Lord Roland then put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a light tap. “Don’t be afraid to stand for what’s right, Your Highness. We may live forever but once the ancient gods decided to end our journey of immortality, we’ll regret the things we should’ve fought for,” he replied. 
I never knew Lord Roland would be someone I could talk to about my woes. I only spoke to him a handful of times and that was during special occasions. Specifically, banquets that were held in our castle. But to know he had different insights as an immortal, it was surprising and amazing that someone shared the same thoughts as I do. 
“Thank you, Lord Roland,” I shook his hand for a brief moment. 
“Now, let us return to the lady and have your horse prepared.” 
♔♔♔ 
We headed to where we last left Laura and Wonder. But upon our return, the only person there was a cleaner. Rake in hand, he focused on removing excess hay from the ground. 
“Excuse me?” I called out as I approached him. 
He turned to my direction and bowed immediately. “Your Highness,” the cleaner greeted. 
“Have you seen a horse and three other people here?” I enquired. 
Keeping his head low, he replied, “Forgive me, Your Highness. However, I don’t know whom you speak of.” 
“His Highness is asking about the new rescued horse,” Lord Roland entered the conversation, stepping out from behind me. “It was accompanied by a lady and two of our workers,” he added. 
The cleaner took his time to think. His eyes widened and replied, “Oh, yes, my lords, I saw them upon my arrival.” He stood properly and proceeded, “They headed to the entrance. The workers already carried the horse’s necessities for preparations.” 
I let out a deep breath, relieved. For a moment, I thought my restlessness was about to point to a disaster. You panicked too quickly. Don’t torture yourself. Laura’s safe. I scolded myself. 
The cleaner then turned to Lord Roland. Brows knitted, he asked, “I thought that horse wasn’t ready to be sold, my lord.” 
“I thought so, too. However, Prince Robert here,” Lord Roland settled a hand on my shoulder, “has proved us wrong. With his skill towards champions, the horse would be safe with him. I guess it’s only a matter of proper timing and the right owner.” 
The cleaner nodded. “That is indeed wonderful for both master and horse.” 
Lord Roland retracted his hands and said, “I couldn’t agree more. Well, we’ll leave you to your duties.” 
The cleaner gave his farewell greetings whilst Lord Roland and I proceeded to the entrance. 
♔♔♔ 
As we made our way to the entrance, I started imagining the race I would have with Laura. Once we reached the fields, I would introduce Wonder to Lady. I would also ask for Lady’s blessing and guidance from above for my new companion. Then after that, a simple picnic would be the best way to end everything. Just the mere thought of spending time with Laura caused me to smile. 
But when we arrived at our destination, my whole world stopped. My smile disappeared and my eyes widened at the horrific sight before me. 
Wonder stood on her own at the entrance. The two servants were on the pavement. Their bodies laid down in a pool of blood. Their clothes were drenched by crimson red and mud. And the thing I feared the most… 
Laura was nowhere to be found. 
Lord Roland rushed to his servants. I ran to Wonder. After checking Wonder, I ran a bit further down the path, hoping that Laura was simply playing a trick on me with the servants. But Leo was gone as well. 
“Laura?!” I called out in all directions. “Laura, where are you?!” 
No answer. 
My voice was answered by the echo of my voice and the birds that hovered above me. 
My head spun as panic rose within me. I should’ve listened to my instincts. I shouldn’t have left her alone! My gut already told me that something was bound to happen. But I failed to listen to it. 
I raked my hair with my hands in despair. I was horrified as I tried to paint a picture of what could’ve happened whilst I was away. I returned to Lord Roland and assisted him with his workers. 
“Where’s Laura?” I asked the servant as we helped them sit by the nearest wall. “Where is she? What happened to her?” 
The servant grabbed hold of my sleeve. “Your Highness…” his grip tightened as he struggled to speak. “She… was… taken…” he wheezed, out of breath. 
Taken?! 
“By whom??” I asked, unable to control myself. 
The other servant groaned as he entered our conversation, “We were… blindsided, Your Highness. Gravely… outnumbered. They crowded over us. They have… beaten us… to the ground.” He took a slight pause to catch his breath. He then continued, “The last thing… we saw… was a knife... being held to her throat. She was blindfolded… her hands were bound… and a scarf was tied around her mouth to silence her. A sack… was used… to cover her face.” 
His description of Laura’s torment broke my heart but angered me to the end of my patience. 
Laura… my Laura was taken. 
Suddenly, Wonder whinnied, causing me to turn to her. I noticed that there was a note near her, pinned under an enormous rock. 
I rushed over to it and upon opening, it read: 
Stories said the prince of Western Wind does not bleed. I would like to see it whilst I take his heart from him. 
My jaw clenched as those words were imprinted on my mind. I crushed the paper into a crumpled ball within my hands. 
Only one name appeared in mind. 
Benjamin.