꧁༺ 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓫𝓵𝓾𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓰𝓸𝓵𝓭 ༻꧂

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 11

The castle was certainly bigger than expected. You wondered how you didn't notice it over the hills on the ship before, given its majestical size. The gigantic arched doors at the entrance were detailed down to the hinges. Everything had a particular patterned design on it; the doorknobs were in the shape of snarling, yet presentable panthers made in a perfectly polished silver. At every five centimetres carved into the wood of the doors were different symbol, each ranging from a different size, the largest one being a proudly lion.

There was a large, circular window in the centre of the doors - the silver metal beams holding it in place curved and swirled in it's own pattern - that was beautifully designed with different coloured glasses in a mosaic. The frame of the door, however, was gold, rubies and diamonds imputed into the frames already gorgeous handiwork glistening brightly for all to see.

As you entered through the heavy wooden doors, you stepped into the marvellous palace that was. The walls were pearly white, as were the beams that held up the high roof. Almost every nook and cranny was decorated with plants and vases. The windows reached from the floor to the roof, the glass letting in much light. The carpets were multicolour with various stitching embedded on them. You were absolutely amazed by the details in the huge castle. How many years did this take, you wondered.

Liam gracefully walked in front of you. He certainly resembled the pretty prince he was, though he was not as pretty as his brother. Harlynn, in contrast to the prince, sagged behind you, looking rather guilty and defeated. You brought it up to him at some point, but he never gave you a reply.

The halls twisted, intertwined, and lead on for ages. It was a maze, and the constant turning started to make you dizzy. But, as you passed the throne room, the ex-pirate quickened his pace to walk beside you. The throne room doors were wide open, giving a full view inside. There sat the king and the queen of Rohan - Liam's parents, who seemed much thinner than you'd pictured - looking rather tired on their thrones.

"Stay close behind me," whispered Liam, "they can't see you. If they do, they'll think you're a commoner and throw you back to those pirates."

Harlynn huffed. He knew the truth, but he had to keep his mouth shut. In your mind, you wanted nothing more than to go back to Leon, to Chris and Diané, but you were conflicted with the idea that the prince was telling the truth before. You kept close behind him as you passed the doors, the old man hiding you from the guards and the king and queen.

The ex-pirate kept near you for the rest of the walk. A few times, you caught him sparing glances at you, but he turned away before you made eye contact. He was acting as if he was on edge, as if something, or someone, would come out of the shadows and kill you any second.

After following the prince down a few more long halls, you reached a magnificently designed bedroom with a large bed, lovely draped curtains and a painted ceiling. The ceiling painting had a blue sky, fluffy clouds, and golden garnishments complimenting the women and men in the clouds.

"Oh, wow," you mumbled, "this is so nice."

Liam smiled. "I'm glad you like it. You'll be staying here, if that's okay. I'll provide you with comforts, don't worry."

"Uh, thank you, Liam."

"Of course, anything for you." The way he said that made your heart flutter again, but not in the way you'd like. He said it so softly, so friendly sounding - it just didn't sit right with you. You forced a smile back and bobbed your head in acknowledgement, looking grateful for the gesture.

He then took your hands in his, increasing your heartrate by a mile, squeezing your hands in a comforting manner. He locked eyes with you, his gaze heartfelt and concerned.

"I promise," he said, "I will keep you safe, at all costs. You are safe with me."

You swallowed the saliva forming in your mouth, furrowing your brows for a short moment before slowly nodding. Again, you felt uneasy, as if his words had a different meaning, but you pushed it aside for now. You were stuck in the castle right now.

Liam said one last thing that you were too out of it to catch before he left the room. Harlynn remained stationed at the door of the bedroom, not following the younger man out. He was glaring at the floor, his muscles tense, his face disoriented. It seemed as though something was on his mind, but he couldn't say it in words.

For some reason, you felt bad for the old man. He looked so troubled. You wished you could've said something that may have eased him, but you didn't wish to speak to him. He'd tried to kill you. You'd never forgive him for that.

The silence was deafening - the trees below whistled in your ears, the flapping of wings as the birds perched on the stable branches. It was an awkward situation, as the man would not leave. He stood in position, quiet, unmoving.

"Do you have something to say?" You finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

He stayed non-verbal. He was afraid of admitting the truth to you, not wanting to face the consequences, or more so not wanting others to face consequences for his actions. It began to irritate you.

"Say it," you commanded, "spit it out! What do you have to say, huh? Don't just sit there and look all depressed and mopey and clearly wanting to say something!"

"I can't." Harlynn replied bluntly.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean I can't. It's as simple as that."

"Why can't you? What's wrong with telling me?"

He paused. "I'm not supposed to." He said with a small voice.

Not supposed to? What on Llomus did he mean by that? He was still keeping up walls around him; trying to keep a low profile, perhaps. You were persistent, though, and you weren't giving up the chase.

"C'mon," you insisted, "just tell me, Harlynn."

"I don' know if yer deaf or not, but I said I can't." He growled defensively.

"Why? Why can't you? And don't tell me 'you just can't', I know you can!"

"Ya' don' understand-" Harlynn was interrupted by Liam re-entering the guest room, peeking his head through the door. He glanced between you and the ex-pirate, a puzzled expression flashing across his face.

"Harlynn?" Liam turned towards the old man, nodding his head towards the door. "Are you coming with?" He jabbed a thumb outside the door, suggesting for Harlynn to follow. Harlynn hesitated, tensing up even more. He seemed very reluctant to reply, but he did. Strangely, he gave you an apologetic look before trudging out of the door, his heavy boots clunking on the wooden floors.