VOYAGE TO THE NORTH
Before leaving, Clara met Orion in the garden.
"Did you find anything, Orion" Clara asked?
"Not yet your highness I need time", Orion replied.
"Take time Orion, I am leaving the capital for fifteen days'", Clara said.
"Leaving capital? Where are you going, princess" Orion asked?
"I will tell you after arriving, take time and read carefully, " Clara said, leaving the garden.
In the morning, Clara went to the temple accomplished with her work and signalled the peasant boy; then the peasant boy made the cart prepared, princess Clara got on to it, and they both left the capital.
"Where should I go, your highness," the boy asked.
"To the Forrests of Malinda", Clara replied.
The peasant boy rode the horse.
"Your highness, you are leaving to the old library of ACUROZEAN," the boy asked.
"No, not there; I am in a private work", Clara replied.
The boy stayed silent and rode the horse; after a while, they reached the Forrest of drimos. There is Nicholas, along with the five soldiers of the king's hand, was waiting for princess Clara's appearance.
Clara left the cart and joined Nicholas.
"Thank you ", princess Clara said.
"I am always at your services, your highness", the peasant bot replied and left the place.
"Shall we begin, your highness?" Nicholas asked.
"Before departing, I need to talk to them," Clara said, approaching the five soldiers.
"I am on king's mission, thank you for joining me fallow me as stranger's once we reached the north, spilt away from me update us your position's every two day's if I need any help, I will get you", Clara said.
"As you command your highness", the soldiers replied.
"From this day don't call me your highness call me, Helen of nivelle", Clara said.
"As you command your highness", the guards replied.
The guards got on the saddle, and Nicholas brought a cart for princess Clara; Nicholas got the cart full of vegetables and fruits, which looked like a merchant's cart. Nicholas got on the horse, and Clara went inside the carriage. They had started the voyage the guard's followed her. Nicholas dressed up as a peasant, and Clara was in Athena's servant's dress.
"what's your plan your highness" Nicholas asked.
"Firstly, stop calling me your highness, just Helen we both are from the village of Neville, and I am your daughter, we are from a peasant family", Clara said.
"Ok Helen", Nicholas replied.
"Did you say goodbye to your family?" Clara asked,
"Yes, your highness, it is hard, but I have done it; my wife was terrified as I was leaving to the north", Nicholas said.
"These days everyone was terrified of the north", Clara said.
"Expect you, Helen, I have never seen a brave princess like you", Nicholas said.
"Even though I am terrified little, I can't let the people hate my father; that's why I am here. He is a good man I need to tell this to the people of the north", Clara replied.
"The people in the north are not civilized, I think you will have a challenging day, Helen", Nicholas said.
"Let it be my father always used to say uncivilized people have the purest heart, not like the people in the capital who were selfish," Clara said.
"What have you said is true Helen, but the northern people behave strangely with the southern ones", Nicholas said.
"Then how they will find us that we were from the south," Clara asked.
"By skin colour, accent and appearance Helen", Nicholas said.
"let's Mother Athena blessed us", Clara said.
"Forgot to say, Helen, don't utter any words about our god they will follow old religion. They will get mad if you speak about our gods", Nicholas.
"How can they still worship the old god," Clara asked.
"Before druinate, they were part of livanait and acurozean empire who worshipped the old gods", Nicholas said.
"It is decades back; how can still they follow their tradition," Clara asked.
"We don't know but they still follow their old tradition and know they have started to oppose our gods publicly. In some cases, they have hunted our people", Nicholas said.
"How can they be so cruel? Why did they start hatting us so much," Clara asked?
"Nobody knows why but something happened there, something changed them", Nicholas said.
"What is that" Clara questioned herself.
"We need to find it Helen", Nicholas replied.
"How much time it will take to reach there," Clara asked.
"Two nights Helen", Nicholas replied.
"Have you been in the north before?" Clara asked.
"Yes, I have been before Helen for six years, I have worked as a soldier in northern command", Nicholas replied.
"Then I have been with the right person", Clara said.
"But the north changed a lot, it is no more the north I know", Nicholas said.
