The Prince's Shadows

by Seoran Worg

  The sound of hurried footsteps breaks my focus, it comes near briskly, and I see Master Sain, he smiles widely, showing his toothless mouth. It light up his old wrinkled face. In whispered tone, he says he found a scroll that depicts the origin of my gift, and he shows me the scroll.

  This scroll is also written in old hieroglyph. I touch it gently, marveling its old and fragile texture. In the same whispered voice, the master tells me its meaning, which I can understand by myself, but not fully.

  “To your son’s son and daughter,

  And to your son’s son’s children after them,

  I will give them power to master.

  To your beloved daughter’s son or daughter,

  And to your beloved daughter’s son or daughter,

  I will give power to nurture.”

  He says that the Halloweds supposed to be descendant of the first Varr youngest daughter. I should be happy hearing that I may come from exalted background but I feel nothing, for it is also mean that I have to wait again because the scroll says nothing about energy flow.

  I mask my disappointment, though, and say my thanks to the master with sweet smile. My aunt always says a lady must be always gracious.

  Master Sain nods and leaves, still in cheerful mood.

  But my mood doesn’t improve. I still remember that one time when I accidentally made one of the disciples lost his control of energy.

  That was the first day I joined the history lesson, the disciple is the youngest of us. That day he set a fire, burning the book in front of him, and I saw horror in others’ eyes, and since then, I have to sit far from them.

  I am not sure how it happened, it’s a merely brief eye contact and suddenly, I feel the energy leaks from my body. This incident however, makes me think that it is all real, and the vague memory from the Cursed Temple was real too, not a fanciful thinking.

  The next day, the third day after I woke up here, the masters gave me a black diamond pendant to block my energy flow from spiraling out of control.

  ***

  Coming back to my room in Blue Tower, loneliness crawling back to my soul, for I am the sole occupant in this tower, the only sound I hear is the gust of the wind outside.

  I walk to the window that facing the west sky, standing, looking outside, seeing the valley below clearly and the sapphire blue sky above where sun descent slowly to the west.

  I glance down to the city, noting that leaves are starting to grow back and cherry blossom starts to bloom.

  The land starts to wake and bring back its color, the spring is finally here, and weather is growing warmer too.

  In the north, Lake Ayle is shining reflecting the sky. And the city’s wall looks small so are houses that spread out from mountain shallow slope and Varan Valley to the city’s wall. I see small dotes in the west part of the city, they are houses of people I know, my family and my friends. I miss them, but the masters won’t permit me to go outside the castle.

  Back home in the city, this time of the year the women usually busy preparing for spring festival. This festival is to honor Vera, goddess of beauty.

  Usually, we make rice cake in the shape of flowers and make paper lampions in bright colors like red, yellow, blue and green; inside this lampion we can write our wishes. When full moon comes, people go to the lake’s shore and send these lampions along with their wishes high to the sky, to the heaven above, hoping the Gods will grant their heart desire in the coming year.

  I remember, I sent my first wish when I was five years old, ironically it was a wish to be sent here, to the Varan Castle so I can stay with my sister. The whole year, I waited for it to come true and next years after that until I finally given up at the age of ten, yet here I am now, years late.

  A breeze rattles the window, I turn around and take a closer look to my room, and sniffing its odor, even after hard scrubbing, the faint smell of rotten wood is still here. Looking at the ceiling, at least the servants manage to remove the cobwebs completely. But it is expected for a tower that was left rotting for decades. This tower is located in the west wing, while white tower is in the center and Red Tower in the right.

  From the start, the masters said it is the best for me to stay away from the others. They correct on that regard, everyone walk on eggshell around me, seem curious yet afraid that I will disturb the balance of their energy.

  Most of the disciples are not in full control of their energy yet, oddly even the masters dare not to see straight in my eyes. Only Dela, the oldest of the new disciples, dares to approach me, her reasoning was because she doesn’t have a strong gift to begin with. She said that it was also the reason way they found her so late, too late according to her liking, and she was right, nothing happen when I am near her, no cold outburst, fainting spells or other mishap.

