The Crown's Seduction
Chapter 121: Missing

Chapter 121: Missing

The days passed by, and Mineah was just getting ready to sleep when another message came to her from Ebodia. Already, she was dreading just looking at it even as she did her best to be optimistic about things. Surely, this was good news. That her brother was finally free from the curse he had inadvertently gotten and that things were going well with their war...

"I’m just overthinking things," she told herself as she held the unopened letter in her hands. "This will be good news. Surely, I’m just overreacting."

Taking in as much courage as she could muster, Mineah let out a breath before opening the letter. Almost immediately, her courage evaporated as the contents of the letter made itself known to her.

"No... Surely, Brother wouldn’t just disappear like that..."

She couldn’t believe her eyes at what she just read. But the more that she read the letter in her hands, the more the reality of things started to settle in her mind.

Ezekiel had gone missing, and it was during the same day that the dragon had appeared over the battlefield.

"Maybe it was just a coincidence," she quickly reasoned even as her hands trembled with how tightly she was gripping the letter. "Maybe he was just outside that day... Or maybe he was off doing an undisclosed mission to prevent information from going to the enemy..."

Her mind was abuzz as she did her best to rationalize such a coincidence. After all, it had only happened once so far. So long as it didn’t happen again, the chances of such an event merely being happenstance was higher than him truly being the dragon.

But the letter did state that he hadn’t returned so far...

"Yes... That might be the case," Mineah reasoned to herself as she nodded. "Still, this is a bad look for Ezekiel..."

And not to mention dangerous. Already, Wizard Lurio and her mother were hastening their plans to try and subdue the dragon. On the chance that it was indeed her brother, containing the beast would allow them to undo whatever it was that the Dragon King’s soul had done to him. If he was taking over her brother, then it was all the more reason for them to make plans in accordance with such assumptions.

Taking a deep breath, she let out a heavy sigh as she kept her optimism high. Sure, the situation had worsened, but it wasn’t wholly impossible to solve. This just meant that they had to hurry before her brother fully succumbed to the Dragon King’s influence.

He was indeed the dragon, then surely he was still in there somewhere fighting back against Vulcan’s control... which means that she should probably be there to try and help.

Nodding to herself once more, Mineah quickly got ready and made herself comfortable in her chair. If she was going to be leaving, she had to at least coordinate it with her husband, especially if her hunch about him wanting to come with her the moment she wanted to leave would prove to be correct.

With a deep breath, she reached into their bond and contacted her husband. If she was correct, Nikolai should be doing his usual work during that time of day in his study, and thus was also available for a prolonged conversation if needed.

[Lai.]

[Mine, you sound upset,] Nikolai greeted her, his worry immediately apparent the moment he heard her voice. [Did something happen?]

Letting out another sigh, Mineah sat up to reach her desk. On the other side of the call, she felt Nikolai clearly waiting for her response, and she gave it to him with as much seriousness as she could muster. [I want to go to the Ebodian Camp as soon as the Midnight Sun arrives.]

Immediately, Nikolai perked up as he replied, [What brought this on?]

[My... My brother Ezekiel had gone missing,] she stated. [I’m sure you already heard a few things about it.]

[And so you wish to go there to help in the search for your brother? I’m sure that my men with Ezme’s instruction are already searching for him as we speak.] Nikolai hummed.

[Please my brother needs me, Lai. Trust me, I’m the best option in tracking my brother. I have a way to find him. I... I can’t just stay idle here...] Mineah pointed out.

She had to subdue Ezekiel and help her Mother whose powers now were unlike before. She had to try and undo the spell. Surely, they could free him from Vulcan’s influence if they managed to properly study him. And they wouldn’t be able to do that if he was flying and practically moving around.

It was simply common sense. It would also help that she already had access to Valcrez’s library. Perhaps she could bring enough new knowledge to her mother and mentor that it would make a difference. Perhaps there was a spell in Valcrez’s archives that were unknown to them. A spell that could somehow solve this problem once and for all.

Nikolai seemed to mull things over be he audibly nodded. [Very well. We can arrange things in a way that will allow you to leave once the Midnight Sun arrives,] he stated. [Things might not pan out, but depending on how things develop, we might be able to leave before the day is even over.]

[Thank you, Lai,] she sincerely thanked.

[Anything for you, Mine. Go and rest now. It’s already late. I’m sure your brother is fine out there.] Nikolai comforted.

Gratefully nodding, Mineah cut off their connection before making her way to bed. She didn’t think she was tired yet, but receiving that piece of news took the wind out of her sails to the point that she needed a nap. Perhaps it was all a bad dream, and that she’d wake up and things would be alright.

Then again, that wasn’t the way the world worked.

"I hope you’re alright, Brother..." she whispered before drifting off to sleep.

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