The entire space over their carriage had drapped in shadows of all mighty dragons. The rider of carriage was utterly shocked by the situation and couldn't determine whether to go forward or go back. Fortunately, he paid attention on the sky out of curiosity. While riding the horses, he noticed that those moonlight coming from the sky was suddenly blocked. Looking up at the sky, his breathing was taken away momentarily. Now they were far away from the palace without much guards. If they really came to attack them, no one would be able to save the princess.

Inside, Isabella trembled in fear violently. If the situation didn't concern her baby, she would have tried to act brave but now moving a bit vigorously could harm her baby. Isabella gulped asking out in a trembling voice,

" Can..can we go back now? Since they haven't landed down, I think that we should go back."

The rider replied through the little window that separated the inside and outside space,

" But Princess, we are only few steps away from RICHALWOLF LAND. If we proceed forward, the Royal Guards would be able to provide us protection. They are waiting for us over there already."

Isabella breathed out heavily and muttered,

" But can..we reach over there?"

Her voice laced with fear and anxiety. If the dragon really came to attack her, there was no way that they would let her reach the border. The rider was a good man. He even felt sorry for the baby and offered weakly,

" At least, we can try, Princess. If we try to go back to our Palace, we might end up being dead midway."

Aunt Shelly panicked feeling stuck between this Royal conflicts,

" Isabella, what is going on? Will we get killed? O my god! How do they know about us? Didn't Cedric assured us that no one knows about your leaving?"

Isabella understood that her aunt was a commoner and didn't know that how many dangers the Royals faced everyday. Isabella coaxed her aunt even though the situation wasn't optimistic,

" Calm down, aunt. We will be Richalwolf Land soon. The king had already sent his troops to take us inside his castle."

Shelly's expression didn't seem convinced at all. She was secretly hating the fact that she asked Isabella to follow her in Richalwolf Land.

Isabella gave her response after inhaling a deep breath to the Rider who was waiting for her response,

" Keep moving forward no matter what happens."

The rider compelled slowly after taking a glimpse of the sky above. The dragons were all circling around only without landing down and flapped their big wings from here to there.

Taking the charge of reins, the rider began to ride the carriage again with a vulnerable heartbeat.

Isabella continued frowning harder. Palms clutched together in fear, her breathing came out a little bit erratically. As the carriage proceeded forward with few steps, various noises came from the outside.

Isabella was startled turning pale in fear. Before she could ask anything, she only heard distant screams of his guards along with the sound of flapping wings. The carriage halted in middle abruptly, almost slipped her out of her spot. Then everything quited down weirdly around them.

Shelly whispered taking Isabella's palms shakingly,

" Bella.. What.. what just happened?"

Isabella continued to look around nervously. Each moment paced, she could hear her own heart racing faster wildly. Before she could offer her any answer, the door of carriage was pushed open with a loud thud, appearing out a devil face that haunted in Isabella's dream for a long time.

***

Back in the room of Dixon Palace, Elizabeth blew out the candles one by one slowly. Though she appeared attentive on her task, her observant eyes didn't miss the sight of Ayra's distracted face. She could feel that someone was bothering her friend.

Leaving one candle to lighten up at a corner, Elizabeth walked back to seat beside Ayra who was staring outside in daze for a while. Elizabeth asked rubbing her own palms together,

" So tell me, Princess..Opps..You are the queen now.. What is bothering you?"

Ayra was a bit stunned. She didn't expect to be exposed by Elizabeth so fast. Perhaps that's how friendship worked. One could tell easily just by looking at you that something was wrong with your emotion.

Ayra was hesitating since the matter concerned her husband. She didn't want to lower Cedric in front of Elizabeth. At first, she replied shurgging off her shoulders innocently,

" Nothing..Why? Can't I sleep with you?"

Elizabeth blinked before forming into a tight smile. Crossing her arms over her chest, she responded with confidence,

" My Queen, Ayra! I know you too well that you can escape everyone's eyes but not mine. So better spill it out before I turn you insane in nagging."

Ayra laughed softly, felt warm inside her heart that she had a real friend to worry about her emotions. Letting out a soft sigh, Ayra stated looking down at the purple bedsheet underneath her feet,

" Nothing serious really..I am just disturbed about our relationship.. I don't know how to say it but you all know that how Cedric was in the past. Now people start to say that he has married me on purpose. Or else why would he marry someone older than him? I am just in state of bizarre, Elizabeth. That's why, I always hated Royal Marriage but my fate had always betrayed me."

Though Ayra didn't explain the entire situation, Elizabeth understood her fears and pains. In regards of relationship, Elizabeth was more mature than Ayra.

Elizabeth questioned looking into Ayra's eyes,

" Did he ever treat you badly after your marriage? Or did you feel that he doesn't give his attention on you much?"

Ayra replied truthfully pressing her lips together tightly,

" No..I mean..Not until now..He cares about me a lot but I can't trust him completely on this marriage. He had so many women in the past.."

Elizabeth cut off putting one of her palm over Ayra's thigh encouragingly,

" But he has only one wife and that is you."

Ayra stopped talking for a while and looking up at her blankly. Elizabeth continued with a half smile,

" No matter what others say, you two are couple at the end of argument. If you feel that he truly cares, you should start believing him slowly. Relationship can be worked out if the other party is willing wholeheartedly. I don't see any lack on his eyes while showing affection to you. You can test his loyalty but pushing him away wouldn't bring anything good for you."

Ayra suddenly asked, finding a good opportunity to taste the water,

" Then why don't you work out on your relationship with my brother?"

Elizabeth blinked before looking away blankly. Forming her lips into a bittersweet smile, she replied meaningfully,

" As I said, the other party needs to do willing wholeheartedly."