He screamed.
The silence was mercilessly destroyed, and the noise was enough to steal the sense of tranquillity that had settled between the both of us.
I quickly got up and rushed out of the cottage, to see if there was anything my horse had sensed as a threat.
The violent sounds of his vigorous pawing against the floors of the forest only increased my worry, but there was no suspicious movement my eyes could reach.
"What happened, boy?" Zyanna came rushing towards my horse, worriedly looking him over as he continued to scream, though we didn't know what was the cause of his sudden restless behaviour.
I carefully placed my hands near my sword, just in case we were under attack, as executing an assassination on the Prince of Yandestine when he seemed to be surrounded by no protection, made sense.
Zyanna's eyes flickered to my sword the next second I touched it, and she shook her head. "Don't do that. You're only going to scare him more. He is already in pain, Prince Elijah." Her hands were resting on my horse's stomach, as she kneeled down and started to brush her fingers along the skin on his stomach.
"What happened, Zyanna?"
"Remove the rope, he needs to stretch." Though she was evidently knowledgeable when it came to animals, I still gave her a doubtful look.
"Are you sure? He's already moving around quite excessively with the rope tied to him, what if he tries to run off somewhere?"
"He won't. I assure you on this one, Prince Elijah. Remove the rope." I did as she said, untying the rope and leaving it near the branches.
"It's fine, boy. We're all good now. Now, would you do me a tiny little favour? Just trust me." She slowly lifted one of his legs, simultaneously watching how he responded, and drew the limb forward.
"You can snatch your leg back if it's too much, boy. Just don't hurt me like before, in the process." She quietly giggled, holding his limb in the exact stretched position for quite a few seconds, and it was absolutely mesmerising to see how my horse gradually settled down. It was almost as if he stopped his screams to listen to what she was saying.
She did the same to each of his other three legs, maintaining the number of seconds she held his leg in that stretch with every limb.
"There. You can stretch all you want now." She patted his stomach after putting his last leg down, but the predicament didn't seem to be entirely solved, as he still voiced his complaints through disgruntled sounds, fortunately much more toned down than his screams.
"Is he fine now? What's wrong with him?" I shifted my worried glance to Zyanna.
"He'll be better soon. It's just a simple case of indigestion, Prince Elijah. I just stretched his limbs out for a bit to ease the process of passing dung or urination. It's partly why he's struggling to stay calm. It may take a while before he can properly start moving around again."
"Does that mean I won't be able to ride back with him, to the palace?"
"I wouldn't advise it. You'll only make his pain worse, if you try to travel with him right away. I personally suggest that you walk your way back, before it becomes too dark for the leftovers of the sunlight to guide you." She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling with a strong and calm intensity.
At that moment, I really wanted to know what it would feel like, to be guided home by her. It scared me, that I would be able to trust the source of light shining from her own eyes, more than the Sun's.
"But, what about him-"
"Don't worry about him. I'll take care of him here, and bring him something from my farm to decrease the aching. He'll be all yours after the next two days, Prince Elijah. The boy just needs a bit of rest for now."
"Are you sure, Zyanna? Do tell me if it's going to be a hassle-"
"I do this on a daily basis, Prince Elijah. It would be anything but a hassle. You're leaving him in good hands, I guarantee you."
"Well then, who I am to deny a professional farmer from doing what she thinks is best?" I grinned at Zyanna, as I brushed the leaves off my body.
I left her cottage, taking her smiles with me, as I started to make my way back to the palace. As I passed the same trees that shed more of their leaves hour by hour, my mind could only drag me to one place of thought. One place of emotion.
Excessive desire. Particularly, a sense of greed.
Because I had missed the blessing of seeing the entirety of Zyanna's face for more than what was milliseconds before my horse had let out his pained screams. I couldn't remember any of the details of her face, as she had covered it up with her kerchief when I saw her again.
It now made me want to release a pained scream myself but for beautifully different reasons.
***
There was commotion on the training grounds, and even if it was being controlled by my own father, it still required my attention and presence, according to Aaliyah.
As I stepped out from the slight darkness encasing the hallways of the palace, and onto the steps leading to the training grounds, I was met with a significantly strong silence.
My father stood there, in front of all the soldiers of the kingdom, his relaxed posture juxtaposing the stoic stance of my mother standing next to him.
