The pitch darkness blanketed the wedding venue for a few minutes.

The silence was broken with the screaming guest.

Then slowly...the light return to the torch and lamps that were placed all over the place.

Finally, all the lights were restored 100%, bringing back the floods of light to the banquet hall.

Everyone stared at each other's shocked faces.

They noticed that nothing bad took place while the light was off...It was just a wind blowing randomly from all directions, turning the lights off, and darkness descending around the place that brought panic to everyone's mind.

Then somebody shouted...

"Look...the Queen is gone!"

"Yes, the bride is gone!"

"Where is she!?"

"Where is the beautiful Queen?"

Questions erupted from the crowd that comes to witness the King and Queen's wedding.

The crowd was confused about what happened and they were questioning each other.

"Did you see the Queen?"

"No, when the light finally returns, the Queen was no longer in the spot where she was standing before the lights went off!"

"Oh no, the Queen was abducted or run away!" said one of the guests.

They only noticed the bride's disappearance, but they failed to see the king, he already slumped in his chair, unconscious.

"My King!" a piercing scream tore in the air.

Kedes run to the king's side. "My King...what happened to you!?" she screamed in panic. She checked the king's pulse, his chest was still breathing, he's still alive!

She commanded the guards that were standing nearby, shocked to the core. "What are you waiting for!? Bring the king to his bed-chamber, now!"

Five of the king's trusted aide sprung into action, they placed him on the makeshift wooden bed and carries the king to his bed-chamber.

Kedes shouted to the rest of the king's soldiers nearby. "Go...find the Queen! Search for her whereabouts all over the forest! She must be found at all costs before the king regains his consciousness!"

Kedes went after the king into his bed-chamber.

The aides already settled the king comfortably in his bed.

Ezi went to the bed bringing with her a wooden basin filled with water and some medicinal herbs.

Kedes began checking the king's vital sign. He seems to be okay, she found no wound on his body. But why did he lose consciousness?

Why he fainted during the blackout? And why Aurora was gone?"

The king won't faint easily unless...something happened...while the darkness was taking place.

That darkness won't take place if it's not planned well by someone.

Her suspicion was growing...

Who would gain if the wedding won't take place?

Which only means one thing...an enemy intruded the king's wedding. It's a powerful enemy that can command wind and fire.

Aurora was abducted by someone who wants to get her back badly!

Kedes looked at Ezi. "Take care of his highness!" she ordered.

Ezi bowed her head, fright clouded her face.

Kedes looked at the aides. "Guard the King well! You failed your duty protecting the King!" she throws them a dagger.

The guards bowed their heads in shame. "Yes, Grand Queen!"

Kedes released a deep sigh.

Then she remembered that she was supposed to find Esmeralda!

She was suspicious of that old woman who intruded the king's wedding uninvited.

If she was the one who kidnapped Aurora, then she's already gone!

Damn! Why she didn't think about it right away!?

She rushed outside and went to the area where Esmeralda was sitting while watching Aurora walking slowly towards the wedding banquet.

To her surprised, Esmeralda was still there...sitting on the chair, the old woman looks like she was in deep thoughts.

"Esmeralda! Where did you hide Aurora!? Give me back our Queen!" she shouted angrily at her.

Esmeralda stared at her in astonishment, raising an eyebrow. "Stop calling her Aurora! Her name is Kate!" she snorted.

"Where is she! Tell me!" Kedes nostrils were flaring.

Esmeralda's gaze was fixed at Kedes's face for a long time. "Unfortunately, I have no idea where she is now!" she snapped at her.

"Don't talk nonsense to me! You are the only one who has the motive to take her away from us!" Kedes insisted.

Esmeralda rolled her eyes.

"Huh? Why would I take Kate away from here? When she is more than willing to marry the king? She even told me that her name is Aurora, not Kate! And if I'm the one who abducted Kate, why I'm still here? Should I already be gone away by now? Think a thousand times before you accused me!" she snapped at her.

Kedes was silent for a moment. Esmeralda got a point though. If she's the one who abducted Aurora, then she should have been gone by now. What's the point of staying when she already had Aurora back?

Kedes shut off her eyes. "Then...who else...abducted Aurora?" she asked aloud.

Esmeralda raked her fingers through her hair. She has been thinking about the person who would dare abduct the future Queen of the centaur race?

Many will try...but...there's only one being who is powerful enough to do that and it's no other than...the vampires!

They tried taking Kate away from her once, by sending those dark ghosts like creatures into her floating home to scare her in handing Kate to them.

But why Kate? Why vampires are interested in Kate so much?

Her interest was aroused now.

But she doesn't have to ask that question, because once the humans entered the castle, they are considered exotic beings desired by many. Humans, such as females, especially pretty ones are everyone's favorite, they can be of many uses to whoever owns them.

One of the king's soldiers came forward.

"Grand Queen, we can't find Queen Aurora!" he said.

Kedes eyes bulged in anger. "You are all useless! Find her again! No one comes back unless you can return Queen Aurora to the King's side," she commanded.

The soldiers galloped back into the forest looking for the missing bride.

Esmeralda was shaking her head. She pitied the soldiers, they won't be able to find the bride anywhere in the forest.

Kedes was looking at the old woman suspiciously. "Why are you shaking your head?"

Esmeralda shrugged her shoulders. "Think about it...If someone abducted Aurora, she would be taken out of the forest immediately. Why would the abductor hides aurora in the forest when you and the soldiers can easily find her?"

Kedes brows knitted together. "You got a point. So, who do you think abducted Aurora and where did they hide her?"

Kedes was trying to gather information. It seemed Esmeralda knows something!

A smirk appeared in Esmeralda's lips.

"You have done something to Kate's head, that's why she can no longer remember me? Am I right?" she asked her point-blank.

Kedes rolled her eyes. "It's none of your business. The girl wants to marry the king, and I'm just trying to help her forget her past including you. Don't blame me!"

Esmeralda smiled. "I see. Well...too bad..it didn't work out. The girl is gone. Once I found her, she's mine again."

"W-what?" Kedes's eyes turn to slit in anger.

"You have your chance, yet, you failed to protect her! Whoever finds her first, she belongs to the finder!" Esmeralda declared in a hard tone.

Kedes was getting angrier and bright lights were bursting out of her hands, she directed the light towards Esmeralda. She was about to release the deadly light from her hands wanting to harm the old woman but at the last minute, she remembered that if she killed Esmeralda right now, everyone inside the castle will die including her and the king.

She gripped her palm hard, suppressing the power she was about to unleash.

Esmeralda looked at Kedes, grinning, shaking her head. "What...afraid to die?"

Kedes throws her a deadly glare. "Scram! Get out of the forest now!"

"Sure! My pleasure!" Esmeralda erupted in laughter and flip her hair.

A few seconds later, she disappeared from Kedes's sight.

Kedes was super annoyed, nostrils flaring in rage.

Grrrr!

This day is a disaster!

The King was unconscious!

The future queen was missing!

The wedding was cut off before it even began!

Everything is a mess!