Rise of the Legendary Emperor

"You should have knocked her teeth off, Don" Arrora was burning with anger at Kate

"She's just a big mouthed idiot" Don said as he continued to roam around the garden

"Then why did I feel a murderous aura from you, just a moment ago?"

"That was just a warning, I thought it'll be more effective on Steve than Kate"

"Yeah you're right, that arrogant girl would not know death, even it stands before her "

"Why don't we just" Arrora slid her finger across her neck as Don shook his head

"No, I still don't know what's Darlene's plan is or who's behind her"

Hearing the last part, Arrora frowned

"You think there's someone behind her? Who?"

"I don't know who it is but I'm sure there's someone behind her"

"Then isn't it dangerous for us to make a move on Korrinth?"

Don didn't answer Arrora's question and left the gardens as Arrora rushed behind him to follow.

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

At the moment Riya was walking relentlessly from one end of the room to another end. The starry night was just as beautiful and mesmerizing as yesterday. However, her heart and mind were not into enjoying mother nature but thinking whether Adria would show up or not.

Prince Nikalas was gone outside to bring food to his mother and he didn't have a clue about what Riya talked with Adria yesterday or what was going to happen today. Riya had no appetite as she couldn't help thinking about anything else other than Adria telling her that she would help Vivian.

One by one, the candle lights went off and the moonlight became brighter and brighter but there was no Adria or any help.

"Did they leave Korrinth?"

Riya heard about everything that happened during the breakfast and some rumors about Princess Kate had a tense conversation with King Don from her maid friends in the castle. Everyone in the castle knew Princess Kate is just as arrogant as Princess Darlene or even more and since King Don was just a king of rank 4 Kingdom, she had no reason to conceal her arrogance in front of him.

"What is that?" 

 while Riya was walking here and there, she saw a bird like figure flying in the sky but as she looked closer, the figure became something of a woman's and Riya realized that it flying towards her

And before Riya's mind could process what's happening the woman flew through the windows and landed near Riya.

"Don't shout" 

Riya tried to scream but she was unable to even move her lips.

"Where the hell are those two?"

Riya heard the woman and saw her searching the room for something and locked her eyes at Vivian who's sleeping on a small bed.

"Ummmm" Riya could only make some sounds as the woman snapped her fingers and started to walk towards Vivian.

Unlike before Riya did not try to scream when her lisps got loose, she took a deep breath and tried to make sense of what just happened but when she saw two red wings on the woman's back, she almost fainted in shock.

"Who...who are you?" Riya mustered her courage and asked the woman as she took a wooden spoon on the table to stop the woman if she tried to hurt Vivian.

"You can call me Reghys and put that spoon away girl" Riya had no idea about how she guessed about the spoon yet Riya didn't put down the spoon but hid the spoon behind her and walked towards Reghys.

"How long is she like this?" Reghys asked Riya and waited for the girl to answer.

Riya was still in shock and took a few moments before answering

"Seventeen years"

"Seventeen huh?" Reghys nodded her head like she was expecting that answer.

"What are you doing?" Riya shouted in surprise when she saw Reghys pinching Vivian's back of her neck as well as her stomach.

And when Riya was standing clutching her hands together against her chest and watching Reghys, the door opened and Princess Nikalas entered into the room.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!" The moment Prince Nikalas saw Reghys pinching his mother's body, he shouted with all his strength but surprisingly the sound of his screaming was not as loud as Riya expected to be.

Prince Nikalas had in no mood to notice that his screaming was suppressed by Reghys as he rolled his wheelchair as fast as he could and moved towards Reghys to stop her

"Don't do that your royal highness" just as he was going to reach for Reghys, Nikalas heard a voice coming from behind.

"Adria!"

"There you are"

Riya and Reghys said at the same time when they saw Arrora and Don standing behind Prince Nikalas.

"Your majesty" Riya controlled her impulse to run towards Adria and bowed her head when she noticed Don standing beside Arrora.

"Your royal highness Nikalas meet his majesty Don, the king of Everlight and Emir"

Hearing Arrora's voice, Nikalas turned his wheelchair around to look at Don considering Reghys already stopped pinching his mother which made him ease a bit.

"Prince Nikalas"

Don reached his hand out for Prince Nikalas as Prince Nikalas took a few moments before shaking Don's hand

"King Don"

"What took you so long Don?" Reghys rolled her eyes and said as the room became awkwardly silent for a few moments because no one would call a king by his name so boldly as Reghys did.

