Fear.
That's what it was. It made my shadows want to ooze out in waves to coat my body and protect me in a tight cocoon. The shadows were toxic and evil, yet they were a coping mechanism that pretended to have my best interest at heart. I'd trust the mischievous threatening whispers of my fire blades over the comfort of my shadows any day.
It was odd.
The whispers and alluring pull of the power had always been there however very seldom... and now they were the occupants of my mind that paid no rent. It's been like this since my last arena performance. Did it have to do with me leaving?
I submerged myself back into the heat of the water, head covered and breath held in deep. I opened my eyes to see the white ceiling above me, which looked like it flowed in waves underwater. I closed and opened my eyes once more, feeling the pressure and sting of my eyes trying to become accustomed to the feeling of being underwater. When I opened them once more, I suddenly saw a looming figure above me that had thrust its hands into the water to keep me pushed under. I thrashed and let out a gurgled scream, letting out all the air I needed. Its left hand wielded a silver ring with a bright sapphire stone onit. Pure panic filled my body to the brim as I choked on water, dotting black spots painted my vision.
I was going to die.
Red eyes and pin straight, bright, long blond hair stared into my own in fury. I gripped tightly onto the tub until I suddenly pushed myself up and fell out of the tub like a fish out of water. My eyes darted around as I coughed up water yet... No one was here. There was no sign of anyone having been here. I was losing my mind. I breathed in and out through my mouth and looked at my hands, at my wrists that contained faint scars of the way I dealt with my pain. It never mattered much to me, my healing was quick, however the scars over the years began to linger. My eyes darted to the glass that contained the bath salts. My pain was eating at me through the bones, and I needed it to desperately hurt less. The little girl that haunted my mind was silent throughout entering Apollo, but now she silently whimpered and disappeared again.
"These self destructive thoughts are meant for the weak. You, dearest, are not weak."The shadows inside me caressed my mind and turned me away from my even darker thoughts. I frowned and gripped my hair tight, feeling impossibly distressed. I focused on my breathing and stopped thinking all together.
***
It felt like a significant amount of time had gone by in the bathing chamber where I laid on the cold floor. While basin washed away my tears, I wondered how long I had left before dinner could start. When I entered the room, it seemed like someone was nice enough to drop by and leave a thin white dress with golden circlets on the sleeve hooked on the door of my dresser. I touched the soft material and frowned at it. TheApollons had not been impressed to see me even in my armour just because I was a woman, I could only wonder what the king would think if he saw his son's chosen warrior in a thin dress that did not seem practical to fight in. I threw open the dresser and rummaged through the male clothes. I found what I needed and adorned my fire blades. I looked into the gold framed mirror and inspected the white tunic with golden embroidery, a tunic similar to what the prince usually wore. The tight white trousers and long almond-coloured boots made me look taller. It was only fitting to dress the role I was in.
And oh, what an actress you are.A sinister shadow in my mind mocked.
I clenched my fist and exited my room. Noting that the person Inanov had promised to send had not fetched me from my rooms-however I was not to be completely at loss. Asking for directions to the dining hall would be no issue considering there was plenty of staff in the castle. I traced along the walls that the prince must have walked past all his life. He was lucky... to have a kingdom to lead and protect, to have akingdomthat was still living and breathing.
A painting caught my eye, it was of a dark cave with a red jewel embedded into the wall. It reminded me of the jewel the vampyre king had worn as a necklace. The writing scribbled at the bottom of the old painting faintly read:The immortality gem.I blinked twice at the writing and could have sworn that the green jewel the she-demon had stolen from me looked like a twin copy of the red stone. Slowly, pieces of a puzzle suddenly formed in my mind. Could the vampyre king's gem be...
Suddenly hushed whispers, a ruffling of a skirt along with the sound of intimate breathless kisses echoed in the hallway further ahead, cutting off my thoughts. The intimate sounds had me walking forward in confusion to find a couple desperately clutching onto each other and kissing. I frowned in annoyanceand almost turned away when I caught sight of the woman's dress.
Purple and white...
The woman had pushed the man's back against the wall and continued to kiss up his neck. I caught sight of the woman's face... I couldn't help the shocked gasp that left me. They startled apart upon the sound of my gasp, knowing they had been caught. And the person she kissed... I jolted with shock when I saw his brown hair and blue eyes.
It was not the prince.
His betrothed... was kissing another man. "You! How dare you roam around the royal wing of the castle." The man sneered, and Izlana, no longer soft and innocent, looked at me with horrified disgust.
"I seem to be lost. My apologies, I am looking for Inanov," I hesitated before answering.
The man looked like he was going to further his interrogation, but Izlana laid a delicate hand onto her lover's chest. "Inanov's room is past the hall to the right, fourth door by the corridor," she answered and watched me with weary eyes.
My heart thumped hard as I nodded my thanks, making my way past them. The man's voice shot towards me. "It will be unwise to mention what you saw today to anyone without losing your head first, peasant." A darkness inside me snickered at the comment and enticed the upcoming challenge. I held my tongue and continued to the path Izlana had directed me, feeling their targeting eyes burn holes at my back. And when they were out of sight and earshot, I raced to the fourth door in the corridor that had engraved gold writing statingRoyal Guard. I nearly sighed in relief that Izlana hadn't given me the wrong directions and before I could knock heavily, the door suddenly opened. Inanov was dressed in blue and gold. Looking like he was just about to leave for dinner.
With my hand that was supposed to knock on the door, still frozen in the air, Inanov asked, "Morana? What are you doing here?” His usually straight face frowned in confusion.
"I—"Did notknow how to properly relay the events I had just witnessed. The prince's betrothed was kissing another man; however, could she even be blamed? The prince was kissingmefour days ago in another land in Terran which shows that he and I were none the better. And yet it had shocked me how the prince and Izlana had looked so in love.
"You're ready for the dinner." Inanov gave me a once over. "You were supposed to wait in your chambers for a guard to fetch you."
I scoffed at him. "I'm looking at a guard, aren't I?" Inanov looked at me with slight annoyance.
"You know that is not what I meant," he answered.
I then answered softly, "The waiting would have gotten to me. I don't fare well being alone with my own thoughts."
His eyes softened. "I see." He seemingly understood and made a gesture forward with his arm. "Let me show you the way then." I nodded silently and followed. I contemplated telling Inanov of what I had seen but was not entirely sure how this information would be handled.
"I can practically feel you boiling with overwhelming thoughts. What is it?" he asked to my surprise.
"I was not aware that my inner thoughts were bothering you."
