Street Signs

Chapter 22

BRIELLE

"Why here?"

We emerged from that rocky womb into sunny rays. The cavern was rock-made gold, for what is nature's art to the soul but a treasure. It expanded as if it was some natural ballroom, as if so at home in the black, the blessed spirits had their nightly dance. The cave walls brought to us the black that allowed bold photograph hues to develop all the better and let me as well feel awkwardness, especially that the prince was hugging my shoulders.

"Quiet," Prince Valor whispered to me. "They are still wandering, they might hear you."

It felt like I became even more tired, hearing that the men riding the horses were still after us. I was sweating so badly because of the thought that they could find us here. My heart was beating rapidly for almost an hour of running. I didn't let the prince just carry me all along, and so I had suggested to him to bring me down because I could run; at first, he did not listen, but I insisted.

Lack of breath was felt through my body, that feeling of tiredness and lethargy. As my lungs worked to bring in the much-needed oxygen, even then I feel as if I was drowning in the air. Supposedly, the only way to feel better was to get fresh air, to sit outside even if only for a while; however, I was inside a cave, which was making it harder for me to breathe.

So to calm me, I was just looking at the blue hues of the sea in front of me, across the cave. It was exquisite that I could not blink my eyes. It felt like missing a single wave would be a big loss.

"Here, drink this," Prince Valor uttered in a very low tone as he gave me a bottle of water that he got from his pouch. "Thankfully I had brought that with me. I'm expecting this to happen, after all."

I thanked him and told him to shut his mouth because I was afraid they could hear us.

Dehydration announced itself as a headache, and so the time for being distracted with other things was lessened, the time to drink water had arrived. My throat felt to be touched by the sea and of a sudden, the dryness got away.

I was more than grateful for having this bottle of water because I felt like I could not talk anymore because of the dryness of my throat. If the prince did not give it to me, I should've planned to go to the sea to drink some, though knowing that it was salty. But if that was the case, I had no choice anymore because it was a survival mode.

Silence ruled over the place then. No one of us was talking nor making simple acts just to avoid making a noise, especially that it could echo in the place.

While stuck in the cage and hearing the deafening silence, my heart was beating loudly for the fear that I could hear the neighs of the horses after some time. I just hoped the men did not catch us going this way, or else, it would be an end for me.

Prince Valor lost the eyes of the men upon us. He went in different directions to confuse them. He probably even used magic to make the men blind because as I had seen, when the prince was running with me going to the cave, the men did not set an eye on us.

I was just wondering why did not the men go straight to the cave even though they did not catch us going here? If I was the chaser and I last spotted that one running away from me in a certain direction, even though I did not actually notice him going there, I would still follow the same direction because I knew he would go there because he had no choice.

In our case, we were stuck in the cave and we had no other choice but to go there since it was the very end of the place before the sea. The men must have thought that we had gone here because we had no other place to go.

Still hiding in the cavern, until time had passed, no man was coming inside; however, the two of us didn't dare to go out because we did not want to be complacent that they did not really find us.

I was starting to feel my stomach roaring. I had not taken breakfast and now that lunchtime was almost coming, I thought I could eat a horse. My entire body was shaking already because of hunger. It was supposed to be fine if I wasn't used to eating more than three times a day but because Dad had been spoiling me and Akie, I didn't think I could bear to skip two meals in a row.

"Take this," Prince Valor mouthed as he gave me a piece of bread.

I looked at him before accepting the food. "How about you?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me. At least I had taken my breakfast. That's really for you. I planned to give you that in the room, but I just saw you flying in the air a while ago. I didn't expect you'll be escaping through the window," he gasped.

"I had no choice," I mouthed in a very low tone. "I really wanna escape. I want to go home now. I missed my family. How long will it still take me to be here?" A tear started to flow through my cheeks. "I can't stay here forever."

The prince embraced me with his warm arms. "I promise I will take you out in here... safely."

After he uttered those words, it was as if the pain was processed, the thoughts were done, and then there was a sense of tranquility. It was a sense that the cave was an ocean at peace. That it was not anchored to anything other than itself, yet it was so vast that it was stable. It was like telling me that in the prince's words, there was an assurance that after this, I would be able to go home finally.

