Heir To The Iron Crown ✓

35 - þrjátíu og Fimm

Is she giving me 100% of the responsibility here?

I was pretty annoyed now. A part of me knew she was just trying to guide me, but another part of me knew what I was doing and most definitely did not need to be told to cozy up to this kid for show.

"Thanks for the tip," I said, almost through gritted teeth and turned away from her. It was then that I saw Sven, and realized that some of that irritatation came from him.

I walked to him and sat near where he sat on the ground playing idly with fallen leaves.

We sat quietly for what seemed like a few minutes. I knew he heard our conversation and I knew he was annoyed too.

"Something bothering you?" I asked him just for good measure.

He looked at me, a smile creeping up on his face now. "Seriously?"

He gave a light laugh and I felt the unease coming from him lessen. He sighed.

"I don't like this. Any of this. Trust me when I tell you, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I really just wanted to keep you safe, but it seems like I've done the exact opposite," he said, his head hanging low. "I still am going to do everything in my power to protect you. I hope that's enough, even if it's not."

I could sense his guilt and it was the last thing he should feel at this time.

I saw May getting into one of the tents, where I guess I'd be sleeping too while Jasper and Uriah made conversation near one of the lamps.

I wasn't sleepy though, far from it. I'd taken enough naps on the way here.

"Why do you think everyone is after this one person?" I asked him.

I saw him sigh and look around. Once he made sure nobody else was close enough to eavesdrop, he spoke.

"When I was, you know, kidnapped and sold to the Palace, I had to stay there for a couple many years before I found my chance to escape.

"During my time there, I'd heard a lot of things, most of which were even beyond my imagination. So I could tell what was a rumor and what wasn't. Even as a child I'd been hearing a lot about a room in the Palace that was absolutely off-limits to everyone. Not a single person except the Elders had access to it, and most of the staff didn't even know where it was.

"As far as I could tell, this room was more of a vault, and was hidden so as to hide something. Everyone had their own speculations about what was inside, but most of the rumors pointed to one object in particular."

I was listening intently as he went extra quiet to tell me the next bit.

"I can't tell you this with absolute certainty, but I do believe that in that room is hidden a crown made of solid iron, and is said to be a lot more than just an article of royalty.

"Whatever we heard from some of the older workers usually turned out to be true, but this was something that we needed to see for ourselves. We were not too old, maybe twelve, when we decided to find the room and see if it really existed.

"It took weeks of figuring out where the highest probability of the room could be, and how we could get in it too. And after that, Alessio, Uriah and I sneaked out of-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Alessio and Uriah?" I asked him.

"Well yeah. What did you think I could manage it on my own?" he asked. "They were also taken from their packs to become slaves of the Palace. We basically grew up together. Kelyla too," he said.

No wonder he considers them as his family.

"Okay. Go on," I said.

"Well, let me just say, we did find it. The room. We sneaked past the guards at the beginning of the hallway, but didn't expect more guards to be standing at the door. We were easily caught before we could get even halfway to it. All we knew at that point was that behind those guards was the door to the Palace's most well-guarded secret. And we probably got the closest anyone else could get," he said, seeming quite proud of himself.

"That night we were punished the worst we ever had been in that wretched place. Alessio and I got over it soon enough, but Uriah still is very bothered about it. But either way, we proved to ourselves their really was a hidden vault, which meant there must be a hidden crown.

"The older staff would tell us how the Elders used force to overthrow the royalty and sit in power at the Palace today. But their ruin is coming and destined, and the true heir to that crown would bring them to their end.

"Very little information is given about who everyone is looking for, but I think the Palace now knows that the heir is well, alive, and roaming the lands free. If they're doing everything in their power to get their hands on them, I can say with almost certainty, they're looking for their doom."