"Where's Yohann?" Cathryn asked.

She had been waiting for more than an hour already and had ended up eating some of the sandwiches she brought. She was too hungry to wait for him. She did leave some sandwiches for him if he wanted to eat too.

"My Lady . . ." Hugo began but then his eyes fell on the ring on her finger.

"Your Highness," Hugo corrected himself.

Cathryn's eyes raised in surprised.

"His Highness must attend to some important matters right now. He will not be back this evening," Hugo said.

"Oh. He could have told me. Why? Did something happen?" Cathryn asked.

Hugo hesitated.

"Is it confidential?" Cathryn asked.

"No, it's just disturbing news. It is fortunate that he has you to support him," Hugo said.

"How will I support him if I don't know what has happened? Hugo, please. What is it?" Cathryn asked.

"His Highness's brothers . . . were murdered," Hugo said.

Cathryn's hands flew to her mouth horrified.

"They were killed by Aderlan's king," Hugo said bitterly.

The floor seemed to sway underneath her.

"H-how are you so sure of that? It must be a mistake! There's an alliance!" Cathryn said.

"The alliance is gone. It was King Raul's trick to destroy our kingdom," Hugo said.

"No . . . That's insane. But Yohann's brothers have summoning magic. They must be alive! They must have defended themselves!" Cathryn said.

"No . . . they were no match for the king's flames. Their summoned beasts were burned alive and the princes . . . their bodies were burned in the flames. Only their heads remained and he displayed their heads in the plaza for all to see," Hugo said.

The walls seemed to sway around her.

"Y-Yohann. Where is he?!" Cathryn said.

"His Highness is in the front lines leading our army," Hugo said.

No. No. No. No. This wasn't happening. This shouldn't be happening.

THUD.

"Your Highness!"

Blackness began to fill her vision.

"Your Highness! Someone! Someone help! Her Highness has collapsed!"

This must be a bad dream. When she wakes up, Yohann would be at her side, right?

Then there was only darkness.

*

*

*

Cathryn woke up feeling nauseous. It must have been the sandwiches. Perhaps they got spoiled and she was too hungry too notice.

She was in Yohann's bedroom again. She sniffed the blanket. It had a faint scent of him. Almost gone. She missed him already.

She rang the bell on the bedside.

A maid arrived.

"Your Highness," the maid said and curtsied.

Word must have spread around already. She didn't have the energy to correct the maid. To tell her that she wasn't married yet. That she simply had the ring on her finger but she wasn't a princess yet.

She needed Yohann.

"Yohann, where is he? Is he coming back tonight?" Cathryn asked even though she knew in her heart the answer already.

"His Highness is still stopping the invasion. We think that it is best that you wait for him in your home for now, Your Highness," the maid said.

The maid was right. It was ridiculous of Cathryn to think that Yohann would simoly be back in a few hours. He was at war.

War.

They were at war.

Tears poured out of her eyes. She was terrified. What was she going to do if Yohann . . . ?

No.

She didn't want to think of that. Yohann would return to her. He shall win the war and they shall get married. They'll have a family in his kingdom and they would get old together.

She didn't want their story to end like this.

It shouldn't end.

She got up.

"Your Highness," the maid said, steadying Cathryn om her feet.

She felt terrible. She didn't know if it was her body feeling terrible or it was her emotions twisting up inside her that made her feel that she was dying inside.

Then she threw up.

*

*

*

Hours later . . .

A doctor had been summoned to the mansion. Cathryn knew what he was going to say even before the doctor confirmed it.

"Your Highness, congratulations. You are pregnant," the doctor said.

He was an old man with small spectacles on his nose. He smiled at her sympathetically trying to cheer up the future wife of the prince.

"Are you sure?" Cathryn asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. See this gem? It lit up meaning that a life is inside you," the doctor said.

Magical devices were rare in Aderlan and if there were doctors using magic devices, they were the most expensive ones. The servants of Princr Yohann must have hired the most prestigious doctor they could find for her. They knew that their master would have wanted his future wife well taken care of.

