Intertwined

A Secret

I feel dizzy. There's a yellow pulsing light in the corner that makes my eyes blink twice. Everything hurts. I try to move my hands, but I can't, as the rope cuts into them the more I move.

I don't hear anyone though. 

"Forrest?" I whisper into the pressing darkness. A drip of water answers me. Where am I? 

What happened?

I shake my head and try to throw my thoughts back into place. Forrest gave up the deal with Prince Alexander, refusing his help. Forrest pretty much to help me regain my throne when he chose to walk out the castle doors, refused to give the rebels another ally. 

"Princess Ember." A male voice greets me with the standard voice of respect. Yet I feel something in me squirm. It's definitely not respect he's giving me.

"Release me." I say firmly, but I know he won't. He laughs, the sound of it echoing throughout the room. 

I hear him scrape something against stone, and a flame ignites. He keeps it well away from his face, but lights a single candle and pushes it toward me gently. 

"There's no one else here, by the way." He says, as if reading my thoughts about Forrest. "Your... prince put up quite the fight." 

Despite all reason, logic, and knowledge (same things, I know) his words send a chill throughout my body, my heart sinks to my feet. I feel my jaw drop.

"Don't worry, he's not dead. Not yet. I won't kill him if you do as I say."

I stay silent.

"Are you your father's only child?" The man asks, getting up from his crouching position to waltz around the room like we're friends, casually talking about what's for dinner. 

"Yes?" What was that question? I feel a sense of dread circle through me as he paces the room. 

"Liar. He had a son." The man says quietly, but I can see his shoulders shaking in the candlelight. 

My mouth went dry. "I-" 

The man turns around. He's holding a knife. "You won't need to worry about the throne anymore. It's mine."

"My father didn't have a son. No one will believe you." I say, anger coursing through my fists. He raises an eyebrow. 

"Not even if I show them this?" 

He holds out a ring. Our family crest ring.

"How did you get that?!"

He puts it on his finger and admires it. "In the middle of the night, a seemingly broke man ran through the night with nothing but me. He dumped me in front of the orphanage and left this ring and a note. They obviously let me keep the ring, thinking my father would come back for me. But he never did."

The man drops his hand and puts it inside his pocket. He stares at me, looking over my eyes and hair. 

"Our eyes are the same. Your hair is darker than mine though... No one would ever suspect us of being siblings." 

"Wha-?" I say and try again to get out of the ropes. This guy wants the throne. Either he's going to kill me or make me his pawn. 

"Half-siblings, technically. Your father tried to cover his ass when he had an affair that resulted in me." 

Literally why was this guy telling me his whole life story? If it was true?

"How old are you?" I whisper.

"19." 

Same age. 

"So... my father had me and you around the same time?" I ask, unable to believe what I was hearing. He had the family ring. I had seen so many pictures of it that I knew it was real. And no one would ever let him keep it if he was some thief. No, they thought he was the heir to the throne and better not cross him. 

"I'm still my father's son, so I'm the rightful heir."

I nearly scoff. "You think after spending 19 years in a castle, I'm just going to give it up?"

"No. I know you will. Because if you don't, I'll kill whoever that man is that was with you. His blood will be on your hands."

He stares at me again. "But I'll leave you to think about how badly things would go if you don't give up your quest."

The door slams, leaving me in the broken darkness. 

No matter what, I was not yielding my throne to that arrogant ass. No, it was rightfully mine. I had been there my entire life, knowing someday I would be queen. 

My eyes flick around the room, looking for something to cut my ropes with. They settle on the flame. The candlestick was made of glass. I stood up and smashed it, taking a shard between my hands and wedging it through the rope. 

It had taken quite some time and a few painful cuts to my hand, but they were free. I needed to find Forrest and leave. 

The hallway was damp and dark as I ran through it, my shoes patting against the ground. I came across another cell door and peeked in. Forrest. I slipped through.

"Forrest?" I whisper, trying to shake him awake. "Wake u-" Something wet touches my hand and I grab it back quickly and stare at it through the dim light. 

Blood.

No. Had her... brother already killed him?

"Forrest." I said frantically, grabbing his face. "Please." 

The only indication that he had heard me was that his eyes shifted open. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"We have to go." I whispered. "Please." 

Someone was approaching. The door swung open. 

A guard stood and stared at me, his eyes flicking over my hair and eyes. "Princess Ember?" He whispered. I stood, frozen with fear. 

"This way." He whispered, urging me along. The practical part of me screamed to run, but where? I couldn't leave Forrest. Another part of me felt like he wanted to help me. From the way his face was twisted into concentration and fear, how his hands quickly urged me toward him... I knew he was on my side. 

I grabbed Forrest's hand and pulled him up. The guard watched and grabbed some smelling salts from a stool in front of the room. He waved them under Forrest's nose. Forrest seemed to come to consciousness, so I dragged him along while I followed the guard. He led me toward a wall, where he pressed two stones and released a trapdoor beside me. 

"Run. Don't return. Your brother is real and he has unimaginable power and allies. Prince Alexander being one of them. Defeat him, please." The guard spoke with such fear in his body that I knew he was telling the truth. I nodded and helped Forrest through the door and followed. 

I grabbed the guard's wrist right as he went to close the door. "Thank you." I whispered. He stared into my eyes for a long time and nodded solemnly. "Run, Princess."

So I did.