"In the garden. There's a spring that can help with the healing. Take him there." Queen Siera ordered.
In that instant, his brothers started to approach him but he waved them all away. "I can walk by myself." He said but the moment that he took one step forward his legs gave out and he fell on the floor coughing. He groaned in pain and I could tell that he was trying to hold it on. His brothers were right there beside him and helping him up. As soon as Ace raised his head we all gasped.
Not only was his nose bleeding, but he was crying out blood too. My heart pounded at the sight. Are we going to lose Ace too? At the thought, my hands started shaking.
No. I don't want that.
"Get him in the garden! Quick!!" The queen ordered.
We all rushed out and followed Queen Siera as she led us farther from the castle but not that far from the bark wall that surrounds Tordis. Eltur was carrying Ace behind his back and Darem was running close to his brothers. Just by looking at them, you could tell that they have a strong bond seeing as how concerned they are for one another – even though I don't see Ace being all that caring for his sibling except Nora.
Finally, the path started to clear and the trees somehow looked thinner. We arrived at a dome-like greenhouse that was located just near the bark wall. We entered the greenhouse and I found myself staring at the trees and plants growing in it. There was a pathway made of stones lined together that leads to a rectangular solid in the middle of a pond. It was almost submerged in the pond with only an inch or so above the surface of the pond.
Ace's brothers laid him on the stone bed in the middle of the pond– still bleeding and groaning in pain. Queen Siera headed for the pond and dipped into the water to stand beside Ace. The water reached her hips, but even though her clothes are now soaked she ignored it. She gently placed both of her hands on Ace's head and Ace started screaming and thrashing. Vines started to appear out of nowhere and held Ace's body in place.
His screams sent shock waves all over my body because I could feel every ounce of pain in them. On impulse Nate, Ren, Dan, and I made a move to go over to him but Eltur and Darem blocked our way.
"Sorry, but we can't stay here and watch," Darem said grimly through Ace's screams.
I started to protest, "But-"
Elton shook his head. "No. We need to stay outside. Let mother do her job to help him. As of now, we should wait outside." I wanted to argue and insist on staying but seeing the worried looks that his brother has I decided against it.
We all headed out of the greenhouse to wait outside. Everyone sat together on the ground, but before I could sit Nate pulled me back and laid down his cape on the ground before me. He gave me a look and motioned for me to sit. Before I could even thank him he suddenly left and moved to the opposite side to sit.
Seriously, what is up with him? Did I do something that made him mad?
Deciding that there would be time to ask him later, I sat on the cape that Nate had laid down for me. Ren sat beside me and Dan just next to him. Eltur and Darem just stood there and were both casting worried looks at the entrance to the greenhouse.
"So what is up with Prince Ace's powers anyway?" Ren said, addressing both Eltur and Darem. "You make it sound like whatever this gift he has is something special."
We all watched and waited for Ace's brothers to answer, but they only said nothing but exchanged wary glances with each other. They were hiding something and I bet that whatever it is, it is something important.
"Your highness," Said Nate as he addressed them formally. "If you know something that might concern Prince Ace then we have the right to know. Something like this is unnatural. We all live in one palace and if ever something similar happens to him again we want to be well informed so we would know what to do."
Between the two, Darem was the only one who still seemed doubtful while Eltur looked slightly convinced as he stopped frowning.
"Please. We want to know." I added.
Prince Eltur sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking back at us. "Alright."
"Eltur!" Darem protested.
"It's okay, Darem." Eltur said reassuringly to his brother. "I do think that they have the right to know." Then he looked back at us again. His eyes blazing with intensity as he did. "I'm going to trust you all on this so long as you give me your word that you will not tell another soul of this."
For a brief moment Nate, Ren, Dan, and I caught each other's gaze as if on the silent agreement. We looked back at Eltur once again and agreed to this condition.
"Alright."
"You have my word."
"Mine too."
"So is mine."
"Very well," Elton said, satisfied. Darem, on the other hand, was still having his doubts seeing as he avoided making eye contact with any of us. Not even his brother. But any thoughts of trying to change his brother's mind quickly disappeared once Eltur started talking. "To make things more understandable, I am going to start from the beginning."
"There were legends and rumors that the very first elf was loved by the spirits so much that he has been given a special gift. He can see through the eyes of animals and feel his surroundings through the forest. He can control the animals as long as they allow him and restore dead plants to life. Rumor has it that he can control vines and make trees move. It is a powerful and dangerous gift that his fellow elves feared if it fell into the wrong hands. Lucky for them, King Grubert was a kind man."
"King Grubert? The first elf king? He doesn't have a gift!" said Dan.
"He does."
"I read books and records about previous kings and it all says there that he doesn't have any!" Dan insisted on making us all give him funny looks. "What? I read books too!" He said defensively and crossed his arms over his chest. He's pouting.
"Your information would have been accepted if you were given the real information about King Grubert."
"Real information?" This time, it was Nate who spoke and he raised an eyebrow at Eltur. "You mean to say that the information that you have given about King Grubert was false?" Nate frowned as he said all these things to Eltur. "Do you know the consequences for you and your people for handing out false information about your rulers? You could make an enemy of the whole kingdom!"
Elton nodded. "That is why I am asking you to keep this a secret."
Nate didn't seem pleased at this but shut his mouth as he listened. Eltur continued, "Actually, King Grubert was not the only one to have such a gift. King Lyorr too." At this, Nate opened his mouth to scream at the false information of the elf people again but was cut off by Eltur with a raise of his hand. "These two kings were the only ones who ever possessed this gift in the past centuries. Ace is the third."
"Ace!?" We all screamed in unison.
"It's PRINCE!"