★★★

45. Reminiscing the past...

Taking off my pink dress and putting on a plain flat lavender colored skirt that reaches my ankle, some boots, A plain white long sleeved shirt, top with a leather brown long sleeved jacket, a black fingerless gloves, tying my hair in a high ponytail...

I was about to get to pick up my sword from under my bed when a brown box caught my attention, Instead of reaching out for my sword I reached out for the box instead, covered in dust and dirt, I blew the dust off which caused me to cough a little and sat on my bed with the box on my hand...

I remember this box very well, When alex and mom died, I had their rooms locked, until now those rooms remained untouched, mom and alex prefer the way their rooms looked like so I didn't let anyone touch or enter the room, all pictures and painting of them was hanged on the picture room but I had that room locked up as well...

I didn't want to see a single thing that reminded me of them and our memories together, But yet I kept one specific thing that I couldn't let go, It marked the start of my misery and pain yet it also marked my happiness and love for them...

Slowly opening the box, I saw a light green flute with gems decorated all around it, a small sun ray went passed my curtain and hit the flute making it shine and glimmer under the sun light....

"Onee-chan...."

"Onee-chan hurry up!..."

"Look, look onee-chan I passed my math test!..."

"Uyasuminasai onee-chan..."

"Ohayou onee-chan!!..."

"Mom!! Onee-chan!! There you are!..."

"Sayonara, onee-chan..."

"I love you..."

"Live for me...."

"Alex......" Tears streamed down my eyes and cheeks, landing on my skirt and leaving small tear drops mark on it, sobs escaped from my mouth, sniffs and cry here and there...

I hugged the flute close to my chest, Remembering the painful memories of my little brother and our mother leaving me all alone and then dying before my very eyes....

Why do you have to leave me all alone? Why? Why didn't you just took me with you? Why?....

I slipped the flute into my back pack and wiping my tears away...

~~~~~~~

"The Ship is ready to sail, my lady" staring at the huge ship swaying side to side a little by the dock, The everhart family flag waving from the top of the ship and white sails dancing in the wind...perfect

"I can tell that something is troubling you captain Nelly, mind telling what is it?" I asked the woman who seemed to be a year or two older than me, her brown short length hair, an eye patch covering her right eye and both hands behind her

"I'm just worried about the journey, commander" she said, a cigarette in the side of her lips and talked in a surprisingly calm and pleasant voice

"What about it?" I asked, the guards walking pass us carrying bags and sack of supply for our journey

"Between the water borders of our kingdom and the sapphire's, there is one specific water area that neither the magnolia or sapphire owns, We call it the obscurity mist, it's the water dividing the two kingdoms, the water is far too shallow, big rocks that is hidden by the foggy mist that is imposible to get to, not one ship got passed the obscurity mist, It's imposible for us to enter the sapphire water territory as well as the sapphire can to the magnolia territory, going there is suicide, The last ship that tried to get pass it was also another Everhart residence ship that set sailed 21 years ago, and now this..." The ship that she mentioned was the very ship my grandparents boarded, it crashed in the obscurity mist and only the flag and some parts made it back in the magnolia kingdom shore, no one really knew if the ship sank or made it, however since some broken ship parts washed up on the shore they assumed that all the passengers drowned and the ship crashed in the obscurity mist...

I might not be a ship expert or neither a obscurity mist expert but I do know one thing....
Butler han said that 'kei' came from the sapphire kingdom so it's impossible for him to suddenly get here without sailing through the mist and those letter between him and mom was addressed to the sapphire kingdom meaning that there's a hidden path in the border that only the people of sapphire kingdom knew, I got to find that hidden path if I want to sail safely through the mist....

"Are we still going, commander?" Captain nelly asked while puffing from her cigarettes and blowing it out making a small cloud of smoke, I nodded

"We proceed as plan"

--------

"Commander iris, a strange letter arrived and it's addressed to you" while doing some last minute work in my study room butler arrived with a letter in hand

"From whom is it from?" I asked and put down my quilt pen then gestured him to hand me the letter

"It doesn't say anything other than "to: Iris natasha Everhart" and nothing else" well that certainly is suspicious, I scanned the letter than dismissed butler han, I wonder who's it from?

I opened the letter but I didn't saw anything until green gas came out of the letter and choking me, Damn it's a trap!! I got to----got to........ My visions are getting blurry and hazy, I can't think straight.........

Someone...... Help....

★★★

46. The kidnapping of duchess iris..

I slowly opened my eyes, Feeling my hands tied behind my back with a tight rope and also my feet, a piece of cloth tied around my face gagging me to keep my mouth shut...

I saw some barrels and boxes around me, a dark basement? Wait that can't be, I feel like the place is swaying or something and some of the things here is moving or sliding from left to right it's like I'm in a--------A BOAT! I'm in a ship to be exact!

With all the strength I could muster up, I tried to move and sat up, A small light from a window blinded my eyes for a second before I got use to it and I saw the ocean..... Raging waves and big rocks around us, The ship swaying so much, A thick fog covered most of my sight so I can't see the magnolia kingdom dock or anything at all and worst is we're in the obscurity mist right now...

Dang it! I can't use my magic! They must have a Magic block item, it's a magical item that puts up a powerful barrier and any magic users or magical creatures inside the barrier will be powerless and can't use their magic, unless they deactivate it or I destroy it then I'm afraid I'm useless for now....

I heard footsteps from above and someone opening up the trapdoor letting a faint light in,

"We're almost there, Go get the duchess"
Someone ordered, the other person scoffed and said

" She's the mighty sky army's commander too, you know" a musculine voice said, They continued to go down the stairs and to where I am now, I laid down and pretended to be asleep..

"She's quite the beauty, isn't she?" I felt their towering shadows casting over me,

" Say that again and I swear master kei will kill you" kei!! They were ordered by kei to kidnap me? But why? I better play along until I find out...

"Take her to the front deck, we're almost through the obscurity mist" the other person with a cold and distant man voice said, the one with a musculine voice picked me up in bridal style and brought me out the lower deck.....

The obscurity mist......

I opened my eyes, dark clouds, mysterious and thick fog covering our sights, the cold breeze caused me to shiver and ten mens in armors walking pass by with ropes in their hands..

"Oh good your awake" busted! I looked up and saw a man with blonde hair and sparkling amber eyes, A goofy half smile and smirk on his face as he looked down on me and proceeded to put me down on a chair then removing my gag...

"Who are you people?" I asked and glared at him, he just smirked and looked at the other person behind me, I looked a little and saw a tall and handsome young man with pink hair and cold pink eyes......

My eyes widen, everything froze, my body stiffed up as I looked at the male that is at the same age as me, both hands behind him, two swords dangling from his belt, he held a authority and murderous demeanor around him....

It can't be.....it can't be....

"It's best if you remain quiet duchess Everhart, We have the upper hand and it's futile even if you struggle, we are here by the orders of Kei sapphire, the king of the sapphire kingdom" he explained, his pink eyes piercing through me...

𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙.....?