He was right... I need to hide. I can’t exist in a world like this.
I took a shuddering breath to calm my cries, but the tears wouldn’t cease their flow. I smoothed my fingers across the silver silk and felt a calming wave pass through me. With a heavy heart, I lifted the fabric to my eyes and tied the blindfold as tightly as I could, blinding myself from the fears I was too weak to face.
The king touched his hand to mine and I accepted it. He aided me back to my feet and I latched onto his sleeve with a severe grip. With no words, the king led me back through the crowded square and slowly, the deafening cacophony of sounds began to dwindle. As the air grew clearer and quieter, my racing heart settled and eased. My blindfold grew damp as my tears softened and clustered along my long lashes that brushed against the silk. By the time we stepped back into the safety behind the castle walls, my eyes were burning and itching from the dried tears. I rubbed at my tired eyes through the fabric with my free hand as I closely followed behind the king while we trailed up the steps.
The king was far more courteous with me on the way up by allowing me a few short breaks to catch my breath between floors and giving me quiet warning when the steps ended and new ones started. By the time we reached the threshold of my tower, my entire body felt as if it was made of lead. I sunk heavily into a chair and felt each muscle in my body scream out in broken relief. I felt entirely tattered and destroyed as I wearily untied the protective strip of fabric from my reddened eyes.
The king took his usual seat across from me, and I was too heartsick to think to do more than look at the simple surface of the sandalwood. The king folded his hands calmly across the wood. “I hope you learned a valuable lesson today.”
I let out a gentle sigh of relief that at least he didn’t seem angered any more. “Yes, Your Majesty,” I murmured in a cracked tone. My throat was sore and raw from my shattering cries. “Please forgive me for being so foolish. I shall never request such a ridiculous favor ever again.” I sank my head low in defeat, and my lip quivered once more, threatening fresh tears.
“I’m pleased to hear it,” the king said stiffly. From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a twitch of a smile beneath his dark beard, but it was likely just my imagination. “I think it’s safe to say you’re in no mood to give me a proper vision today. I was hoping to receive some positive news, but unfortunately, your selfish desires shall cause me to leave empty-handed.” I flinched at the king’s subtle scold but remained silent.
I’d disappointed him... that’s why I saw the vision I did. My disappointment from this morning glimpsed into his at the market.The king rose from his seat and returned to the door. “Remember this the next time you wish to make a request. I consider myself a patient man, but I don’t appreciate having my time frivolously wasted. Reflect on how you feel and use it as a lesson for your future. I’ll return next week, and I’ll be expecting far better results.” He pulled open the door and stepped out into the world I could never exist in. “Good day, Crystal.”
He closed the door gently and I heard the lockclickback into place. I sank back into my chair and continued sliding down in my seat until I had melted into the floor. I wrapped my arms around my knees and curled up under the table that spoke no words and shared no futures. My crumpled form shrank as small as it could as I simply absorbed the silence around me and cried.
My dream came true, but it was the worst nightmare I could have ever imagined. I’ll never doubt the king again.
chapter five
What was Father up to?
Ever since overhearing his private conversation with Conan, I’d been spending all my free time sleuthing around his chambers and following him whenever possible. Unsurprisingly, it was difficult to stalk a powerful and cautious king. Everywhere Father went, members of his elite guard followed him at varying distances unless he entered his chamber. I was typically rather adept at moving around unseen, but evenIwouldn’t risk entering the visual perimeter of those guards. If I got caught spying, it would reflect poorly on me as a potential future king—not for the act itself, but for getting caught. I couldn’t risk appearing sloppy.
However, today was particularly odd. While perusing a few sections of archives in my study, I caught sight of a small army of guards trailing out of the palace with Father.
The only reason I knew it was the king was because I recognized the elite guards’ protective walking patterns. Father was wearing an oversized cloak that swept over his head and successfully concealed his features. There was another cloaked figure walking closely behind him, but I couldn’t make out any distinct details from the second-floor window.How strange...
Only any hour later, the king and his guard returned with much less haste in their steps. I couldn’t imagine what type of royal business would require a disguise and such a short amount of time, so I decided to do a bit more investigating.
