The Prince and The Prowess

Chapter Four

I could constantly feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness. At one point, I felt myself waking up while hearing someone’s demanding voice. I tried to hold onto those words, and tried to pull myself out of the darkness I could feel grabbing at me, trying to pull me back in. I then felt a cloth at my face, and I succumbed to the darkness’s hold. The same sequence seemed to happen for days or for hours, I wasn’t sure.

I woke up once, bracing myself for that cloth at my face. I felt nothing, and the room was silent. I shivered, having no clue what was going on. My hands were bound over my head, and I was sitting in some kind of cold, stony room. I managed to slowly open my eyes, but all I could see were black bars in front of me. I couldn’t think straight. Questions which I had no answers for were ringing in my head. Where was I? How far from home was I? Was I going to make it out alive? Did they get Dorian?

I silently prayed that the answer to the last question was a no.

                After forcing myself to think, I managed to gather a little bit of obvious information. I was in a jail cell. It was dark. I could hear moaning from other prisoners, so I guessed I wasn’t alone. As soon as I got that much, an idea marched into my head. I was going to try and get out of here.

                I couldn’t move much with my hands strapped above my head. I struggled through the bindings, trying to break free. It was no use. There was nothing around to cut the ties with. The ceiling was too high and the door too far away.

I was stuck.

                Somewhere in the distance, I heard footsteps and a huge door opening. I got to my feet, pulling the ropes higher up on the bar. I leaned forward trying to loosen them, but all it did was tighten their grip on my wrists. I winced and heard the footsteps come closer. I straightened my posture to look somewhat braver and stronger then I felt.

                A silver, green, and gold clad Regal dressed similarly to the one who had walked into the house unlocked my door, letting two, strong smelling men walk in.

The shorter man of the two was wider with both a strong build and a little too much to eat. He wore a shining silver tunic and adorned himself with a thick, gold colored robe. His dark green breeches were adorned with tiny golden gems that ran all the way down to his boots. A ring laced through his fingers that only caught my attention because of it’s shining gold color. It must have been real. Through what I could see through the darkness, the emblem of the Northern Serpent was on the front of his royal vest. Once I looked at his face, I recognized him immediately from portraits in the marketplace. He was the king of the Northern Region.

                The second man barely looked like a man – he might have been my age. He was clad in dark pants and a topaz colored tunic. His eyes were bright green and inquisitive, but he leaned back against the poles as if he was uninterested in what was going on. I guessed he was one of the king’s two sons. Whether he was Brigian or Zayden, I didn’t know.

                The king opened his mouth to speak. “When the news that the wanted criminal known as the Prowess was a female, I just had to see for myself.” He said. “A girl who can wield a weapon and cause this much pandemonium? I just had to see it for myself.”

                I didn’t say anything, just kept a scowling expression on my face.

                “But to call it something special means that I must see it myself. Wouldn’t you agree?”

                Once again I said nothing.

                “Unleash her bindings.” The king instructed the Regal. He stepped forward and hacked the binding off my wrists. I felt to the ground, rubbing my wrists which were raw and red. “Let us go for a walk.” The king told us.