"Mind explaining your intentions with the prince and his betrothed, outcast?''
Her tone was rude and boastful. With gritted teeth, Miana bowed her head.
''We found them in the woods. We have no ill intention towards them.''
''Yet you cloth the princess in rags.'' The lady yells.
Awkward silence lingered until the Lady huffed under her mask. She reached forward, snatching the prince from Miana's arm, but turning her attention to the confused princess.
''Greeting Princess Lyra of eldrida,'' They choruses in Union. ''We'll now escort you back to the palace.''
Princess Lyra gazed at Miana, who gave her a reassuring smile.
''Come on now, princess.''
''Extend my appreciation back to the village then, Lady Miana,'' Princess Lyra smiles, before following, a wave of uncertainty lingering in her blue orbs.
Miana's eye remains solely on the prince as he is tucked in a carriage, along with the princess, before kicking off. She sighs and heads back to the village, somehow feeling uneasy, but grateful for the little Prince's intervention on their arch nemesis.
>> >> >> >>
Princess Lyra's eye lingers on him as he moans in his sleep. She sat opposite side of him. The ride to the palace had been bumpy but it wasn't enough to wake up the sleep-starved prince. His face was in no way visible, seeing that the hair she had believed to be shaved at dawn was taking up most of the space in the carriage.
The moonlight peeps in like an uninvited visitor, constantly checking out of the sight of the house owner. She felt suffocated and nervous. The new life she somehow escaped a few days ago is resurfacing. So couldn't imagine the disappointed facial look of her father, and she is definitely not going to get an explanation on why she escapes. She had agreed with herself to play dumb in the situation.
Cutting her out of thought was him sitting up slowly, his face entirely covered until he swept his hair behind with his fingers.
His eyes were innocent again as he gazed around, out the carriage window, at his hair and back at her. He slowly stood up and walked to her, his steps slow and steady till he took a seat beside her.
''Where is Miana?'' His voice was low and wavering. She could tell that the answer he already suspected it to be isn't what he wanted, but nevertheless...
She is still in her village. The two people they.''
''That sly witch.'' He was suddenly raging for a while, his eye displaying anger, but it lasted shorter than expected.
He folded up his legs, cowering his face between his thighs. She was quite taken aback by his attributed, but leaned closer nevertheless.
''My Lord? Are you alright.''
''Why can't I just have Miana?'' He broke into tears. Amidst the tears, his hair began to grow shorter in length, pulled from the rich tiling of the carriage.
She observed in curiosity, her finger shooting out to glide through his hair till it went back to a shoulder-length size. He raised his head, tears obvious in his eyes as he gazed out the window.
''She trapped Kaelin here like an animal!''
Princess Lyra almost laughed; his tone was pouty and rebellious.
''It's called a carriage, my Lord.'''
''I know what a carriage is, Aiza!'' He shot. ''And it is certainly not ridden under the cage of a spell.''
''A spell?'' She furrowed her brow. ''Are you saying she traps us in?''
''Kaelin! She trapped Kaelin from escaping.'' He replied.
Finally coming back to the name he called, she squinted, that familiar feeling washing over her again.
''My name is Lyra, your Highness.''
He tore his gaze to her, his eye glittering with the peeping moonlight, then he spoke.
''Aiza.''
''Ly...ra.'' She corrected yet again.
Without battling his lashes ''Aiza. he repeated.
''I shall accept the name you gave me, my Lord.'' She bowed, giving up trying to change his mind.
Now he found her amusing. He turned his full attention to her, his eye boring into her eye.
She felt nervous in an instant that she avoided his gaze, yet his eye didn't waver.
The bumping of the carriage popped an idea into her head
''The Sorcerer, she broke the silence. ''You seem to be familiar with him, my Prince.''
''Kaelin has never seen a sorcerer before.'' He muttered, his eye still fixed on her.
''But he said....the forest is his territory and since you have been to the forest plenty of time, you should know him.''
''You know plenty.'' He darted his eye to the window.
