The beginning of something bad

"Where is Aura?" Savannah questioned every member of the castle staff about Aura's whereabouts while supporting herself with one hand on her back. Her stomach had enlarged, and it was visible through her clothes. A little bulging was visible. Aura was not in the kitchen, her chamber, the garden, or even with Coco, who had lately joined the army, nor was she anywhere near the castle. Running all over the castle to catch up with the young princess had left Savannah exhausted. She had been urged to quit pursuing her by Staffs and even Ezekiel, but she was unwilling to listen.

"She must be nearby the castle somewhere. She'll be back. Do not fret, princess." Maid responded. Savannah's due date was approaching, and she had been rushing after Aura, so the staff were equally concerned. Savannah took a big breath and made her way to the courtroom, where Ezekiel was having some sort of conference with the advisor. She marched despite the servants following her and requesting that she take a break in her room and let them handle things. "If you had all taken care of her, she wouldn't have fled." Savannah tightened her teeth; she knew the maids weren't at fault, but her worry was coming through.

Ezekiel and the advisor jumped at the loud bang of the door. They saw a furious Savannah enter the room, followed by a couple maids. To make sure the princess wouldn't hurt herself in her rage, the maids were keeping a tight eye on her. Ezekiel and the advisor looked at them with wide eyes as Savannah stood in front of him. " What is the problem?" Savannah was enraged when Ezekiel approached her.

"She fled; this was her fifteenth time to do so." Savannah hissed. "What if she injures herself? She no longer pays attention to what I say." She inhaled deeply before speaking. Ezekiel gently led her to a chair nearby and urged her to sit. "What do you have to say? Just do something."

"Certainly," Ezekiel answered right away.

"The Princess needs you right now, so I recommend that you stay with her, prince." The advisor said. "As for tiny Princess, Coco would know where she is; I'll send him." The advisor promptly left to tell Coco about it once Ezekiel nodded. Since several months had passed, Coco was the only one who was still aware of her go-to location. The places Aura frequents, however, were never disclosed by him to anyone. The moment the advisor came over to Coco, he understood what was wrong. He simply smiled and nodded before marching out from the castle.

Coco mounted his horse and went directly into the woods, as if he knew precisely where Aura must be. He took each step deliberately, as if he was familiar with every single tree in the forest. Although there has not yet been any sort of invasion, it would be exaggerating to claim that the woodland was secure. He finally approached a funeral enclosure after a long period of riding. The monument's exquisite limestone construction gave it a lovely appearance. He dismounted and fastened the animal to the closest tree. At the entrance to the forbidden zone, where he was certain he would discover the young princess Aura, stood a stunning monument. He entered the monument gradually and discovered what he was looking for. In front of a tomb effigy, Princess Aura was sitting and murmuring something that was inaudible to him.

Coco intended to approach her as quietly as possible, but Aura turned around with a smile on her face, as if she knew he was coming. Coco walked up to her and sat down next to the effigy. " All I wanted was to speak with my Godmother." As she spoke, Aura was gazing at the effigy created in honor of the late queen Diona. "I'm just happy to be here." Coco nodded as he observed the young girl's dejected appearance. He attempted to convey to her by his expression that he wanted to know why she was depressed. She also realized that during those months, Coco and Aura had grown closer to the point where they could communicate telepathically. "I'm glad for the effort my mother makes to pay attention to me, but there's a void that never gets filled because father is always busy, you joined the military, and mother tries very hard." A five-year-old girl talking like that caught Coco off guard. Even though she covered up the agony in her voice with a lovely smile, he listened carefully, as he always did.

After several hours, the sun began to set, scattering its orange beams across the sky. The lack of information about Aura was making Savannah impatient; she knew the girl would return, but leaving the palace without even protection was unwise. Ezekiel made an effort to make her feel more at ease since he was confident in Coco's ability to return his daughter to the palace. Otherwise, Aura would not listen to any other guard, leaving them with little choice except to wait for their return. The anxiety on everyone's faces was palpable; most of them were upset because this wasn't the first time Aura had ran away. The crew felt bad for Savannah since she had to go after the tiny princess despite her condition. She needed to sleep, but it was nearly impossible.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, a soldier dashed into the hall and claimed Coco had returned with the princess. Savannah sighed in relief and waited to embrace her daughter. "They're in the barn, t they'll be here any minute. " Said the guard. Everybody's attention was focused on the entryway as soon as footsteps could be clearly heard coming. Coco went through the door, his boots tapping on the floorboards, quiet footsteps following. Aura was walking behind Coco's large frame, attempting to hide from the angry stares of people. They came to a halt in the middle of the hall, the advisor called Coco beside him, leaving an upset five-year-old child standing in the middle, surrounded by older people. Savannah got from her seat and went towards her, disregarding worried shouts from the maids and Ezekiel, and engulfed her in an embrace. Savannah muttered as Aura threw her arms around her neck and hoisted her up, "Why do you always do this? Why? You should at least bring someone with you, like Coco, because it's unsafe outside."

"I'm sorry, Mama, I wanted to go to the town market."

Lie.

