[Discontinued*] The Darling Princess [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

🦁 Chapter 64

Y/N felt out of place amongst a crowd of Hyenas. They weren't like Ruggie. These were true hyenas, each staring up at an outcropping of rock pressed against a cavern wall. They were marching like an army, in perfectly straight lines, and each fall of their paw was in rhythm with the one beside them. 

Y/N pressed her back up against the cavern wall, watching as the eerie yellow light illuminated the chamber, casting shadows of the hyenas up on the wall behind the rock.

A scrawny lion faded into view. He seemed to be addressing the hyenas, like the commander of an army getting ready to prepare his faithful soldiers for war. When he spoke, Y/N felt a shiver run down her spine. Not the good kind of shiver.

"A shiny new era is tiptoeing nearer," the lion said. 

One of the hyenas spoke up, breaking away from the marching. "And where do we feature?"

"Just listen to teacher. We're going to kill Mufasa. And Simba, too."

Y/N felt her skin crawl as she watched the malicious grin on the lion's face. There was nothing good or benevolent about him.

'The King of Beasts,' she thought. She felt fearful even just watching him. It didn't seem like those in the dreams could see Y/N, but as the King of Beasts looked around the valley, Y/N could almost feel him staring at her. 

"Then I will be king," the lion declared.

"Great idea! Long live the king! Long live the king!"

"My teeth and ambitions are bared. Be prepared!"

The dream faded, and Y/N felt herself falling. The panic in her heart from watching the devious lion made her heart catch in her throat and she was suddenly scared of the falling sensation. There was something... wrong. Her heart throbbed with worry, despite the fact that she could do nothing. 

"I see you have returned."

Y/N frowned and was suddenly aware of the fact that she was no longer falling. It seemed that she had been so lost in her own mind that she had forgotten to see and comprehend what was going on around her. Her hands were pressed to the dewy grass of a familiar grove, with a row of sunflowers lying in front of her.

Standing beneath a familiar pavilion was a familiar man. 

"Amias." Y/N breathed a sigh of relief and got to her feet. "I was wondering when I would see you again."

The elderly man chuckled. "It seems that you have not quite yet grasped the concept of controlling when to and when to not come to seek me out. I had hoped to continue our previous lesson soon after, but I fear that I should first teach you how to reach the Plain of Knowledge." He motioned to Y/N with a gentle hand. 

"Come with me, princess. I have much to teach you."

Y/N allowed the man to pull her to her feet and he slowly let her away from the pavilion. She noticed that the table had been set with tea for two, and she frowned. If Amias wasn't having tea with her, why was there an extra teacup? She gave Amias a long side-eye but decided not to question it. If she had suspicions, it was best to keep them to herself. Especially if she was alone with him.

Amias led her to the edge of the plain, and there, he showed her a strange symbol embedded in the fence. It was a little spooky if Y/N was being honest. A raven with a four-pointed star on its forehead. It looked like it was flying toward her, and Y/N felt her heart start beating faster again.

"What is this," she asked. 

"A constellation of your homeland," Amias said. He held out his hand and swiped it across the raven. In place of the raven stood a pattern of six stars. One on the left connected to the top of one in the middle, which led down to another brighter start. From there, Amias showed Y/N how the line went down to where the raven's left talon had been, and then over to the right talon. The final star was at the tip of the raven's right wing. He swiped his hand back and the raven appeared a moment later.