"Wipe your chin. You're drooling," Dimitri commanded his friend with a jovial grin moments after the Prince exited the tent.

"What, why?" Jade belatedly realised what her friend meant as her hands patted her chin. She glared at him for his impertinence, "Stop being obnoxious."

"He's a handsome fellow, I'll give you that but you must be careful," The man cautioned with a low tone of voice. Outside the tent there was much ruckus, giving them privacy but one could never be too sure who could hear.

"Careful? there's nothing to be careful about. I consider him just a friend," Jade whispered, her words, quick and frantic.

"Even that is too dangerous.

He is a royal Prince Jade," Dimitri 's warning rumbled low in his throat, "You cannot assume he cares for you more than one would an employee."

"Of course not," Jade lied. She had begun to get used to their camaraderie as if they had never been apart.

"I know his lack of airs befitting his station makes you feel like he is a close friend but if there comes anytime he has to choose between you and his duty he will always choose the correct path."

"I would never let him choose me. I am not that unprincipled," Jade sighed as the conversation weighed down on her. Her friend was correct. Luke would never protect her from the consequences if he found out she was lying to him. The betrayal would be too acute.

"He has never encouraged his male admirers in case you were wondering?" Her friend's tone of voice turned coy.

"I know, Dimitri!" Jade hissed as she positioned her cravet around her neck in a bid to make herself presentable, "I'm done with this conversation!"

"Maybe if you encountered him dressed as a female..." Her friend said out aloud, speculatively.

"In case you haven't noticed we are currently on a quest to save the lady who has stolen his heart. I really don't think he shall be interested in wooing any one else. Cease your line of thought," Jade admonished the man before turning on the heel of her hiking boots and departing the room with a flourish of her coat.

The freezing air struck her as soon the canvas tent closed behind her and she pulled her coat closer. Night time had dropped the temperature considerably. All the soldiers were busy in their tasks while the Prince and the select few officers were pouring over the map.

"Thank you for saving my neck," Jade announced as she joined the men. They barely acknowledged her presence so deep they were in their planning. Luke absentmindedly gave her a lopsided smile before turning back to the map.

"It's a rocky terrain downhill to my knowledge. The horses will need to be helped down one by one. We cannot leave them behind because without them our journey will be slowed down considerably," A robust young man informed the Prince with a dour expression.

"We also need to keep awake at night. The lion may have further companions prowling in the dark," Another mustached man tapped his finger along the length of the forest ahead of them.

"Sire, was this not an odd attack? These animals attack in the pitch darkness of the night. It shouldn't have decided to hunt when we were awake and aware," Dimitri spoke as soon as he joined them.

"Maybe Sir Rutherford's singing led the animal towards us," Jade's joke had no takers and fell flat on it's face.

"There is definitely something amiss. Be on your guard. Magic is not something to be trifled with," Prince Luke dictated and Jade mentally noted down the conversation in her head. She had to be able to regurgitate the entire conversation when she faced Elliot once again.

"I have a solution," The secretary informed the group who were not expecting her to be of much use, "My friend Harry has given me these beans which he uncovered from his research. He urged me to plant them around the camp. They work as an antidote to magic. Sir Elliot has given his approval."

"They will keep the witch's magic away?" Another officer leaned in close with interest.

"It is said to but I am unsure how it works," Jade announced, "As long as no one breaks out of the circle they should remain safe."

"I will get the soldiers to work," Luke gave Jade a brief nod, "Announce the guard's schedule for each hour. We should all be rested for the night if we take turns to stand guard."

"When am I to stand guard?" Jade asked as the crowd dispersed.

"Never," Luke marched forward with no inclination to cajol her whining, "Now go rest. You look dead on your feet."

The secretary wanted to argue but she knew his words had merit. The arduous journey required soldiers at the prime of strength. She neither looked like the men who filled out their clothes with muscle and nor did she feel she was capable of the excursion. Her sore legs were a testimony to how lacking she was in stamina for a long journey despite her training.

