The cursed prince

Chapter 8 the inn

VALOR POV

Every morning since it started, the first thing my conscious mind hears is the whisper. Even though I am still not fully awake, hints of self-harm begin. This morning it encourages me to hit my head against the wall. Honestly, a tempting offer. That street singer, I must find her. Whatever she did yesterday, I need to find out what it was and how she did it. The sound of my door opening takes me away from my thoughts about the girl. Because of the voices, I hadn't heard the knock from the servant girl. She stepped over to me and placed a platter with my breakfast on the table next to my bed. "Good morning Your Royal Highness," she says followed by a curtsy. The voice has begun to tell me to harm her. "It is morning, well get on with it," I mutter. She starts the morning routine. First opening the balcony door letting the fresh sea breeze in. If it were cold she would make sure the fire in the firepit was lit, but it's summer so she leave it. After she is supposed to go out with the nightpot and then return to help me get ready for the day. But I don't have time for that, I need to get to the market. "I do not need assistance this morning, please don't come back." She looked surprised at the command, but she couldn't argue or even state her opinion. "As you wish Your Royal Highness." She curtsies once more before leaving.

I'm sure it'll be noticed that I've ventured out two days in a row, but finding her can't wait. Collecting the clothes from yesterday, I start getting dressed. Usually, I have at least one servant helping me get dressed, doing it alone does create some difficulty for me. When I tie the last knot on the boots, I'm facing an energy slump. Starving from not having dinner, I sit down to eat my breakfast. But before I get to take a bite, a knock is at the door, "I said I didn't need assistance this morning." The door gets thrown open "I am not a servant," Zora yells. "As I suspected you are going out, I am coming with you," she demands. "Not dressed like that," I say. Zora is wearing a beautiful white dress embroidered with yellow flowers. "Obviously, I am going to change, wait for me," she says, then she turns around to leave. "You can come, if you finish before I am done eating," I yell after her.

The morning sun is waking the city up. The street is filled with the sound of people talking. Kids are laughing or crying, as they follow their parents around, helping them do the day's chores. Some carry water, others are setting up their shop for the day. The smell of freshly baked bread mixes with the sour smell of Ammonia. Near the pups, a couple of guards are waking up drunks who have slept in the street. As we walk by them, I pull my cape closer around my face. Hours pass as we walk throughout the city. When we reach midday, the dread that we won't find her starts to settle. "Valor I am tired and I wanna go home," Zora complains."Then leave, but I am not giving up yet." We have come to a halt in the middle of the street. "What do you intend to do? Search up and down the street of the city, every day until you find her?" Zora says while crossing her arms. "If it is what it takes, then yes," I reply. The street we are standing on is in a less fortunate part of town. A few people are looking at us, we are dressed too nicely for here. "That is ridiculous. We should return home and inform Father, so that he can send guards to search for her. Instead of us wasting our time out here" She is right, the guards would be able to find her faster. But I am not ready to give up yet. 

Maybe I can convince her to keep going after a break. "Let's go into that inn and get something to eat," I say while pointing to the sign saying The Way Inn. Reluctantly she follows me over to it. I stand by the door ready to go in, but Zora has stopped to look in through the small window. "What a horrid place, we shouldn't go in there. Do you know what kind of people frequent that kind of establishments...," she gasps "It's her! It's the singer she is in there." I move to look through the small dirty window. It's hard to see in, as the place is dimly lit, only a few people are present, so it's not difficult to find her. She is standing by the bar with the two Easterners. "It is her, let's go." I grab the handle and walk in. Zora is very displeased, but she still follows me through the door. The place has a mixed stench of stale ale, smoke from tobacco and burned wood. The place is quiet. A couple of men sit in a corner playing some card game, but besides them the place is empty. At the bar, the woman is leaning over it letting her fingers go through the flame. "Stop that before you get burned again." The young man by her side, angrily says "Getting burned is the least of our problems." I'm heading right towards them while my mind flies through a thousand thoughts. That is until Zora pulls my arm "Valor, we need to be wary, I don't think we should tell them who we are. After all, they could be criminals for all we know." She is right, they could be anyone. "But I need to tell her about the curse. Maybe I could say it is a friend who is cursed," I suggest. "Just be careful brother."