The rattling in the lock stopped and I could have sworn I felt his blue eyes pierce through my blindfold. “A little honesty, for starters,” he said with a surprising amount of sincerity.
“What would you know about being honest?” I crossed my arms in accusation. “I’ve seen you in my visions before. You’re infamous for your lies and deceit. What truth could you ever tell me, of all people, that I wouldn’t already know?”
The door knob clicked open, and I felt the tiniest breeze of the door swinging against the air. The prince took another step forward, and I heard the echo change between the stone floor and the wooden hall. “More than you think,” he said in a low voice. “For example, I don’t think Crystal is your true name at all.”
I tilted my head in confusion.What in the realms is he talking about?Of course, my name was Crystal—it had been my entire life. The only other name I’d ever gone by was Mabel’s nickname for me—
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Estelle,” the prince said calmly. My breath caught as I grew entirely paralyzed by the accuracy of his guess.Only Mabel calls me Elle... Where did he get that name from?The door swung shut, but he called back one more time before letting it close. “I’ll visit again tomorrow. Maybe then we can talk more about my future... and your past.”
chapter eight
I didn’t sleep at all that night in my silent tower. Instead, I sat in my window and kneaded my clay in the light of the moon. I molded people, food, locks, crowns, and even a sword, but each time I finished, I smashed the creation between my fingers. The thick clay clung to my knuckles and burrowed deep under my nails as I imagined creating and destroying each thing that had tormented me all day.
What had even happened?
A few times throughout the night, my eyes drifted closed as I leaned into the cool night air that cascaded from my open window. But every time my eyes shut, the vision of the prince’s murderous threats haunted me.Why did he have to come here, anyway?I squeezed the clay once more, squashing the memory before it could fully resurface.
He must have been hunting for me, thinking I was some sort of secret weapon that the king wielded. It was no wonder I had heard so many strange sounds outside the king’s door, since he likely tried to break in on that side, too.That would explain the note, as well.I thought back to the parchment I had tossed from the tower. If only the prince could be dealt with so easily. Not that I wanted to throw him out a window. Well...
No, that wouldn’t work.
A shuddered coursed through me as I recalled Miron’s desperate attempts to gain the upper hand over his brother.Could my visions really help him?I shook the thought from my head and refocused on the clay.No, Elle, he’s bad news. If you want to stay safe, then you need to avoid him entirely.
But my visions have never failed to come true...
The sun rose drearily through a haze of clouds and misting rain. My window had a decent view of the sunrise most mornings, but I had never seen it set before since my window pointed east. Despite my sleep-deprived brain, my mind never ceased spinning with thoughts of the prince and his plan to return.What if Mabel saw him? What would I even say?He had used the same door as her, so they might even cross paths within the castle.
What if the prince entered unexpectedly again and I saw another glimpse of his future? The thought terrified me after the last vision I’d seen. Even if I did agree to share my visions with the prince, what was the point if he was still going to attack me either way? I winced at the thought as another memory tugged at my brain.
Why had he called me Estelle?
A large part of my sleepless night was due to that question. He was a notorious liar, yet he had called me out on a name similar to the one I even referred to myself as. Ever since I was little, Mabel had called me Elle. I wasn’t sure where the name came from, and never really asked, but I had clung to the name more than Crystal since I saw Mabel far more often than the king. I knew Crystal was the name the king gave me upon my rescue as an infant, so why did Mabel and Miron call me something different, but something that was so similar...
A gentle knock tapped at the servant’s door, and I jumped so high that I nearly dropped my chunk of clay out the window. It was the normal time that Mabel delivered the morning meal, but at the moment, I didn’t feel confident it was her.
My pulse quickened as I collected my blindfold and stared tensely at the door for a lingering second. I pulled the silk tightly across my eyes, then cleared my throat. “Come in.”
I held my breath as the door creaked open. The beautiful sound of the clattering meal tray felt like music to my ears as I recognized the familiar soft steps of Mabel’s walk. With a much calmer heart, I made my way to the chair and slid into my usual seat. It felt so good to do something normal.
“Good morning, Miss Elle. How are you faring this morning?” Mabel asked sweetly as she removed the steel cover from my tray and slid the meal forward. I took in the savory scent of poached eggs and fresh sausage with a relaxed smile. “My, you definitely seem to be feeling better than yesterday.”
I scooped up a forkful of egg and raise it to my lips. The steam stung my skin so I blew on it for a moment and held it an inch back while I let it cool. “I’m doing as well as I can,” I answered with a shrug. “Yesterday was a lot more than I had bargained for, but I’m glad to start the day off with a little normalcy.” I placed the bite in my mouth and chewed gleefully as the savory spices danced across my tongue.
“Well, I’m glad to be of service to you, Elle,” Mabel said warmly as she drained the teapot into my cup.
My stomach twisted as the name echoed in my mind.Elle...I swallowed the mouthful with a weary gulp then place my fork on the table. “Mabel, may I ask you something?”
The woman didn’t stop as she topped off my cup and slid it across the table with a dainty clink. “Of course, Elle. You may ask me anything.” Her chair creaked in response as she took her usual seat across from me.
I took a short sip of the tea to help me relax and consider proper phrasing. “Why do you call me Elle?” I asked pointedly as I set my cup back down.
“Well, I don’t know, miss,” she replied coolly. “I just always have.”
I pursed my lips. “So does the name ‘Elle’ not come from anything? No correlation to something else?”
Mabel went silent for a moment, which she hardly ever did since she knew it made it hard for me to carry conversation. Normally when she paused, it was because she was in deep thought. I waited patiently as my curiosity threatened to burst out of me. Mabel’s chair creaked as she adjusted her position. “I suppose it was inspired by another name, but it’s not really something I can disclose, miss.” Her words had grown quieter, as if imparting a secret.
My pulse quickened.So, there was something...I took another calming sip of my tea before raising my blinded eyes to meet where I presumed hers rested. “Is there any chance... that it comes from the name Estelle?”