A Kingdom of Tales

Chapter 18

I wake up to find myself in the same position as earlier. Miles is still drooling on my lap, and my hand is stuck to a few locks of his hair. I'm struck by the sudden need to draw him. He looks like a masterpiece.

One quick look at the window tells me that it's morning. I stretch my beck gently, careful of Miles' head.

I raise his head slowly and slide out from under it, putting a pillow in my place. I start packing my bag and his. We land in a few hours, so we need to be ready.

I clean any clothes we wore in the bathroom with some soap. I hang them to dry to put in our bags later.

As I'm putting the last of his other stuff in his bag, my hand catches on a strange object. A crown? I freeze.

Why does Miles have a crown? It reminds me of one Melody had told me about before.

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"There are three Avenlean crowns. The first is the one a king wears. It's big and fully gold. It has sharp, pointy ends that could cut through fingers. It's embedded with turquoise on it's points, signifying strength. The second is the queen's crown. It looks more delicate and intricately cut. Diamonds are embedded in it's base, making it shine from all angles. They signify the purity and eternal beauty of it's wearer." Melody said.

"What about the third, Melly?" I asked, impatient as ever.

"The third is the crown prince's crown. This one is the smallest and yet the most beautiful of the three. It's embedded with sapphires, signifying not only the prince's power and strength but also his kindness and wise judgement." Bash continues for her.

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Sapphires are lodged in this crown. The crown is just as beautiful as the one Bash had described. I look at Miles' sleeping form. Could it be? Is he the prince of Avenlea? But he said that he's a Griffin...

Had he lied about that to hide his identity? My brows furrow in confusion. It's true; he probably would've needed to hide his identity during his travels. The emperor would've taken him and experimented on him if he found out. But why would the king send out his son to find me? Couldn't he have sent someone else?

I put the crown back in the bag when I hear Miles stirring. I'll have to save this piece of information for later.

"Good morning." I say when I notice he's opened his eyes. "I'm going to return the dress to Marilla. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I press a kiss on his lips before leaving. I didn't give him a chance to speak; I had to leave quickly. If I hadn't, I might've revealed what I knew.

The walk to Marilla's room feels unusually long today. Maybe it's because I'm scared of running into Sage.

When I hear a quick 'come in' after knocking on her door, I enter her room. She also seems to be packing.

"I'm here to return your dress." I say quickly, dropping the dress on a nearby chair.

"No. No. It's yours to keep. It never looked as good on me, anyway." She smiles. She picks up the dress from the chair and hands it back to me.

Silence spreads in the room. It's the first time it's been so awkward between us. We both speak at the same time.

"Sage knows."

"Listen Marilla—"

My surprise must've been obvious because she speaks again. "He visited me late last night. He said he 'put it all together'. Why you and James seem awfully awkward around one another... He said something about your name being Jasmine and the bounty on your head."

"I know. James told me last night too." I opt to use his fake name. If he's the crown prince, then I can't reveal his identity.

"I'll try to convince him not to report you. Money won't be his sole motivation, though. Sage is awfully righteous; he'll want to report you to rid the streets of a criminal." Her words sting, but I know they're true. I'm considered a criminal wherever I go. It's why I'd agreed to go to Avenlea in the beginning.

If only someone would just tell me why the emperor wants my head... It frustrates me to no end how no one ever told me why there's a bounty on my head.

I thank Marilla and leave, taking the dress with me. At least I'll have that to remind me of the amazing night I had yesterday.

I enter the room to find Miles working out. It reminds me of how he said that he'd never had to work as hard as the others. I'd thought it was because of his strength and super speed, but what if he'd meant because he was the prince? My mind rushes with all the words he'd said before that I'd taken in a different way.

He was training to be on the king's guard.

He'd never had to work as hard as the others.

His words repeat in my head. Over and over again.

I set the dress on the bed, my thoughts running wild. I can't show him that I know. He'll only lie. I try to act natural.

"You still have the dress?" He asks.

"She insisted that I should have it." I smile, even if it's the hardest thing I have to do.

"Alright." He gives me a peck on the lips and goes into the bathroom. I hear the water starting to run.

What else is he hiding from me?

I continue packing the now dry clothes into our bags, purposely ignoring when the tip of the crown brushes my fingers.

I need a focused mind for what's coming next, and worrying about Miles' status in Avenlea won't help. I'll let this go for now, if only so that I don't cost us all our hard work so far.