Future Warnings from Midnight

Chapter Nine: The Dukes in the Witching Hour

The two dukes had been spending the last several weeks pondering how to expose the person pretending to be Princess Anastasia. It was true the handmaiden, Lady Sophia, had reported the unusual behavior of her highness. She even hinted at a secret of which the current Princess was not going to admit to. The duke had known the current Princess Anastasia was not herself. She had too much grace. She was too polite. It was nothing like their cousin. 

It was an ideal version of the princess. Over the last few weeks, her nature was bright, yet her habit of repeating herself was fading somewhat. When Gin, the royal adviser, had tried to bring the subject to the king's attention. His highness had given a deaf ear. He was all too busy arranging meetings with Princess Anastasia and available suitors for marriage. The kingdom was all too content with the changes in the kingdom to care about the princess's behavior change. It was all too grand and too joyous to turn away.

Fred and Edgar had concluded they would only learn the truth about the princess by exposing her themselves with Gin and Lady Sophia. Princess Anastasia rejected the dukes invite for a visit in the last two weeks as she sited she had lots of royal duties to attend. She did not offer her cousins a visit to the royal palace for at least another three months. It was then the dukes decided to sneak into the palace and trying to find out what was going on themselves. They reported to their family they would be going on a hunting trip in the northern area of Upland Yena.

Truth be told, they planned to journey to the palace in secret that very night. In the silence of the forest to Yena, Edgar and Fred rode on with their horses. The two dukes were in plain peasant clothing. Their coats snug about them in the cold fall air. Edgar kept his deerskin hat on top of his curling hair. His eyes darted about the woods as they traveled along the hidden path. Edgar shuttered as he felt a cobweb on his face. He went pale and waved his arms about. Fred placed his arm on Edgar's shoulder. He gestured for silence. 

Edgar swallowed. His hands stood on the reigns firmly. His dislike of spiders was only outweighed by his hatred of the darkness. Edgar always felt eyes on him in the darkness. It did not help he was able to spot unnatural creatures in the darkness. The forest was the breeding ground for all sorts of nasty things. The woods of Yena were of fables of maneaters and fairy folk alike. All ready to tear the weary traveler apart. Edgar rubbed the back of his hand on his head to get rid of the sweat. Edgar knew it was true in Kaito Region of the countries magic was being regulated and watched over by the rulers. 

Many of the newer countries thought magic could be controlled by mortal hand. Here in Yena, a much different attitude was placed. Yena had always known the magic folk to be wild and unruly. Peace only existed between the sides as a form of respect. Humans did not use the magic ways and the magic folk did not bother mortals. So long as both kept to their own areas.

Fred galled up further area of his brother. He wore his peasant hunting outfit well. It did not take away from his youthful appearance. Still Fred was the bravest of the pair. He was willing to dare the forest at night as it meant as easier meeting with Lady Sophia and Gin. The roads they were on were meant for human merchants and the magic folk may be active. The brothers just needed to be quick and quiet for their journey. So they brought with them no light and rode at a brisk pace. It would only take a few miles between Upland Yena and Yena proper. Fred stalled his horse as he looked back at Edgar under the moonlight. His brother was pale and sweating. Fred waved his hand.

The horses trotted along without much sound. Only the clopping of their hooves. The brothers watched the path in the shadows of the night. Edgar was on edge about the shifting eyes in the night and the all trees surrounding them. Edgar spurred his horse onward as he spotted the lantern at the crossroads of the kingdom. It was the connecting path to Yena from Upland Yena. Edgar slowed his horse as soon as he spotted Sophia hidden in a navy cloak. Her brown dress and riding boots were marked with mud. Her escort of Gin was by the horses petting their noses. Sophia bowed slightly as the two dukes came into the dim light of the lantern. Gin, himself, was wearing his normal adviser clothing under a weathered brown coat. The group gathered together at the crossroads and their voices were hushed.
Sophia greeted, "Fred, Edgar. I am glad you are here."