"Also, the light is blue, Your Highness. It means that you're going to have a boy!" The old doctor said happily.

She bit her lip. She didn't feel happy at all. There was a sinking feeling inside her that told her that the worst was going to happen.

"I see. Thank you for telling me, doctor," Cathryn said.

The doctor left and Cathryn was left alone with a maid.

"Your Highness, would you like to take a night stroll? Perhaps to keep your mind off things for a while?" The maid asked.

Cathryn nodded. She wore a shawl around her shoulders and walked with the maid.

"Actually, His Highness wanted to give you something. He told us to show it to you before he left," the maid said.

The maid led her to a room with paintings of Terrasien's royal family hung on the walls. There was a painting of the three brothers standing side by side. Prince Kael was smiling widely and confidently as usual. Prince Horen had a stoic look on his face.

Cathryn touched the painting.

Prince Yohann was smiling shyly, unsure of himself, but the painter successfully captured his gentle and elegant aura.

Yohann.

Please. You have to come back. You have a son now. He needs his father and I need you.

"Your Highness, over here," the maid said.

At the center wall, there was a huge painting covered with a cloth. The maid tugged it off and it fell down revealing the painting.

It was a painting of them. Yohann was wearing the white suit with gold embellishments which he wore when they first met. Cathryn was wearing the green gown she wore on that night they met too. Behind them was the palace garden.

"It is His Highness's engagement gift for you," the maid said.

Cathryn's knees gave away and she sobbed on the floor.

Yohann. You have to come back.

*

*

*

Flames were in front of them. Huge flames bigger than a person. He felt like he was in Hell. Yohann maintained his stance. He didn't stand down. His soldiers were behind him. They wanted to be in front of him but as their commander, he wanted to lead them not be protected by them.

A figure stepped forward from the flames. He didn't burn. Yohann knew who he was even before he removed his helmet.

"Young prince, we meet again," King Raul said grinning at him.

"Why?" Yohann asked walking closer to Aderlan's king.

"Why did I kill your brothers? Why did I break the alliance? Or is it why am I going to destroy your little kingdom? Which is it, prince?" King Raul asked in a mocking tone.

"Why did you do this?!" Yohann shouted.

King Raul smirked.

"Why shouldn't I?" King Raul answered with a shrug.

Yohann then realized that he was talking to a mad person.

"You see, when you're at this age already and when you're this powerful, you get terribly bored. But one day, I've found something that entertained me!" King Raul said.

"Claude, get back. Run off when I distract him," Yohann whispered to the young knight beside him.

"No! I won't leave you alone, Your Highness!" Claude protested.

"I'll hold him off. You have to escape and warn everyone in our kingdom," Yohann said.

"Are you ignoring me? I'm still talking to you! Or do you want us to fight now?" King Raul asked.

"No, tell me. I want to know the reason for this madness," Yohann said.

"Well, there's none. This is what entertains me. I'm going to make a collection of kingdoms and I have chosen yours to be a part of my collection! Aren't you honored?" King Raul asked.

"Claude, when I tell you to go, go. Leave me and escape with everyone. All of you have to survive," Yohann whispered.

"No, Your Highness. Please. All of us have to escape. You still have to get back to Lady Cathryn," Claude pleaded.

"I am honored. Let us be part of your collection then. You don't need to kill us. Let us serve you," Yohann said.

"Are you proposing a truce?" King Raul asked.

"Yes, let us have a truce and end this bloodshed," Yohann said.

King Raul frowned.

"But where's the fun in that?" King Raul said and flame manifested in the palm of his hand, it became bigger and bigger as he stepped closer and closer towards them.

"THIS IS AN ORDER! LEAVE NOW!" Yohann shouted.

The soldiers left. The youngest knight, Claude, didn't want to leave but the other soldiers dragged him away.

"Now, we're alone," Yohann said.

King Raun grinned.

"FERUS! I SUMMON THEE!" Yohann shouted.