The Books of the Shadows III- Silver Tiger

20

-Take Prince Silver to the dungeon! The King had ordered, and the guards obeyed.

The royal guards dragged him into the darkness and slammed the door behind him, leaving him in a large room upstairs.

-The royal apartments! one of them told him, informing him that this was the place where the old king usually imprisoned his mother to punish her.

Silver had never been to that dungeon before, but he had heard enough stories about his mother's repeated stays there, and the room caught his eye and he began to investigate. It was big enough to walk a dozen steps long and wide; he had a bed and a bucket of furniture and somewhere upstairs, between the bars, he could feel a little breeze and he could see a few rays of sunshine.

The walls of the dungeon were made of stone, cold and damp as in a cave, because although the capital was entirely carved in the heart of the mountain, the dungeons were built of a system of caves located in the mountains and used by engineers, especially for this destination.

It wasn't really a royal room; it didn't have bed sheets and just a cold slab to serve as a bed; it didn't have a pillow, anything to wrap itself with, and no books. Not even light to read, so there was no use for his books anyway, he thought. He had to use this time to think about what he did, not to feel like he was on vacation ... Ahh, how stupid it was to be manipulated so much by his demon, he wanted to grab his Saruman by the neck just like he had seen his mother do with hers, and slammed his head against all the walls, he was that angry at him.

But he did it, so there was nothing he could do that, only pay for what he had done. He understood his mother's position, and he agreed with her, even if it hurt him to be in that place. He just sat on the cold edge of the rock that was going to serve him as a bed from now on, for who knows how long. He looked at the bars that were made for a door at his cell and he could clearly see them crooked.

The walls had chains on them and he imagined as he heard from the guards his mother chained to the wall and her fist shield he had heard so many things, perhaps also chained to the wall in front of that one, as there were two sets of chains there. He knew they were used to being punished together all the time. He wondered how could she live like that. How could she endure, because his mother, although she was such a strong woman, was so fine and seemingly so fragile?

He heard somewhere upstairs, Moon's voice probably restrained by the guards and prevented him from entering the dungeon.

-Let me pass! That is an order!

-I'm sorry, Royal Blood, we have direct orders from the King not to let anyone pass! the guards apologized for not letting her pass, and it was clear how upset Moon was because they wouldn't let her see her brother.

Moon did not seem too satisfied with their answer because she did not let go of it and tried to convince them for a while but with no luck. When The King would give an order, nobody could undo it. The orders were to be followed. The orders were orders.

Silver sighed, but he understood his mother's orders. And he agreed with her, in a way, he really felt he had become a danger.

Alright, he decided to make a better connection with his saruman. He and his demon would work on their relationship for now, because he decided to take advantage of the spare time he will have for as long as he was to be locked in there.

He started to meditate, and in the meantime, he also started to chew in the air. He started to feel his demon inside, trying to break free from his body as if his body was limiting and it crammed him into his essence, making him feel stiff.

He needed to break free, Silver was not a person who can just stay put, and being locked in he hated it already.

It was not long until he felt the rock walls begin to grip him, making it difficult for him to breathe. At first, it was difficult for him to breathe because of the broken ribs, but then, the air also started to bother him because it was not the air and the open space in the forest that he was used to. Good minutes had passed, and it seemed to him that he had been there for months, which already infuriated him.

His demon just managed to take over the best of him and he started to yell and grip the bars so strong that the guards that came down for some reason were already frightened. His mother came along with them, and when they opened the bar door, she lifted her hand constraining Silver to stay put, dominating him and his saruman to crawl back into his body and obey her, pushing her force field and making him feel she pressed him with a force that overwhelmed him and gave him no chance to retaliate in any way, knocking him to the ground and pressing him as he ordered the guards:

-Chain him!

-Yes, Your Highness, two guards immediately set in motion, avoiding his eyes with some frightened glances and handcuffing his wrists, quickly placing him in the chains that were anchored to the wall and quickly moving away from him.

So she used mind control for that ... if he had known, he would have practiced until now because it was necessary ...

The guards were stationed immediately behind the king and she motioned for them to disappear, which they did quickly, closing the bar door behind them, loudly. His mother sat down on the stone that should have served as a bed and he could see her touch it lightly with her hand and showed a bitter smile. It must have evoked some not very pleasant memories.

Silver tried to get up from the ground panting and gasping in pain, but at least now his mother was no longer knocking him to the ground with that overwhelming force.

-I thought you wanted to read, she said, pointing out two unknown books he had started in the library, just before he entered the existential crisis that had gotten him into trouble.

She didn't look at him, but she didn't leave either, staying to keep him company.

-You know, if you scare your people, know that you will stay with them later, when I will no longer be, and they will be faithful to you as you behave with them now, his mother told him. You know, when I went through the starving training, I was locked up here, where you are now, in exactly the same chains where you are now caught. Every day, there was a guard who brought me an apple for almost five months, without the king knowing about it, an apple which I divided in half with my Shield; that guard came here every day, without missing a single time. And it was enough for me to get out of my mind and let go of my saruman, who destroyed half the floor, 25 guards, and also 45 prisoners in one day. Among them, also the one who fed me for 5 months, every day. And I killed him, leaving his son without a father, and his wife without a husband. Nobody tells you how to live with that, so I try to make sure you don't get there.

Silver was shocked to see his mother sad again and listen to her words. It wasn't that he didn't understand, but he found it so hard to control himself in this situation, it seemed unbearable.

-But, my King, if you couldn't control ... how can I ...ever...

-That's the idea, My prince, his mother looked at him lovingly and smiled at him. You can't control it in these conditions. You can only protect yourself and also us, from here, from a distance. That's it. Your father went through this better, I have no idea how he succeeded, because he had to wait for me until I could recognize him and accept him as my mate, and it took me long enough, but he will come to help you get over it easier. We're here with you if you understand that and leave us, okay?

-How did you recognize him as your mate? Can you tell me?

-Hmm, the king sighed heavily. I was not... hmm... I was restless and out of control all the time those days. I was young, and I was already a king. They tried to force me in the War Council to choose a husband because I was asked to provide heirs to the throne; I was old enough. But I did not need a man at that time, and I hated the idea of someone belonging to me forever, because I thought... he would prevent me in my life from doing what I wanted.

-I hear you. What if finding her, will make me lose my freedom and... I have to prepare myself and I have so much more to learn... I will not have time to do what I want or need anymore... Do you understand?

His mother nodded and smiled at him in an understanding way.

-I thought the same. I thought I had other needs. And when I found out what my saruman wanted, I completely ignored her, and that made me go into a war that I lost because I couldn't control myself at all anymore. And when I accepted this chance, it was not as bad as I expected. It was actually quite the opposite; it was actually amazing. I could grow and learn with your father. We learned together, and we built this family together, and he.... he never stopped me from doing what I love.

-But what if... she won't be like you and father?

She smiled again.

-You do not decide that alone, all by yourself, not until you meet her and see for yourself. Give it a chance. Mates attract each other and complete each other, they are not made to destroy one another.

-I want what you and father have, mother. Do you think... this is what it will be like for me too?

-Only if you want to, My prince. Only if you work for it, My prince. It is up to you.

His mother's words comforted him somehow, and brought him some peace in his heart, just like she would always bring when she knew he was upset or frightened. She got up and left closing the bars and leaving him there, but he knew she would be coming back to check on him every day.

He knew how much he meant to her and he knew she did the right thing putting him in chains, even if he hated it right now.

But if he thought about it, in her place, he would have done the same thing.