  There are other disciples too in this Castle, the ones who had said their vow of fealty to the Varr. The Masters said that there are thirty seven of them, most are around ten to seventeen years old, and have been here for more than five years.

  It is said the greater the gift the earlier it will shows. But most of their parent will send them here only after they past seven years of age, not my sister, though. She stays here since forever.

  Looking at my room morosely, I hate the loneliness that gnawing in my heart. Thinking back to those disciples who avoiding me, it seems my hope of being ordinary is crushed again.

  I thought it will be different here.

  People, young and old, are afraid of my eyes, even before they know what I am. It is just eyes. It is the same with others’ eyes, sure, it is a very dark brown, almost black, the cursed or peasant eyes people used to say. Zeta, the only one I can call a true friend, said that my eyes absorb the light, and she is right, it is the holy fire’s light I take.

  Zeta, I miss her so.

  Now, she must be worrying. She is a sweet girl, the only one that befriends me. As a child, no one wants to play with me or with her, she because of her status as a half-noble and me because of my eyes. People are more accepting in later years as we grow older, though.

  A sudden soft knock from the wooden door startled me.

  “My Lady,” comes a soft voice, she is Ari, the servant. She opens the door, it squeaks faintly. She comes in, and bows to me. “Your cousin is here, my lady, waiting in the small hall,” she says.

  My Cousin? Which cousin is this? For I have a lot of them.

  ***

  In the hall below, I see a man in his army uniform, a general uniform, it is dark green tunic made from silk with red collar embroidered with arrows and birds.

  He looks more like a man now.

  “Av…” Damien catches himself and says, “My lady,” instead, since now, I outranked him.

  Ignoring his formality, I give him a hug. It feels so nice to see familiar face. Besides, it has been so long since the last time I saw him on the day he went off to the war in northern border, almost a year ago.

  “Ahem…” Damien is clearing his throat. He stands awkwardly frozen and seems uncomfortable.

  Maybe, I have overdone it. I am almost a woman grown now, a lady.

  “What bring you here, Coz?”

  Rather than answering my question, he says, “It’s so hard to meet you now,” he adds in gruff tone.

  “I am sorry,” I say meekly.

  “No. It’s I that sorry, Ava. Had I know what your father did. I would forbid it.”

  Clearly see my confusion, he add, “I am talking about your betrothal.”

  The betrothal?

  From my father’s letter that came along with my belonging, he said nothing about it, but it was five days ago.

  What my father did?

  My heart is beating faster now. Surely, he won’t push forward the wedding.

  “I have it undone as soon as I back,” he says hotly.

  Relief washes over my body and I let out a breath that I hold unconsciously.

  “I am still the head of the clan. You
r father shouldn’t do it. I am planning to tell you right away, but the door keeper won’t let me in. It shocked me to know that you are here, and still is,” Damien adds.

  I want to hug him again and kiss him thanks you but I only say, “My father means well… And I do thank you.” I must be a loyal daughter after all.

  Only three years older than me, Damien always takes his responsibility very seriously, even though he seems distant but he is one of few people that always nice to me since I was a child.

  “Yes, I know what he meant but it’s unacceptable for us to marry a mere peasant.”

  Damien always so set to bring our family back to its former glory, but as far as I know, our clan is always like this, small and weak.

  “He is not a peasant. He is her majesty’s general, and his mother is from nobility too.”

  “If not for Zeta’s letter I wouldn’t know about it. I can’t believe you defend him. Why is it? Don’t tell me you fond of him. And he is too old for you.”

  Yes, I think so too. But it is not uncommon for a girl to marry a man more than decade her senior.

  With soft sigh he adds, “You won’t need me anyway now. The Hallowed? Isn’t that they call you?”

  “I don’t mean to defend.”

