The castle was huge. So huge it made his parents house look like an apartment. And that's saying something because his parents were known for their extravagance and their lavishness.
The interior of the castle screamed wealth and power. It was a mixture of blood red and gold giving a gothic vibe. The black marble floors sparkled to a gleam. It seemed like this was the maid quarters because there were many maid coming out and going in different doors. And every one of them shot him the same look of disgust, whispering insults loud enough for him hear. It seemed like he was popular here. Not.
The main hallway of the castle wasn't any less furnished but it's design was a little bit little than than the maid quarters. The walk was a silent one. The purple haired girl didn't say anything so neither did he. After walking for about ten minutes the girl stopped in front of a black obsidian door. She opened it without knocking and signaled Jayden, now Kyle, to go in.
'Wasn't she going in with him?'
She shook her head answering his silent question. He braved himself and took a step forward into the room. The door closed behind him as he let his eyes roam around.
It was a study. By far larger than his father's with almost same setting. But this one had its bookshelves at the middle of the room forming rows. A floor to ceiling window that overlooked a very beautiful landscape. He wondered just how tall the building was. The desk was in front of the window as if the person who usually sat there didn't care about the view at all.
The setting of the office and the arrangement of the documents on the table screamed power and someone in charge. He would know cause he was once there. And yet Lucy sat there.
At the desk.
"Are done gawking like a cow?"
'Oh so they had cows here?'
He lowered his eyes to the floor and said nothing. Lucy stood up slowly and walked towards him, hips swaying. If he hadn't already heard from the purple haired girl that she was the head maid he would have ruled out the possibility from his mind. With her standing in front of him he saw she had an hour glass shape. She looked like some fairy tale princess.
Lucy probably mistook his stare for something else because a slap landed on his face
"Know your place." She spat with anger.
'Maybe a the villain of the fairy tale story.'
She pointed at some things he hadn't noticed before
"The crown prince is coming back tomorrow. I want this room spotless. Or you can expect no food today."
With that she turned and sashayed away.
Jayden was furious. He wasn't used to used to being treated like this. He gathered this was the crown prince's study. A place where a maid like the original owner shouldn't be cleaning considering th fact that the owner tried to sneak into the crown prince's room. Maybe she wanted to set him up? Frame him? But she said the crown prince is coming back tomorrow. Maybe she just wanted him to see how close yet so far he is from the crown prince. Or maybe she was just too lazy to do her job.
Whatever was her plan he'd have to stay clear from her. Which may not be possible.
He decided to look around as much as he could to get any information on the kind of person the crown prince is.
Kyle walked towards the things Lucy was supposed to use for cleaning and picked them up the feather duster first. He didn't on or how to use these things. He had servants and maids who did this things back at home. He sighed again at the absurdity of his situation and went to work.
He walked towards the book shelves first. There were four book shelves and Kyle walked towards the last one. The wood material of the shelves were smooth to touch and had no spec of dust on them. He saw a black hairy book on the shelf at the far end and towards it. Then he heard whispers as if the book was calling out to him.
His feet moved on their own, eyes fixed as he walked to towards the book. When he was close enough to touch the book he reached out and the book came out by it self as of reaching for him too
"What are you doing?"
A low voice snapped him out of what ever trance he was in and the book fell to the floor. Still closed.
Kyle turned towards the voice so quick that his head immediately began to feel dizzy again. He reached out for something to hold to steady himself but his hands found nothing. He could faintly the hear the voice but not what it was saying.
He felt the body hit something hard and warm.
And then darkness.
***********************************
moments before*
A Royal carriage entered through the gates of the Calathorne Castle. The carriage was grand in Gold and Red representing the colors of the royal family. It was being pulled the majestic chestnut horses which were quite high in spirits while pulling the carriage. But person inside wasn't.
Crown prince Alexander's mood was sour. His father the King Malfor suddenly got sick with no explanation. Alexander had brought the healing mages from all over the kingdom but none could find out what was wrong or how to treat him.
Aside that he now had to take up all the royal duties of his father. If there was one thing he hated it was listening to petitions and his father's council. Mostly the council. They were just a bunch of old people who were eyeing the throne. He suspected that his fathers sudden sickness had something to do with one of them but was yet to find any proof.
Alex had been in the middle of investigating a duke, who was part of the council, when he got a letter that his fathers health had worsen. Having no other choice he left the dukedom and returned as soon as possible.
The council consists of dukes of the dukedom that made up the kingdom. They were six in numbers and he was investigating one who suddenly decided to gift the king two days before he got sick.
Alex would have had him arrest but that would steer up too much trouble. Mostly now that people are already talking about the King dying soon. He could only observe from afar in quite way so the duke doesn't suspect anything.
The carriage stopped in front of the grand staircase at the foot of the castle. In front of the staircase stood Lucas, his right hand man.
"Welcome back, your Highness." He said with a bow.
"How's his condition?"
Lucas replied as they walked up the stairs into the main halls of the castle
"He's asleep now. The healer from Malariee said he should be left alone to sleep."
Alex's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. He sighed
"Any other update?"
"None. Worth mentioning now."
"Spill."
"Well… the council took a vote today on which of their daughters you should take as the crown princess."
Alex snorted. "And how did that go?"
"Some secrets were exposed."
"Oh? Get me something to drink and tell me more."
Lucas walked in the direction of the kitchen while Alex went to his office. When he got to door he knew somebody was inside. He stood for awhile before opening the door quietly without it making a sound, walked in and closed it behind. His eyes immediately saw who it was. It was just a maid. He walked closer wanting to ask her leave when he noticed it was a boy and tho he was holding a feather duster he wasn't doing any cleaning at all.
Curious, he decided to watch.
The boy with short black hair had noticed the book he had kept hidden for years and was walking towards it, maybe out of curiosity he thought. Alex was about to call out him again when a sound made him freeze.
Whispers came from the book of the dark.
He looked again at the boy. He was moving like he was in a trance. Like the book was calling out to him.
'No way.'
The book moved just as the boy was about to reach for it.
Alex knew from outside the door that the person inside had very low magical amplitude. He knew if the boy touched the book now it might kill him. He didn't know why he cared, after all a maid snooping around instead of working deserved what they got from it.
But he also he couldn't allow the boy die. Not after what he had just seen.
"What are you doing?"
Alex kept his voice low not wanting the boy to jump towards the book. But the book already moved. Luckily his voice made the boy withdraw his hands before the book could touch him.
Thus the book even Alex nor his father had been able to remove, fell to the floor.
Alex looked at the book then looked up at the boy.
The boy looked at him with green eyes, wide and unfocused. His face and body was badly bruised that he wondered how he could stand. Just as he thought that the suddenly pitched forward.
Alex's body moved forward before he could even think and he caught the boy's frail body.
Just then Lucas walked in with a tray. He froze took in the whole scene with a surprise etched on his face. Lucas was some who would stay calm even if he was drowning. He wasn't one to loose composure easily but the tray fell from his hands when he saw the book on the floor. It was Alex's favorite tea he brought, Alex new from the scent of jasmine that reached his nostrils.
But he really couldn't care about the tea right now.
"We've found him."