When we got to the right floor and walked down the corridor towards the nursery, we were met by loud screams and sobs. Something terrible had happened in the nursery, and I wished I could be there as soon as possible to hug my daughters and protect them from everything.

Could it have been Hund? Had she returned to the palace and tried to kill my family? Taken advantage of my weakness?

"No, it's not her. I don't sense any dark magic here. There's something else here! There's weeping!" – Vit answered my thoughts.

– Alva! My girl! No, no! It can't be! – suddenly a loud cry from my mother pierced the corridor, followed by a loud shriek from Willa.

– Oh, my God! Alva! Save and keep her! – followed by Hedda's nervous, terrified cry.

– Quickly, Bergil! Hurry! – I moaned, filled with the horror of ignorance.

– Run as fast as I can! We're almost there! – Bergil answered me.

When we finally burst through the open door of the nursery, we saw my mother, Willa, Hedda, and Alva.

My mother was sitting on the floor, cradling Alva in her arms. My daughter's head rested on my grandmother's shoulder, and her face, turned toward the door, was whiter than snow. A white liquid mixed with blood was streaming from Alva's mouth. My girl's hands lay lifelessly along her body.

– No… No!" I screamed in pain and despair.

– My king… I don't know what's happening! But something terrible! – Hedda said to me, stammering. She held Vilja in her arms and cradled her head against her chest, preventing her from looking at her sister.

– Run after Andrada! Now! – I shouted to Bergil, freeing myself from his tight grip and running up to Alva. – Only she can heal her! Run, Bergil! Run as fast as you have never run before!

– Right away! – threw my friend and ran out the door.

POV Sylvia

We were literally pushed out of the house. I couldn't figure out what was going on or who the mages were, but I knew one thing for sure: they had some kind of power in their hands that they were happy to use.

Evans was a mystery to me as well. We wouldn't be put in magical chains for no reason-it was only for those who were guilty of crimes-but even if my friend had done something wrong in the past, I couldn't understand why I had been captured along with him.

Was it possible that I had been taken prisoner simply because I knew Evans? But then how powerful must the authority of the one who gave the order be? For this disguised wizard's shenanigans to go unpunished, he had to be close to the King of Emmerlend.

The only thing that wasn't hard to guess was that the lanky, purple-haired mage was no ordinary guard: the long hair, the jewelry, the dress… Everything indicated that he was a member of a noble family, but at the moment I was less interested in his origins.

Maybe he thought I was Evans's accomplice. And that's why they'd captured us both? But if so, what had this mysterious court healer done?

We approached a tall, noble, majestic stag with huge emerald-colored antlers. I had only ever seen these beautiful animals in books before. I loved to look at the pages with their colorful pictures, but the pictures were only a pitiful semblance of them: the Emmerlend deer were much more beautiful, more gentle, more proud. The sight of them was breathtaking.

– I see you like my deer. – The voice of the rude man who had threatened to use me as a concubine sounded behind me. – If you're good and obedient, I'll give it to you.

– He must have become your friend during the time you've been riding him, and friends don't betray friends, so keep your gift," I told him with disgust in my voice.