We all waited for him to speak, as everyone, including myself, didn't have a clue as to why we were all required to be gathered here.
"Morning greetings to all of you, soldiers. I apologise for my interruption during your training periods, but I have something important to address today." It was clear that my father was leaving intentional gaps of silence, processing his words in his head clearly.
"These past few weeks, and the occurrences that have taken place throughout these weeks, have made me think about the way we think, soldiers." His lips lifted themselves into a strange smile, that seemed to be hanging between a grim line and a smirk.
He breathed out slowly, looking straight at the soldiers this time. "We have battled many different kinds of people when it comes to war. Those who are simply murderous, blood-thirsty and cunning. We have seen the worst. Although I have to point out, they have all been males. You have only fought next to a female —your Queen. But, none of you have fought against a female. I must ask, how many of you think, if you ever did, would win against one?"
Seconds of silence filled the enormous area, before passionately fierce screams and all sorts of other responses representing the soldiers nominating themselves, exploded across the grounds.
But one particular man, stood their quietly, seemingly refusing to duplicate the actions of his neighbouring soldiers, holding a face empty of any reaction.
"I approve this surge of strength and confidence. It makes me even more curious. What do some of you think of more females entering the battlegrounds, as warriors?"
One of the many soldiers stepped forward, and the man that stepped forward looked to be like one of the less trained soldiers from my records, his name being Lendon.
"Surely, it wouldn't be an efficient or healthy thing to do. Pardon me, my King, but a normal woman who doesn't hold the responsibilities of being a Queen, shouldn't need to or want to hold a sword. If she does, then holding a spatula in the kitchen, should surely suffice that desire?" Laughter erupted to his response, and loud plus humoured murmurs of agreement spread everywhere.
I was devastated. It made me even more enraged when my mother, who should have been the first to point her sword towards his body, merely had her eyes just plainly focused in his direction. The rest of her body stood still, as if she was mentally absent.
My father marched down the stairs, his smile still shamelessly decorating his face, leading himself to the actual ground. It was filled with sand scorched by the sunlight and little stones scattered along the sides.
"Is that what you all think? No other opinions?" His eyes roamed everywhere, his blades of scrutiny diffracting in different directions.
Just before I was about to speak up, another man came forward. It was the same men that stayed put when asked about female warriors.
Vladimir.
"Forgive me, my King, for I whole-heartedly disagree with the others. If what these men say is really true, then the dancer that escaped the dungeons, apparently used a 'spatula' to get out of the seemingly secure confinements. Not one of these men, including myself had to even use a sword to prevent her from escaping. She was gone before one of us could blink an eye and touch our swords. I think we don't need to explain how that represents a female as a warrior, my King."
The absence of sound that encapsulated the grounds, was strangely deafening in itself, and it only made me smile.
I curiously gazed at Vladimir, wondering what caused him to change his thoughts, since the night he had failed to perform his duty of guarding the dancer.
My father turned his head in Vladimir's directions with a strong raise of an eyebrow, as he took slow and calculated steps towards where Vladimir was standing.
"He's definitely going to be joining the prisoners in the dungeons." I heard one of the soldiers whisper, with a shocked tone.
We all watched, as my father brought his hand forward and did exactly the opposite to what we all expected him to do.
He rested his palm on Vladimir's shoulder. "You're right. You're absolutely right."
I was completely bewildered, much more than the rest of the soldiers, who were standing there almost frozen.
"My son, Elijah Dorian Maguire, was attacked by a female. When she was imprisoned, she escaped. She escaped when the place was fully secured with you, soldiers." He turned around to face the rest of the soldiers, his tone full of a sudden sense of anger, that blasted out, announcing itself proudly in a raw and unkempt form.
Lendon, the aggravating soldier, whose throat I wanted to tear apart when he voiced his disgust at the concept of female warriors before, spoke again at the wrong moment. "But, my King, it was Vladimir that-"
"Was it only Vladimir that was guarding the dungeons that night? You dare to claim that you possess the courage to win a fight against a female BUT YOU CANNOT EVEN BARE TO ACCEPT THE TRUE FACT THAT YOU WERE ALSO A REASON WHY A FEMALE HAD ESCAPED?" His voice thundered across the walls of the palace, as he rapidly took his sword out, positioning the dangerously pointed tip of the sword against Lendon's neck.