As I was taking time to eat the bread, I was thinking of where we could find the portal that would bring me out of this place, so I could just ready myself. Also, I could not take my gaze away from the prince, worrying about him because I could not bear to be selfish this time. So, I cut the bread into two and offered half to him.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Take it. Breakfast is different from lunch. You must eat this so you could have strength from the remaining hours of the day."

"I told you I'm fine. Just eat them all."

"Trust me, I'll be more full if you're going to share the food with me." And since I insisted, he accepted it.

Time by time, at the edge of the cloud there was a brilliant white patch, like a turning page catching the sun. The rest was dove grey with a subtle hint of purple, just enough to announce the coming sunset. And with the setting sun came a sky of fire, the orange of every wintry hearth. It was the battle cry to the gathering night, that the only achievement of darkness is to show starlight all the more clearly.

Time had passed until it turned completely dark outside the cave. I could see nothing but the stars shining in the night sky. I closed my eyes for a moment and felt the calmness of the evening. The evening was a time of reward after the daylight efforts were made when it felt good to enjoy the simple pleasures and ready oneself for the world of dreams; though I knew that my day was not good, my heart was still speaking gratitude for being able to escape from the men. I just hoped on the next day, I wouldn't meet punishment.

"Come," the prince said, "hold my hand and I will lead you outside."

I expressed hesitations. "Are you sure that the men aren't here wandering anymore?"

"They might be still looking for us up until now, but they can't find us here. This cave is actually known for being dangerous, so no one of the Nokunis have ever tried to come here."

"If it's harmful here, why did you bring me here?" I asked him with a scathed face, though he couldn't see it he could feel my madness with the tone of my voice. "Are you trying to put my life at stake?"

He let out a soft chuckle. "I was honestly the one who has spread that fake news. It's safe here. I just created a fake scenario for them to not come here. This place used to be my crying shoulder, and every time I feel sad, I will just go here. I have no space to cry in the palace because all eyes and ears are on me."

"I'm sorry," I bowed my head a little, letting out a sigh.

"It's alright. I'm sorry, too, for keeping that secret to you for the whole day. I just take the time to think whether I'll spill this to you."

"How often do you come here?"

"Almost every day," the prince answered. "Particularly during midnight. It's the only time of the day where I can escape in the palace."

"And who is with you during those times?"

"Just me... and the cave. That's the life of being in the royal blood. They think I am lucky for being in this position, but they are wrong because I am so sick with this. Everything I do is in control of the palace. It felt like I don't have freedom at all. I am a man, but I can't feel it because they are securing me like a lady. They have no respect for my emotion."

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"No, I'm actually thankful for I have someone tonight whom I could talk to about my rants in life." As he paused, the surrounding brightened. "Thank you for being with me tonight."

Because of the light, that suddenly appeared inside the cave, I was able to see the smile on the prince's face. But as I was looking at him, I was also wondering why there was a light in here.

"Want to go in my kitchen?" Prince Valor asked as he offered his hand to me.

I did not utter any word, but my hand just accepted his favor automatically. I was still speechless roaming my eyes all around while walking with Prince Valor.

"What is that kitchen you are talking about?" I asked him.

"You might be wondering of the light that came up in this cave," the prince mouthed without looking at me. "As I've told you, it was because this place served already as my crying shoulder, so I treated this as a house. I put lights in here and design it with kitchen and a room where I could stay."

My eyes widened in great amazement. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'll show you first my kitchen, to be followed by my room."

Glimmer played in the corner of my eyes as the prince was taking me to his kitchen. The excitement in me boosted even more as soon as my eyes caught the kitchen. I was surprised to see its broadness and the elements and utensils that could be found there.

The kitchen was located at the center cave. All the material there was complete, and the hygiene was making me fall in love with it. The sink was u-form and beside it, was a long table which was layered with baskets of fruits and vegetables. There were also two chairs and another small table.

"You might be wondering as well why there are two chairs and one small table," Prince Valor mouthed as he was touring me there.

"Exactly. So, why?"

He smiled. "It's because I'm still hoping that one day, there will be someone with me who will be with me and will listen to me with a genuine heart."

"That's cool."

For a moment, there was silence. But in the way the prince threw to me his glances, it felt like there was a noice inside my heart that was making me feel uncomfortable.

Prince Valor did not throw his gaze away from me. "And I think," he said, "I already found that one."