Lorelai nodded wearily and left the odd man's home. As she walked home she realized just how tired she was. It was far darker now and she relied solely on the sparse lanterns on the road. The princess tried not to think of what could be lurking in the shadows.
As she walked she felt as though someone was watching her, just beyond her line of site. Nervous she walked faster until she almost tried over someone's foot. Though she sworn the person hadn't been there before she doubted they could have just run up. It was an old leather faced woman. She rubbed her ankle a bit before straightening herself.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." Lorelai said, worried she had hurt the woman. The old lady had black beetle eyes and long greying hair with a toothless smile. She was stout and frumpy with a big hooked nose and drooping cheeks with a hairy mole.
"It's no bother. I'm alright. But what about you? Are you alright." The old woman tilted her head.
"Yes. I am unharmed." Lorelai said, checking to be sure.
"Hehe...silly girl that's not what I meant." The woman walked closer to Lorelai and because she didn't want to be rude, she did not move back like every fiber of her being told her to. "Some troubles you child. Something in your heart."
Why does everyone know more about my heart than me?....
"You feel weak. Alone. Like a burden. You feel as though everyone you know and love is leaving you." The old woman gave Lorelai a crooked smile.
"Y-you're wrong." Lorelai stuttered. In that moment the woman got closer and put a wrinkled, long nailed hand on the princesses cheek and looked into her eyes. Feeling disturbed, Lorelai grabbed the handle of her sabre. It felt oddly cold in her palm.
"Am I dear. Am I really?" At a loss, Lorelai said nothing. "I could give you strength."
"I-I don't need it. I'm fine." Lorelai pulled back from the woman.
"Really? I can give you the strength to have the man you love. Strength to crush any who deny you. Strength to be the royal I know you are." The old woman stared at Lori and the princess felt dizzy. The world started to grow fuzzy at the edges and Lorelai's knees began to buckle. The old woman took the hand that held the sabre. Lorelai saw all of this happening but felt too dizzy to stop it or to even move.
She watched a the woman moved the sabre and used it to cut the princesses palm. Lorelai, in the back of her mind, found it oddly fascinating how bright red her blood was. Her knees gave and she sat in the dirt. The old woman bent over and looked at the princesses dazed face. "My poor...poor daughter. Just what has happened to you? I thought you'd be stronger than this." The woman used her own knife and sliced her palm and held Lorelai's cut hand. Their blood mixing together.
The princess slumped against the woman as she returned the sabre to her palm. The old woman began decaying and turning to ash and Lorelai was slowly left laying in the dirt. As she brought up her hand holding the sabre she found it odd the bleeding had stopped and the blood was gone, not to mention her blade was so tarnished, it almost seemed black. Then the world went dark.
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As Isiah fled the castle, Lawrence followed him. He didn't care what anyone said, he had a mission. "Isiah!" He called out as he followed the other knight.