It touched his throat, and even I, who knew my father well enough, couldn't tell whether he would draw blood in the next few seconds.
He didn't.
My father stormed back to his original position above the same couple of steps, his once relaxed stance being replaced by a posture that defined utter seriousness and warning.
"Soldiers! Sharpen your swords! Our future King has been attacked, and male or female, blood has been spilled. We will find out who was behind this attack and the escape, and we will let our swords speak. Until then, prepare for war."
Every soldier kneeled down immediately, their heads bowing down, as they placed their palms on their chests, right where their heart was, forming a fist against it.
My mother still didn't say anything, the absence of emotion on her face never leaving. Instead, she ordered the soldiers to resume their exercises, disappearing into the hallways before nodding at my father.
My father turned to look at me, as he took a deep breath. "Elijah, may I have a word with you?"
I slowly nodded, still caught in the midst of shock, surprise and doubt. We walked together, back into the hallways, escaping the burning rays of sunshine temporarily.
"Elijah, I-" He was unceremoniously interrupted by a sound of slow and dramatic clapping, a sound, that unfortunately came from Aaliyah's hands, as she stood there, leaning against the wall.
"Did not expect that, Father. But a greater twist would have been you pulling out your sword and slashing your wrists. Like a blood oath for you to swear vengeance against those who wronged you? That would have surely been a divinely dramatic moment."
"Aaliyah, not now, please. Perhaps, next time, I shall call you forward and slash your wrists as an act of swearing vengeance?"
"I'm truly honoured, Father. Tell me when you need me and I'll be there." Aaliyah saluted us with an unnecessarily massive grin on her face, and winked at me before she started to walk away.
"Father-"
"Let me speak first, Elijah. I've been running investigations in every nook and corner of our villages, and I've assigned a part of the kingdom's officials to concentrate their search on the powder, while the other half look for the dancer. I truly am worried for you and our kingdom's future, and I assure you that further steps will be taken until we reach explanations."
"I-I don't understand, Father. You told me to drop this matter yesterday. I remember your exact words. You blatantly stated that I was 'falling short of my duties'. I'm not aware of how it is for you, but words leave a mark, especially when they come in the form of insults and accusations, and they shouldn't be forgotten that easily. Especially when it was you that said it."
"Believe me when I say that there was a reason why I spoke to you that way." He stepped closer to me, his eyes quickly examining our proximity for some reason. "Your mother has a feeling, Elijah. She suspects that there are unwanted eyes and ears lurking around and within these walls. The level of security and protection this kingdom once had, has been breached. I couldn't afford to let anyone know that we knew what was happening and we were following every single speck of clue we could find. I had to throw them off somehow, and one of them was speaking to you like that. I know you're only doing your best, for the good of the kingdom, Elijah."
Shivers unknowingly crashed down my spine, and I was worried to accept what my father was insinuating. "What are you saying, Father?" I whispered, trying to not let my tension be reflected through my posture as I straightened up to my full height.
"I'm anxious to say it aloud, son. There is a possibility of a mole hiding within our premises, and I have no idea as to who it might be. It's why I've doubled the protection around our borders, particularly paying careful attention to royal visitors from other kingdoms."
I didn't know what to say. But I knew I had to eliminate my fears, as quickly as possible, and step up to the role I was meant to perform.
"I'll join the soldiers on the training grounds from now on Father. We will be prepared," My father tensely nodded at me, pressing my shoulders before beginning to leave.
I stopped him just before he was about to fully exit the hallway. "Father? Thank you. For everything." I was grateful, for I had never thought that I would be able to work towards something, that I had proposed as a threat no one fully believed at first. Now, my father believed in me, and my suspicions, and it meant absolutely everything to me.
"Just be careful, Elijah. Your coronation is arriving soon, and someone is coming for us. And I'm afraid the clock is ticking too fast, son."
~~~
I have an inkling it's about to go down, guys.
I'm not trying to be annoying here, seriously, but I'm not too sure how happy I am with this chapter. So, if you're feeling unsatisfied, then I kinda get it.
Anyway, lots and lots of love for being here regardless!
Stay blessed,
OceanaCamerons 🌹🌹🌹