just stares blandly.

She brings out her mirror from her girdle and stares into it in the moonlight.

She sees Birdie in the reflection, but Birdie is looking down like asleep.

Birdie is sleeping, it is sleeping time for the bird in the mirror.

Zea hastily tucks the mirror back into her waist girdle, and she looks at Ana in the moonlight.

"You know what, let me just see him again tonight, and tell him how much he has made me feel, then I will let it go, if we see each again, then fine, but if I don't see him again..."

"If you don't see him again then what," Ana asks.

Ana looks at Zea, and from the moonlight, she can see Zea's face, she looks sad.

Zea says nothing, she stands to her feet and walks away from the log, she walks up the road once again.

Ana seems reluctant to follow Zea.

Then suddenly, there's a howl from the distance, like a wolf or a coyote.

Hearing the howl, Ana quickly stands to her feet and walks very fast, she walks past Zea, and they begin their journey once again uphill.