The Prince's Shadows

by Seoran Worg

  I still snuggled on my bed when I hear my door opened softly. Dela enter the room, coming slowly to my bed. She curls up just by my side and ask me what happen outside the wall.

  I sigh softly, and I tell her only its beauty and none others.

  “I envy you. In my eighteen years, I never went out from Varr City.” I see her pouting petulantly.

  It surprises me as well, I know it is uncommon to travel outside the city, but never once in life time, it seems so sad. I tell her other stories from cities beyond this wall. We talks until midnight. Then she felt a sleep blissfully on my bed, somehow I envy her.

  ***

  Today is supposed to be the day of my first visit home, after a month I’ve stayed in the Varan Castle. But royal summon comes in the morning. It come in the same manner with the first summon, they didn’t tell me why or who has summoned me. Once again, I go to the palace. I feel that I will never be comfortable around these royals. They make me feel anxious.

  The court lady leads me through series of corridor, and then she left me at one of the palace many bedchambers. This bedchamber has big window, from there I can see a floating cloud in the sky, it seems so close, just hanging outside the window. Between these clouds I can see Varan Castle below and foggy landscape beyond that.

  “You’ve came,” say a young female voice, behind my back.

  I turn around and hastily bowing without even seeing her face clearly, “Your highness.”

  “Rise,” she says in cold detached voice.

  The princess is small in stature and one or two inches shorter than me. She has royal’s light brown eyes, almost as light as Ryn, She has a heart shaped face, it curved delicately, her eyes are big and round, it framed with thick eyelashes with finely arched eyebrow above it. Her eyes make her appear younger than she really is. Her mouth is dainty but her lips are full and well defined. Her nose is narrow and proportioned well with her mouth and the rest of her face. The princess' face is what most people call a beauty.

  She dress in silver tunic and wide skirt with peony and butterfly embroidery made of golden thread. As she is an unmarried girl, her thick and lustrous hair was let down, it is well pass her shoulder blade down almost to her hip. The top of her hair is fashioned in intricate braid, secured in small bun with matching peony and butterfly hair pin made of ruby and sapphire. She wears mismatching earing, in right side it is gold dragon and in the left is silver eagle, the royal family symbols.

  “This will be your room from now on,” she somehow manages to look regal and demanding respect despite her lack of height, “You will be the empress’ ward,” she says coldly.

  I stare in disbelief. A ward? Isn’t it just another term of hostage?

  Seeing my stunned face the princess says, “No thanks?”

  I forget myself so I lowered my eyes back, “I do thank you for her majesty generosity.”

  “Do you, really?” She asks amused. “I heard that you’ve meet the lost soul.”

  “No… I mean… Yes, your highness.”

  Of course Ryn told them. It is silly of me.

  She assesses me coolly, “Your sister was one of them. You know it surely.”

  “Yes, it is what people said,” I say carefully.

  “So, you don’t believe it.”

  I realize my blunder but can’t readily admit that the princess is right. I want to say, Yes, I don’t believe that my sister was one of them, but I hold my tongue.

  “It’s no matter what you believe. She is branded as one. And died as one. I do hope you don’t make the same mistake,” she says it in the same cold manner.

  She then starts to leave the room. Few feet later, as if remembering something she adds, “Tomorrow is your ascension ceremony. Do be prepared.”

  Ascension ceremony is when disciple says the vow of fealty and dons the collar as a seal. This collar is made from gold with colored gemstone, and each disciple has different kind of stone. It is depends on energy within their body. But this ceremony is not supposed to be now. It supposed to be two months later, together with others new disciples.

  I am pacing in my room.

  Oh, Gods. What just happened? Did I do something wrong?

  But I cannot think of any. And I end up staring blanking outside from the window, it is my window now. My only link with outside world.

  Ryn, where is he now? He must know what happened.

