The Prince's Escape

Chapter 24|| Overnight Destruction

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"My men," I repeat. I left them. I left them there to die. I might as well kill them myself. My mind is racing through everything, but my body is frozen. I can't even feel it. I would much rather feel pain than nothing at all.

"Shh, rest, heal we will get your knights," Ember whispered to me. She's so close. I want to open my eyes and take in her porcelain skin, but it's spreading. I have no feeling in my face either. 

"Ember," I try to form the word with these useless lips. I heard the name with my own ears and it sounded like mere mumbles. 

"I'll be back, Princey," Ember states in a rush. I hear the door shut. Is no one going with her? Someone needs to be with her. This is not the Irles we once knew. "Calm, brother," I hear Conrad beside me in Ember's seat. "Ember will be fine. Rest," he ordered. I hear movement around me, but I try to find the rest everyone kept pushing me to be in. All I can think about is the last time I was in this position. Ember sat beside me, and I thought it was the worst pain I could ever be in. I was wrong. How those days feel so long ago. 

"My son," I hear the sound of my father's voice, clear as day. "You spoke of Luca?" His voice is weak. But he is alive. We can survive this. He just needs to reclaim the throne and show the people that he is alive. That will clear Davis's name, and rid our kingdom of the plague that has taken hold of it.

"Yes, your majesty, he is here," whispers the patient, calming voice of Ferbius.

"Can I see him, please?" My father is a man of quick punishments, few words, and high prestige, for him to even utter the word please sends a shock through my system. 

"I'm sorry, but Luca is unwell and needs rest," Ferbius reasons. A pang of guilt and sadness hit me, for even if I was well, I don't think I could even look at my father at this moment. If he knew what I had done or didn't do he wouldn't want to look at me. I have failed as a knight, a leader, and a prince of Irles. My people are suffering because I wanted to break. I was selfish and because of that Francesa is sitting in my fathers thrown, Davis is fighting for his life, my knights are being tortured, and my people are in disarray. Not to mention all that have lost their lives for Francesa own amusement.

"You can't fix anything, now," James whispers to me. Even with my eyes closed and my body no longer functioning properly my knights can still tell when I am present. 

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The cloaked man chuckles in my ear, "I was looking forward to meeting you again."

"Get your hands off me and point your dagger at someone else neck. You do recall what happened last you tried to rob me," my threats did nothing, but cause him amusement. 

"I like you," he states and surprisingly releases me from his hold. I watch cautiously as he places the dagger, but it is holster at his leg. "And for that, I will help you."

This is a strange turn of events. "Who are you?"

"The name's Travis of Haerendell and I am at your services," he bows cheekily grinning from ear to ear. Of Haerendall?  The Island neighboring Irales? Those people haven't been heard from in centuries tales of them going savage are all that is said to be left. It's not possible. 

"Well, Travis, it's nice that you think so, but the people of Haerendall are lost." 

He chuckles at my words, and it leaves an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. "They have washed that brain of yours." 

My eyes narrow in annoyance, "Look, I don't know if you've been living under a rock, but my people are burning and the Kingdom is-" before I can finish he nods solemnly. 

"I saw. That night before you left on a horse I was going to comfort you, but you were too far gone, so I waited for you to return, and saw the overnight destruction of the greatest kingdom of West Erabliaen. Apologies to your Kingdom but ever since the Queen took over it has regained its title as the greatest," he shrugged. "Anyway, 'tis strange how easy it was for Irales to go up in smoke." 

My expression grew hard, the more he talked. Through narrow eyes and a clenched jaw, I reply, "People are dying and you mock!" His eyes pulled together as though he felt a bit of guilt, but I'm not sure what to expect from a common criminal. "I want nothing to do with you. Go back to the shadows you crawled out of."

"I apologize for my candid comment, my lady. I was simply stating a fact, but now I see I have offended you," he tried to be formal, but I could see it was hard for him, and it sounded strange coming from his lips. 

"Oh stop! If you really want to help me, just leave."

He scratched his cloaked head and stood straight as if at last considering my words. "Maybe I can get your kingdom back. A few friends of mine are just a ways up the stream. Will you be at the house by where I meet you that first night?" I said nothing in response being torn, by wanting to help the kingdom, but wanting this man far away from me. "I'll take that as a yes," he smiled brightly, before taking his leave at last. "I'll see you soon, my lady," he called.

I released a huff, trying to forget the interaction altogether. I have more important matters to concern myself with. One of which is getting the herbs to Ferbius to help Luca. Taking them, I swiftly turn and run back to the house. As I open the door, the stale smell of sick hits my nose. I rush to Ferbius sticking the herbs into his hand, before going back to my spot beside Luca. I tried not to think of the mysterious man in the clock as I held onto Luca and reassured him, but my mind was consumed. Could his 'friends' really help us save the kingdom? Will this be over as quickly as it began? Who the hell was that?

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