The Poison Prince

Chapter XXIII

XYLIA looked all around the grand bedchamber, her eyes wide with wonder. She had never seen anything so rich in all of her life. The royal crimson adorned the bed and plush carpet, their edges laces with gold that shimmered under the candlelight Julius lit for them. Tapestries hung on the walls, and between them were pinned maps and sketches drawn by Taiden's own hand. They were rough in places, lines drawn over again and again until the charcoal had smudged and faded under the brush of his skin. She detected that all too familiar smell of warm amber in the air and couldn't help but to breathe it in deeply, savouring it one last time. Books were piled haphazardly around the desk as well as on it, and the general untidiness of the room brought a small smile to Xylia's lips. Taiden's personality flooded the room. His spontaneous manner was reflected in the way things were stacked off balance, or draped over the backs of chairs and ottomans. It was obvious that this was his own space in which he was free to be himself without fear of his 'madness' following him. She liked it, but before she could grow too comfortable in the red and gold room, Julius placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the door, leaning in close to talk to her.

"Down the stairs quickly, and at the bottom there is an alcove. Hide in there and do not move until I say so." He instructed, pushing her through the open door and ushering Zechariahs behind her.

Quickly they descended the stairwell of the tower, wary of other possible footsteps. None came, but then there was no reason for anyone to be in the prince's quarters when the prince was missing. This was the easy part. The challenge would come once they reached the bottom of the stone steps and had to cross through the castle where there would be servants, guards and guests.

Xylia pressed herself against the cool stone, masking herself in the shadows and watched as Zechariahs did the same. She wondered why he was there. She had heard his reasons in Misthaven, but she hadn't seen him wield a sword in all of their lives and yet he was clutching onto one Julius had gifted to him. She didn't know if Zechariahs was a fighter, or skilled at being stealthy. She just knew he was one of The Draca, as proud as they came and cursed to leave this world before the first snowfall of the year. He breathed heavily, his wide nostrils flaring as he worked hard to not cough or wheeze in the darkness. She hoped he wouldn't give them away, but she also hoped that he wouldn't do anything foolish just because he was dying.

Julius came down the stairs and walked straight by them, deliberately ignoring them. He moved into the hallway and glanced around. It was deserted since everyone was preparing for the banquet at the other end of the castle. There would be guards on patrol nearby, but he had strong hopes that some would ally with him – their captain – and not with the queen who instilled fear into them. Reaching back with his hand he beckoned for Xylia and Zechariahs to join him.

"We must be quick and silent. I do not know what will lie ahead." He warned, keeping one hand on the hilt of his longsword.

Xylia did the same with her dagger. "Let's save Lyris." She said, earning a small smirk from the captain.

Down in the tunnels, Taiden paced back and forth across the narrow space. He did not dare to move too far from the hatch in case anyone returned for him. He had no way of tracking time apart from waiting until the flaming torches around him eventually died out. There was no way of knowing how long that could take and already Taiden could feel himself growing impatient. He wanted to know what was happening up in the castle. Underground he couldn't hear a thing. He didn't know if they were embroiled in a battle to the death, or if they were still safely sneaking through the same hallways he had grown up in. His heart was pounding in his chest and he kept reaching up to run his fingers through his wild, unkempt hair, tugging at the knots and wincing when his nails caught them. He was scared for them, and never in his life had Taiden felt more helpless.