  I see the sun slowly dip below the horizon and night comes. I hear soft knock from the door, a court lady and two servants come in. They bring my belonging from Varan Castle. One of the servant try to help me to take off my clothes but the court lady tells the servants to leave us. Then, she helps me herself.

  She is younger than me, maybe around the princess age, sixteen years old. But she is taller than both of us. She has a soft rounded face, button nose, small eyes and thin lip. And she has pleasant manner.

  I sit in front of big looking glass. And she is brushing my long hair now. I tell her I can do it by myself but she insists so I let her. It still feel odd having all these people pampered me like this. My family is neither rich or well connected, and I always do this things by myself, for we don’t have many servants to spare.

  “What is your name?” I ask her.

  “It is Marie Kim, my lady,” she murmured softly.

  “Just call me Ava. You are a noble too I guess.”

  She nods.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “I am here since I was five. So, eleven years it is.”

  “Do you like being here?” I realize it late, that it is insensitive question. “I don’t mean…”

  “It’s okay, My… Ava,” she smiles. “You will get used too soon.”

  I just let out a heavy sigh.

  Seeing my distress she says, “At the beginning I cry a lot, missing my sisters and brothers. But it is okay now. You too, it will be okay.”

  I really want to believe her, but it will be harder to see my family now. I let out a heavy sigh again.

  “Just sometimes, it’s get lonely here… I think my parents had forgotten about me. Years ago they came to see me often. But not anymore,” she adds with a sigh too.

  With my hear all brushed up and braided, I walk to the bed. Tonight, I sleep at this room, the room where the princess told me to. I lay down my body to the bed, looking at the ceiling. This is spacious room, bigger than my room at Varan Castle. The bed is softer too. Although it is not as secluded as in Blue Tower but I feel lonely all the same.

  My thought drifting back to Marie and what she has confessed to me.

  Do we really mean to be forgotten? Did my sister feel the same?

  Sometimes I get the feeling that father blames her for our mother death. His manner is perfectly polite to her, like he treats stranger’s daughter instead of his own, distant and aloof. I know he loved mother so much, that is why he never remarry again. Sadly, she was death giving birth to my sister and me. My sister gift is strong since the beginning. I have suspicion that our mother death somehow was related with it. But my family never answered me whenever I asked about it, and that makes suspicion stronger.

  ***

  My room is on the west side of the palace, and no sun light to tell me, the morning has come. Darkness is still around me when Marie wakes me up from my deep slumber. I still half asleep as she helps me to wear my ceremony uniform. It is red, blue and white, the combination of three elements, all is made from the finest silk with gold thread on it edges. For the hair, Marie fashioned it in one big braid starting with a small lock from top of my head, then add more of it, plus a strand of gold thread, as the braid go down little by little. After she finished, I admire her work in the looking glass.

  “You are beautiful, Ava,” she says proudly.

  I just answer with smile and thanks.

  An hour later, Marie leads me outside, out of the palace’s main building to the yard near east wing. There, a small temple is stood; it is where the ceremony will be hel
d.

  This temple has no wall only twelve pillars that support the rooftop, it was made of white marble, but the center was made of multi colored glass panel so it transform the sun rays into burst of colors. Just below the glass, the altar stands, it is a raised dais, around ten feet square with five shallow steps below. When I enter the temple, two Oracles are busy preparing the ceremony. They both are female in their late fifty, they wear silver-white robe, and all wear their hair down in the same style as mine, it is mean they are unmarried still.

  The air is thick form incense, which the Oracles burn in small gold pot on the altar. The preparation is almost finish. The last thing the oracles do is to arrange flowers and fruits at the altar as offering to the Gods. The pill the fruit inside golden and silver pots. Then, the scatters the flowers' petals on the floor. After they finish, they kneeling before the altar.

  Minutes pass, but we cannot start the ceremony yet, as a custom, a male Varr will lead this ceremony. And Prince Lex is the only option. So, we are waiting some more, I wait in silent while the oracles wait with prayer. Few minutes later, the prince comes in his gold robe, the royal official ceremony clothes, and veil covering his face.