Jade completed her ablutions and disappeared into the empty tent. She unravelled her copy of the map and tried to understand the terrain of their upcoming journey until the gush of sleep nearly knocked her over. Jade opened her bedroll on her tarp covered ground and laid down to rest.

She spent half the night besieged by the glimpses of her father. He was in pain and suffering and Jade could do nothing about it. She twisted and turned in her bed and gasped awake with sweat trickling from her hair.

Around her lay the soldiers who were all content in their beds. None showed any signs of torment or fatigue in their sleep. Jade quickly shrugged on her warm coat and slipped out of the tent, dragging her feet along the floor because of her aching muscles.

"You must be traumatized by last night's attack," The tall Prince broke the silence. He sat on guard duty at the edge of the perimeter with his feet hanging over a log. His partner for the night stood a few meters as if he was about to succumb to sleep.

"No. Not quite. There is something else that plagues me. I was right there when my father was taken ill but I could not save him. I dream about it every night," Jade mumbled barely moving her lips. She hugged herself in a bid to warm herself up.

"It's not your fault," The Prince made a poor attempt to lessen her pain.

"I think I finally understand your mission. If I were told this was the only way to save my father then I would have taken this perilous journey even if my end was a surety," The tall girl declared. She looked away not wanting to see the pity in his grey eyes.

"Do not talk about such ill omens. I don't want you to curse yourself," Luke chided.

Jade's heart swelled up at the declaration. Inspite of Dimitri's assertions it always felt to be shown that the Prince cared for her safety. She bowed slowly, trying to hide a smile.

"Wait, I must give you something," The man urged as he fiddled with his rucksack and pulled out a bottle, "As you know Delilah's namesake has left a a great many books for the royal family to enrich themselves with. Each new generation of royal children is taught the art of medicine and I have been furthering her research. I mixed up my own concoction for cuts and bruises and you seem like a good test dummy. This salve will will heal you faster and save you from infection."

"Thank you," Jade gingerly accepted the offering, "I also have something to share. I've found the solution to our predicament. I have been looking at the map and I believe I have found a way down. Every way that goes forward is a trecherous slope but behind us the incline is gentle. There is meant to be a village on the way down and they have flattened the slopes for agricultural purposes. It will be easy for the horses to descend."

"Will it not take long to go backwards instead of forward," The Prince asked. His face was half covered with his open hair but his curious eyes shined through.

"No. The time we lose in lowering the horses on rocky reclines will even out the time for longer journey," The secretary explained.

"Ah, now I know why Elliot was certain you were the man for the job. Your brains have not been unuseful. I am grateful you are here."

Jade gave him another bow and strode back to the tent, feeling the rush of pleasure run over her at the compliment.

...

The next day everyone had an early breakfast. Jade watched the men cover up the laterine with the dug up dirt and put out the fires.

The day that peaked out from behind whispy clouds was sunnier and exposed views around them spoke of deep trenches and snow capped mountains. The air was already chillier and Jade pulled out a woollen scarf from her rucksack.

One officer measured the distances on the map and estimated that they would down in the valley by sunset. A babbling brook running at the end would be their camping site.

The group of men and horses found Jade's chosen path an early stroll. Despite the growth it was easy to see there had been a formal path running down the mountain side. Jade craned her head from atop the horse but saw no signs of life even as they drew close to a village.

The small cluster of homes were completely abandoned. Nature was taking back the intrusion ruthlessly as the stone walls were covered in moss and vines.

"I don't like this. I see no reason why a village would need to be abandoned," A red headed officer shook his head.

"The decaying crops are still embedded in earth and the water still runs down the irrigation system. Their homes are well preserved considering the abandonment. There seems to be no reason for the villagers to just up and abandon their village," Dimitri shared his observation.

The Prince looked disturbed by the discovery, perhaps distraught that there were people in his kingdom who had needed his help at one and he couldn't get to them. The man ushered them forward as if he couldn't stand the sight of it any longer.

The horses made the descent with ease as the riders chose to dismount to give their rides a break. Jade was making the decision whether to climb atop her brown, maned horse once again when a commotion was heard from the front of the group.

"They're beckoning us forward," One of the mustached officers wailed in the most uncharacteristic fashion.

