Bianca faced the thrones and she loosened a breath. The thrones were one of the most beautiful she had ever seen, and she had seen a few. On a dais, there were two regal chairs sitting beside each other. Carved from redwood, the thrones were crested with numerous jewels in the shape of oval around the back's red cushioned silk. The armrests were broad and shaped in the form of roots in the front with grooves inside.

To Bianca's surprise, the High Priest was already present there and he was standing right in front of the thrones. Brantley walked with her to the thrones and stood right in front of the High Priest. Right beside them was a younger looking man who held two crowns in a tray with a silk cushion.

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The priest bowed so low that his white hair fell around him. He got up and said, "Your crown waits for you, my king."

When Bianca looked at the crowns, her breath knocked out. Crafted with emeralds, ruby, sapphires, and topaz, the gold had been shaped in the form of wreaths of roses and other blossoms.

Brantley sat down in front of the priest and he placed the bigger crown on his head. He went to sit on his throne.

Bianca went down on her knees and she lowered her eyes in front of the priest. He picked up her crown and placed it on her head.

All the guards stomped feet and stood straight with their hands on their hearts.

When she was going to sit on her throne, Brantley stopped her. She looked at him with big eyes and blood rushed to her cheeks. Why the hell was he stopping her? He looked at the priest and he stepped down from the dais. All at once they were surrounded with thick walls of wood, which were dragged and placed around them from behind.

"What is going on?" she asked. Her finger touched her throne accidentally and she felt electricity zipping through her. Shocked, she removed her hand from there.

When the wooden walls had completely surrounded them and when no one could see them, Brantley walked over to her throne and sat down. He tugged her and said, "Sit on my lap."

She shook her head. "I don't understand. Why are we doing this?" Though she was beginning to feel scared, deep down she knew that this had to be done. She didn't know what was ahead but she could feel the pull… of god-knows-what.

"We need to do this together Bia," he said and tugged her closer.

She turned and sat—on his lap. This time she felt her skin tingling with the warmth of his thighs. Was he protecting her? From what?

He placed his arms inside the groove of the armrests with his palms up. "Now put your arms and clasp my fingers," he instructed.

She nodded and intertwined her fingers with him. The moment her hands were locked with his, she heard a creak. Her eyes darted to the source of the noise and before she could comprehend the roots of the armrest started creaking and growing around their hands. She gripped his hands tightly. "What is happening?" she asked.

"I don't know Bia. This is the first time for me too, but stay with me and don't lose me. Stay connected with me at all times. Seek me."

"I am scared Brantley," she said as the roots drew closer to her bodice.

"Don't be Bia. I am with you and together we can do this."

Magic overcame them. She felt as if the roots were going to trap her, lock her in a cage. They sprawled across their legs, bodice, shoulders and eventually snaked to their necks and heads. They had fully caged the king and queen of Aztec. Not able to move even an inch anywhere, she sat in his lap, caged. They were surrounded by green shimmering light.

Her vision blurred. Instead of seeing on the outside, she saw inside the cage, inside the throne. She saw the roots of the throne she was sitting on. They had grown deeper inside the ground, and the green magical light traveled with them.

Feeling trapped and utterly helpless she tried to call Brantley, but she couldn't even move her tongue. She continued to watch the roots as they spread along with the light dancing around them. She could feel the dead roots of other trees and the barren soil that was on top of them—kingdom of Aztec. She could feel how miserable the place had become. There was no vegetation and they were all crying for life. More roots join and get covered by the lights. The only thing that was keeping her grounded to the present was Brantley's hand, which he had grasped her tightly, which wasn't letting her slip.

Nature wanted life from her. They demanded, they probed and they latched onto her, latched on her life.

The roots penetrated inside her and the light splintered around her. They roots wanted to suck her life out while the green lights were trying to heal her. She could feel how they lapped her life.

She was the élan vital of their verve.

Bianca tasted her own tears. A soft voice from somewhere told her, "I am here Bia…" It had so much pain, as if it was struggling to survive the ordeal.

Helpless, she watched the roots taking it from her. She didn't want them to stop taking it from her because at that moment she realized the reason she was born on this earth. She was needed for Aztec, for its people, for its survival. She was needed for the prosperity of Aztec and she didn't want to think how challenging it must have been for Brantley to run his kingdom… which had slowly turned into a desert.

She opened herself to the the land of Aztec. She would never stop giving it. She bore the pain and tears rolled out.

Suddenly, she heard a loud bellow and the roots cracked up. The green magical lights splintered and disappeared around her like dust. She was pulled back into the present. The gnarled roots of the throne shrank and she became free from its clutches. World had become blurry. She didn't know what was happening next. So she let it happen.

When she opened her eyes next, she saw it was dark. Moonlight was sprayed over the floor and it reflected on the ceiling. Her mind was again in a tizzy. Her body was burning.

Nightmare.

The roots crawled around her.

"Bianca… Come back…" a plea.

She fluttered her eyes open again with a lot of efforts. But her body trembled violently. She thought someone had clutched her closely to his chest and had hugged her tightly. Perhaps she was being rocked. "Bia." He whispered. It wasn't her name, it was an appeal, a begging request. "Come back." But Bianca once again lost consciousness and fell into darkness.

When she cracked open her eyes next, she heard the noise of water splashing, and whirring behind. It seemed as if it was falling from a height and plunged into the depths of a pool and she was sitting over the gurgling water. The air was cooler.

She turned her head and found herself in her bedchamber. The white gossamer curtains were flowing softly in a gentle breeze. She tried to get up by propping her elbows up.

"Bianca!" A familiar voice came immediately to her rescue and grabbed her in his strong arms. Immediately she was lifted and placed in his lap.