Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 14: Work First

Chapter Fourteen: Work First

Calden

Calden strode down the winding halls to his quarters. Blue Flame crystal torches gleamed along the curved walls. The Overland sun was pretty – colors looked fuller, brighter, and healthier under it – but it was far too bright. The Blue Flame was gentler and didn't make his eyes continually water.

Veins of reddish stone ran through the pale grey walls. Calden skimmed his hand along those rivers of stone and chuckled lightly. He and Kiren used to get in so much trouble playing a ridiculous game they'd made up where they had to keep their fingers on the red stone and race from one end of the hallway to the other.

It might sound like a completely innocent game but, as they memorized the quickest routes down the hall, the game had morphed into heated battles where the two of them fought to drag each other's hands away from the red stone. Then Gale and Nocturn had started joining in and their brawls had grown so loud and violent the game had been banned by their father.

Now, he and his brothers were making much bigger and louder messes. His father probably wished he could simply ban their continued stupidity. Calden's finger stopped as the red vein of stone he was following was cut off by Larken's doorframe. The heavy wooden door was shut. Usually, Larken left it partially open as an invitation for anyone to come in and chat if they pleased. In fact, all the doors in the hallway were currently shut. His brothers were most likely out celebrating and feasting. 

Calden pulled a key from his pocket as he stopped before his own quarters. The hinges creaked as he swung the door open. Lifting his hand, he twisted an enchanted stone in its fixture on the wall till the Blue Flame awoke in it, carefully adjusting the crystal till the light was just bright enough to see by.

Out of all his brothers, his quarters were the smallest. That's what he gets for being born last. The central room was for greeting his personal guests, there were three grey couches with blue, white, and black patterned blankets tossed over them. A large central rug covered the floor and a matching weaving hung from the wall, telling the story of the Blue Flame Aria and the Sisters' Sacrifice.

A narrow hallway with a thick band of quartz and pyrite led to his small workroom, bedroom, and bathing room. Not that he often used his private bath. It was too much work to have someone carry buckets in and out of his room when he could just walk to the castle's cave spring and not waste everyone's time.

In fact, he could head straight to the cave springs. A bath would be amazing right now. A nice long soak in perfectly warm water would ease his aching muscles that were so tense from hours of riding, lack of sleep, and stress. Then he could go right to bed and sleep till the week was done.

But there was work he had to do. He had to take responsibility for his actions, that way he could sleep unburdened by Miss Doe's big yellow eyes watching him from the darkness of his mind. It wouldn't do to make Atrezino wait. They had to be ready for anything at a moment's notice. If, by some impossible miracle, she got Emperor Gaius to consider peace, then Remeria had better be prepared to receive them with fanfare and feasts. He didn't have time to avoid this. If he neglected his duties this time,it could result in war. His stomach flipped over. By the Aria, he shouldn'thave eaten anything.

He walked into his bedroom and stripped off his clothes, leaving them strewn across the floor. He picked out a clean pair of formal pants – the best pair he had – and a plain white shirt. A silver mirror caught his reflection and Calden grunted in displeasure. Though he didn't have time to soak in the spring, he had to do something. He couldn't go before the king looking and smelling like he'd been dragged behind a tinderhorse.