The Curse of the Goblin Prince

Chapter Five A Schedule

She felt a hand gently shake her shoulder. Len. He looked awful.

"Dahlia." His voice was strained.

She looked up at his tired face and reached for him. They sat with the warm sun surrounding them as she sobbed in his embrace.

He patted her back. "Were you scared?"

She shook her head.

"Then why are you crying?"

She pulled back and studied his face. "It must have hurt a lot."

His smile was strained. "I'm okay for now." His gaze drifted down.

"You mean they are going to do that to you again?" She felt horrible that he would have to continue suffering.

"I don't have any other options. I..." He trailed off. "It's the only thing keeping me..." He ran his hands roughly through his hair; ruffling it until it fell around his face.

"It's okay. I think I understand."

He looked up at her in surprise. His soft black waves were wildly tossed about. Several strands covered his eyes.

Dahlia gingerly tucked them behind his pointed ears. "It helps you, right?" Her eyes were sad but her smile was warm and friendly.

"Yes. For now." He looked at the door. "You should go back now. It's almost lunchtime. Someone will surely be looking for you."

Reluctant to leave, she asked, "When will I be able to see you again?"

"This evening. No one comes here after dinner."

She beamed. "I can't wait."

He smiled and nodded. Then peeked out the door and made sure that it was safe. "See you tonight." He waved to her from the doorway.

She walked out onto the landing and waved. "Bye, Len. See you after dinner." She whispered.

"Sure." He chuckled and shut the door.

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By lunchtime, the king had requested that they have another meal together.

As she made her way to the dining hall, Dahlia was still trying to wrap her head around all that she had witnessed. There must be a better way to help Len. What they were doing was so horrible. It wasn't right that he had to suffer in so much pain, but what could she do? She promised that she wouldn't tell anyone about him. Maybe if she knew more about what was wrong with him then she could come up with a better solution.

While she was waiting to enter, a knight approached and stood nervously next to her. He had a friendly disposition so Dahlia decided to strike up a conversation. "Hello." She said as cheerfully as she could.

"Ahem. Good day to you Princess Thorn." He seemed uncomfortable.

She giggled. "Good day to you, too. Um. What's your name?"

"Atlas Caelum, Your Highness."

"You may call me Dahlia. Good Sir knight, Atlas Caelum."

His smile was tight.

"So Sir Atlas, as you probably know, I'm going to be staying here for a while and I was just wondering if there were any other children around my age. Maybe even a bit older?" She observed a somber expression wash over him, so she pressed forward. "You see, with the prince sick, I am quite alone. It would be nice if there was someone who I could talk to." She was hoping he would tell her about Len. If Atlas brought him up, then she wouldn't be breaking her promise.

"I'm sorry, princess, but there are no other people around your age in the palace." The hard edge that laced his tone let her know the subject was off-limits.

The doors opened and Sir Atlas escorted her in. Bringing an end to their conversation.

The king was already seated and beckoned her to join him in the feast.

Dahlia couldn't taste the food because her thoughts were so consumed with Len. She wondered if Len was enjoying the same foods that were before her now. Even though he was awfully thin; he was still a whole head taller than her. She knew nothing about goblins except what she had read in books and that information wasn't very extensive. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on more books.

The king set his golden cutlery down on the tablecloth. "Since you are to be staying here with us for a while, I feel a schedule would do well for you."

She paused. "A schedule?"

King Lorcan smiled. "Yes. I think you would benefit greatly. After all, there are so many things to learn about our kingdom."

He gestured for Sir Atlas to step forward and Dahlia gave him a small wave. The king raised an eyebrow. "I see that you've met Sir Atlas Caelum. He will escort you to your lessons for the time being." He gave a satisfied grin, then stood. After bidding her a good afternoon; he left without another word.

Dahlia was beginning to see a pattern in his behavior. She was not thrilled with the idea of having an escort with her. It would complicate things for her. She would just have to find a way to sneak off. She was already missing Len and couldn't wait to see him again this evening. Dahlia sighed loudly as her shoulders fell. She pushed her plate of food away from her.

"Is something wrong, princess?" Sir Atlas sounded a lot more relaxed than earlier.

"I was just thinking." She wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin and placed it on her plate.

"I see. Well if you have finished your meal, we should be on our way. The king has prepared quite a bit for you." He gave a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Dahlia knew that there was no use pouting about it. She was not at home. "Where do we start?" Dahlia returned his smile.

As the left the dining hall, Sir Atlas began to explain. "After a quick tour of the palace and grounds, I will introduce you to your new professors. The king has informed me that you will be taking History of the Lorcan Kingdom first with Professor Carl Sygnword. He can droll on so try your best not to fall asleep while in his class. Etiquette and Needlework will be with Dame Salita Atwell. She has been around forever and has sewn some of the most intricate designs. After that you will have your regular routine of math, science, and literature with Professor Grigio Irondale."

He pushed open a large set of carved wooden doors that led to a part of the castle that she had not seen yet. "The library is through there and to the left. Your regular classes will be held in there. To the right is the kingdom's show room. The walls are lined with portraits of the royal family as well as artifacts. Your history lessons will be taught in there."

He strode forward, confidently pointing out each room of importance until they made their way to the kitchen. "Through here are the gardens, though I suspect they pale in comparison to what you are used to seeing at home." He showed her the stables and then made their way ballroom and finally ending up back at her room. "All of your lessons will start first thing after breakfast with the king."

"I'm to have breakfast with him again?"

"Yes. Not just breakfast, but every meal will be shared with King Lorcan." His face was once again as stern as his tone.

She wished now, more than ever, that the prince would recover quickly.