"I am a little terrified now", Clara said.
"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty, to conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom", Nicholas said.
"Nicholas is that you, you suddenly became a scholar", Clara said with a smile.
"My commander used to say this word when I was in the north", Nicholas replied.
"How is your day in north those days," Clara asked.
"Pretty good, actually they were the best days in my life, I was young then proud to be a solider used to enjoy the battle, I had a good friend with we used to talk in the night while having wine used to has fun and I had a girl who is more beautiful women I have ever seen I used to meet here every morning," Nicholas said.
"Is it, so you had a girl in your past, then why don't you marry her?" Clara asked.
"She died with sickness", Nicholas said.
"I am sorry", Clara said.
"it's ok Helen, we can't change the fate", Nicholas said.
"Ok we will change the topic", Clara said.
"Have you found anything useful in that book?" Nicholas asked?
"No not yet, but I have learnt about the old religion", Clara replied.
"Ah the tales of old god I loved those stories", Nicholas said.
"Did you know them?" Clara asked?
"Yes Helen, the girl in the north used to tell me the tales", Nicholas said.
"I had a doubt", Clara asked.
"What is it, Helen," Nicholas asked.
"In the story which I heard, they said that the old were died liked by the king Achilles, so why they still worship the god's who were extent", Clara asked.
"Same question I asked her", Nicholas said.
"What she said," Clara asked.
"They believe that still, their spirit listens to their prayer's, Akan and itzama were not dead they sacrificed their life the spirt which is sacrificed will always live on according to their ancient text's", Nicholas said.
"How foolish they were to believe all this", Clara asked.
"I don't judge their belief, but I have never seen hatred in north people against us till today", Nicholas said.
"let's find out what happened there", Clara said.
It became dawn; Nicholas stopped the cart in the Forrest and started to set up tents; soldiers joined and helped him. They also arranged a tent for them a little away from the princess, and Nicholas roasted a rabbit for princess Clara.
Queen stegella comes to see Clara and doesn't find her in her chamber.
"Go and find Clara", the queen said with the royal guards.
Queen waited in Clara's chamber, the guard's arrived.
"Your highness Clara left the temple in the morning, we can't find her", the guards said.
"Search properly," stegella said.
"We have searched twice your highness, princess was not in the fort", the guards worried.
Stegella started to panic, the word of the missing princess spread throughout the capital, and everyone searched for the princess Clara.
A maid came to the queen.
"Your highness, I have something to show you", the maid said and handed the scroll to the queen.
Stegela read the scroll and felt little relief.
"Stupid girl", stegella whispered.
"Ok everyone leaves", stegella said.
Stegella left the chamber with Clara holding the scroll; stegella moved towards the king's chamber and threw the scroll into the flames.
The Damon rushed into the king's chamber, where the king and prime minister scrutinizes some scrolls. The king's guard tried to stop him, but the giant Damon pushed the guard and came in.
"Your Grace, I tried to stop him, but he rushed in", the king's guard hector said.
"Nothing to worry, hector, want do you want lord Damon," the king asked.
Stegella also arrived at the king's chamber.
"My brother was poisoned, the rightful heir princess Clara was missing, and you have the crown now, if all things were accidental, it is ok if not, I will squeeze your skull", Damon said.
The king's guard got angry and pulled his sword out.
"Hold on Nicholas", the king said and signalled him to leave.
The king's guard went outside and waited at the door.
"Lord Damon, I think you should need to leave to druinate", the king said.
"Castor, you know about the soldiers of druinate land's yours can't match with us, I think you know how our grandfather murdered the last king of acurozean, I am leaving doesn't make me come here", Damon said.
"Lord Damon, thanks for your concern everything is fine here you may leave to your land, "queen stegella said.
Damon left the chamber with anger.
"Lord castor, can I have a word with you," queen stegella asked.
The prime minister left the chamber and closed the door; the king castor and queen stegella sat at the table.
"Clara left the capital and went north", queen stegella said.
"I know that she told me", the king replied.
Queen stegella got shocked.