  He walks briskly, Then ceremony begins and takes his place in front of the altar while I stand right behind him, while the two oracles kneel each in my side. And I too kneeling on the hard marble floor.

  “I am Lex Varr. Blood of the Varr. And the son of the Gods,” he says in loud clear voice. He picks a small blade and an empty vial made of blue crystal.

  He turns around facing me. He makes small cuts on his thumb. His blood runs, bright red, “With my blood, I offer Gods protection.”

  He offers his blood to me, I suck his thumb and it tastes like a metal. I steal a glace to his face but I can see nothing but his pale eyes. Then, he takes my right hand and cut my thumb in the same way. I wince, it is just little painful. I am more afraid seeing the blood itself then the actual wound.

  “I am Ava Worg. Swear to defend and obey the Varrs with my blood, until I draw my last breath,” I say my vow calmly.

  One of the Oracle collect my blood and store it in the vial, the other brings another pot with powdery substance, it mixed of gold and silver. The prince put his hand on top it.

  “With this I bind you, Ava Worg. To the Varrs, now, you're belong.” The powdery substance hardened, the gold and the silver interlaced and twisting, snake like, swirling in the air, make a few complete circle around me. I hear small hissing voice and then it settles in my neck. I feel a biting and burned sensation in my skin. I double over, panting hard.

  So this is the collar.

  It fit tight in my neck but it not over yet. The prince picks stone from another pot.

  “This is as a seal of your fealty,” he puts the stone in his open palm. The stone is as big as my nail. In the beginning it’s just black and dull. Few seconds later, it is change in color. It start with bluish black, then become lighter and then the color shifting so fast like the color of holy' lights in the sky, then it settles on combination of blue, green and yellow. Then, the stone ascend from the prince palm, hanging on the air, then move so swiftly to the center of my collar, and once again my breath knocked away.

  Just like that the ceremony ended, and I walking in a trance, following the servant back to my room. I gingerly touch my collar, it is feel cold. I pause in front of a big mirror, just briefly and then I go across the room, to my bed. On the soft bed below, I fling my body, and staring blankly to the ceiling.

  I hear light footsteps, and soon after I see Marie face.

  She sits on the bed, near me, “It looks so beautiful,” she says admiring my new collar. Yes, I too think it is. I saw it on the mirror before, the final shape was like a winged snake, its head and tail gather just below my throat, and the stone looks like an egg in its mouth.

  “I’ve never seen one this up close,” she says in wonder. “When I was a little, I wish that I become a Blessed too. Maybe then they will send me to the Varan Castle. Anywhere outside this palace.”

  “Do they never let you out?”

  “Oh… they do. Sometimes I went with Princess Lara or Mera.”

  Marie told me about the custom of the court lady. It’s so sad to think that they will stay here forever, unless the empress, marry them off to some noble family or her trusted generals, but it is proven to be a rare case. People who had seen the royal family’s face will not let go easily.

  Is that way I am here now? Is this mean Ryn is the real prince?

  I dare not to ask Marie about this. I remember what Mistress Donna said, palace is traitorous place, where you can die with a mere false word or wrong step.

  In the end, I ask her the direction to the palace library, and she escorts me there. The library is located in the left wing of main building.

  As I enter the library, I see its height ceiling and tall shelves, and smell of old parchment whiffing in my nose, I feel like meeting with an old friend. This library is twice bigger than library in Varan Castle.

  The caretaker already blows out the glass light candles above, only small torch in the wall shine in yellowish glow. I tell Marie to left me alone, from her expression, I know that she is not fond of these books.

  In those tall shelves, I see many kind of book, from the newest stories wrote by popular storyteller, inside and outside the wall, to ancient scrolls that were written in hieroglyph. This form of writing already abandoned long time ago, since it is difficult to remember thousands of words, represented each in a picture-like word. The great Sean Varr, the eighteen Emperror made new type of written language that was used today. I’ve learnt this hieroglyph, though, not as good as Master Sain, at least I know basic words and can read simple sentences. There are many books written in hieroglyph here, I saw some of its translated copy back in Varan Castle.

