Sides of a Hero

14. Cracks

A small smile and a nod were all the appreciation Thomas could give to the staff of the hotel as he left. The Uber to the airport was silent; headphones clearly indicating that he wasn't in the mood for small talk. Even going through the airport, Thomas barely said a word or shared a smile with a passing stranger. All he wanted to do was get home. Familiar and safe home. Thomas hoped that that was all he needed to dispel the feeling of dread that sat at the pit of his stomach. At least he would be able to talk to the sides once he was safely home. Well, he hoped he would be able to. They hadn't turned up after the influencers event, which was odd; but Thomas wasn't in the right frame of mind to care too much. He just wanted the flight to go quickly.

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Estelle's claws clacked against the stone floor of the castle, as the silver dragon roamed the halls searching for her master. The kingdom had been buzzing with excitement when Thomas was at the influencers event; creatures and characters from every corner of Thomas' imagination had come together to party in the main square. When the event ended, Roman had gone to see the other sides and the square had emptied surprisingly quickly. Now everything was quiet and Roman hadn't been seen in well over 24 hours. Estelle's own movement was the only sound to break the silence within the castle walls. The silence worried her in ways she didn't fully understand, and she didn't like it at all.

Rounding a corner Estelle finally caught the fresh scent of Roman; increasing her pace to follow the scent up a set of stone steps. The stairs ended at an arched, wooden door and Estelle nudged the door open with her head; cautiously looking into the room.

"Prince Roman?"

Roman was laid across a white daybed at the back of the room; looking extremely out of place in the traditional castle setting. His usual regal attire was replaced with a loose red t-shirt and black track pants; something Estelle hadn't seen before.

"My Prince, are you ok?"

"What do you need, Estelle?" Roman didn't move, keeping his eyes closed and facing the ceiling.

"Pardon the intrusion, but I was concerned by your absence."

Estelle walked further into the room and looked around the small space with unease. The room was empty aside from the bed Roman was on; the window was mostly covered by a thick curtain, letting only a sliver of light into the room.

"Your concern isn't needed, Estelle. As you can clearly see, I am still here."

"Indeed."

Estelle did not move. She couldn't move. Every essence of her being told her to stay; that Roman needed her.

"Why are you still here, Estelle?" Roman grumbled, turning his head to look at his head guard. "You should have dismissed yourself by now."

"Yes. Well...um..."

"What?" Roman sat up, shifting his body to place his feet on the ground and looked at the dragon with intensity. "Speak your mind or leave me be!"

The dragon recoiled like a scorned puppy; crouching low to the ground and bowing her head in shame. Roman dropped his own head into his hands and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Estelle. That was uncalled for, and frankly, very unprincely of me."

He stood and moved to sit in front of the dragon, running his hand over her scaly head. Estelle came closer and rested her head in Roman's lap; letting out a soft growl, accepting Roman's apology.