DEMENTED | Romance | Fantasy | Slight Thriller

Chapter Fourteen: Not Just Your Typical Lady

Chapter Fourteen: Not Just Your Typical Lady

When the Goddess discovered her world, she discovered it with flying colors. Butterflies of white and purple hues fluttered around her as she opened the silver bejeweled gates to the innermost part of her mind; her soul.

It was only the gate that had been formed... a gate placed within the soul of each and every soul, guarding it from the evils of the outside and protecting what it was to become.

But the Goddess entered her soul, and found it empty. It was a void of emptiness, a void of gray almost as dark as night. But not quite.

This was when she first realized she would have to build her soul, piece by piece, for her future was unlike many others--it was undetermined by fate.

When Ebony awoke in the morning, her head throbbed with a pain sharp and sure. It was beyond the headache of a simple migraine--it felt as if her head was splitting in two. She tried to open her eyes, but the bright light of the cell only made it worse.

The agony was unimaginable. It refused to cease, and the thought of thinking nearly sent her dry heaving. If she could curl up and die, it would be a mercy.

Yet she continued breathing, and the splitting pain continued to stay put.

She could feel movement not too far away from her, a figure beginning to stir and rise. The Prince, she assumed, trying not to focus on the pain emitting from her head. Then she was reminded of what he'd done for her last night, and she forced a smile.

"Thank you," she said, words barely above a whisper. "I am indebted to you for your kindness."

He rubbed his eyes and looked at her in surprise, as if he'd just remembered she was there too. "It was nothing. You'd taken that pain because of me; I should be the one thanking you."

"I had to do something! Those cuffs were hurting you--"

"Must we always argue?" The Prince asked, raising his voice. "Don't apologize. I may not be a man of chivalry and kindness, but I am able to admit when I was wrong. I shouldn't have told you to remove the cuffs. I apologize for what you went through, and keeping you from uncontrollably lashing out was nothing."

He sighed. "Now will you accept my apology?"

Ebony nodded, hiding her irritation behind a carefully placed smile she'd perfected after seventeen years of attendance at court affairs. Arguing would do them no good, anyways... arguing with each other would only add to their problems.

They didn't speak for an hour until the door to their cell creaked open hard and fast, revealing several scowling guards. "You are to have an audience with Astrophel at once."

Ebony didn't have a chance to protest before the guards yanked her up, leaving the Prince behind. He'd hidden his wrists behind his body, making it appear like he was still handcuffed. She gave him a questioning look, as if to say "why aren't you using this as an opportunity to escape?", and he mouthed "not yet" as the guards dragged her away from the cell.

She didn't struggle as she was led up stairs to what the asylum's cafeteria must've once been, redecorated to look more like a medieval castle than a dingy old room. The guards led her up to a long table, where none other than Astrophel sat precariously at the end. 

"Welcome," he greeted Ebony with a shining smile, as if none of the events that had happened last night had taken place, and if she wasn't being held in a death grip by his very own guards. "Please take a seat."

The guards forcefully dropped her into the seat at his right hand, causing her to wince and curse. 

Astrophel's eyes widened at the curse, but then his smile returned. "That's not a word a lady should utter."

Ebony rolled her eyes. "I'm not just your typical lady."

His smile deepened. "No, you're not. I hope you enjoyed your accommodations last night; they were prepared specially by our staff. If you didn't find them comfortable, I'm sure we can find you... other arrangements." His eyes cut into slits.

Ebony attempted to smile, by no doubt unsettled by his sharp gaze. What game was he playing? It was as if he was a child attempting to play house. "No, I found my stay very comfortable." A flat-out lie.

Astrophel nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear your stay was acceptable." He twirled a glass of wine in his left hand, golden light glinting off of his many rings that decorated his fingers.

He caught Ebony staring and laughed. "I take it you're interested in my jewelry? I'll have you know each one is priceless."

"I'm not interested, although I'm sure their previous owners must have valued them highly as well," she replied half-heartedly, not caring about his reaction.

He smiled and didn't respond.

They sat in uncomfortable silence until breakfast was served. It was an array of biscuits, jam, and fruits, and Ebony's mouth salivated at the spread once it had been revealed by Astrophel's thug-like servants. She hadn't eaten a decent meal in weeks.

But before Ebony could pile her plate high, Astrophel stopped her. "Oh, you thought this was for you? What a pity, I'm afraid there isn't enough for the both of us."

She gritted her teeth. In front of them was a buffet - there was certainly enough for a party of people, let alone the two of them, yet she said nothing. If he is willing to take this path, so be it.

He ate until he was full, and then the servants cleared everything. Not so much as a single strawberry was left for Ebony.

After an excruciating several minutes, Astrophel had finished eating. "You are dismissed," he told her, then he turned to the guards. "Take her back to her cell."

So they did, grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her back the way she'd come from. She cursed as they did so. Why would he bring her out there? To torture her for spite?

The Prince didn't look up when she came back, fiddling with the open handcuffs he'd worn earlier, careful to avoid the rubies. Anger glinted in his eyes. "What did he want you for?"

Ebony shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. For spite, I assume." To taunt me, she thought. But what other reason would there be?

The Prince sighed. "I was hoping he'd tell you more about whether he had the heart or not. Astrophel loves to play tricks on his victims. I haven't been able to sense it, but whyever would he keep her heart in an obvious place?" Ebony nodded. "We break into his vault at midnight. There we will see if he truly is keeping her heart or not. Then we'll hightail it to southern Auria. He has little influence there."

"Alright," she agreed. "And if we get caught?"

"We won't," he replied sternly. "I'll make sure of it."

She was confused by his determination, but he was the Prince of Death, so she thought to trust his judgement.

Oh, if only she'd known to think otherwise.