I lingered in the hall that ran parallel to the third-floor stairs, but never heard any incoming footsteps.That’s unusual. Why wouldn’t he return to his office? Was the extra figure I saw a guest he’s entertaining in the parlors?That didn’t quite make sense, either... A thought flicked through my head and I sought out the nearest servant stairway.
I located a discreetly marked wooden panel that lined the far wall, which slid aside with ease, revealing a narrow stairway. Once I slipped into the musty passage, I instantly noticed the sound of multiple footsteps echoing above me.
It could just be servants... but that’s a lot of heavy steps for a couple of parlor maids...I hurried up the steps with light feet while ensuring I was a healthy distance away from the noises. The echoes remained consistent and weren’t acquainted with any other sounds, such as talking or laughing.
Definitely not servants, then. They could never keep their mouths shut.Now that I was confident I was tailing the king’s guard, I followed the sound a little more cautiously. To no surprise, the noise stopped right before I reached the fifth floor, so I could only assume they were directed to either Father’s office or his chambers.
After waiting a few cautious moments, I hurried up the last steps and carefully exited from another hidden door. Fortunately, no one seemed to be guarding the exit, so I was free to canter casually through the vacant halls. My eyes quickly landed on the cluster of guards surrounding the royal chambers. A tight smirk twitched at my lips.
Hiding in your chamber, huh, Father? Very well then...
With a casual stride and an unassuming whistle, I passed the guards and coolly made my way into the library. Naturally, the guards paid no mind to the youngest prince wandering into the common space, so I didn’t fear my presence would cause any commotion. Once I was inside, I dashed around the various bookshelves until I found the familiar tapestry of the Ashbourne crest.
When I was eight or nine years old, I discovered there was a door hidden behind the banner. Out of all the hidden rooms and halls I’ve found, this one had always been my favorite. It led straight into the king’s dressing room. It was a risky route to take, considering the terrifying chance of seeing my father unclothed, but it was typically safe to use in the middle of the day.
I pulled aside the sun-bleached tapestry and held my breath as particles of dust scattered through the air. I skimmed my hand across the stone wall until I felt the familiar catch that pulled out into a circular brass door handle. With a heavy tug on the ring, the stone creaked away from the mortar, flinging more spouts of dust into the air as it swung open to reveal the shadowed cavern that lived nestled between the stone walls. Before slipping inside, I snagged an oil lamp off of one of the library’s work-tables to use as a torch through the silent shadows.
The floors were incomplete, only made up of wooden struts that spanned every foot or so. I shined my light through the gaps in the wood and confirmed my suspicion that the drop likely extended all the way down to the ground floor. Fortunately, living in a five-story castle my entire life had numbed any fear of heights I might have possessed, so I stepped briskly over each strut without care. I had been using this tunnel more often, ever since the battle for the crown had intensified. Father didn’t speak of many state affairs in his private chamber since he was often alone, but I had been able to pick up on other morsels of valuable information.
For instance, he only wore wool or silk clothing to bed, likely because they were far more flame-retardant than cottons or linens. That proved that despite being a bold, fearless ruler, he was still cautious.
Normally, I remained in the mouth of the exit and listened through the wall whenever I took this passage. However, I couldn’t hear any noises and my curiosity was burning a hole in my fidgeting shoes. With a silent breath, I pushed open the concealed door and stepped out into the dressing space. There was no sign of him, and no noises emitted from his sleeping chamber, either.
I crept out into the widened space, tucking myself close to the heavy black curtains that draped from the ceiling. After a few moments of careful investigating, a loud thump jostled my senses. I quickly tucked myself into the folds of the drapery, allowing a single eye to peer through a gap in the fabric.
I furrowed my brows quizzically as my gaze fell onto the king. He was standing on his tea table... though I could have sworn that part of the room was vacant before. I watched with growing curiosity as he stood facing the stone wall, then turned to pick up a small portrait of my late mother to hang in the center of the stone. He then calmly turned away from the portrait and stepped off the table smoothly. I shrouded myself deeper into the curtains as I heard his heavy footsteps wander past me toward the door. My heart drummed rapidly in my chest as I listened impatiently for the sound of the clicking door handle. I counted out two minutes of silence before deeming it safe to exit my hiding spot.