Isadora just stared at the book as if it was some kind of plague she was supposed to avoid. What on earth was this supposed to mean? Crestfallen, she placed the book on the dusty table and decided to leave, but on second thought, she decided to take the book with her. It was not by coincidence that the book was empty. There had to be a reason behind it. Maybe an unraveled secret. But the question was how... what was written, and how to make it visible?

After blowing out the candles in the library, she hurried through the hallways making to her room when she almost ran into Griffin, or at least believed him to be.

"I’m sorry Your Majesty," she apologized, hiding the book on her back.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Newton asked, letting his gaze travel her length when he noticed her trying her best to hide something.

"I just couldn’t sleep and decided to take a nap outside. What about you, what are you doing at this hour of the night?" Isadora asked trying to distract him from looking at what she was holding.

"Was just torturing a prisoner in the dungeon," Newton said. Griffin would have said that so that was why he chose to say it as well. But why was she raising a brow at him? And what the hell was she hiding?

Isadora was literally confused. As far as she could remember, there was no prisoner in the dungeon apart from the two men who had betrayed Griffin, as he claimed, and had got executed earlier this week. Who then was in the dungeon?

"Who is in the dungeon?" She asked, unable to retain her curiosity. She could only fear for the poor soul as Griffin liked torturing those imprisoned there. It was like his hobby, where he would go whenever he felt bored.

Her gaze shifted to his face and wait. His face was flushed! She wished someone to tell she was dreaming. Griffin’s face, flushed pink at that! Unbelievable! What could have happened to make him flush? Not even a naked woman would cause him to! That, Isadora knew with certainty.

"Just a criminal," Newton said. A criminal indeed! He scoffed internally. The guy made his body respond alien to him. Not even a woman had ever aroused that much.

"And what is it that you are hiding?" He asked shifting the topic to her. Isadora stiffened, standing like a scout on parade all in efforts to hide the book. She smiled sheepishly at Newton but who would buy that?

"Nothing," she replied, her gaze darting everywhere else but him. Newton craned his neck and saw the corner of a book. A book! Why would she hide a book with so much effort? Not like he was going to ask for it or something. But it was unlike her to read books. A frown settled on his face at the thought.

"I know it’s a book. I’m not asking for it," he said. But if he thought that would make Isadora less relaxed, then he was dead wrong. She didn’t even move an inch. Did she fear Griffin that much?

"I’ll take my leave now," he said, gesturing her to pave way for him. Isadora moved to the side, not for once allowing him to take a closer look at the book. But seeing him walk away disinterested made her frown. Was this really the inquisitive Griffin? She had expected him to snatch the book from her followed by a thousand questions. That was just but the least! This was not the Griffin she knew. What the hell had happened to him? Bewitched maybe?

She let out a sigh only when she saw his silhouette disappear to the hallway to his room. Who knew he wanted to tease her to only end up doing what he was used to. Literally running towards her room, she closed the door fearing that Griffin might be playing mind games with her. She only got from the door when she was certain no one had followed her.

Time flew but Isadora stayed awake staring calculatingly at the book. She had tried all ways possible to reveal the contents of the book but none seemed to work, even pouring water on it. Her mind had now ran out of ideas and her eyelids felt heavy. Giving up, she closed the book and placed it in a drawer before she tucked her petite body in the sheets.

"Good night," she whispered to herself and closed her already heavy eyelids succumbing to the world of darkness.

- - - - somewhere in Ancient Crescia- - - -

Isadora shot her eyes open, gasping in surprise when she took notice of her surrounding. Thousands upon thousands of dead bodies lay on the field as crows and vultures enjoyed what could be termed as manna from earth itself. Never in her entire life had she ever seen such a thing before. Her mouth instantly got filled with retch and she felt the urge to throw up but the moment she turned around, she screamed at the sight that welcomed her. A dead man was staring back at her before a fly came out through his iris. Isadora’s heart accelerated uncontrollably before she let out a scream but no one could hear her unfortunately.

"What is this place?" She asked herself letting her already shocked gaze wander through the sea of corpses laying on the field. Had there been a battle here? Where the hell was she? And what was she doing here of all the places on earth? Wasn’t she supposed to be in the palace?

And wait! Her gaze narrowed at the corpse staring at her. She had to admit he looked scary, making her swallow nervously as she bent closer to confirm something. A Crescian badge, a golden one at that! These were Crescians, royal army Crescians! What the hell had happened to them? But there were some Valorians as well, though not many. She could only spot a few. Crescia, Valoria, war. Hell she was totally confused!