  He comes closer, holds my hand and looks me straight in the eyes, “You know that I care for you, don’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  “That’s not what I mean. You look rather pretty if one look past your eyes. I mean to offer for you in few years,” he pauses and then continue as if in afterthought, “…to be my wife.”

  I just don’t know what to say. I never saw him in romantic way. If I looked back, maybe I should.

  “I take it as a ‘No’ then.” With that he left me, still stunned.

  ***

  Alone in my bed, thinking about this afternoon event, it is strange after years feeling rejected and suddenly someone come and tell you otherwise. I feel flattered and oddly sad too.

  A faint knocking sound comes from the door breaking my thought.

  “Yes, come in.”

  Ari enters and tells me a message from the masters. She says I have to be prepared for tomorrow morning. The royals want me in the palace.

  Ari has been long gone from my room. But the new she brings still occupy my mind and makes sleep harder to come.

  Why they want me there? Is it the empress? The crown prince? Or the princess?

  They said the royal family only will summon us, the new disciples, when we are ready to say our vow, and don our silver-gold collar as a sign of fealty. It is not supposed to be tomorrow, it is supposed to be on the sixth day of the sixth month, two months from now.

  I keep turning in my feather bed, wishing the servant didn’t tell me this news, I will sleep better then.

  I feel a sudden soft and cold touch on my shoulder, rattling my body.

  What is this?

  My muscles spasm and I wake up with a start.

  “My Lady!” cries Ari. It seems I startled her too. “It’s me, Ari.”

  I don’t know when I felt asleep but now, dawn has arrived. Ari help me put my official clothes for disciple. It is different from every day, ceremony or war uniform. Unlike in the west, east or others kingdom, here clothing is what marking people rank in society, the law dictates what to wear.

  The uniform I am wearing now, consist of an lower garment, a wide warp around skirt in maroon color embroidered with lotus flower and butterflies, underneath it, a petticoat instead of trouser, and for upper garment, it is white tunic or jacket with wide sleeves, a wide sash and neckband in maroon color with lotus flower and butterflies embroidery. This clothes is cut like a normal clothes I wear every day before I come to the Varan Castle, except for the color, the fabric and its embroidery. It is forbidden for people ranked below us, the Blessed, to wear red and silver colors. And gold is for the royal alone. For the hair, peasants are forbidden wearing gold and silver, while jade and diamond, other than black diamond, are reserved for the royal. The peasants without noble or royal blood are only permitted to wear plain dark colored clothes like brown and black without ornament on it.

  I see my reflection on the looking glass while Ari arranging my hair, she lets lose the bottom layer of my hair as a customary style for unmarried woman, and now she braid the top layer of my hair into an intricate style. She makes some arches and gathers these looped braids to the side then pin it with a butterfly-shaped hair pin, it made of gold with rubies on its wings. After making sure my hair secure on its pin, she puts some face powder and rogues in my lips.

  I look myself again, I see a wealthy girl there. It is astound me that with right jewelry and proper styling, a girl like me can look regal and beautiful.

  ***

  The party departs an hour after the dawn breaks. Two masters escort me, Master Zy and Mistress Donna.

  We each have our own horse. My mount is a brownish young mare with beautiful long mane. With her sure feet, we ascend slowly following royal road to the top of the mountain where the palace is. This road is the only road to the palace, but people whispered that there is another road, a secret road. The road where the rebel prince once fled. But if it is true, no one knows where it is.

  With each clopping sound of the horse’ hooves, the palace look bigger and my uneasiness grow.

  No turning back now, for I see the palace looming ahead. We stop just outside the palace’s gate, waiting the guard to open it.

  The gate is twenty feet wide and thirty feet tall, made of oak tree painted red with golden dragon in the right door and silver eagle in the left. Dragon and eagle are royal family symbol, and only the royal is allowed to wear that symbols.

  Inside the palace, a court lady greets us and bid us to wait in a big hall. I walk closer to a burning great hearth on the other side of the room. It’s warm here.

