"He is dying of thirst..." she cried to her grandmother and used her best puppy eyes. "I can't let him suffer and die. He is my future husband."
Her grandmother narrowed her eyes and looked at Elise with anger. "You must not mess with the outside world. You can only see. How many times do I need to tell you? He won't die. You have underestimated his intelligence."
Elise pouted and stole a glance at the crystal ball. She was so relieved to see Loriel could drink water and was now resting under a rock with a refreshed face. Even though her grandmother would punish her, she didn't mind.
She would do it again.
"You are not allowed to enter my chamber again for two years. From now on, you won't be able to find this chamber." her grandmother crossed her arms on her chest and gave Elise a stern look. Elise was not scared of the threat since she thought she could always find ways to enter.
She could sneak when her grandmother was busy, or she could ask her father's help. She was his only child and the king doted on her so much, she was spoiled rotten.
"If you think you can ask your father to help you, think again," said the old witch. She took a white powder from a pouch that she kept on her waist. Before Elise could dodge, her grandmother had sprinkled the powder on her. "This will keep you out. Evanescio!"
Elise batted her eyes in confusion. She felt a massive headache in her head and fell to the floor.
When she woke up, she was on her bed. Two chambermaids were sitting on the floor, waiting for her to wake up. She furrowed her brows and massaged her temples. The headache was gone.
Wasn't she at her grandmother's chamber just now? Why did she end up here in her own chamber? Did someone carry her here?
"Where is my grandmother?" she sat up and quickly asked her maids.
Elise suddenly had a bad feeling when she remembered how her grandmother sprinkled her with a white powder and said she was grounded for two years.
"The Queen Dowager is resting in her chamber," said one of the maids respectfully. "Princess is not allowed to enter."
"Why not? Grandma is too strict. I am not doing anything harmful to other people. She shouldn't punish me so severely," Elise complained.
She quickly climbed down her bed and wore her shoes. The beautiful princess walked briskly out of her chamber toward the blue tower at the far left of the palace.
That was where her grandmother resided. Elise believed she was treated unfairly since she didn't harm anyone while helping Loriel. She didn't want to be punished for that long.
She wanted to see Loriel again. She was worried about him.
Had he got away from the desert? Was his horse okay?
She needed to know.
"Grandmother, please let me in..."
Elise knocked on the door over and over again, but her grandmother didn't respond. The beautiful princess knocked tirelessly for almost an hour, and finally, she could only slump herself on the floor, crying.
King Alexander Leorelai was notified of his daughter's plight and went to see her. The king found Elise was crying despondently on the floor in front of the queen dowager's chamber. She looked so pitiful.
"Did you do something again today?" the king asked in a probing tone.
Elise looked up and pursed her lips as she spoke between her sobs. "I-I only sprinkled some water to help Loriel..."
"That boy again?" King Alexander twitched his brows. He didn't really like the engagement between his beloved daughter to a regular man from a kingdom quite far away from Myreen. However, he could only oblige since it was his late wife's last wish.
She met and befriended that princess from Summeria and they made a vow to match their children. She only had one son who was born six years before Elise.
When Elise was born, the deal was set and the two families were bound in an unbreakable bond. Elise and Loriel's marriage was planned and she was supposed to meet him as she turned eighteen. One year from now.
In the meantime, she must study to become a witch to carry on her family's legacy. The Leoraleis were the strongest wizard family in Atlantea and they were highly respected by humans and wizards alike.
However, now the queen dowager was old and King Alexander only had a daughter who didn't seem keen on studying magic. The king was worried that soon their kingdom would become weaken.
If Elise couldn't protect Myreen, who would?
That's why he understood why his mother was very strict with Elise's upbringing.
"You know that you are not allowed to intervene with human's lives outside of our kingdom," her father crouched down and patted her knees. His voice was gentle. "If you are so easily swayed by emotions, you couldn't be trusted with so much power in your hands."
Elise lowered her head. Her father was right when he said Elise was too easily swayed by emotions. She was not a cold-hearted woman like her grandmother. Elise was easily touched. She also cried easily and felt immediate sympathy for people in need.
"Can you... please open the door so I can apologize to grandma?" Finally, Elise held her father's hands and begged him. "I know I was wrong. I want to apologize so she wouldn't punish me for two years."
"Fine." King Alexander stood up and helped his daughter stand up too. He only knocked on the door twice and then opened it by moving the handle.
"Thank you, father," said Elise with a smile. However, her pretty smile immediately vanished when she realized what spell was cast on her by her grandmother earlier.
She couldn't see the chamber. It was only an empty vastness of space. Her grandmother was serious when she said Elise couldn't come to her chamber again. Whereas everyone could enter and saw her chamber, Elise couldn't.
Aksara