Lost Prince

Prologue

The sounds of screaming and the clash of metal sounded through the castle like a late night orchestra. The Queen hid in the baby's room, protecting her child from the danger occurring downstairs, lulling her crying child into a sense of safety. The child's crying only seemed to grow louder and the hurried footsteps moving towards the room only served to instil more fear in the both of them. The Queen gently laid her baby boy back in his crib and he reached out his small arms to her as she let go. Queen Katherina unsheathed the dagger that was hidden beneath the layers of her dress and held it in front of her defensively. Her hands shook as the footsteps came close, but her baby's crying that came from behind her kept Katherina in place even though her instincts had told her to run. When the door had opened, the Queen almost dropped her weapon in relief as her lady-in-waiting appeared, franticly closing the door behind her. The Queen rushed to her and inspected her friend closely, features softening at the sight of the bleeding wound on her forehead, and the slashes on her arms.

"Maria, dear friend, I am very sorry for all that you have been through to do this for my family." Her lady-in-waiting only shook her head and took the Queen's free hand in both of hers.

"Your family has become mine too. We must hurry. The enemy is being driven back, so we must do this now while we are ahead." Queen Katherina nodded solemnly and cast a sad look back to her still crying child.

"Summon her."

Maria nodded and staked to the corner of the room, pulling a dagger from beneath her dress and slicing her hand. Blood gushed from the wound and Maria took this to draw a circle on the floor, before drawing another line cutting the circle in half, and filling the top half with the language of the old. Maria's hand shook as she wrote the name of the woman she was summoning in the bottom half.

The door pushed forward before the King rushed in. He cast a sidewards glance at Maria performing the summoning in the corner and looked to his wife in doubt.

"Do you believe she will help us? I do not trust her. She does not gather with the rest of us when the kingdoms come together, nor has she attended any of the events we have invited her to." The Queen laid her hand gently on her King's face and his featured softened.

"I believe she will help."

Maria's chanting had grown louder and had captured the attention of the King and Queen. Katherina clung to her husband's arm, and watched the blood on the floor turn black, resembling charcoal symbols sketched in haste. The sounds of clashing metal, shouts, the baby's cries and Maria's chanting built to a crescendo that consumed the castle that night. The chants halted and the name began to glow. Katherina rushed forward to catch her fatigued friend. The atmosphere within the room had suddenly changed. Silence began to fill the space in the room, and the young Prince was reduced to small whimpers. The Queen, her eyes downcast, saw dark material, resembling the night sky, drag across the floor, soundlessly, effortlessly. The woman glided across the floor towards the Prince's crib, and Katherina held her breath when the dark woman watched the now silent Prince wordlessly.

"You agreed to help us. Will you keep to your word?" The King's voice was filled with doubt, and he watched her every move. Slowly, she turned her head to him, and nodded, her midnight blue hair partially covering her face. She picked up the small boy, and walked towards the King and Queen.

"I will return him to you when he is 16. He will have two years to learn whatever you can teach about running your kingdom. On his 18th he will be crowned King."

The King nodded and helped his wife off the floor, leaving her lady-in-waiting to stay unconscious there. The dark woman handed the Prince to his parents and they held him fondly, memorising his features until the next time they were to see him. The dark woman took the child from them, and tears rolled down the Queen's face. Dark eyes began to glow violet and a black hole opened up on the floor beneath her. She began to fade away and just as she was almost completely gone, the Queen said her final goodbye.

"Goodbye Caligo. Thank you. Take care of my son. "