Destiny Written

Chapter 21

Uproar surrounded them from outside their safe enclosure. Of course there would be. An Ignis on Aridian royal territory? Unheard of.

The doors screeched and scraped, metal upon metal, opening up and the daystar flooding in. The sounds grew louder.

Corvera cowered into Arden's arm. "What's going to happen?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

Guards stepped inside. They cuffed Arden's forearms with more Frossian metal. The soldier's gauntlets clanked against each other as they moved. His arms were bound straight by the searing cold metal.

"Arden!" called Corvera as he was led out first and was met by a squadron of soldiers. Behind them, a crowd had formed, all eager to see the Ignis. Arden kept his eyes cast down.

They were led out, Corvera last of them. Arden tried to turn to see her, to assure her that everything would be alright.

Guards kept the crowd back as they followed the pathway. Looking past the crowd, Arden laid his eyes on something no Ignis had seen. White marble with white brick and gold trimmings, the castle of Aridia rose against the sky with towers and turrets and open-air bridges connecting buildings. Vines and leaves and gardens poured out of some terraces.

And farther up, one window caught Arden's gaze. It was open and free and leaning out of it was a young lady with golden white hair flying in the wind. Her head turned ever so slightly, eyes opened and seemed as if she was looking down at him.

He was shoved along. They were taken into a gate through the base of the castle. Down the stairs they went, through lamplit corridors. They finally arrived, and a cage seething with a cold brevity awaited him.

Keys rattled and Arden was pushed inside. He turned and the door slammed and clicked shut in his face. Between the criss-crossed bars, Arden watched Ten put in a similar cage across from him. Less worried about Ten, Arden watched Corvera. She obediently followed one female soldier.

"Hey!" yelled Arden. "Where is she going?"

One soldier punched the cage door with his fist. "None of your business."

"Arden! Ten!" Corvera called to them while she tried to turn to keep them in her sight.

"Cor! It'll be fine. You'll be okay," he said, offering her an uneasy smile.

She turned the corner, terror on her face. Arden stopped there and wished that he could destroy these bonds and save her.

The guards made their stations and stood resolutely in front of their gates. Arden remained standing, looking into Ten's cell. Ten's face mimicked the same apprehension that Arden felt.

What were they going to do?

"Wait," said that ethereal voice again. Arden looked across, but Ten was already looking at him. He heard it too.

Without any other choice, they were going to have to listen.

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Alba saw it. When she heard the uproar, she leaned out the window again to listen. That was when she saw it. Or... him.

Hair as dark as the night she knew and then his eyes were all she saw. Blue fire in those eyes. The prince.

Then, behind him, a girl.

A little girl, but her hair and her face, Alba recognized those immediately.

"Do you see her?" whispered the wind. "Do you understand?"

As quickly as she saw them, the world vanished again. Alba stepped back from the window.

"Wait," said the voice. "You will know why."

What was she waiting for?

The handles jiggled as someone tried to enter.

"Milady?" called a guard.

"I do not wish to be disturbed," answered Alba.

"Yes, your majesty. Lady Mylene was only wondering if you will eat with your father."

"No." She didn't feel hungry. Not a hunger for food, but a hunger for answers.

"Would you like food in your room?"

"I don't want anything. Please, just leave me be," she ordered.

Her quick ears heard his footsteps fading away.

"Tyto." He flew down beside her on the window. Leaning close, she whispered softly, "I need you to be my eyes and ears. Tell me what they have done with the prisoners and what they will do to them. Do you understand?"

Though he was a bird and everyone thought it was silly of her to talk to him as if he was a person, Alba knew better. She knew that he understood as if he was a person. He could empathize, he could understand, he knew things. And she knew there was no one else better for this than him.

Tyto bowed his head. His wings had grown in the past year, nearly six feet in its span. Alba held his face in her hands.

"I love you," she whispered. "You are my greatest friend."

He cooed back as if to say the same thing, and Alba knew that he did. He flapped his immense wings and dove out of the window. He would fly and he would soar. It wasn't unusual for the princess's bird to journey around the kingdom, flying close to windows, in the halls, in the gardens, and in the barracks.

To everyone else, he was just a bird. But to Alba, he was her eyes.