Margaret was worried about Laina. The longer she waited, the more worried she got. She wanted to go and search for her but she also had to keep up the ruse that Laina was ill.

Finally, when she was able to slip away, Margaret prepared to leave. Knowing that it would be too dangerous if she left via a portal gate, she decided to use her own mode of transport.

She placed her hands together and began to recite an incantation. Her hands began to glow with red light, and so did the ground around her. She pictured the place she wanted to go in her mind.

A black gaping portal opened beneath her feet. Her body slowly sank into it until she was nowhere to be seen. Moments later, Margaret opened her eyes. She had successfully transported herself to the Dracona Kingdom.

Around the corner, Margaret could hear whispers and footsteps coming in her direction. She got a hold of her surroundings and quickly hid behind the wall. Two castle servants passed by the route she was on, completely oblivious.

After they had gone far, used another spell to track down any traces of Laina. Anyone and everyone left a trail. Margaret was able to use this trail to trace her down. Within a matter of minutes, she noticed a trail that led into a room.

“You better be alright, Laina. If not, someone is going to taste my wrath…” she muttered to herself as she made her way through the castle.

To decrease the chances of her being found, Margaret cast a spell to keep herself hidden. As she went through hallway after hallway, she was finally about to come up on the room where she could sense Laina the strongest when someone grabbed hold of her from behind.

He covered her mouth and held her by the waist as he brought her into a shadow portal. They exited it into a room, where the man released Margaret from his grasps immediately.

Margaret was not about to let this go. She materialized twin swords in her hands and turned around to meet face to face with the person who took her away.

“Woah Woah, easy there, Moria I mean Lady Margaret. Easy there,” Marius spoke swiftly, not wanting to get hurt.

Seeing him again infuriated the handmaiden. Her grip on her twin swords tightened as she charged towards him with them.

“You! You are in so much trouble, when I find Laina I am going to end you and Dante!” Margaret roared in anger.

Marius carefully dodged her attacks. He had always liked the feisty side of this woman. But when she is on the warpath, things get complicated. Not wanting to anger her any further than he already has, Marius maintained his defensive stance.

But that only angered Margaret even more.

“Fight me, you coward!” She spat.

“Mo- Margaret look. We’re all friends here, no need for the blades and attacks,” Marius said as he tried to lower her sword.

She gritted her teeth and pointed her sword at him, “You… purposefully distracted me during the party. Making me lose track of Laina. Then you and your King kidnap her?! I expected something to happen but I never thought it would be like this! I underestimated you!”

She lunged forward at him again, this time with more vigor. Marius dodged just in the nick of time. If he wanted to live to see another day, he had got to get through to her, fast.

The first step was to admit his faults.

“Look, look. It was never my intention for this to happen. I did not expect Dante to do such a thing! But it’s not like I can stop him!”

Margaret threw one of her swords at Marius. It narrowly missed him and hit the wall, cutting deep into the wall. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as sweat trickled down his forehead.

“Of course you can stop him! Argh!” Margaret was pissed, “Marius, you’re the only one who can stop him and you know that!”

He read her expression, even the smallest change in her attitude towards him. Marius could tell that his honesty was working!

So he proceeded with the second step, making her believe him with his honesty and heroic actions.

Marius placed his hand on his chest, “Believe me, Margaret. I did everything I could! But we both know how stubborn Dante is. Once he has his mindset on it, he would follow through until the end.”

She was still angry and furious. Margaret knew Marius was not to blame for what happened. She should have kept a closer eye on Laina, and on Dante. If she had seen his moves coming, she could have blocked him off from getting too close to Laina.

The two of them had been at the opposite ends of the room at the start. But Mariu’s efforts were working. He carefully reduced the distance between them. Now, they were only meters apart.

He carefully watched her every move, he did not want his head chopped off just because he took one misstep. Seeing the guilt in her eyes, Marius knew he was getting to his end goal.

Margaret angrily plunged her sword into the ground, tearing through the carpet. The sword was wedged into the stone flooring of the room. She placed both her hands on her head as she turned her back muttering to herself.

“I should have been more careful, more observant,” she continued to blame herself.

Seeing her like this, broke Marius’s heart. He let his heart take the wheel. Marius closed the distance between them and hugged Margaret from behind. She did not push him away, simply standing there deep in her thoughts.

“It’s not your fault,” Marius consoled her, “Besides, he didn’t do anything to Laina. Dante is… too afraid. And Laina already left so you have nothing to worry about.”

The moment it finished his sentence, Marius cursed himself for his honesty. Margaret, returning to her senses, immediately released herself from Marius’s embrace. She picked up the wedged sword with ease and pointed it at him.

“Say it again, Marius,” she ordered in a cold monotonous voice.

Marius gulped as he took a few steps back.

“Umm, that Laina has already left?” Marius carefully picked his choice of words.

Margaret pursed her lips. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

“You could not have led with that?!” She screamed at him, while still threatening him with the sword.

She was so fed up with this man in front of her. There was something about him that irritated her. Margaret clicked her fingers. Immediately, both swords disappeared into thin air.

She wagged her finger at Marius and confronted him. She got up close to him, with anger burning in her eyes. They were barely inches apart. Yet she could see it in his eyes, that he did not fear her one bit.

In fact, it was filled with a little admiration. That only infuriated her even more.

“Listen up,” Margaret warned, “Tell Dante, if I ever see him try coming near Laina again, I will end him.”

She was about to exit the room but Margaret turned back and gave her final word of warning.

“Even if I die doing so. I. Will.. Do it.”