"The women are calling to us. Perhaps the village was not abandoned after all," Another soldier cried out as if his feet could not still. He left his horses reins and nearly took a tumble over an exposed rock on the ground.

"I don't," Dimitri frowned. He marched through the group to hear for himself, "Still nothing."

"It's magic! Hold them down. Don't let them run off," Jade called out, suddenly finding their expressions rather familiar. The Prince gave her a harried look and grabbed onto another soldier who shoved past him to get to the front.

"But these women are waiting for us. They seek us," The stout soldier babbled unseeingly as the Prince refused to let him go.

The companions not under the influence took hold of their friends who made their best effort to run away. Jade made quick work of her water skins and splashed the contents on the captives faces one by one. Their eyes lost the feral look as soon as the liquid landed on their faces. After they were all deemed competent they gathered around in a circle trying to figure out what happened.

"What I don't understand is why only some of us were affected and rest of us were not?" The Prince asked the most pertinent question. His soldiers around him looked away, bashfully, ashamed of showcasing the weakness.

"Well, it wouldn't have affected me in the slightesr anyway. I am wedded to my dear sweetheart and I would never ever betray her," Sir Joseph exclaimed as if he were impervious to all magic.

"That's it!" Jade exclaimed causing heads to turn towards her sharply, Who among you is in love?"

"What? What is that supposed to mean," The mustached officer looked indignant at her question.

"Not me," Said one of the younger soldiers who had been the caught by the Prince.

"I'm happily married," Another one declared. He had been one of the ones left sane.

"Well, I'm married as well and I was affected as you say," The mustached officer groused not pleased by the topic at hand.

"But you're not happy, are you? We all know of your troubles with your wife," Sir Joseph declared.

"See! I was correct. All of you whose hearts are captured were not magically interested in the women. Oh, why didn't I forsee this situation before," Jade murmured her last sentence to herself. The group broke the circle and found the respective steeds.

"And who has captured your heart. You too were unaffected," The Prince gave her shoulder a mild jostle to break her our of her thoughts.

"No one," Jade replied, feeling just as confused as him.

"Impossible," The dark haired man laughed as he tied up his hair behind him in anticipation of a faster ride.

Perhaps she had not been affected because she held no interest in women. Or perhaps her heart was truly ensnared by the man standing in front of her. Jade could not give an accurate answer.

That night their previous actions of setting up the camp were repeated. The laterine was dug up and tents put up. Jade got to work planting new beans into the ground. She tried to help the soldiers with the task of filling water skins in the nearby stream but was rushed away. It seemed the Prince had ordered no one let her indulge in physical tasks. It was obvious even to them her talents were mostly intellectual.

Jade slunked back to her tent with a sour expression. The Prince had given her a bright, taunting smile knowing she had been repulsed by everyone and was thoroughly beated. She wrote in her diary and set up her bed as she had done the day before. She had only closed her eyes when she was woken up with a harsh splash of feezing water to her face.

Jade coughed and spluttered as the water ran up her nose. She nearly toppled over and was surprised to find herelf upright. A strong arm helped her regain her balance.

Her vision was bleary because of the water dripping down her face but blinked until she found herself staring at the Prince.

"What were you doing?" The girl yowled, distraught.

"Me? What are you doing?" The Prince exclaimed as if she had any idea what was going on.

"Why am I here? What am I doing outside," Jade turned her face side to side as her location became evident.

"I found your bedroll empty as I came back from my rounds. I searched for you until I found you steadily trying to leave the camp."

"I thought he was heading to the laterine, Your Highness," The wayward guard explained.

"Without his shoes?!" Luke suddenly roared at the incompetence making the soldier jump.

Jade looked down and found her pale, long feet bare. They were damp from the moss and cold dew forming on the grass. Her toes curled up as the ice cold atmosphere poked at her nerve endings.

"It seems the witch has found your weakness at last," Dimitri whispered in her ear. He propped a blanket around her shivering form and led her back to their shared tent.

Jade tried to recall something, anything but she could not remember anything at all.

.