Chapter 15

The cool night air nipped at my skin as Prince Rowan and I crept through the dimly lit corridors of the palace. Every shadow seemed to stretch out, threatening to expose us, but Rowan moved with a silent grace that I tried to mimic. My heart pounded in my chest, the events of the evening still swirling in my mind. I could hardly believe it—I was safe, and Rowan had saved me. Not only that, but he could walk again.

When we finally reached his chambers, Prince Rowan closed the door softly behind us, turning to me with a reassuring smile. "Sit down, Ariadne," he said, guiding me to a chair by the fireplace. "I'll make you some tea."

I sank into the chair, exhaustion washing over me. The soft crackling of the fire and the gentle clinking of porcelain as Prince Rowan prepared the tea provided a comforting background. I watched him, still marveling at how he moved—confidently, without the slightest hint of a limp. He was walking, he was walking normally like he had walked all his life. I couldn't believe my eyes.

He brought me a steaming cup and a clean cloth, then gently urged me to lie down on the bed. "Rest," he insisted. "I'll tend to your wounds."

I lay back, the warmth of the bed seeping into my bones. Prince Rowan sat beside me, carefully cleaning the scrapes and cuts I hadn't even realized I'd gotten. "I still can't believe you can walk," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "How... how did you find me?"

Rowan smiled, his eyes warm. "I noticed something was wrong when you didn't come back on time. I couldn't just sit and wait, so I had to act. Walking without people noticing me was hard at first, but then I realized that many people don't even remember me—I've been away for so long. It allowed me to move freely."

He paused, his hands gentle as he wrapped a bandage around my arm. "I just followed my instincts to find you."

Tears of relief and gratitude welled up in my eyes. "Thank you," I murmured, reaching up to touch his hand. "You saved my life."

He squeezed my hand gently, his expression serious. "I'm glad I could help. But, Ariadne, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," I replied without hesitation.

"You must keep it a secret that I can walk," he said. "No one can know. Not yet."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of his request. "I promise."

Prince Rowan's smile returned, softer this time. "Good. Now, rest. You're safe here with me."

As he continued to tend to me, I felt a profound sense of peace. Despite the danger and uncertainty that lay ahead, I knew I could trust him. He had walked through the shadows to find me, to bring me back to safety. And I would keep his secret, protect him as he had protected me.

With that thought, I allowed myself to drift into a dreamless sleep, knowing that when I woke, Prince Rowan would be there, ready to face whatever came next together.

……..


I awoke to the relentless pounding of fists on the heavy oak door. The sound reverberated through the room, jerking me from the fringes of sleep. Prince Rowan stirred beside me, his brow furrowing as he slowly came to. My heart pounded in tandem with the knocks, a sense of dread creeping over me.

“Who could it be at this hour?” Rowan muttered, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“I’ll get it,” I whispered, slipping out of bed and pulling on a robe. The cool stone floor sent a shiver up my spine as I made my way to the door.

The moment I unlatched it, two guards pushed their way in, their faces set in grim determination. “Lady Isabelle,” one of them began, his tone curt, “we apologize for the intrusion, but this is urgent.”

“What is it?” I asked, feigning the calm I did not feel. “What could possibly be so urgent in the middle of the night?”

“The Steward Lark is missing,” the other guard said bluntly, his eyes narrowing as if searching my face for a reaction.

Lark. The steward. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to appear surprised. “Missing? Since when?” I asked, allowing a note of worry to creep into my voice.

“We’re not sure,” the first guard replied. “He wasn’t in his chambers, and no one has seen him since last night. We’re investigating his disappearance and looking for any clues. Have you noticed anything unusual, my Lady? Any idea where he might have gone?”

I shook my head slowly, my mind racing. “I haven’t seen him in a while,” I lied. “I’ve been preoccupied with other matters. But I sincerely hope he’s found soon. He’s indispensable to the Prince and I.”

The guards exchanged a glance before nodding. “Thank you, Lady Isabelle,” the second guard said. “We’ll continue our search. If you hear or see anything, please let us know immediately.”

