Inside the private room of the palace, the air felt heavy and cold. The King's words about the rumors hung in the space between the men like a dark cloud.
Duke Avner was the first one to respond. He did not look surprised, as he had already sensed that something was moving in the shadows of the kingdom. He gave a short, firm nod toward the King.
"Yes, I have heard them," Avner said. his voice was steady and serious. "I already have my people looking into the matter. We are searching for any solid proof that can tell us exactly what is happening."
Duke Orson Chandler spoke up next. He had dropped his playful act completely. He leaned forward, his hands clasped together on the table. "It seems the rumor of a secret place for supernaturals is true," Orson said.
"From what my spies have found, it is not a place that can be reached by any normal human. It is hidden away, protected by things we do not yet understand."
King Magnus nodded his head. A grim and tired look appeared on his face, making the lines around his eyes look deeper.
He looked like a man who was carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. He didn't like where this conversation was going, but he knew they had to face the truth before it was too late.
Then, Prince Ellen spoke. He was the Crown Prince, and he wanted to show that he was capable and prove a point. He looked at the two Dukes with a sharp gaze.
"The artifact is the most important thing on the ground right now," the Prince said. "As for this secret world of theirs, if they had stayed there, maybe there would be peace between us.
But we have no description of this artifact. We have nothing to lead our search. And the idea that one object could help them destroy all of humanity? It is hard to believe."
Orson looked at the young Prince. He didn't look angry, but his voice had a bit of an edge to it.
"Dear Crown Prince, nothing about the supernaturals is impossible or hard to believe. Haven't you learned anything from the incidents in our past? There is always some truth to these rumors, even the ones that sound like fairy tales."
Prince Ellen's jaw ticked. He was clearly annoyed by Orson's tone, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to start a fight in front of his father.
It was Avner who broke the tension. He had been thinking deeply about the nature of the creatures they were discussing.
"What if the artifact is not meant to be used by all supernaturals?" Avner asked. He let the words hang in the air for a second, drawing everyone's attention.
"What if it is meant for or creates by only one kind?"
The King looked at Avner, and a look of realization crossed his face.
He finished the thought in a grim voice. "Vampires..."
The King said the word like it was a curse. It made perfect sense to everyone in the room.
They knew that vampires were the most likely creatures to try something so bold and dangerous.
Just like humans, there was a lot of fighting and hatred between the different types of supernaturals. It was very unlikely that the witches, the faes, and the vampires would ever truly join hands to work together.
They didn't trust each other any more than they trusted humans.
And among all those creatures, the vampires were well known for being the most ambitious.
They were dominant, prideful, and always hungry for more power. If anyone was going to try to find a way to rule over the world of humans, it would be them.
"Let us not rule out the witches just yet," Orson said, tapping his finger on the table. "Witches can be very tricky. They are masters of lies.
They could be purposely trying to lure us toward the vampires while they are actually the ones pulling the strings from the shadows."
The Crown Prince spoke again, his voice more focused this time. "Then we should consider every possibility during our search and our planning.
We must look into the vampires, the witches, and the faes. We even have to consider the chance that they might all be working together, even if it seems unlikely."
The King hummed and nodded his head in agreement. He liked that his son was thinking about all the different paths they could take.
They spent a long time after that discussing more issues, sharing plans, and talking about how to protect the borders.
They knew that if any news of this got out to the public, it would cause a massive panic among the humans. People would be terrified to leave their homes. This was a problem that had to be handled quickly and in total secret.
_____
While the most powerful men in the kingdom were planning for probably war, life back at the mansion was much quieter.
Zora found herself with a lot of free time now that her master was gone to the palace. Without the Duke there to watch her or give her orders, the North Wing felt much less tense.
She went back to the room she shared with Elvie. She felt a bit restless, so she picked up the romance book she had bought in the capital.
She hadn't had much time to read it lately, and she hoped it would help her relax. Her roommate, Elvie, was still out somewhere.
