Dynasty | h.s

Seventeen !

Another killing breaks the news, sparking talk. Another male at the young age of twenty-one is found dead in his own home two days after the killing happened. The residents of London are becoming more fearful as the killer strikes more frequently. Still, there are no leads on who is committing these cruel crimes.

I'm pretty confident that it's no one in the Royal Family, however. It could still be linked to the family, but I don't believe that the killer is amongst me. The night this last kill happened is the night I sat in the garden with Harry. I can't speak on the behalf of the other family members, but based on the last killing, I don't believe they are the murderer.

Other than the killing happening, things have been calm for the last two days. I've been able to go about my business without too many complications and interferences. Charles has been doing so-called business with Victoria's father the last couple of days, very absent from the palace. Everyone else has been the same. I don't see too much of Blaire, and Victoria is still a warm motherly figure to me, always making sure I'm okay. She's been a good host thus far.

Since the night in the garden, I haven't seen too much of Harry. He's been in and out and altogether avoiding me. Despite drinking nearly a whole bottle of whiskey, I think he's still able to recall our conversations from that night. It has created a weird tension between us that I have picked up on when in his company. He's quick to leave the room as soon as I enter, abandoning any task or conversation he was in the midst of doing.

Things have been weird and oddly calm to say the least these past two days. This is the exact reason why I now find myself stirring the pot, seeking out the chaos. With Charles even more absent than normal and Harry avoiding me like I'm the plague, now is the perfect time to venture out in the palace.

Today is the day I revisit the room Harry and Charles disappeared into the night of the party.

It's not too hard to break away from people. Everyone is far too occupied by other things to even pay me any mind as I slip into the essentially abandoned side of the palace. Once when I reach the narrow hallways that appear to lead to nowhere, things are even easier and even calmer. No one walks these halls.

Eerie even.

This section of the palace doesn't give me a good feeling. It's far too quiet for my liking, the only sound being the soft echoes of the sole of my shoes against the hardwood floors.

I retrace the steps from that night, the sudden drop in temperature in the empty halls causing horripilation on my arms and the back of my neck. The reaction has been rubbing my arms with my hands, trying to rid myself of the goosebumps and keep some warmth.

The first half of the journey is perplexing as I'm faced with choices and various hallways that all lead to different destinations.

"Think it's a right," I mutter to myself at one crossway, eyes feverishly scanning all my options, searching for something that looks familiar to me. Everything is so naked, so bare. I wonder why they stopped decorating, why this whole wing of the palace resembles an abandoned home. It feels very off. It leaves me to believe even more that there are secrets hidden here.

They could be etched before me on these barren walls, I'm just too naive to see all the answers. I lack the knowledge needed to understand these halls. The room could hold some answers and could give me some guidance in the right direction.

Eventually, I do reach the never-ending section of the hallway. The one that twists and turns and leads to the lone door. It's just as dark as it had been the last time I walked it. There's a few wall lamps all spaced out, but overall darkness coats the halls.

I follow the hall, allowing my eyes to take in my surroundings even more so this time. I'm not trailing behind men who make me feel on edge this time around, it makes it much easier to take everything in. Even if everything is nothing. I still make note of the rough walls that look like they've been painted over many times, the old paint that dried in streaks noticeable under the new paint. There are areas of the walls that are chipped, old layers being exposed. The floors are dusty near the baseboards. The area is in rough shape compared to the rest of the palace.