Not Your Princess

Chapter Nineteen

There's a guard missing from the group that had left to track down the Priestess. He had sent out a dozen men to comb through the west. Now that the men are seated before him in the strategizing room, August is only counting eleven men.

He had tasked himself with memorizing the names and faces of all the guards he sent out. Now that it's time to recall this information, however, he cannot think of the missing person's name or face.

His eyes jump over the faces of all the men, hoping that one of them will bring up the missing person among their ranks. Especially since it's a member of the guard, who is one of their friends. They should want the prince to know if something went wrong.

"What happened?" August questions. His eyes dart around the group whose eyes are strangely indifferent. "Did any of you find anything?"

Silence descends upon the group while they stare at him. None of them blink, keeping a steady gaze on the prince's face.

There's something unsettling about their stares. As if none of the men can truly see him or anything in the room.

After thirty seconds of silence, August readjusts himself in his chair. "Did you find the Priestess?"

Again, no one speaks. None of the guards even blink.

Something is wrong. August can feel it in his gut. "Phineas!" The prince calls out.

The guard enters the room, offering a bow. "Yes, Your Highness?"

The prince's gaze jumps over all of the men. None of them move a single muscle. Even with their friend in the room, they haven't snapped out of their trance.

August rises to his feet. When he takes two steps away from his chair, all the men rise at once. "Your Highness," the guard closest to him begins. "You must stay in this room."

The guard's voice lacks any sort of depth. It's a hollow, empty sound unlike anything August has heard before.

Phineas grips the hilt of his sword. He shoots a wary glance to all the men at the table. "Prince August?"

Holding up a hand, August studies the guard standing directly in front of him. "Why must I stay in here, Jameson?"

Jameson's unseeing eyes fall onto the prince. "It's what she ordered," he responds.

Slowly, Phineas inches closer to the prince. He darts his gaze throughout the room to the other guards, ensuring that none of them move.

There are only two women that these men answer to. August doubts that either one of them would order the guards to keep him in this room. There's no reason to do so that he's aware of.

"Who ordered this?"

Instead of answering, Jameson sits back down. The rest of the men follow suit, taking their seats. Another silence falls onto the group.

Whoever this mysterious woman is, they had the ability to turn some of the most loyal guards against August. They somehow made all these men into mindless soldiers.

Even the most powerful kings do not have that type of effect.

Now by the prince's side, Phineas darts his gaze around the room. He awaits August's orders, keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Trying to leave the room may trigger these men into attacking. So far, they haven't done anything violent. This means that whoever tasked these men to keep him in here meant him no harm.

Or perhaps they want to keep him away from their true target.

"Phineas, please go check on my wife," he orders.