''I was taught plenty about you, my Lord.''
''Kaelin has only been there once, he muttered, his eye reflecting the moon as he spoke. ''Two days ago.'' He added.
''Where have you been sneaking to, my Prince?''
He watched the moon creep behind the clouds before darting his eye to her.
''Under the palace.''
She nodded slowly, a fact dawning on her that he had always been misunderstood.
The necklace around his neck glittered in the dim light, catching her eye. She leaned closer, her gaze fixed on the beautiful colors it radiated. Seeing her eye on it, he easily took it off and passed it around her neck.
''But....it belongs to your mother.....right?'' She stuttered, yet her eye could not leave the shiny jewel around her neck. It felt oddly familiar with her. While waiting for his answer, she saw him heave a sigh; relive perhaps. His eye fixed on the lace until it started shimmering in the dark.
The overwhelming light radiated around the moving carriage for a while before dying out. She felt alive, with the lace around her neck, but something next got her screaming her lungs out in shock. She could not see herself. She was invisible.
The carriage took an abrupt stop, and the door burst open in no time. The witch peeps into the carriage, and her eyes widen in alarm at the sight of only the prince sitting, looking as innocent as possible.
''Where is the princess of Eldrida, your Highness?'' She questioned in shock.
Before a reply, Princess Lyra took off the necklace, and her body became visible again.
The shock escalated on the lady's face, except for the prince, who already expected the reaction.
The witch spoke.
''My lady, are you alri...''
''Kaelin refused to be stopped on the way, Enore.'' He cut in sharply, his tone suddenly cold and stoic.
The witch bow.
''It's Eleanora, your High.....''
''Same thing. Get lost!''
Princess Lyra watched in shock as the witch retreated, and soon they were back to moving. Learning another fact, he's like a chameleon. He has a different side to him.
''I'm sorry, I yelled my Prince.'' She muttered.
He glanced at her and smiled, taking the necklace from her hand and putting it back around her neck.
His smile was beautiful and reassuring.
The ride continued in silence, her hand constantly caressing the lace. It seems to have the special properties of turning her invisible at will. She tried it a couple of times, and it bent to her desires, almost like it was made for her.
She decided to break the silence again, seeing that he began staring out the window again. She anticipated the question for a while; her mind was confused about whether asking it was the best option. Finally, she gave in to her curiosity.
''She woke up.''
As she spoke, the air thickened, heavy with foreboding. "She... woke up."
His gaze snapped to hers, icy and calculating.
"You... you said she woke up," she stammered, her voice trembling.
His gaze was cold now.
She felt like she had poked a nerve she wasn't supposed to touch. She should have stayed in her lane and not questioned him.
The carriage creaked ominously, the shadows cast by the moonlight twisting into grotesque forms. She apologized, bowing deeply. "I'm sorry, my Lord."
His voice was low to a whisper, his gaze boring into hers.
''She's still awake.''
Her curiosity piqued again, seeing that he was not agitated by her question.
The wind howled outside, the carriage lurching violently.
''Who?''
She suddenly felt the wind moving in a different pattern. It strikes the movement of the carriage. As she turned back to him, her scream was trapped in her throat. His eyes blazed blood red, his hair lengthening like dark tendrils. His calm demeanor made her skin crawl. She felt another form of dread washing through her, like she was watched by another eye.
He raised his hand, pointing his sharp, pointed finger at the carriage floor. Her eye follows his hand to the floor, and she pulls her brow together. She only sees their shadow, nothing more.
She gazed at him, but his eye was still fixed on his shadowy form.
She gazed back; seconds turned into minutes, the moon shining steadily through the window, and suddenly the shadow moved.
The darkness twisted, taking on a life of its own. She felt an otherworldly presence closing in.
The darkness pulsed, as if alive. The air vibrated with malevolent energy.
Her heart racing, she turned to the Prince, but his gaze remained fixed on the shadow. A cold, sadistic grin on his face.
Her breath, itchy.
''What is that.''
TBC......đź–Šđź–‹