The Poison Prince

XYLIA looked all around the grand bedchamber, her eyes wide with wonder. She had never seen anything so rich in all of her life. The royal crimson adorned the bed and plush carpet, their edges laces with gold that shimmered under the candlelight Julius lit for them. Tapestries hung on the walls, and between them were pinned maps and sketches drawn by Taiden’s own hand. They were rough in places, lines drawn over again and again until the charcoal had smudged and faded under the brush of his skin. She detected that all too familiar smell of warm amber in the air and couldn’t help but to breathe it in deeply, savouring it one last time. Books were piled haphazardly around the desk as well as on it, and the general untidiness of the room brought a small smile to Xylia’s lips. Taiden’s personality flooded the room. His spontaneous manner was reflected in the way things were stacked off balance, or draped over the backs of chairs and ottomans. It was obvious that this was his own space in which he was free to be himself without fear of his ‘madness’ following him. She liked it, but before she could grow too comfortable in the red and gold room, Julius placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the door, leaning in close to talk to her.
“Down the stairs quickly, and at the bottom there is an alcove. Hide in there and do not move until I say so.” He instructed, pushing her through the open door and ushering Zechariahs behind her.
Quickly they descended the stairwell of the tower, wary of other possible footsteps. None came, but then there was no reason for anyone to be in the prince’s quarters when the prince was missing. This was the easy part. The challenge would come once they reached the bottom of the stone steps and had to cross through the castle where there would be servants, guards and guests.

Xylia pressed herself against the cool stone, masking herself in the shadows and watched as Zechariahs did the same. She wondered why he was there. She had heard his reasons in Misthaven, but she hadn’t seen him wield a sword in all of their lives and yet he was clutching onto one Julius had gifted to him. She didn’t know if Zechariahs was a fighter, or skilled at being stealthy. She just knew he was one of The Draca, as proud as they came and cursed to leave this world before the first snowfall of the year. He breathed heavily, his wide nostrils flaring as he worked hard to not cough or wheeze in the darkness. She hoped he wouldn’t give them away, but she also hoped that he wouldn’t do anything foolish just because he was dying.

Julius came down the stairs and walked straight by them, deliberately ignoring them. He moved into the hallway and glanced around. It was deserted since everyone was preparing for the banquet at the other end of the castle. There would be guards on patrol nearby, but he had strong hopes that some would ally with him – their captain – and not with the queen who instilled fear into them. Reaching back with his hand he beckoned for Xylia and Zechariahs to join him.
“We must be quick and silent. I do not know what will lie ahead.” He warned, keeping one hand on the hilt of his longsword.
Xylia did the same with her dagger. “Let’s save Lyris.” She said, earning a small smirk from the captain.

Down in the tunnels, Taiden paced back and forth across the narrow space. He did not dare to move too far from the hatch in case anyone returned for him. He had no way of tracking time apart from waiting until the flaming torches around him eventually died out. There was no way of knowing how long that could take and already Taiden could feel himself growing impatient. He wanted to know what was happening up in the castle. Underground he couldn’t hear a thing. He didn’t know if they were embroiled in a battle to the death, or if they were still safely sneaking through the same hallways he had grown up in. His heart was pounding in his chest and he kept reaching up to run his fingers through his wild, unkempt hair, tugging at the knots and wincing when his nails caught them. He was scared for them, and never in his life had Taiden felt more helpless.
He wanted to be up there beside them. This whole thing was because of his wish. He had started this battle against his step-mother a long time ago and now he wouldn’t even be there to see how it ended. It wasn’t fair; not to him and not on those who could die fighting on his behalf.
His dark eyes looked up at the hatch and then at the hazardous ladder dangling from it. He could go after them. There was no one to stop him now. Julius would be in the middle of the castle somewhere, ensuring Xylia made it to the banquet to confront the queen. Taiden could easily follow them now. Would any of the guards really dare to harm the prince? He had the power to send them to their deaths after all. Taiden reached out, closing his hand around the thick, rough rope when a sound pricked at his ears and sent him into high alert.
The scuffle of someone’s shoe on the wet stone.

He craned his neck to peer back into the tunnel, but his fears were already confirmed. Footsteps were coming faster and getting louder. Someone was running towards him and they weren’t being at all secretive about it. Taiden let go of the ladder and instead reached for his sword, pulling it free from the sheath and holding it before him just as Julius had taught him to. He prepared himself for a fight, but instead he was met with dry, feminine laughter.
“Put that toy away before you hurt yourself, silly prince.”
He blinked, straightening his back and stared in confusion as the stranger revealed herself by the torchlight.

She was tall, taller than him, and though she wore polished and strangely crested silver armour, Taiden could tell that she was toned and strong beneath it. Rose gold waves framed her long, angular face and her skin was as pale as the moonlight. Her silvery eyes looked him over, and he was sure that he saw amusement still twinkling in them, though he couldn’t be certain if it wasn’t a trick of the torch flames. What he was certain of, however, was the confident smirk on her coral lips. It taunted him, holding the echoes of her laughter, and he didn’t know whether to feel angry by this woman or confused. So he felt both.
“Who are you?” He demanded, but made no motion to lower his weapon.
“I am on your side.” She told him, but her fingers closed around the grip of her sheathed claymore. “For now.”
“That did not answer my question.” Taiden pointed out, keeping his sword trained on the stranger as he reached back for the ladder with his other hand. He wanted to know exactly where it was in case he needed a quick escape.
She sighed, relenting, and placed a fist over her heart. “I am Allela Du Morant. I am here for Xylia Ileana Alewyne.”
Taiden blinked at her for a long moment before he realised who she must have been talking about. In all the time they had been in each other’s company he had never once asked Xylia’s full name. Suddenly he felt exceptionally rude and wished he could race after her through the castle simply to apologise for his bad manners.
Allela, it seemed, did not have time for the prince to be lost in his thoughts. “Did she already go into the castle?” She asked impatiently, stepping closer and peering up at the hatch for herself.
“Yes. It feels like a lifetime ago since they left me down here.”
“Freiscka!” Taiden didn’t know what she said, but the anger in her voice was enough for him to be certain that it couldn’t be anything good. “Come on. You need to show me the way through your castle.” Allela pushed him towards the ladder, bearing no mind to the sword still drawn and weakly following her every footstep.
“The queen will order my immediate death if I’m seen.”
With a roll of her glittering eyes, Allela sighed. “I’m not throwing you to the wolves, prince. I’ll fight for you if I must, but I need to find Xylia before she makes a grave mistake and ends up a cold, useless corpse.”
“You’re here to save her from my step-mother?” Taiden asked optimistically, gripping the ladder tighter.
Allela let out a harsh laugh and pushed him aside to climb the ladder first. She was tired of waiting on him. “She’s more than capable of saving herself from divine Queen Devanna. No, I’m here to protect her from someone far worse; The Empress Loreina.”
“Devanna’s mother?” Taiden climbed quickly after Allela, taking a moment to readjust to being back in his old chambers again once he was up and out of the tunnels. Allela closed the hatch behind him and made short work of crossing to the door and peering out to check that the stairwell was clear.
“She has been orchestrating everything for far longer than you realise. Devanna is just another piece in her game. Loreina may not be aware of Xylia’s existence or what she is capable of, but the minute she makes herself known tonight Loreina will strike her down faster than anyone can blink.” Allela turned back to Taiden with wild desperation in her eyes and grabbed his shoulders firmly. “If Xylia dies tonight then Lyris will not be the only kingdom to suffer. This entire world will crumble. It only starts with Lyris, but it ends with Xylia. She has to live, no matter the cost.”