183: Drayce's Worry About Oriana

Drayce's Worry About Oriana

It was the first day of the kingdom alliance summit. The focal point of the conference hall was the long, elevated dais at the far end of hall, especially the ten people seated on the ornate, high-back thrones. The dais was reserved for the highest-ranking leaders of the continent, and the people occupying this elevated platform commanded attention and respect with their mere presence.0

Behind these figures stood their most trusted officials, performing the role as aides, advisors and scribes to the contents of their meeting.

It had been about three hours since the conference started. A tense atmosphere permeated the grand conference hall, a stark contrast to its rather civil and diplomatic air moments ago. 

The cause of this was two youngest kings in attendance, the King of Megaris and the King of Thevailes.

As the conference proceeded, the cold-faced King of Megaris began to show signs of restlessness. Though his face appeared calm on the surface, his eyes showed he was distracted, and it was Arlan, as the person seated nearest him, who was first to notice this.

Before he could ask him what's wrong, the King of Megaris stood up from his chair in front of all the attendees inside that grand conference hall. Everyone stared at him with varying levels of surprise and curiosity, which he merely shrugged off with a, "Record it that my kingdom will abstain votes to all the raised concerns for the rest of the day's agenda. I will affix my signature when the conference resumes tomorrow. I have to go somewhere. Apologies for leaving midway." Drayce then threw a look at Arlan who was sure something bad happened. 

Through his gaze, Drayce assured him to stay seated and he would be back soon. Arlan did so and merely watched his friend leave the grand hall.

The conference was over after half an hour. Arlan could not wait to go out and seek his friend. 

'Oriana is with them. I wonder if she is in any trouble.'

When he stepped out of the grand hall, one of Drayce's knight was waiting for him outside. It was Azer, who played escort to the King of Megaris this morning. That meant Drayce left his retinue behind.

"His Majesty asked you to wait for him at your guest mansion."

Arlan nodded, and just then, someone passed by him. The young king wearing a pristine white royal attire glanced at him, that pair of light gray eyes seemingly smiling.

It was a devilishly handsome man with short silvery blond hair and pale white skin common among Northerners. He was wearing a black ear stud, his long fur-lined cloak clasped by a jewel-embedded clasp resembling a fierce tiger.

Samer Vailes, the newly crowned King of Thevailes.

The Crown Prince of Griven stared at that departing figure. 'I hope it's not this psychopath that caused any issue for Dray.'

Arlan's intuition was telling him that Samer was aware of what troubled Drayce, and his intuition had never wronged him. Arlan could not help but return to his guest mansion with a grim mood.

Sometime later, he felt the fluctuation of a familiar power in the mansion next to them. It was too far for him to sense properly, but it appeared that Drayce had returned with his wife.

Arlan paced inside the drawing room, waiting for his friend to come and explain the situation. 

"Shouldn't his wife be sightseeing in the city? Why did he suddenly bring her back? Was Seren in danger? Was it something beyond the elf could handle? Oriana is with them. Did she get into trouble too?"

The worry about his little attendant troubled him to the extent he could not understand. The urge to go to her side was overwhelming. 

'I need to go to her—'

HIs thoughts were interrupted by Drayce's arrival. Arlan hurried towards him. 

"What happened?" His gaze wandered behind his friend as he was alone. "Where is your wife? The others?"

"They are on the way back. I left first with Seren and let her rest in our chamber for now," Drayce replied. "They were attacked."

"What happened?"

Drayce explained to him the incident as Yorian described, except for what Oriana did. As the witch wished to keep her magic a secret, those who witnessed and were saved by her power decided to follow her will. Drayce had no reason to not respect her wish as well.

"How is she? Is she hurt?" 

Drayce knew Arlan was referring to Oriana. "Do not worry. Yorian and our knights protected them well."

Arlan felt relieved. 

"Wizards?" he mumbled under his breath. "Is this the handiwork of Thevailes?"

"They are the prime suspects. Other than them, we never heard of other kingdoms joining hands with black magic practitioners."

"The delegation of Thevailes only officially arrived yesterday," Arlan mentioned with suspicion. "Meanwhile, your wife left the royal palace without fanfare. Only the guards manning the gate should have known of her departure."

"Seems like other than just providing them with banned herbs, Othinia is helping them in other ways as well. The wizards deliberately stayed outside the range of my perception. Their accomplices tipped them off of our movements. This attack shows they planned to attack while I was in the middle of the conference. The fact Seren left the palace worked in their favor," Drayce explained. 

"Do you think they would still move had your wife stayed inside the palace?"

"The possibility is high. I imagine they could have created an opportunity for themselves. Even if not, they must have other ways to delay me and buy time for them to get to my wife." 

"Then, shall I also—"

"Those wizards mainly wanted Seren, but we can't discount the fact they could also target the rest. We don't know what kind of curses they casted on our people. You should keep an eye on your aide just in case she shows symptoms later."

Drayce's worry was something else as those wizards had seen Oriana using divine power and this would surely reach their master, Zaria Lynx. Seren became Zaria's target because Seren possessed divine power. Now Oriana would become their another target as well the moment the truth about her passed to Zaria.

Zaria Lynx, that powerful Black Witch needed the divine being to make herself more powerful and in Oriana's case, she was not only just a Black Witch but the next queen of witches as well. Drayce wondered what would Zaria do to Oriana once she leaned the entire truth about her. 

'It's better to let Arlan protect her.'

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