Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 63: The Art of Interpretation

Chapter 63: The Art of Interpretation

Calden

Nocturn was confident they'd have one bangle off before bedtime, which was far quicker than any of them had imagined. One side of the bangle was already cut through. Duke flipped his hand over so a groove could be cut through the other side. It would be carefully pulled apart – separated into two pieces.

Kiren had not come back on his own, so Calden told the others he would fetch him before going back upstairs. Nocturn and Gale gave him disbelieving looks as he left but neither expressed their doubts.

The library was nearly empty as Calden wandered through the maze of bookshelves. The crystal lights had dimmed and gone dark along the periphery shelves. A faint light radiated from the shadowed recesses of the library. Turning the corner, he found Kiren sitting cross-legged on the floor. Books everywhere. He read by the light of his own violet aura.

Calden forced himself to approach. "Kiren? Are you alright?"

Kiren's shoulders twitched, he raised his gaze from the book in his lap and snapped to his feet, slamming the book closed. "I'm an idiot," Kiren said, shaking the book in emphasis. Calden was tempted to voice his agreement but, with Kiren flaring so brightly, he might take offense. And, if they got into another fight in the library, they would doubtlessly get banned for life. Calden bit his tongue.

"Do you remember what King Valian's curse was?" Kiren asked, tapping at the old book's cover.

"Uh..."

"Never mind, of course you don't," Kiren grumbled – he certainly wasn't above insulting Calden. "The Blue Flame took his voice. He couldn't speak. He couldn't enchant." Kiren paced, back and forth. "So, he invented new words, ones that didn't have to be spoken aloud. He was the first Remerian to ever enchant using only his hands. No one believed such a feat possible. But he succeeded. He changed the way we viewed enchanting and he would never have done that if not for his curse."

"I can see you're building up to a point, but I'm not sure what you're getting at."

Kiren turned mid-step to face him, his eyes gleaming like mad stars. "Remember uncle's curse? To never feel the gentlest touch nor the sharpest blade's bite. He hated being numb to every sensation, but what if his curse was a gift. To not feel what was done to him. The torture he endured at the hands of the Atrezins. A torture only he could endure? What if we've misinterpreted our curses?" Kiren glowed even brighter. "This entire time I've been angry at the Blue Flame but, what if I've misunderstood the Aria's intent. Devoted? Hah! She played me for a fool!"

"You're not making any sense."

"No, for the first time, everything is starting to make sense!" Kiren grabbed another book. "The Blue Flame said the one I fall in love with will never devote his heart to me, but she never said he wouldn't love me. That's just how I'd interpreted it. What if I fall in love with a soldier who has devoted his heart to serving his country? Or a lord who is devoted to his people? Or even devoted to an Aria! It all comes down to our interpretation."

"Honestly, your curse is weird, but what about Prusen's curse. He's blind and deaf on his left side? What is there to interpret?"

"What about you?" Kiren pointed at him, ignoring the logic Calden threw at him. "How different would our lives be if you interpreted your curse differently? Would Larken still be the catastrophic heir? Would Lord Fallies treachery remain unaired? Would the Overlanders be down here, discussing peace?"

"It's my fault that –"

"Exactly!" Kiren exclaimed loudly, flashing so bright Calden had to shade his eyes with one hand. "What if our curses aren't the random whims of the Blue Flame. What if this is Fate? What if this is the Will of the Arias!"