The truth was finally out, the princess had escaped the prison everyone called her home.
"Your Majesty!" one of the sentinels cried, trembling as he knelt before the throne. "We searched the entire castle, every corridor, every chamber but the princess is nowhere to be found!"
The king's gaze darkened. "And what about the boy who was held in the basement prison?"
The sentinels exchanged fearful glances, none daring to speak. At last, one of them stepped forward, his voice shaking. "Your Majesty… the cell was empty when we checked. The boy is gone as well."
"WHAT WERE ALL OF YOU DOING?" the king roared, his voice echoing through the marble halls. "I want both of them in front of me before dawn!"
A cold silence fell over the room. The sentinels bowed deeply, fear running through their veins, and hurried out of the castle to begin the desperate search for Princess Alara and Abrum.
~~~~~
Abrum sat quietly beside Alara, watching her pale face as she rested. His eyes caught something bulging slightly in the pocket of her gown. Gently, he reached for it and pulled it out, a pendant. His breath hitched.
It was the exact same one hanging from his own neck.
He turned it over in his hand, and engraved on the metal were the words: "LYCAN'S."
Abrum instinctively touched his own pendant, it was still there. Then how did she get this? Questions stormed his mind, each one heavier than the last.
Before he could think any further, a faint, trembling voice pulled him back to the present.
"Abrum…"
He immediately moved closer, taking her delicate hand in his. "How are you feeling, princess?" he asked softly.
Alara blinked her tired eyes and gave a faint smile. "I'm alright," she whispered, her calmness hiding a thousand emotions.
Alara slowly straightened her posture and sat up on the bed. Her curious eyes wandered around the room, taking in every corner.
"So this is your house?" she asked softly. "It's… very unique, mysteriously beautiful. Do you live here alone?"
Abrum smiled faintly at her words. "Oh, yes! I know it looks a little strange, you're right about that," he said with a small chuckle. "But I don't live here alone. The old master stays with me." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Can I ask you something?"
Alara turned to him, her expression gentle. "Yes, of course! You can ask me anything. You don't have to take permission," she said with a small smile
Abrum took out the pendant he had found in Alara's pocket and held it up between his fingers. His brows furrowed with curiosity.
"This pendant… where did you get it from, and how?" he asked, his voice calm but serious.
Alara's eyes widened, fear flickering in them. "I–I found it in my mother's room," she said hesitantly. "But… why do you ask?"
Abrum hesitated for a moment, unsure how to begin. He finally drew a deep breath and said, "I see. But, Alara… this pendant belongs to the Lycan family. From what I know, only four of these exist in the entire realm." He looked at her, his expression filled with confusion and concern. "I'm sorry for asking so many strange questions, but this… this seems far more complicated than it appears."
Alara was so shocked by everything Abrum had just told her that for a moment, she couldn't speak. Deep down, she knew he was right, yet confusion and fear tangled inside her chest.
"When I found it, I was confused too," Alara said softly. "I didn't know anything about it back then… but now, it's hard to understand how this pendant ended up in my mother's old room."
"It's alright," Abrum said gently, his voice calm and reassuring. "We'll figure everything out together." He reached out and lightly caressed her hand, trying to ease the worry from her face.
While they were still talking, the old master entered the room, carrying a basket filled with fresh fruits. "Oh, dear! I'm glad to see you awake," he said kindly. "I hope you're feeling better. Here! have some fruit. You'll need the energy".
Alara was happy to finally meet the old master, someone Abrum had always spoken about whenever he mentioned his home. "Oh! I'm glad I finally got to meet you," she said with a bright smile. "And I'm feeling much better now! thanks to you and Abrum."
"Oh, don't worry about that, dear!" the old master said kindly. "You're our guest, and guests are always welcome here." Then, turning to Abrum, he added with a warm smile, "The food's ready! come and eat before it gets cold."
With that, the old master left the room, his steps slow but steady. It was time for his rest, and as always, he was strict about his routine.
"He's always so strict about timing—and I'm always getting lectures about my routine, too," Abrum said to Alara with a pleasant smile.
Alara chuckled softly and replied, "I see! He seems like such a kind man, and I'm glad you have someone like him here."
At the dinner table, Alara saw for the first time what Abrum, a werewolf usually ate. She wasn't too surprised to find cooked liver on his plate; it didn't look disgusting at all, especially since it wasn't raw. For her, the old master had prepared a bowl of warm porridge, rich with flavor and care. Alara liked it instantly, it was nothing like the bland, tasteless porridge she was forced to eat at the castle whenever she was sick.
After dinner, Abrum took Alara upstairs to the roof of his small palace. From there, the entire forest stretched endlessly before them, and in the distance, the silhouette of her castle stood faintly under the moonlight. They sat together at the edge of the roof, the cool night breeze brushing against their faces.
"I was just fifteen when my whole family died here," Abrum began quietly, his eyes lost somewhere in the dark horizon. "There was a war with our enemies, ones I never even got to know. I was scared, starved, and alone, hiding in the basement of this palace when the old master found me. He took me in and never once made me feel like I'd lost everything. He always tried to make me believe that I wasn't at fault... that it was our enemies who destroyed my family. But ever since that day, I've lived with the same purpose to find the ones who killed them. Yet, I've never been able to get my hands on them."
"Abrum, let me tell you something," Alara began softly, her eyes glimmering beneath the pale moonlight. "My mother left this world when I was just ten, and ever since that day, my father caged me inside that castle. Every single day, my desperation to see the world beyond those walls grew stronger. I didn't have any friends or anyone to talk to, it was always just me and those walls against the world."
She looked at Abrum, her voice trembling with sincerity. "When I met you, I never imagined that one day we would be here like this. I always dreamed of escaping that castle, but you… you made that dream feel possible. You helped me all along, even though you knew it was dangerous. And now, because of you, I'm finally free. So please, don't ever think of yourself as a loser because someone here has been freed from the prison that held her for years."
And just like that, for them, it was a moment of peace, happiness, and victory, a rare stillness before the storm that was yet to come.
~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the castle, the king sat upon his royal chair before the blazing bonfire, the flames reflecting in his cold, unblinking eyes. He held the picture of the late Queen and young Alara in his hands, his voice dropping to a bitter whisper.
"You can run away from this castle, daughter… but not from your fate, The one I've already chosen for you."