Now or Never
As night fell, I decided to slip out of the warehouse.
The streets were desolate, cloaked in a blanket of darkness. No sign of the guards, but I knew—they were lurking in the shadows, waiting to catch me off guard.
I pulled the hood of my cloak low and darted into the alleys.
These were the most dangerous streets in the capital, but fear? For someone who'd defied my father, this was nothing.
My first goal: escape the capital and reach another city. At this rate, getting to the kingdom's main gate would take two weeks, especially with guards on my tail.
I had to move faster.
The dark streets weren't so dark after all. Most shops had their shutters down, but the brothels' lights were still burning. That sparked a brilliant idea.
If I roamed the shadows at night, I'd get caught. But in broad daylight, blending into a crowded street? It'd be near impossible for the guards to find me.
So, where would I hide tonight? The answer was simple: a brothel.
No one would ever dream the king's son would hide there. The prince in a brothel? Come on, you must be dreaming!
That would keep the guards guessing for a while.
As I stepped inside, a cloying wave of sweet perfume hit my nose, turning my stomach. How could a scent be this revolting?
"A new gentleman!" said a woman, her face caked with layers of powder.
Before I could process what was happening, she grabbed my arm and started pulling me along.
"Madam, I'm actually just here to rent a room for the night," I said hurriedly. "I'll pay whatever it costs, I'm serious."
She looked surprised at first but quickly recovered with a sly smile.
"Just a room? Of course, we can arrange that, sweetheart, but it'll cost you dearly. Deal?"
How expensive could it be?
"Three gold coins," she said.
"What!?"
Three gold coins? That was a week's worth of supplies, but I had no choice.
With guards prowling the shadows, this foul-smelling brothel was the safest hideout in the world right now.
"Fine," I said, keeping my voice as confident as possible. "Three gold coins. But the room better be clean, with a window facing the street, and no one disturbs me."
The woman narrowed her eyes, sizing me up. Her powdered face looked almost like a mask in the dim light.
"A picky gentleman, eh? Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll give you the best room."
Her smile was sharp as a blade, but I didn't care. The best room? If only she'd seen my chamber in the royal palace.
She led me up a narrow staircase. The wooden steps creaked with every step, as if they'd betray my secrets.
The upstairs hallway was dim, with flickering candlelight casting shadows on the walls. She opened a door and gestured inside.
"Your room. Payment upfront."
I opened my coin purse and counted out three gold coins into her palm.
Her fingers snapped shut like a hawk's talons. "Good choice," she said with a wink.
"But don't make a fuss, sweetheart. Ears are everywhere in this house."
Once the door closed and I was alone, I rushed to the window. The street was visible—dark, but the brothel's lights faintly illuminated the alleys. The guards' shadows must still be out there somewhere. I took a deep breath.
This place was safe for one night only. Come morning, I'd blend into the crowd and slip out of the capital.
I sank onto the bed and opened my coin purse to check what was left. Twenty-one gold and forty-four silver. Would that be enough to reach another city? Maybe.
But my mind wasn't on the coins. What would happen after I escaped? Freedom… Could I really be free? I closed my eyes and let myself drift into dreams.
I pictured myself in a distant port city. The scent of the sea in my nose, the wind tousling my hair.
No one knew me—no prince, no curse, just Noan. I was sitting in a tavern, a mug of ale in hand, smiling. Free.
The curse? I'd broken it somehow. Maybe I'd met a sage, found a hidden ritual in an ancient temple. Maybe the curse was just a shadow, and I'd left it behind.
When I opened my eyes, I was back in the dim brothel room. I chuckled to myself.
"Come on, Noan," I said. "If freedom were that easy, you wouldn't be here."
But that dream… It was so vivid, it warmed my heart.
Was my curse a burden or a key? I didn't know. But I knew this: if I made it out of here alive tonight, I'd do whatever it took to reach that dream.
A cool breeze from the window startled me. The street was still quiet, but a spark burned inside me. Freedom might be far off, but I was ready to take every step to get there.