Fourteen

Grandmother paused for a moment, building suspense before delivering her news. "You two can get married."

Alana's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Seriously? Are you telling the truth?"

Grandmother affirmed her statement. "But first, Lucy, I need to talk to you about something important. You can stay too if you want, Alana."

Lucy nodded, her curiosity mirrored in her eyes. "Yes, go on, Grandma. I am listening."

Alana's father entered the room, drawing their attention. Alana's father, his voice steady and firm, spoke up. "It's not me who's going to tell you, but him."

Surprise etched across their faces, Lucie and Alana turned their gaze to Alana's father, awaiting his explanation.

"I will explain everything to you," Alana's father began, addressing Lucy directly. "And I would like you to testify against Clara."

Lucy nodded with determination. "Yes, don't worry about that."

Taking charge of the conversation, Alana's father steered it back to the main topic. "First of all, the one you call Grandma, well, she's my mother—or rather, the first demon queen."

Lucy and Alana shared a moment of astonishment. "What?"

Grandmother interjected, her voice filled with a sense of adventure. "Yes, but I like traveling too much, so it's normal that you don't know me, Alana."

Alana's father refocused the discussion, seeking important information. "Let's get back to the main topic, Lucy. Tell me, Clara did try to kill you seven years ago, didn't she?"

Lucy's expression turned serious as she recalled the painful memory. "Yes, she shot me, and then she ran away. After this, Grandma saved my life."

Alana's anger flared at the revelation. "What? Clara tried to kill you, Lucy?" Her magic started to escape from her body, fueled by her fury.

Alana's father, his voice calm but urgent, tried to quell the rising storm. "Calm down, Alana, please."

But Alana's rage refused to be contained. "I won't calm down! I'll take care of Clara myself for daring to try to kill the one I love."

In that moment of emotional turmoil, Lucy wrapped her arms around Alana, pulling her close in a soothing embrace.

"Calm down, please, Alana," Lucy implored, her voice filled with love and concern.

Struggling to regain control of her emotions, Alana gradually began to calm down, the intensity of her anger subsiding. Lucy's comforting presence grounded her, reminding her of the strength they found in each other.

Alana's father seized the opportunity to interject, his voice authoritative yet understanding. "Alana, please calm down. I know you, and tonight, you will sleep here because I know that if we let you sleep in the castle, there might be a murder."

Alana considered her father's words, recognizing the wisdom behind his decision. "I will stay here, so I can spend more time with Lucy and sleep with her," she thought to herself, her disappointment tinged with hope.

Lucy, sensing Alana's disappointment, attempted to alleviate her concerns. "Alana, it's only the beginning of the day. If Eloise comes home before tonight, you'll probably sleep with me. So let's go get Eloise."

Alana's disappointment faded, replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. "What are you thinking about, Alana?" Lucy asked, curious.

Alana smiled warmly, her eyes reflecting her determination. "Don't worry, I'm going to go out for a bit. I'll be back later."

Alana nodded to Lucy, reassuring her with a determined gaze. "Don't worry, I'm going to go out for a bit. I'll be back later." With those words, she turned and left the house, setting out on her mission to find Eloise.

In Eloise's point of view:

Eloise woke up and stretched, last night she had found a little cabin in the forest with a place to sleep.

"I slept well finally; it was not so bad to sleep here. Now it's time to resume the mission."Eloise thought.

Determined, Eloise got out of bed and quickly got dressed, mentally preparing herself for the task at hand. The mission to retrieve the ring was of utmost importance, and she couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Leaving the cabin, Eloise made her way back to the town, her steps purposeful and her senses alert. She approached a passerby, hoping to gather any information that could lead her to the whereabouts of the ring. Spotting a picture of the ring, the passerby's eyes widened with recognition.

"Miss, I have seen this ring before," the man spoke up, his voice tinged with intrigue.

Eloise's eyes lit up with hope, and she eagerly engaged the man. "Yes, tell me where and when you saw it."

The man nodded, recalling the encounter. "I saw them a few hours ago, two men dressed in black carrying it to a mansion not far from here."

Grateful for the lead, Eloise expressed her gratitude. "Thank you very much, sir. Could you please accompany me to the manor?"

The man agreed without hesitation. "Yes, no problem." With their agreement settled, he guided Eloise towards the mansion, aware of its reputation.

As they approached the foreboding structure, the man felt compelled to offer a word of caution. "Be careful here. This is the mansion of a very powerful and feared man. I wish you good luck in finding the ring."

Eloise nodded, her determination shining through her eyes. "Thank you very much for your help," she expressed her gratitude before bidding farewell to the man. She took a deep breath to steady herself and entered the mansion.

Inside, she immediately spotted Alice, who was clearly distressed and pleading for her release. Eloise's heart sank at the sight, her protective instincts kicking into overdrive. She surveyed the room, searching for the source of Alice's captivity.

"No, I'm taking you as a hostage," a voice spoke out, filled with a sense of arrogance.

"What chance do I have of running into the princess? I have the feeling that you're going to make me a lot of money."

Fear and desperation filled Alice's voice as she pleaded for help. "Please, let me go. Someone, please help me."