The Stolen Prince

Chapter 7

Arden

All I felt was pain.

Pinpricks of pure agony were stabbing repeatedly into my brain. I felt like my world was about to collapse. My mind was in a hazy trance where all my memories and thoughts turned to mist.

I slowly cracked open my eyes to let in a sliver of light. I immediately regretted it when the pounding in my head deepened. Pain, pain, and more pain. That was what I felt.

I attempted sight yet again, bracing myself for the consequences. The light from the forest still tortured me with every blink, but I did not close my eyes again. I could fight the pain, if necessary. And it evidently was in fact necessary.

As my mind slowly sharpened to notice my surroundings I was affronted with a face full of green. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision when the green slowly receded, and I realized that Jade's eyes and Jade herself were the cause of the green burst in my vision because she was standing inches away from my face.

I forced my numb tongue to form words. At first, all the words I produced were a couple of incomprehensible mumbles, but as the throbbing in my head increased with the effort I managed to form a couple of words.

"Jade-"

I sloppily murmured her name, my tongue stumbling over the syllables.

"Good Goddess you've really done it. How stupid are you?"

Her words got rapidly louder and her anger seemed to spike as I tried to move my tongue once again and failed.

Jade murmured something under her breath. Her lithe fingers were scavenging through her bags, searching for what, I did not know.

Feeling that I had not known was missing, was returning to my fingers, so I could feel the rough-ended bite of the bark beneath my fingers. My hands absently traced the ridges that the dead tree had created in its lifetime.

How sad it was, that something so beautiful and lively had died and fallen. Everything did in a way. Beauty never lasts forever.

It was like a dandelion in a light summer breeze, gorgeous for all to see but soon revealed to be a weed in its true form.

A ringing formed between my ears as an intense pain formed on my cheek. My hand absently raised to cradle my face to find a bruise forming on the skin.

Jade's hand readied back to give another blow, but instead, she thwacked me on the head.

"Hey, idiot. I need your attention here. Don't go crazy on me just yet."

Her voice got soft and careful.

My mind was jumbled. My actions blurry.

Jade's eyes hid a slight glimpse of sadness and anger. Anger suited the fiery woman, but the pain in her jade opulent eyes made me want to fight whoever was causing it.

I would do anything to protect the woman, though she likely would be the one protecting me.

"What in the pits is wrong with me"

My tongue was finally able to form coherent words and I grasped my ability of speech like a majestic sword.

My country should always come first. It was a larger being than oneself that I needed to be completely devoted to in order to rule like a just king.

Avriel belonged to me. Nothing could stop me.

"You ate assassin berries."

Jade spoke bluntly while trying to shove something in my mouth.