"Can anybody tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Prince Nikalas was getting nervous seeing the crowd inside his small room as well as a woman with wings behind her back.

Regardless of Nikalas's worried and nervous face, Don looked at Reghys and Vivian on the bed

"What do you think that happened to her?"

However, Reghys didn't answer Don's question right away but she turned her gaze at Nikalas and pointed her finger towards him

"You, tell me what did the healers said happened to her?" 

"They... they said"

"They said what?"

"They said she's asleep and there's nothing wrong with her or at least they couldn't"

"It's not surprising"

"Do you know what is happening to my mother?"

Seeing Reghys's expression, Nikalas realized that she has the answer to all his questions.

"Yes,she's cursed and it's not a simple spell " 

"Cursed?" Nikalas's voice was shaking as he said and moved towards his mother

"Can you break the curse?" Arrora asked Reghys while Reghys shook her head and said

"I don't know where she got that curse but the spell used to curse her is very very ancient" Reghys's deep voice clearly indicated the seriousness of the spell and the curse on Vivian.

Hearing Reghys, Riyas cheeks already started to become wet with her tears while Prince Nikalas brushed his mother's hair and looked at her face with teary eyes.

However, Don's question made Nikalas turn and look at Reghys

"If you can't then how can we remove the curse"

Reghys closed her eyes and rummaged through her ancestors' memories to find a solution while everyone stared at Reghys to open her eyes

And finally, after a few long minutes, Reghys opened her eyes

"There is one thing"

"What is it"

Riya and Nikalas shouted at the same time before Reghys could finish

"Elixir of holy gold"

"Something tells me we can't buy that around here Reghys" Arrora had never heard of such thing before until now.

"Buy? You cant even find people who would know that this position even exists"

Nikalas's heart skipped a beat hearing Reghys's answer 

"Where can we find this potion then?" Arrora asked.

"Probably in some ancient treasure left behind someone or in some ancient ruins"

"What about the ancient dungeon that's going to appear soon?"

Finally, Don opened his mouth and Reghys looked a little surprised when she heard about the ancient dungeon,

"Yes, the ancient dungeon is full of ancient artifacts and potions,you might find one if you can survive in there long enough"

Nikalas's eyes brimmed with excitement and joy since he now had a way to cure his mother but when he realized that he's in a wheelchair, the joy in his face started to fade away. Even though Nikalas didn't leave Korrinth or had any information about the world outside of here, he heard about the ancient dungeon and the dangers it had from the maids and guards in the castle especially in the last few years as everyone in the kingdom expected Darlene to be the chosen one to lead a group to enter the dungeon representing Korrinth.

"Believe me I can survive in there and get the potion but"

"I'll do it" Nikalas didn't even hear what's Don want from him and he agreed

"Your royal highness, you should at least hear him out before agreeing" Arrora said but Nikalas shook his head

"Whatever King Don wants I'll do it even if it cost my life,there's nothing more important in this world than my mother"

Like he said, Nikalas grew without having or desiring anything but the only thing he wanted more than anything in this world was to see his mother open her eyes and call his name. And after so many years, Nikalas could see a glimmer of hope to cure his mother however he knew he couldn't get the potion himself but he needed someone to help him and he understood the point that there was no free lunch in this world.

"You are thinking too much Nikalas, in return for the elixir I only want your loyalty"

Nikalas was surprised and shocked at the same time hearing Don, of course thinking about it, Nikalas realized that he had nothing except his life and fortunately Don didn't ask for his life but his loyalty.

However, Don didn't ask for his loyalty and if Don could help cure his mother, Nikalas would serve him loyally until he dies.

"I swear..." 

"Not now Nikalas" Nikalas was stopped by Don when he attempted to swear his loyalty 

" I will get the elixir first "

"King Don, why are you doing this for me?" 

Until now, no one helped him except for Riya and her mother. King Harold, his own uncle hated him to the core and never even treated him as a human being let alone as a niece and Princess Darlene and Kate couldn't care less about a cripple like him. And although Queen Bella and Uncle Steve brought some healers to check on Vivian, it was only out of pity not love.

However, now someone who he barely met risking his life for him and Nikalas wanted to know why

"As you may have heard Nikalas, Everlight is a small kingdom but I'm planning to change that. And to do that I want a runemaster, a runemaster like you "