  I walking slowly, scanning the book, one book I never saw before is catching my eyes, this book was made from old parchment, bounded in leather and fragile to touch.  This book was written in the end of Emperor Daris reign, in the year of 102 V. Y., five hundred and five years ago.

  ***

  The next morning, a young servant is helping me with my attire when summon from the crown prince comes. This time another court lady, around five years my elder, who comes to fetch me. She asks me to follow her.

  She leads me to big training ground, located inside one of the palace five towers, but which one I am not sure. This palace is too big for me to understand completely in short time. The training room is a big room, trice time bigger than training room in Varan Castle, but it is arranged in the same fashion.

  In this big room, I see a lone figure stand with his back on me in the center of sand field. He has the same long hair and body built like Ryn.

  It must be the prince.

  “Your highness,” I say bowing low.

  “Rise,” he says with warm tone. But it’s not the prince, the first one that I’ve met before.

  Chapter 5

  Clearly see confusion in my face, he chuckles and says, “This is become sort of jokes between us. Playing the prince, I mean,” he says cheerfully, “We always do this to newcomer.”

  In closer look, his face does look different with Ryn or Prince Lex. He has wider mouth, more tapered jaw and others little details that I cannot name. The most obvious difference is his demeanor. He has warmth about him, both in his eyes and voice.

  “Call me Malvin or White, whichever you prefer.”

  Footsteps sounds come from corridor outside, and shortly after, the princess appears with one of master at arm, a man in his late thirty.

  The princess’ hair is braided in one simple braid on her back. She wears deep red tunic, it is long pass her hip to the middle of her thigh and a wide trouser in same color. Her training clothes are meant to be practical, not pretty. We all wear the same kind of clothes just in different color, mine is dark green instead of red.

  I bow deeply to her but she already le
aves me to pick wooden sword that hang on wall on the left side of the room.

  Seeing my dumfounded stare, Malvin winks and grinning to me as if to says, don’t mind her.

  I already straighten my body again when the princess back with wooden swords on her hand.

  “My brother won’t come. You’ll train with me today,” the princess throws the wooden sword at me.

  We start, and Princess Larra is wasting no time, attacking me in swift motion. While we are parrying, I see Malvin and Master Hyun do the same.

  I just a beginner at martial art in general, I never interested in it before. Many of the noble ladies learn to fight, few of them even join the army, but I never have interest in it. My interest is in entirely different subjects, like foreign language and other scholarly learning.

  It is clear that I am no match for Princess Larra, and in less than an hour, Princess Larra finally given up on me.

  “Master Hyun, please take care of her,” she called out to the master.

  The master comes to us, bowing deep, “As your command, princess.”

  After the princess left, the master asks me, “How long have you been using a sword, my lady?”

  “Actually, I just start learn it, Master,” I say in resigned voice.

  He nod briefly, then bid me to make a stance, he process to correct it.

  “Master, can I train with arrow instead?”

  He pauses a while, the nod his consent, “As you wish, my lady.”

  We then go to the northwest corner of the training room where the arrow training usually takes place. The master tells me to choose my own bow, a bow that fit best with my arm and strength. Some of these bows are made of oak, teak or fir. They also have different shape and size. I choose a medium sized bow made of oak tree.

  The master shows me the basic stance once again, it is different that sword fight stance. I start to take aim now. The target is not far, it is around twenty feet ahead. He also says that in battles, it will harder to make a perfect aim than in training room, we have to account wind, humidity and the ground below, but for a beginner this place is good enough.

  In another side of the room, I can see Princess Larra and Malvin train together. They move like dancers, slashing, deflecting, jumping, and bouncing around gracefully. It apparently is the norm for them, Malvin doesn’t hesitate to give the princess a blow so is the princess.