She was likely busy with her own chores in another part of the mansion. Zora knew that she wouldn't be needed until the Duke returned. When his carriage arrived, someone would surely come to find her and call her back to duty.
She lay down on her bed and opened the book. The story was simple and sweet, but as she turned the pages, her eyes started to feel heavy.
The heat of the day and the excitement of the morning hunt didn't tired her out but for some reason she couldn't stay awake.
Before she knew it, the book slipped from her fingers, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Suddenly, she wasn't in her room anymore.
She was in a forest. But it wasn't the forest near the mansion. It was the large, wild forest that surrounded her old village of Gayle.
She was running as fast as she could. She was barefoot, and she could feel the cold, wet mud and the sharp dirt sticking to her feet. She was wearing a black lace dress that fluttered around her legs as she moved.
She didn't know why she was running or what she was running from. All she knew was that her instincts were screaming at her to move.
Her heart was pounding, and her breath was coming in short gasps. She burst into a large clearing, but the trees didn't stay still. It seemed like the giant oaks and pines were moving, closing in on her from all sides.
There were whispers everywhere. The voices were all around her, but she couldn't see anyone.
It felt like the whispers were coming from the leaves, the wind, and even the ground beneath her feet. She strained her ears, trying to understand what they were saying, but the words were muffled and strange.
It felt like a language she should know but couldn't quite remember.
Then, she felt a sudden heat in her chest. It started as a small spark and grew into a burning fire.
She looked down at her neck and saw a glowing light. It was the vial-like necklace her foster parents had said had been found on her.
The one she always kept hidden. Why was it here in the dream? Why was it glowing with such a bright, strange light?
She felt confused and lost. The world around her started to spin, the trees and the whispers turning into a blur of green and sound.
She felt like she was spiraling into a dark hole. Suddenly, like an echo from very far away, she heard a sound. It was her name. It started as a tiny whisper, but it grew louder and louder with every second.
"Zora!"
Her eyes snapped open. She sat up in bed so fast that she almost hit her head. She was panting hard, and her skin was covered in a cold sweat.
It felt like she had really been running in real life. Her muscles were tense, and her heart was still racing from the fear in the dream. It had been so life-like that for a second, she expected to see mud on her blankets.
She saw Elvie standing by the bed. Elvie had a very worried look in her brown eyes. She was holding a cloth, and she looked like she had been about to wake Zora up for a while.
Zora quickly reached into her pocket. She felt the small, hard shape of the necklace. It was still there, safe and quiet. It wasn't glowing. It was just a piece of jewelry again.
She let out a long sigh of relief, trying to get her breathing back to normal.
"Are you okay?" Elvie asked. She reached out a hand but then pulled it back.
"You were making sounds in your sleep. You looked like you were having a nightmare."
Zora forced a small smile onto her face. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
"I am fine, Elvie. It was just a bad dream. I think the heat today is just making me a bit tired."
Elvie didn't look completely convinced, but she nodded. "Well, you should go and freshen up. You need to wash your face. The Duke will be arriving back from the palace very soon, and it is already getting dark outside."
Zora realized that the sun had gone down while she was asleep. The room was filled with shadows.
She stood up and hurried to the washbasin. She splashed cool water on her face, trying to wash away the feeling of the forest and the whispers.
She looked at herself in the small mirror, making sure her eyes looked normal and that her secret was still well hidden.
Before she could even settle back down or fix her hair properly, there was a loud knock on the door. A servant's voice called out from the hallway.
"Zora! The Duke's carriage has just entered the gates. You are needed in the North Wing immediately."
Zora took one last deep breath to steady herself. She smoothed out her uniform and hurried out of the room.
The dream was still fresh in her mind, and the necklace felt heavy in her pocket, but she had a job to do.
She had to put on her mask and go back to being the perfect attendant for the man who was currently hunting her kind just like everyone else