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Tightening her hold, Valda quietly asked to take her back to her room, while Maris did as she was told.

As they arrived inside the room, Kayden acknowledged them with a warm and open smile. He was sitting on the large sofa in the living area. The red-headed nodded his head as Maris walked in with Valda. She moved to give Valda space to sit down, but Kayden grabbed hold of Valda’s wrist and eyed Maris cautiously.

“I got her. Thank you,” Kayden said, with no room to argue or for Maris to say otherwise.

Maris gave Valda a quick look before silently stepping away to stand close to the sleeping section of the chamber, giving them enough space to speak without feeling like she was eavesdropping.Next to her, Cerberus sat on her hind legs, her ears back, her yellow eyes wide. It seemed the animal was as restless as she was.

Kayden turned his clear blue eyes to meet hers, his face void of his usual happy grin. Instead, dark circles cut deep into his handsome face. His upper lip twitched as he moved to grab hold of Valda’s hand. He slipped from his chair, kneeling before Valda, cradling the back of her head with his other hand and pressing their foreheads intimately close.

A rush of jealousy broke through Maris. She couldn’t explain why she wanted to push Kayden off Valda. Something inside of her stirred with anger. Her hands curled into fists as she watched their interaction.

“Kayden…” Valda whispered, grabbing hold of his face and pulling him off her. “What happened, where is my mother?”

The man’s lip quivered. He inhaled deeply but before he could exhale Valda pushed him away. “Don’t. Don’t use your powers on me!”

Maris pondered if she should intervene. It seemed they were about to fight, but Kayden didn’t waiver. He leaned back, grabbed Valda’s hands and cleared his throat.

“I received your letter and I found it… odd.”

Valda frowned. “Why?”

“As we were leaving for Harmonia. I waited for your mother on my ship. Instead, I received a message from her, saying that I should go on without her since she needed to leave some things set here in the Sky Kingdom before she could join me. I made it to Harmonia, but I found it curious that your mother never arrived…”

Maris’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean she never arrived?” Valda asked.

“My dear friend, my sister…” Kayden whispered. “I need you to be as strong as you are...and more,” Kayden said, swallowing an upcoming sob that Valda was not able to see, but Maris noticed from far away as she was.

Everyone in the room except Kayden jumped at the sudden hard knocks upon the chamber door. Maris didn’t waste a second to open it, only to see one of the many guards of the castle, red-faced and holding in his emotions to no avail. He bowed low before walking inside the room.

Maris could see that he was holding back, that he was the bearer of news that he didn’t want to hold possession of. Before she could ask him to spit it out, the guard’s cry slipped free.

“Princess Valda, we need you at the throne room immediately.”

Maris’s heart dropped.

“Something happened to the queen.”

Pure ice ran down Valda’s back. Her entire world was muffled with an amalgamation of words, sensations. She couldn’t breathe. A ringing in her ears drowned out by the pounding beating of her heart. Stumbling on Cerberus, hearing her yowl didn’t stop her. She opened the door and ran outside, pressing her palm to the wall as she ran to the throne room.

Kayden’s steps closed behind her, and even when he asked her to slow down, she didn’t. Her breathing was labored, tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes as she stumbled to the ground. Kayden moved behind her, and as her emotions fluctuated, she knew well he was trying to ease her worries. But she wouldn’t have that.

Something happened to the queen. The words dawned on her like an ancient memory that was repeating itself. This time she wasn’t a child, she was grown, and she understood everything just fine. She didn’t need anyone to sugarcoat what might happen.

“Valda!”

“No!” She snarled, almost like a caged animal. As she felt her way, she finally touched wooden doors, and with the little strength she had left, she pushed them apart. All sense of self flew out of her as she stumbled onto the marbled floor.

Her knees hit the ground hard, and she knew she would be bruised later, but that didn’t stop her from crawling to the middle of the room. Halfway there. Kayden managed to pull her up, squeeze his chest to her taut back, holding her firmly. “Valda, please.”

“Mom!” Valda cried like a lost child. Her open eyes moved about, searching in the darkness that enveloped her. When she didn’t hear anyone answer, she fell to her knees again and sobbed. She knew… She felt it… Her mother was gone.

Yet she stood with Kayden’s help. She moved forward until she bent over a stoned table, slamming into her midriff, knocking the air out of her. She stopped herself from falling over, only to feel a body lying before her.

“Momma…” Valda whispered, her hands trailed over the face of a corpse, touching the cold skin and rigid features. She felt shoulders, arms, and hands, which were neatly folded on her lower stomach. “No. No, no, no, no! What happened?” she asked to no response. “What happened!” she screamed, turning to face whoever was beside her, around her, in the room.

“I was contacted by Vulcan Hagan.”