Mysterious

When Alora arrived at the eastern garden of the palace she found Freya saying something to Arihan and the latter was listening to her.

She again had the urge to throw something at him. She humphed deciding she doesn't have to ask for forgiveness from that man anymore.

Freya's attention shifted to Alora who was in boots, a shirt tucked in a pair of trousers, and a cloak over it.

"I will take my leave, General Darwin. Have a good day." Freya earned a nod from Arihan before she turned to Alora.

Freya reached Alora and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Sister Alora, I will be going for my morning practice. Listen to General Darwin, if you find anything difficult, ask him. Alright?" She patiently spoke with Alora.

Alora complained again like a sister who needed some support to stand against a bully, "But he doesn't listen to me at all. He…"

Freya patted her arm to stop her from working up. She is well aware of Arihan who cares about nothing other than his work and what needs his attention. "Sister Alora, if you ask him about the training, the General will respond."

Alora nodded with a pout, but a smile soon graced her face, "I will get your breakfast after my morning training. We will eat together." They couldn't expect her parents and grandparents to join them so she hoped they could have each other's company.

Freya barely smiled in acknowledgment. It didn't matter to her if she had to eat alone or with somebody. If time permits, she would gladly have food with her sister. Anyway, Freya didn't take too much of their time and left from there.

Alora stood in front of Arihan and asked respectfully as he was her master, "General Darwin, what are we learning today in the garden?" There was no sword or horse or anything there.

Arihan looked at her silently. He clearly remembers the flute lighting up in different colors when she was playing it. Thus he wondered if it was the magical flute. Because Freya just now updated him that Alora doesn't have any powers.

But Orla instructed him to help Alora cultivate her powers. He couldn't understand what was happening with this family.

He solemnly instructed her, "Remove your boots and sit down." He pointed to the grass bed.

Alora wanted to ask why but the man might not respond so she obliged her master.

She sat down crossing her legs and saw his lips move and his hand raise in the air as if he was holding something invisible. He lowered his hands and left as if he placed something.

While Alora could see nothing, Freya could visualize the magic circle Arihan placed under Alora. The magic circle contained energy to help Alora to reach her special power.

"Close your eyes," Arihan commanded.

Alora followed every word like an obedient student.

"Hold your palms one above the other on your lap." He paused until she corrected her posture with her back straight. Then he added, "Meditate."

It was a bit difficult for Alora to focus, especially when the birds were chirping and the fragrance of the flowers was everywhere. Those were something she loved. Hence it was the biggest obstacle to cross.

Without giving up, having no idea of the time she was taking, Alora focused herself to mediate while Arihan patiently waited for her to open her eyes.

Passing through the disturbance, when Alora's subconscious mind relaxed, she found herself trapped in a ball of light. The further she tried to focus, the ball brightened making her heart squeeze and hard to breathe. Suddenly the light flashed blinding her inner sight. The next second, everything turned to pitch dark.

Arihan: "…"

He saw her fall to the ground. Did she just fall asleep?

He waved his hand and the circle disappeared. He had the urge to leave but controlled himself. He shouldn't let his emotions affect his work. He convinced himself without realizing his emotions were being drastically affected by her every action.

He went closer to wake her up when he noticed a sheer layer of sweat on her pale petite face, glistening under the warm rays of the sun. Squatting quickly, he held her slender wrist and checked her vitals. Her heart was beating slower than normal.

The worry blinked in his eyes. He checked her breathing by keeping his finger under her nose. She was hardly breathing.

A hint of panic undoubtedly braced his heart, discerning she wasn't sleeping but fainted. He hurriedly scooped her into his arms and rushed inside the palace to look for a physician without understanding how she was reduced to such a life-threatening state.

It was still early for the day guards to station at their post. So he quickened his pace. Suddenly a sigh left his lips, pausing in his actions. He felt like a chunk of his energy was suddenly scooped out of him.

Although he recovered almost instantly, it had never happened. It was strange that he did nothing and the energy drained.

He looked at Alora whose pale face visibly radiated to a healthy shade. Glancing at her chest heaving up and down in regular breathing, he deduced her breathing stabilized.

'What…!?'

Arihan was inarticulate at what just happened. She appeared like she was losing her life. She looked all fine right after he felt his energy sucked out.

'Who is she?' He was clueless about the new phenomenon as he never heard or seen something like this.

However, his eyes sharped when a possible theory appeared in his mind. 'A witch!?' The witches could use one energy and transfer it to another. Just now she absorbed his energy and became healthy.

Arihan's demeanor shifted to intimidating. He walked into the hallway with a grave expression that nobody who passed by him dared to look at him for more than a second or greeted him.

He went straight to the queen's chambers where the royal guards hurriedly informed Orla and opened the door.

Lothar was first to rush up to the door, worried after hearing that Alora was unconscious. "What happened to Alora?" His eyes brushed over Alora who didn't look like she was struggling or in pain or wounded.

Orla studied Arihan face full of suspicions that needed responses. She instructed him without a line of worry on her face, "Lay her on the bed."

Arihan laid Alora on the bed and ignored her without bothering if she was comfortable. Lothar untied the knot of the cloak and covered his granddaughter with a comforter. She looked like she was taking a peaceful nap.

Arihan who faced Orla, asked directly with suspicion and demand in his tone, "Who is she?" The more he learned about the redhead lady, she was becoming more mysterious.

Lothar gritted his teeth. He couldn't understand what was on Orla's mind to put Arihan as Alora's tutor. He so wanted to bury the man who doesn't believe in his granddaughter.

However, Orla was calmer than needed. It appeared like she was expecting something like this to happen.

She didn't respond to the question. She wasn't going to answer every time that Alora was her granddaughter. She asked him back, "What happened, General Darwin?" She was the queen who will be answered first.

Facing the calm-headed Orla, Arihan clenched his fist snapping out of his stirred emotions. Why was he so excited? He perceived that he was still trying to prove the redhead lady wasn't Princess Alora unable to convince himself. Probably he would have believed her as Alora if she remembers him, but she had no inkling of him.

His aloof voice was void of emotions as if the queen's response and his own opinion of the redhead lady being a witch didn't matter to him anymore.

"Princess Alora fainted while finding her inner power. Her heart rate was low, breathing sparse. She absorbed my energy to stabilize herself when she was unconscious." He found his own words absurd when he has actually experienced them.

Lothar and Orla froze when Arihan ended his words. Both looked at each other and Arihan. The latter couldn't read their reaction accurately.

Were they shocked as he was?

Or is there something else they are hiding from him and everyone?