The Dragon Prince

Chapter 6

King Dominic Fairmore

Imperial City, Vrinian

For days she has kept to her room, never leaving, never talking, and never letting anyone in. I sighed, standing outside her door, knocking lightly on the wood. "Won't you come down to breakfast?" I asked, with no response. "You can't stay in there forever." I said, a little louder. I groaned, leaning my head against the door. "Aohlee." I needed to see her. I know she is hurting, and I can help. We all needed to stick together. She is family. "Come out, please." Again, no response. "If you don't open this door, I will break it down." Silence. "Don't think that I won't." I waited a few seconds and then lifted the latch. It was unlocked. Didn't one of her maids say the door was locked? Does this mean she had come out? Or did the maid lie? I pushed the door open, finding nothing but a dark room inside. "Aohlee?" I walked a ways inside, glancing in the adjoining rooms, but didn't see her. Her bed was made, but everything was in chaos. Had she done this recently? There was a slight layer of dust on nearly everything. How long had she been out of the room? If no one had seen her, could that mean she was never here in the first place.

I needed to find her. As I turned to leave the room, I noticed the small piece of paper on the pillow of her bed. How did I not see it before? I walked over to it, picking it up and reading what it said. "I can't stay here. I'm sorry." I glanced up, looking around the room. She ran.

I left the room quickly, knowing just who I needed to tell. I was at the door, before I could even take a proper breath, but something stopped me from knocking on it. I caught on to the voices inside. "Aohlee certainly wouldn't want to stay here. Not with all of the memories haunting her." It was my aunt's voice. Did they already know that she left?

"You are right." I recognized my uncle's voice as he replied to his wife. "She would feel better at home. Of course she is welcome to stay here, but I think she would be happier with her family." We were her family now, did they understand that? She was their daughter-in-law, whether Lewis was here or not. I was going to knock again, but stopped. "Perhaps we can send Genevieve with her."

"They have grown so close." My aunt replied. "She could perhaps find a few suiters there that will be healthier for her." Genevieve? Was the whole plan of her being here, to marry her off? She wouldn't like that. People making decisions about her life. This wasn't her home, and she wasn't any more of family to us than she was to Zircon. She would want to find her own life. Her own way. For a few seconds, I toned out of my aunt and uncle's conversation, contemplating what to do. Do I walk in, pretending nothing happened, and give them Aohlee's note? Or do I tell Genevieve what they had planned for her? I was the King. I could change it if she wanted me to. If she wanted a husband of her choosing, I would let her chose. It is her life. She should get to choose.

I turned and walked away from the door. I headed back to Aohlee's room and set the note back on the bed, and left, not disturbing anything. If they cared, they could look themselves. I quickly left and headed down to the stables, a sure place to find Genevieve. She had just purchased a prize horse, and was training him.

"Genny!" I shouted as I got close to the pen.

She looked up at me and smiled, though I could still tell she was saddened by Lewis' death. We all were. It was still raw. "Look who finally come out to get some fresh air." She remarked sarcastically.

"We need to talk." I said as she came trotting over to me.

She made a sour face. "This can't be good." She got down, handing the reins to the stable boy who started walking the horse around the pen. "What is it?" She asked, slightly concerned.