Why did Aura keep her visit to the jungle a secret from her parents, Coco wondered. It wasn't because she was terrified of being punished, since if that were the case, she wouldn't have tried to run again. Why has she always lied? Every time, he couldn't help but think about these things.

"Princess, Mama only worries about you." Ezekiel spoke as he embraced Aura. "Now let's leave." Aura gave a nod. "And everyone return to their rooms, and Clause bring food for our princesses, and Coco, you should eat as well, and thank you." Ezekiel nodded to him imperceptibly before leading Savannah and Little Princess to his chamber.

"Coco, come with me." The advisor gave him a pat on the back and led him to his room. The passageways were dark, and nothing could be seen well; the advisor knew every inch of the palace, and Coco now did as well. From one of the hallways, some faint whispering noises could be heard. The corridor lights were turned off, and a few of the maids began lighting them while talking to themselves, but it was evident enough that they were discussing the little princess, Aura.

"She did it for the seventh time; how can she not be thinking about her pregnant mother?"

"Really, though, our princess Savannah is so kind that she continues to chase that stubborn princess."

"You know what I think," She chuckled. "They should leave her be, one day."

"That's exactly what I believe, and at least then Princess Savannah won't have to worry about any trouble." As they lit the final lamp in the corridor, they started laughing together. A gasp came out of their mouth as they lit the final lamp. By the looks on their faces, the adviser and Coco, who were standing at the end of the corridor, must have heard everything. The two maids hastily retreated while apologizing for their remarks and bowed their heads.

"If you both don't want to lose your work, I suggest you concentrate entirely on your work and refrain from interfering in topics that are outside of your purview."

"We apologize."

"I'll report to the prince and make sure you both end up in dungeons if I hear something like this again." The maid heard the advisor chuckle, and her eyes grew wide. "Now get out." The maids swiftly moved to the opposite side of the hallway. In frustration, the advisor groaned and shook his head. "Come on, Coco."

"I know that even if I ask you, you won't reveal Princess Aura's hiding place." Coco lowered his head in shame. He was holding a paper and charcoal while seated across from the advisor. Keeping this from the adviser, who had treated him like his own son, made him feel awful, but he had sworn to the princess that he would never reveal it to anybody. "And I want you to keep it a secret for the rest of your life, no matter what circumstances may occur, even if you're forced to tell the prince." He spoke. Coco surprisedly turned to face the counselor. "Don't let anyone know." He did so in a calm but firm manner. His voice carried a certain level of sincerity, and Coco nodded.

"Anyway, I'm sorry we weren't able to find any sign interpreters for you." Coco quickly shook his head and lifted the paper and charcoal, interpreting that it was enough. "I know, I know."

After a brief pause, Coco heavily watched the advisor's face. The advisor was fumbling with his fingers, and his tense body language suggested that he was thinking about something. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how to express it. Coco began writing something on the notepad as he observed his disoriented form.

"Tell me, Mr. Levin, what it is." The advisor exhaled the air he had been holding in for a while as he raised his head to look at the sheet. "How should I put this?" He massaged his temples. "I-I have a dreadful feeling that something bad is about to happen." As he expressed his worries, his voice grew a little weaker. "Something that may bring it all to an end." He turned to face Coco, who was giving him a questioning look in return. " Something bad." He was crying as he talked from the heart, but he was unaware of it. "I'm worried that everything will collapse, not just this kingdom."

Coco swiftly flipped the page, began to write, and then showed the advisor what he had written. "Don't be concerned, Mr. Levin; the prince will take care of everything." The advisor read what was written on the sheet while sadly giggling. "I sincerely hope so." The advisor wiped away his tears. The table's modest lamp allowed Coco to see the advisor's face, and he noted that his eyes were red and that he had black circles under his eyes, suggesting that he hadn't slept well in a long time. He had a dismal and lifeless appearance. Coco was aware that the advisor was a close friend of the former monarch, who was presumably elsewhere in the world. ""Please make a vow to me." Coco didn't think twice before nodding. "No matter what, remain at her side at all times."

"I swear on my life." Coco wrote with haste. "I live my life protecting the princess."

"I'm keeping this on my chest, and I cannot carry this around anymore." The advisor held Coco's hands. "Princess Aura must live. The queen sacrificed her life to protect her, but now her life is in jeopardy. That day, the state healer had a revelation: we must save the princess since she holds the key to all the solutions. We-."

Knock.

The knock on the door interrupted Mr. Levin, and his expression quickly changed. He released his hold on Coco's hands and cleared his throat before wiping his face. "Come on in." A head peered inside as the door creaked open just a little. Clause entered the room and bowed.

"The meal is prepared. Do I need to bring the meal here?"

"No need at all. Coco, you're free." After bowing to the advisor, Coco nodded and walked away. He locked the door before following Clause.

"I looked all around for you; aren't you hungry?" Clause stated while prodding Coco's abdomen. He began rambling on how everyone needed to eat, and why they should do so at the appropriate times. Coco, however, was unable to hear anything over the voice in his head. What did the counselor mean when he claimed that the answer to every problem lies in the princess Aura? And what horrible thing was about to happen?