  Looking around, I see that the wall is full of ornament made of gold and silver. There are many painting too, hanged in orderly manner, and one painting catches my attention.

  It is a painting of a young man, maybe in his late teen or early twenty. He has long hair, little pass his shoulder, some of it pulled back with queue. His almond shaped eyes are the lightest brown I’ve ever seen. His feature was well defined, symmetrical with high angular cheekbones carved down towards a slightly pointed chin. He had straight nose, it is not too big nor high, and balanced well with his sensual smiling lips. He looks almost beautiful if not for his strong jaw.

  He is definitely a royal, for they are famous of their beauty, which marking them as descendant of the Gods.

  “He looks beautiful, isn’t he?” Mistress Donna joins me, admiring the painting.

  “Yes, mistress. But who is he?”

  “He is the Vyn, the first Emperor. I saw his others painting before,” Mistress Donna says with awe. “And this from his younger days.”

  Legend says that Vyn’s mother was Vera, goddess of beauty and his father is a mere human, but other says that both of his parents are Gods, and another says that he is a human, and because of his beauty a goddess fall in love and take him as a husband.

  Whatever people say about the Varr, no one ever questioned their power. The strongest of the Blessed comes from the royal. The Varrs that live now, all have the gift. The crown prince Lex Varr is the strongest among them. It is said that he can control both fire and wind, and only a few can control more than one element.

  “My lady,” another court lady comes to greet us. She asks me to follow her. From her clothes and ornament in her hair she is not from a lower class.

  It is known that the empress often takes her enemy’s children as ward and keep them in the palace. It’s been nineteen years since she rules the Varr Empire, but some still don’t accept her as their ruler.

  I catch myself before I barrel down to the court lady. I haven’t noticed that we are already arrived at our destination. I let out a soft sigh.

  I should stop my woolgathering.
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  Looking around, I see an oaken door inlaid with golden dragon and silver eagle in front of me.

  “This is the throne room, my lady,” she says.

  The court lady left me outside the room, just in front of the door.

  Before she left, the lady tells me the basic court rules. I have to lower my gaze and bowing until the prince tells me to rise. And to always obey his command, not to gainsay to whatever he says.

  So, it is the prince, the one that summon me.

  The majordomo quietly opens the door, and let me in. I walk with lowered gaze, my heart beating madly. But I can see that this room is too small to be the main throne room where usually the empress held the court. Near the foot of stair to the throne, I stop and bowing deep and hold myself still.

  “Ava Worg, your highness,” I say.

  “Rise,” he has deep and cold voice.

  Slowly, I rise from my deep bow.

  I see the prince, starting from his feet. He garbed in gold colored robe, long to his ankle. Then my gaze goes up until it rest to his lips and moved quickly to his eyes. Our gaze locked, then I see it again, those silvery eyes.

  I feel my energy starts to ebb, weakness overcomes me. It begins from my feet, it starts to quiver, my knee buckled and I start to fall.

  Chapter 2

  In a blink of an eye, a shadow comes as if from nowhere. He holds me steady before my knee hit the floor.

  “Close your eyes,” he murmurs softly.

  I see a glimpse of him before I dip my eyelids; his face reminds me of the painting in the Hall, the image of the first Varr, which is also the image of the prince sans his silvery eyes.

  The young man releases me immediately when I get my strength back.

  He must be one of the prince’s shadows, the crown price sworn guard, they serve for life as his shield and decoy to fool an enemy. There are two of them but only few people ever saw their face or their master, Prince Lex.

  The prince true face is the most guarded secret in this empire. He is the last male Varr alive. He is this empire future, and if he dies, then this empire will die with him.

  Some say he is this empire true ruler instead of his mother, since the throne and Varr name is passed down through a male line. In entire Varr Empire’s history, Empress Sera Varr is the first empress that rules in her own name. Other empress before her always rules in her son or husband stead.