(you should) see me in a crown

chapter eight;

It seemed however that Zak was impatient to get back and understandably so. Everyone he knew had been within those palace walls, so no wonder he needed to check if they were okay. If anyone were to lose everything, it would be him.

They rounded the corner to the palace, rushing their way up the path. The gates - which were usually heavily guarded - swung open eerily. Whatever had happened here had not been good, that much was clear.

Taking a deep breath, Darryl steeled himself, preparing for the worst. Zak had wandered ahead again, walking at an unusually brisk pace for someone usually so laid-back no matter the situation, Vincent trying his best to keep up with his friend. Darryl didn't especially mind being left behind a little - he was still trying his best to process everything that had happened.

Had Zak's injury simply been a distraction of sorts? Had they fallen right into the rebel's trap? His head span with questions to which he had no answers for.

The palace doors were open, another bad sign and Darryl quickened his pace as they approached the entrance warily, deciding it would be best to try and keep up with Vincent and Zak. He didn't think it was likely that they'd be attacked but it was still a risk that he would prefer not to take. After everything he had learnt that to assume your enemy's next move was foolish and would only end up coming back to haunt you. 

The halls were so quiet you could hear a pin drop and the way Darryl's shoes clicked against the marble. It was an odd sight to see the usually busy palace devoid of it's staff, the chatter of the workers and royals silenced. Beside him, Zak took a few shaky steps forward, a strange expression clouding his features. Darryl could only chalk it up to shock. It must be hard for the young prince to see things so different here. 

"Where is everyone?" Zak asked after a moment, though the tilt to his voice suggested that he already knew the answer. "Where are they?"

"I don't know." Darryl murmured. "That's what I intend to find out."

Skirting around the edge of the main room, Darryl headed for the one place he could think of where there may be people left - the servant's quarters. If they were lucky the rebels may have deemed this part of the palace unimportant and not had the time or the resources to attack it. The only thing they could do was hope that there would be somebody there who would be able to explain the events that had passed. 

He could hear Vincent and Zak's footsteps echo a little too loudly behind him as he all but ran down the stone staircase at the back of the palace that led down into the servant's wing. While they were here he could also pick up a few of his possessions, since it seemed unlikely that they would be staying in the palace for any extended amount of time.

He reached the end of the stairs just in time to bump into the girl from earlier. She seemed shaken, her face pale and her hands shaky. Upon spotting them, Darryl could see her eyes widen a fraction. 

"What happened?" Darryl demanded, pushing past her to pick up a few rolls of bread and some other foodstuffs, slipping them into a bag to carry for later. "Where is everyone?"

He could hear the girl take a deep breath. "Gone."

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"I mean they're not here." The girl snapped, moving past Darryl to stand at the bottom of the staircase, one foot on the first step as though ready to flee at any moment. "I don't know where. The King and Queen are safe. Most of the others are dead. That is all I know."

Darryl could have sworn that, for a split second, Zak's eyes had darkened and his lips had twitched into a frown, but the look was gone as quickly as it had arrived. All he could focus on was the word dead. Most of the people he worked with were dead. He wasn't going to see them again. In fact, he was only alive because he hadn't been there when it had happened. 

"When will the King and Queen return?" Zak asked quietly, "I assume they'll return here once everything is safe again?"

"I don't know. I assume they'll come back for you once they catch wind of you being here."

"What do we do until then?" Darryl interjected. Although he would normally be careful not to speak over someone of a higher rank, this time he felt it was fully justified. Nobody was here to actually correct him, anyway, so he'd do what he felt he had to. "Just wait around?"

The girl shook her head. "I wouldn't. You don't know when they could come back."

With that it appeared that she had realised that by staying here she was putting herself at risk too and, with a final look over her shoulder, she rushed up the steps and disappeared from view, leaving the three of them alone. For a moment, nobody spoke, the candlelight washing over them and casting them in a faint orange light. 

"Get what you need." Darryl said quietly, "We need to leave. Now."

Zak and Vincent only nodded mutely. Darryl wouldn't be entirely surprised if they weren't physically capable of taking in any more information. In the span of two days things had changed drastically and only for the worse. They hadn't found an answer to any of their problems, and those problems were stacking up fast. 

Once Vincent had disappeared up the stairs, Darryl turned away from Zak, beginning to sort through various things he may need to bring, chucking a few various maps into his bag, as well as a compass. They'd probably need to stay around the palace, just in case the royals returned to pick up Zak, but far enough away that they wouldn't be in immediate danger. If there was anything he had to do now, it was protect the prince at all costs. 

"I have something for you."

Zak's voice made Darryl jump. He'd expected the prince to have left ages ago to get his own things and was surprised to see him still leaning against the far wall, gaze fixated on Darryl. Pushing himself off the wall, Zak took a few steps closer, signalling for Darryl to put out his hand. 

Then, after a moment's pause, the prince reached over and pressed something cool into the palm of Darryl's hand. The pendant. 

"Where did you get this?" Darryl questioned, confused. "I thought I lost this."

Zak only smiled that infuriating smile. "I picked it up when I was leaving the palace to meet you the other day." A small shrug. "Thought you might need it."

"Thank you."

Zak only stared at him for a moment and then turned away, making his way over to the staircase. With one hand on the side of the wall he finally spoke again. 

"Do not thank me. There is nothing to thank me for."

Then he was gone, footsteps fading as he climbed the stairs and Darryl was left alone.