“Of course,” I said, watching as they turned to leave. “I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”

As the door closed behind them, I turned to Rowan, who was now fully awake and sitting on the edge of the bed, his expression unreadable. “What do we do if they find Lark’s body?” I whispered, crossing the room to stand before him.

“Don’t worry,” Prince Rowan said calmly, reaching out to take my hand. “They’ll never suspect it was me. I was very careful.”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “There were two more guards who dropped me in the dungeon,” I reminded him. “If they talk…”

Prince Rowan’s eyes hardened. “Can you recognize them?”

I nodded, recalling their faces with a clarity born of fear and hatred. “Yes. They were wearing the standard guard uniform, but one had a scar across his cheek, and the other had a distinctive red braid.”

“Then we need to find them,” Prince Rowan said, standing up and beginning to dress. “If they’re still in the castle, I need to ensure they can’t implicate you.”

I watched him, my mind spinning with the implications of what we were about to do. But there was no turning back now. I quickly dressed as well, pulling on the simplest garments I could find. We had to move quickly and quietly.

The castle was eerily silent as we slipped out of our chambers. The torches along the walls cast flickering shadows, adding to the sense of unease. We moved swiftly, Prince Rowan leading the way with a confidence that belied the danger of our situation.

As we descended the stairs, I couldn’t help but think back to how we had ended up here. Lark had been a threat, a looming presence that had to be dealt with.

We reached the lower levels of the castle where the guards’ quarters were located. The air was damp and cold, the stone walls oppressive. Rowan gestured for me to stay close as we moved through the dimly lit corridors, listening for any sounds of movement.

It didn’t take long to find the first guard. He was alone, sitting at a small table and cleaning his sword. The scar across his cheek was unmistakable. Prince Rowan stepped forward, his voice low and commanding. “We need to talk.”

The guard looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes before it was replaced by suspicion. “Who are you?!"

He didn't even recognise his own Prince. Well, it's been years and the cloak that the Prince was weraing covered most of his face, they had no way of knowing.

"What’s this about?” The guard asked as he stood up slowly, clearly moving into a fighting stance.

“You know about Lark. You know about his disappearance,” Prince Rowan said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The guard’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly masked his reaction. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do,” I said, stepping forward. “You were there. He was one of the guards that dragged me to the dungeon.”

The guard’s hand tightened on his sword, but he didn’t draw it. “I was only following orders. What do you want?”

“Your silence,” Rowan said simply. “If you value your life, you’ll never mention anything about you capturing the Lady Isabelle.”

The guard hesitated, his eyes darting between us. I could see the calculation in his gaze, the weighing of risks. Finally, he nodded. “What's in it for me? If I keep my mouth shut?”

“Well, for one, you wouldn't be implicated in his disappearance and you wouldn't end up like Lark. Dead and in a ditch somewhere,” Rowan said, his expression cold. “Now, where’s your partner?”

The guard hesitated again before answering. “He’s on patrol near the west gate.”

Without another word, we left him there, heading for the west gate. My heart was pounding, but I felt a grim determination settle over me. We couldn’t afford any mistakes.

As we neared the west gate, we spotted the guard with the red braid. He was pacing, his eyes scanning the darkness. Prince Rowan and I exchanged a glance before approaching him.

“Evening,” Rowan said casually, but there was an edge to his voice that made the guard stop and turn.

“What do you want?” the guard asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

“We need to talk to you,” The Prince said, stepping forward. “About Lark.”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “What about him?”

“You were with him that night,” Rowan said bluntly. “You know what you did and what happened. You need to keep quiet about that.”

The guard’s expression hardened. “And if I don’t?”

“Then you won’t live to tell anyone and end up with a fate worse than Lark's,” Prince Rowan replied, his tone deadly serious.

There was a tense moment of silence before the guard nodded slowly. “Fine. I’ll keep quiet. But you know they are investigating his disapperance, if they press us for answers I'm afraid I'll have no option but to talk."

“They won’t press you for anything because they don't know you're involved. But we know,” Rowan said. “As long as you do your part, it will be over soon.”

We watched as the guard turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

“Do you think they’ll keep their word?” I asked Rowan as we made our way back to our chambers.

“They will,” he said confidently. “They know the consequences if they don’t.”