Pyre

Prologue

Prologue

"We must hurry, Zarlo's army will be here any second!" The man pleaded, slamming the doors behind him and looking frantically around the dimly lit room. The woman he directed his voice at sat in a plush seat across the room, wearing a long blue gown and a silk golden band on her head, keeping her dark midnight black curls from clouding her vision.

"Don't you think I know of that?" She snapped, though her voice still sounded angelic to the man. The way her dark curls cascaded down her pale back and the way her frosty blue eyes seemed to slice right through him. It all seemed so right to him.

"My Queen, I am sorry but we must go now." He kept his eyes to the ground, praying that his feeling would just somehow go away. He knew this was wrong, he knew he was getting too close to this woman for comfort.

He could hear the Queen's soft sigh and the shuffle of feet and soon he felt soft delicate fingers gently push his chin up. "Xan, I'm sorry. I just can't bear the heavy thought of leaving my country behind; it's too much." The voice of an angel whispered, heating his face in an instant. "I know my Queen, but now is not the time to wallow in shame, we must leave before your husband-"

The Queen's eyes darkened, her voice firm. "He is a monster, not my husband." Xan waved off the comment, pulling the Queen along forcefully now. "It doesn't matter, we must move." They ran through the castle, only having a few lit candles set up along the way by thoughtful servants.

"Did you move the twins bedroom?" Xan asked, slamming the sixth empty bedroom door closed. "Of course, every week, it's right down the hall." The Queen managed to answer as she kept glancing behind her. Xan gave an exasperated breath, staring at her. "Seir Von Duke, you change bedrooms every week?! Who would try to kill you in your own castle?!"

"Well. . ."

"Forget it." Xan shook his head. "I'll just go get the twins, you take the back way to the garden and cut across town to the old tunnel and catch a train to King Wood. Mr. Adams will be waiting. And dont worry, we'll be there soon." Waiting until the Queen's footsteps faded away, he dashed into the twins bedroom, sweeping the twins in his arms.

"No, shh, shh. It's okay, you'll see mommy again." Xan whispered as Uce gave a small wail.

Xan was just about to turn around, when he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks.

"Are you sure? 'Cause Pyre and Uce might never see their mommy." The voice was dead cold and vicious, nothing anyone wanted to ever hear.

"Why hello King Guserus." Xan spoke the words he he tried to delay saying for, well, ever.