We sit in an uneasy silence for some time, our faces never turning towards each other, until the woman offers us hot tea. I smile as she hands me a silver cup, then makes her way towardsthe Prince. We sip on our drinks quietly. My finger fidgets along the smooth, warm surface of the mug, waiting patiently for Florian to speak. My eyes are now glancing over to him, waiting for him, my mind is screaming at him. His finger taps continuously on his leg. Each tap annoying me more and more.
But my eyes glance upward, catching sight of the elder watching us but snapping her gaze away once she realizes I caught her.
“Tell me how you rode the horse the way that you did.” His chin rises, taking another sip as his brow lifts.
I set the tea down on the round wooden table next to my chair, placing my hands in my lap to keep my composure. “I am utterly confused by what you are asking me.” My doe eyes flutter, and I catch his lips roll between his teeth before he scuffs.
He tilts his head towards me, making his way slowly over to the chair in front of me and leaning back, taking a sip before speaking. “No one rides faster than me. No horse. No human. No creature.”
Creature?
Goosebumps form along my arms as I suck in a sharp breath.
Keep calm, Serene. Do not let him see any fear.
“When you say creature…” I pause intentionally, my eyes falling to my fingers fidgeting in my lap before rising to meet his dangerous stare. “What do you mean by that?”
His eyes darken. “How do you not know what creature I speak of? The curses that roam our lands and sky?”
“I am not from here. I told you.” My heart beats a tad faster as his tone of voice startles me. I can’t trust him. Something inside me is screaming I can’t.
“In Seattle, Washington,” he takes a breathy pause, “do you not have this creature?” One thick brow of his lifts.
“Tell me what you are speaking of, and I will tell you if we do.”
“Explain how you rode, and I will tell you what you are asking.” The fire behind him crackles and brightens as the woman puts more wood into it.
“I cannot tell you what I did. I just pleaded to the horse to ride faster,” I say, my voice rising. His body leans in, elegantly allowing his elbows to rest on his knees before he casually sips on his tea. “I don’t even ride!”
His eyes darken, placing the cup down against the side table before a deep growl burrows in his throat. “Who are you?” His eyes bore into mine, flashing a hue of fire. Unsure if it’s from the flames in the fireplace, or what I saw in the night when we fled. “I am not taking you to the Queen unless you tell me exactly who you are.”
I pause, shocked at his vehemence. He stares me down, eyes filled with suspicion and unvoiced questions. A look I haven’t before seen. I take a deep breath to compose myself before speaking up again.
“My name is Serene,I swear. I am from Seattle, Washington. I was on a journey with my friend, Alice. We were trying to find my sister who has been lost, Tilly. When I touched these stones… I…” I tell him quietly yet firmly as though that should be enough of an explanation for my presence here.. Even the thought of this makes me feel as if I have truly gone mad.
But he still doesn't buy it. He narrows his gaze further if possible, and his chest rises. He grips the sides of the chair tightly before rising to his feet.
“What do you mean you touched stones?” His voice deepens.
“No, I told you who I am! You tell me about these creatures in the night!” I scream at him as I lift myself from the chair.
The elderly woman rushes to the kitchen, leaving us alone as she starts to hum another tune. Florian and I stare at each other, glaring as if we have been rivals our whole lives. I am baffled on how I have been treated by these men I have met. I’m over theinterrogation. The tone in his voice makes me seem as if I am an enemy of his lands, but I am not.
“I am no one,” I mutter under my breath.
I am alone.
My heart pounds and adrenaline rushes through my veins as he stares me down, trying to intimidate me. He moves closer, towering over me, and I can feel the heat of his breath as he exhales raggedly. I challenge his gaze, lifting my chin higher, never once breaking eye contact. We freeze in this moment, in silence, for what seems like an eternity.
Finally, he takes a step back and speaks again. “I don’t have time for this nonsense.” He snarls with a loud and imposing growl. “I must take you to the caves. You being here without an order of the Queen is treason.”
I freeze for a moment and it seems as if the whole world holds its breath. In this moment of fear, I know he will not let me pass until I have provided evidence to prove my trustworthiness. But just as I go about to speak more of the stones, the elder’s hum starts to louden and it is the same tune from the caves.
I pause as the words of the Prince are now muffled as he still aggressively interrogates me. I slowly turn my body, my face turning away from him, and take a step towards her. His hand grips my shoulder to pull me back, but I push him away, still in a daze by the tune coming from her lips. I know he is screaming at me, but nothing flows into my ears besides this melody. This chill takes over my body even though the fire still stays lit. The space around me blurs as if time has slowed down and gravity is pulling me towards her.
She continues to hum, without a clue that I am walking towards her. She is lost in her own little world as she folds some dough repeatedly. I lean over the wooden table and place my hand on hers to grab her attention.
“May I ask how you know that tune?” My fingers grip the edges of the table while my heart slams against my chest.
