Once upon a time...part 7

Guards surrounded Maxim who lay unconscious on the luscious grass bed of the wood.  Queen Candice and the commander in chief arrived from nowhere. Commander in chief asked one of guard to wake Maxim up.

Maxim woke up from imaginary nightmare to reality. The guards! Queen Candice! Where was Princess Adele?  “ This is a dream. Princess Adele is with me here.” , he spoke to himself and closed his eyes.  He opened his eyes again to see they were still there. He stumbled while getting up. His eyes turned moist when he saw Princess Adele missing. “Where is Princess Adele?” he asked in disbelief. “ You should be knowing that!  She was with you whole day.”, commander in chief smirked at him.

“ What! This can’t be true. ( he looks down and up at commander in chief) Arcus… He disappeared with her , leaving me unconscious.” , he said softly. Queen Candice was in distraught state. Her nightmare had .. Alas! became true.  She fell slowly on her knees.  She couldn’t bear to lose her precious daughter to the horrid sorcerer. 

“ Do you know Arcus?”, commander in chief interrogated with young lad. Maxim nodded in agreement to his statement.  The commander in chief didn’t react and simply ordered his men to chain him as prisoner. “ Please, Queen Candice! I have no hand in this. Yes, I know Arcus. He was my teacher. But I could help you. I know his plans very well.”, he said.

Queen Candice was about to leave. However his words influenced her mind. She instructed the commander in chief to release Maxim.  Maxim bent himself in front of Queen as token of his gratitude. “If I find you messing up with me , next time I will not blink my eye while giving execution orders.”, she warned him.“I won’t give you such opportunity.”, he promised.  

Arcus prepared himself for great human sacrifice. He had all the resources with him except the right time. There was few hours left for his dream to become reality-to become most powerful all over the world.

Princess Adele sat quietly in the dark room where she was confined. She was hopelessly worried. “Ma must have sent the troops to find me. Where are you, ma? Ma was right! I shouldn’t have stepped out of the palace.”, she cried silently.

(To be continued)