Chapter 3 - Things Are Bigger Than You Think
1608 Words
EVERYTHING HAPPENED so fast. I was being prepped for something I had no idea of. I did not even get a wink of sleep. The King ordered the servants to look after me. I was given a lady-in-waiting, someone who was around my age, maybe even younger. She was so little and frail that I assumed she was even skinnier than me, and I was already made out of bones.
I followed after her all day, listening to her explaining about the way things work around here. King Larkin had ordered her to get me a room too. Somewhere inside the castle which she told me was closer to the Prince’s room than the King's. I told her that I wanted to explore the castle first before she would show me to my room.
The castle was alive. That much I was convinced. It felt like the castle breathed with me every single time I exhaled. I could feel it tremble beneath my feet as if it was welcoming me. It groaned when someone stepped too hard. And the walls whispered things in my ears. I knew this castle was scary from the outside, but it was even more terrifying on the inside.
After my lady-in-waiting finished the tour, she told me to hurry to my room. The sun had already up, and it would be not long before she had to prepare me for the evening. Whatever it was.
“I just realized that I have not caught your name yet,” I said to the small woman next to me.
She looked gorgeous, with big round eyes that were the color of a blue crystal. She looked like a doll if it was ragged and broken. Her blonde hair was tied up, half messy from her work. She smiled a little bit, hiding the way her eyes sparked because someone asked for her name. “Rosalie,” she said. “My name is Rosalie.”
“What a lovely name,” I complimented.
Her cheeks blushed. She did not say anything else and just led me toward where my room would be. Once we got there, she let me open the door myself. I was beyond surprised when I saw the room was more than just decent. I did not expect anything, half thinking that the King would give me a room in the dungeon instead. But this was definitely not my expectation at all. I stepped inside, knowing that Rosalie could not make a mistake about this.
Unlike the materials used outside or in the throne hall, the door was made out of limestone. It had an iron bolt on the inside which got me staring at it for a few seconds before noticing that the door gave off a soft violet glow, shedding dim light for a few inches on both sides. It had a natural stone floor, descending towards the center of the room. I looked at the ceiling, a semicircular ceiling running in a single direction, and some uneven cracks in the corners. It was calming. For some reason. As if I was out in nature.
The air was clear but it was cold. It also smelled kind of dank, like it was molding, but I could tell that this room was rarely used in the first place. A faint cough woke me up from my vision. It was not Rosalie. It was Prince Kaden, standing by the door.
Prince Kaden looked every part of a noble Knight. Given his title, the Commander of The Deadchaser Warriors, he was in perfect character. His almond-shaped amber eyes watched me, almost like studying my moves. It was following everything that I did, even the steady rise of my chest. His short, straight, and silky hair was the color of black coffee, worn in a complex style.
It was obvious that the Prince had a masculine build. His armor and no-nonsense costume were painted in silver and gold. He was glowing. The violet light reflected off his amber eyes. I stared at him, waiting for him to say something as well as wondering where Rosalie did go.
“Are you making yourself at home already?” The mysterious way his voice tasted so sweet to me made me almost buckle. I took a deep breath, wanting more. Needing more of his voice. “That did not take you very long.”
“It is in the middle of the day already.” I braved myself. “I arrived last night. No. Dragged. Forced.”
Prince Kaden clenched his jaw. “He lost his hand.”
“I beg your pardon?’
“The seller miraculously lost his arm this morning. I heard the news.” His deep amber eyes blinked slowly, waiting for my reaction. I gave away nothing, even though the beat of my heart was dying. I wanted to ask him why. I knew what happened. I could guess.
But the Prince moved, and it messed with my focus. He stepped inside. The living castle breathed. It shuddered like it knew about our connection. I was being pulled towards him by his gravity. “I cannot say that it is devastating news. He had it coming.”
“Oh.” That was all I could say.
Something very intense flashed before his eyes. “How do you like the room?”
“It is nice. Nicer than anything I ever had,” I said truthfully. “It is a luxury.”
“Good. My room is only at the end of the hall.” And then his eyes darkened. “And the King’s room a few corners after that.”
“Oh.”
“You would like to remember that, wouldn’t you?”
“I—” I could not say anything.
Why was he not addressing our bond? Why was he not saying anything that happened between us? I wanted to hear from him about the way our world collided, and our souls met. I wanted him to say what I was to him. I wanted him to do something. Was he really going to let this happen?
“I cannot blame you. My father is everything everyone wants. He is a very charismatic and bold man. Powerful beyond anything. The ruler of the Wolf Kingdom. He is very mighty.”
“He is the King,” I said.
“I am aware.”
“Which makes me powerless against him,” I added. I wanted him to understand. To know. I was asking him to . . . fight for me. But the Prince said nothing. “I cannot say no to him. Look at me. I am being forced to stay in the castle. My fate is unknown, but it does not look very bright. He is going to use me as a tool. He is going to use me to give him heirs. Your father is a very powerful man, yes. But he is also commanding. A tyrant, perhaps.”
Prince Kaden’s eyes twitched. Something defensive crossed his eyes, but he knew I was not saying something wrong. He looked away from me like he could not handle my stare. His amber eyes burned with defiance. Perhaps to his own Father. Perhaps to me. I waited for him to do something. Anything. But no. The ever-loving son of the King of Wolves stood there unmoving.
“At least punish me for insulting the King,” I said through gritted teeth.
The Prince inhaled sharply. He knew. Oh, he knew. He knew I was asking him to fight for me. After the connection that passed between us, he knew that I needed him the most right now. I needed him to save me because it was his job. It should be in his nature. But there he was. Still not moving. Not doing anything even though his Father just sealed his fate with mine. Even after his Father said his intention out loud to breed me dry.
Prince Kaden stepped back. Like a coward.
“That is very unlike a good Commander.” The snide remark just escaped my lips even though I did not mean to say that. “Are you backing out?”
“Things are bigger than you think.” His voice did not sound sweet. It did not taste good in my ears. It was my turn to step back now. The Prince of Wolves clenched his jaw. “It is not just—us.”
The way he said us was like saying something horrible. I felt a stab in my heart. It penetrated my lungs. Turning it into nothing. I licked my lips and stepped away from him ever more. It looked like I had just taken something out of him. He ran his tongue on his upper teeth.
“I think I am disturbing you on your time. You need rest. Before dinner.” He suddenly changed the topic.
“Dinner?”
He nodded. “There is dinner prepared to welcome you.”
“With him? The King?”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
He hesitated. “Yes.”
I nodded. So that was what was going to happen. The Prince looked reluctant to leave. But then Rosalie entered the room with her head low. She walked steadily. Trained. “Your Highness. I am afraid the time is up. I need to help the Lady clean up and perhaps rest before I get her ready for dinner.”
“Very well,” Prince Kaden echoed. He walked backward, not ending our eye contact. “Until I see you again, Margot.”
- Writer
