Mortance: A Miscarriage of Hope

Aurora Ⅵ

I love dreaming of Vanessa, I thought as I awoke. She is a much better companion in the night than the Wolf Witch. This dream hadn't been as good as when I first dreamed of her that night after visiting the messenger, but it was still enjoyable. I love her, I knew. I hadn't told her that yet, but I would. Soon.

Then I saw her face again.

"Aurora," she placed a warm hand on my cheek. Her voice was calm, just barely above a whisper. "You have to wake up now."

"Vanessa..." I muttered. My eyes were barely open; the world was dark and blurry. Still, I could see her as she moved out of my field of vision. "Don't go..."

The room became suddenly bright. She's opened the window. Light poured in from behind where I was facing. "I wish we could stay like this forever too," Vanessa said. "But this time I'm not here because I want to be. The king urgently requested your presence. He wouldn't say why."

I rolled over to face her. "How urgent?"

"He showed more emotion as he commanded me than I've seen any lord show since I've worked here," I blinked the blur away and saw the distressed look in Vanessa's eyes. "Whatever happened... it can't be good."

"Do you think..." it was hard to even say it. "Do you think he might've found out?" I pushed myself to a seated position on tired arms, letting the blanket fall away as heat drifted through my open window. Vanessa's seen this a million times.

"I think there would be a squad of knights here in my place if he did," Vanessa said. "But I also think that we should be urgent about this."

And so we were. Vanessa had me cleaned up quickly, and dressed even quicker. She put me in a thin blue short-sleeved dress that fell just past my knees. Outside was blazing hot, likely the hottest day of the year so far. I'd have worn less if I dared, but my father wouldn't like that. The king always has his way.

Vanessa guided me through the halls of the Castle of Kings. She was sweating in her servant's tunic, but she didn't act like it. She stayed strong. She is strong, I thought. I love her for it. I should tell her that.

"He's not in the throne room," Vanessa said when I turned that way. "King William is in his own bedroom."

"Oh..." that can't be good. My father had always preferred to spend his time anywhere but his room. It was where his queen had died, after all.

"Come on," Vanessa said.

I followed behind her. The route was unfamiliar to me, though it really shouldn't have been. What kind of child never visits their father's bedroom? The kind that killed their mother, that was who. Queenslayer.

"Good luck," Vanessa said when we arrived. I wanted to kiss her quickly and affirm that luck, but... not here, we both knew. Alone, I pushed open the oversized door and entered the king's bedroom.

His walls were white and empty. It was even hotter in this room than anywhere else. The king himself was staring out his window at the city he ruled Sacreon from. His view was far better than mine. "They took my son," my father's voice was quiet and full of anger. "They took my son prisoner." he turned and gave me a piercing gaze. "And they left me with you."

"Angus?" I asked. No, they can't have taken him. He's Angus. He wouldn't let something like that happen.

"Do I have any other sons?" the king snapped.

But he was there under peace. "How?" It was hard to keep my voice calm.

"I've received a letter from Sha Orion. He filled it with lies and excuses for what he's done. 'There are fugitives of Elsinct in your kingdom,' he wrote. 'I wish I did not have to do this, but you leave me no choice.' Lies. All of it."