Queen Without Crown

Chapter 172 Dilemma

Miss Sekar deliberately brought Eldrige around in circles even though she could guess where the Mandala was carrying Princess Juwita.

"Can't you think practically?" ask Eldrige.

"Patience, Eldrige. I don't know the area here. If you want to hurry, shouldn't you just follow my idea of asking Queen Malea directly?" said Miss Sekar pretending to be upset.

They just walked around the capital. If only Eldrige still had her magic power, she would have been able to sniff out Princess Juwita's footsteps immediately.

"Maybe seeing Queen Malea isn't a bad idea." Eldrige began to be tempted to follow Miss Sekar's advice.

"Are we facing the queen?"

Eldrige was silent for a moment, but he then shook his head. "No."

Miss Sekar snorted in disappointment, yet she knew that sooner or later Eldrige would give up as well. He then opened the dimensional door again and directed it at the border region of the capital.

*****

"Eldrige must be busy going around in circles. But I'm worried that he's starting to realize that his partner's just playing with him." Jadukari Daalal Nath said as he sat on the floor with the rug in front of Grandma Divya.

"No, I think Miss Sekar is pretty smart. Moreover, he had a personal motive to prevent Eldrige from finding Juwita."

"Actually my concern isn't just that. Mr. Mandala had been looking for Mangal Arti to perfect his strength, but if it was now united with Uma which of course is now Lord Murr, of course it would be a little complicated."

"Women are sensitive creatures, Daalal Nath. It could have been that Uma finally collapsed to the man she loved so much," said Grandma Divya with a meaningful smile.

"But Mandala was the same man she had killed."

"Yes, I'm just trying to think positively. Who knows, their reunion after hundreds of years could re-warm their relationship. And if it really does happen, it could be good for us."

"But are you sure you can control Uma? Mandala herself only thinks of me as her errand boy. I just hope he's kind enough to give me a fraction of his strength and let me stay by his side."

"Basir you're a shrimp brain. No matter how long you live, you still want to be a messenger boy," sneered Grandma Divya.

"You yourself for years trying to get Mangal Meaning for what? You'll be dead soon."

"I'm smarter than you, Daalal Nath. I have secured and ensured that only my descendants will inherit the kingdom of Dewanatha. I don't want Widya's descendants to get rid of my descendants. My ancestors have been patient to be lackeys that can only accompany the descendants of Uma, but not me, I have managed to get rid of it."

"You don't seem to be much different from me, Your Majesty." Jadukari Daalal Nath chuckled softly.

They didn't realize someone was stealing the conversation. The person's body trembled furiously, then he left silently.

*****

"I didn't expect it to turn out that grandma was that bad." Princess Pertiwi walked in the corridor with tightness in the chest as a result of hearing her grandmother's conversation. The light blue silk skirt he wore fluttered quickly while making a rustling sound.

"Where are these nights from, dear? Why aren't you asleep?" A voice made Princess Pertiwi's steps stop.

"Dad?"

"Why does your face look that tangled? Did you fight with your husband?" King Badre laughed as he observed his daughter's face. He reached out and raised the chin of Princess Pertiwi. "You've just been through a married life, it's only natural that there's a slight difference."

"Dad, can I ask you something?" The princess looked at her father.

"Of course." King Badre nodded.

"Are we really the descendants of the royal house of Dewanatha Kingdom?"

King Badre was surprised to hear the question of his only daughter. "of course. Why are you asking that? Is there any reason to doubt it?"

"Ah, I'm not sure, Dad. It's just ..."

Princess Pertiwi did not have time to explain, a guard came and whispered something to the king so that the man was forced to immediately resign.

*****

"Can you stop playing me, Sekar?" eldrige asked as soon as he stepped out of the dimensional hole and again found no trace of Princess Juwita.

Miss Sekar was somewhat misbehaved to get the question and again reasoned. "I'm just an inexperienced young elf, Eldrige."

"There's not a lot of reason not to want me to think badly of you. Frankly, ever since the Alsatian incident I've started doubting you."

"Eldrie! How once you said that. I admit I'm jealous of the girl, but that doesn't mean I'm meanin' to be mean to her."

Eldrige turned his gaze to the dark-looking hills across there. It felt like he again had magic power in order to tear apart every corner of Dewanatha Kingdom to find the whereabouts of Princess Juwita.

"Alright, Sekar. Take me to see Queen Malea." Eldrige's words immediately made Miss Sekar smile widely. Eventually her curiosity was achieved to make Eldrige give up and return to being a fairy.

"Of course, Eldrige."

With a single shred, the air in front of them was torn back and immediately they entered into the dimensional hole. Not long ago they were in the forest of Lucshire at the foot of Grand Solano mountain.

"Eldrige, I think I can just take you here" said Miss Sekar.

Eldrige nodded and immediately walked on the dark path entering the Lucshire forest. A glow glow glow glow of fireflies poking out from behind the bushes.

"Eldrige is coming." A small sound like a gust of wind was caught in Eldrige's hearing.

"What's he doing here? Didn't she already let go of her life as a fairy?" another whisper.

"Is he sorry?"

The sounds of each other's disdain almost resembled the buzz of a bee, but Eldrige was not at all disturbed. He continued to step on the path he had already cleared out of his head.

The pixies that were flying like fireflies were clustered following Eldrige silently, or so they thought. They continued to whisper until Eldrige walked under the canopy of roses. After that they stopped following Eldrige out of disdain for their queen.

"Eldrige, long enough we don't see each other." The welcome from the graceful lady of the ruler of the Kingdom of Lucshire was warm.

"Greetings, Queen. Forgive me for coming on these nights."

"It's okay, Eldrige" said Queen Malea, inviting Eldrige to sit in front of her glowing throne. "Say what do you need?"

"Actually I lost Princess Juwita. A man who had just risen from the dead took him away."

"Another foreign magic" murmured Queen Malea. "It's a shame my vision can't penetrate their defenses, Eldrige."

"I understand it, Your Majesty. I'm here in the hope that Your Majesty will lend me the magic power of fairies."

"Eldrige, among all the fairies you should be the one who knows best if that's not possible. Fairy magic should only be used by the fairies, while you are now ...."

"I beg you this time, please let me borrow that magic power. I don't know what else to do. I don't want anything to happen to Princess Juwita."

"Hmm, I feel sorry for you Eldrige. Really am. But a rule is made to keep things in balance. You yourself have decided to leave life as a fairy with all her privileges."

"There's still one way, but I don't think you're gonna do it."

"I'm willing to do anything to save Princess Juwita."

"Will you let go of the girl you love and come back to us?"

Eldrige was silent at the words of Queen Malea. He knew in the end that this was what he had to face. But his love is so great for Princess Juwita that anything he can sacrifice, including the feeling of love itself.

"Well, I'm willing" said Eldrige with a heart that felt squeezed.