The king watches as Ryker walked out of the room, following the voice that only he can hear.
He's confused and concerned, wondering what's going on with his son. He's never seen Ryker act like this before, and he's not sure what to make of both his sons acting strange.
Thinking about it, he starts to wonder if Ryker might actually have powers like his late mother, the queen.
It's not unheard of for the women in the late Queens family to have powers of foresight, but it's never happened with the men.
The men in their family have always been warriors and sorcerers, not seers or psychics.
The king shakes his head, trying to clear it. He doesn't know what to think.
He needs to talk to someone about this, someone who might be able to help him understand what's going on with Ryker.
He decides to go to the palace library, to see if he can find any information about men in their family having powers of foresight.
The king got up and head to the palace library, determined to find some answers. He searched through the shelves, looking for any book that might have information about the history of the Late Queens family's powers.
After a few minutes of searching, he finds a large, leather-bound book. He pulls it off the shelf and opens it.
The book is about the history of their family, and it talks about the different powers that the women have had over the years.
The king reads about his wife, the queen, and her powerful abilities. He reads about her mother, and her mother's mother. But there's no mention of any of the men in the family having powers of foresight.
The king is about to give up when he saw a small note in the margin of one of the pages. It's written in a code that he doesn't recognize, but he shows it to one of the librarians, who was unable to decipher it immediately, give me sometime, said the librarian.
Ryker walked up to Princess Ayla's bedside, his heart pounding in his chest. The voice has stopped, and he's not sure what to expect. He reaches out and takes her hand, feeling for a pulse. At first, there's nothing. But then, just as he's about to give up hope, he felt a faint exhale.
Suddenly, a bright beam of light bursts out of the princess, blinding Ryker.
He cried out in pain, covering his eyes.
When the light fades, he opens his eyes to find the princess stirring. She coughs, and Ryker's heart leaps with joy. She's awake.
But as he looks into her eyes, he realizes that something is different. Her eyes seem... older, somehow. Wiser. And her hair, which was once a vibrant red, has turned a snowy white.
Princess Ayla looks up at Ryker, her eyes locked on his.
She tried to speak, but her voice is weak and hoarse. Ryker leans forward, straining to hear her.
What is it? he asks.
What do you want to say?
Princess Ayla looked up at Ryker, her eyes tired and confused. What happened? she asked.
All I remember is feeling dizzy and falling...
Ryker smiled and took her hand. Don't worry, he said.
You're safe now. You've been asleep for a while, but you're going to be okay.
The princess tried to sit up, but Ryker gently pushes her back down.
Rest, he said.
I'll fill you in on everything later. For now, just rest.
He turned and calls out to the guards, who are standing outside the door. The crown princess has awakened! he says. Spread the word and fetch the royal physician!
The guards bow and hurry off to do his bidding.
Ryker turned back to the princess and smiled. You're going to be okay, he said. I promise.
The princess looked around the room, her eyes wide with confusion. Where is my husband? she asks. Where is Rainer?
Ryker hesitates, unsure of how to answer. The truth is, Rainer has been spending…
The princess looked at him, her eyes filled with concern. Ryker, what's wrong? she asked. Where's Rainer?
Ryker hesitates, not wanting to tell her the truth. He's...he's busy, he said.
He was here not long ago, but he had to leave. He'll be back soon.
The princess looked at him, her eyes searching his face. She seems to sense that he's not telling her the truth, but she doesn't press the issue. Okay, she said. I'll wait for him.
Ryker smiled and takes the princess's hand. Come with me, he said.
I want to show you something.
The princess looked at him curiously, but she doesn't resist as he pulls her out of bed and leads her to the mirror.
When she saw her reflection, she gasps in shock. Her hair, once a vibrant red, is now a snowy white. Her eyes are the same, but her skin is paler and her face is thinner.
What...what happened to me? she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Why is my hair white?
Ryker hesitates, unsure of how to answer.
You've been asleep for a while, he said. I'm not sure what happened to your hair, but...but you've been asleep for a long time.
The princess looked at him, her eyes wide with fear.
How long?
How long have I been asleep?
Almost a year Prince Ryker said.
The princess's eyes widen in shock. Almost a year? she asked, her voice trembling.
I've been asleep for almost a year?
Ryker nods, feeling a pang of sadness. Yes, he said. It's been a long time.
Just then, the king bursts into the room, a huge smile on his face.
My dear daughter-in-law! he exclaims. You're awake! You're finally awake!
The princess looked at the king, her eyes still wide with shock. Almost a year, she said again, as if she still can't believe it. I've been asleep for almost a year.
The king's smile falters for a moment, but then he regains his composure. Yes, my dear, he said. But you're awake now, and that's all that matters. We thought we'd lost you forever.
The princess looked at the king, then at Ryker, and finally at her own reflection in the mirror.
She seems to be trying to process everything that's happened, but it's clear that she's still in shock.
The king's eyes widen as he finally noticed the princess's white hair. What...what happened to your hair? he asked, his voice filled with confusion. It was red, wasn't it? A beautiful, fiery red?
The princess looked at the king, then at her reflection again in the mirror.
I...I don't know, she said.Ryker said I've been asleep for almost a year. Maybe something happened to me while I was sleeping?
The king looked at Ryker, his eyes searching for answers. Ryker, what do you know about this? he asked. What happened to her hair?
Ryker shakes his head. I don't know, Father, he said.
I've never seen anything like this before. Maybe...maybe it's some kind of side effect from the poison?
The king looked at the princess, then back at Ryker. Well, we'll figure it out, he said. The important thing is that she's awake and safe.
The princess nods, still looking a bit dazed.
Yes, she said. I'm just...I'm a little confused, that's all.
The king smiled and puts a hand on her shoulder. Don't worry, my dear. We'll help you through this. Ryker, stay with her and make sure she's okay. I'll go and tell the others the good news.
Ryker nods and the king leaves the room, leaving Ryker alone with the princess.
Ryker looked at the princess, who is still staring at her reflection in the mirror. Are you okay? he asked her. Do you need anything?
The princess turns to him, a look of confusion on her face. I...I don't know, she said. I just feel so...different. Like something is missing.
Ryker nods understandingly. You've been asleep for a long time, It's going to take some time to get used to being awake again.
The princess nods, then looks at him with a curious expression. Ryker,what happened while I was asleep? she asked. What's been going on in the kingdom?
What did I miss?
Ryker hesitates, unsure of how to answer. A lot has happened, he said finally. But...I think it would be better if you heard it from my father. He can explain everything better than I can.
The princess looked at him curiously, but she didn't press the issue. Okay, she says. I'll ask him later.
There is an awkward silence, and Ryker didn't know what to say. He wants to tell her everything, but he's not sure if she's ready to hear it. He's also not sure if he's ready to tell her.
The princess looked at Ryker, her eyes searching his face. Ryker, she says. Can I ask you something?
Of course, he says. What is it?
The princess hesitates, as if unsure of how to phrase her question. The morning after my wedding, she said finally. You came to my room, and you wanted to tell me something. But we got interrupted by the maid. What was it?
Ryker's eyes widen in surprise. He had forgotten about that. He had wanted to tell her about Calantha, but he never got the chance. Now, he's not sure if he should tell her. But looking into her eyes, he knows he has to be honest with her.
Ryker hesitates, unsure of how to answer. But before he can say anything, there was a knock at the door. Dinner is ready, says a voice. The king requests your presence.
Ryker looked at the princess, then back at the door. I guess we'll have to talk about this later, he said. We should go eat.
The princess nods, and Ryker offers her his arm. She takes it, and they walk to the dining hall together.