Lady Of Lake And Arrow |A Swan Lake Retelling|: Book One

Chapter 12

Billie Eilish - Six Feet Under

There is no Jessa Point of View in this chapter. Why? Because I wanted to explore my other characters, of course. Honestly, I'll go a bit overboard with my writing sometimes (and get a bit lazy with editing afterwards). This whole story is only just something I'm doing for fun, and an experiment of sorts. If you don't like it, then you're free to skip this chapter and move on to the next one when it's updated. Nothing's stopping you here.

- Ryn

WARNING: THIS WHOLE CHAPTER WAS WRITTEN UNDER SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND UTTER DEVOTION, SO EXCUSE SOME REPETITIVE WORDS THAT MIGHT APPEAR A FEW TIMES.

Two days earlier.

Someone knocked on Casrian's office. He knew exactly who it was, but didn't answer until the knocking became more urgent.

He sighed. "Come in, Lawrence," he said before his father's advisor decided to resort to breaking in his office.

Lawrence strided in, clad in gold and white robes that dragged along the floor. The official colours of Andalia. He stopped in front of Casrian's desk.

"Well?" Casrian queried. "Say what you must. My father has given me a lot of reports to work on today."

He heard the advisor inhaled a long breath through his nose. He stiffened, ready for whatever jab would come at him.

"You've been going out an awful lot these days, Casrian," Lawrence said.

Casrian waited, keeping his eyes focused on reading some trading agreement paper.

Lawrence sighed. "Casrian, you are going to be king one day. A king does not simply go around to make deals with Tartareans for your little Keep, and certainly not in a prison."

"It was only one time," he replied calmly. "And I don't think you came here only to chastise me about my personal whereabouts on behalf of the King. Say whatever you need to, or kindly leave my office."

"Your father wishes you to be in the throne room."

Now that caught his attention. Slowly, Casrian put his quill back in the ink jar, setting the paper down on his desk. "What for?"

"I do not know."

So he followed the advisor out through the court, guards quickly opening the gates at the sight of their Crown Prince. Nobles passed by him, some of them court women he recognized whenever his father tried to set him up for marriage. He felt their eyes following him hungrily, wanting to catch his attention and look for something to impress him with in the near future; waiting to be the next queen. He did not particularly care for any of them.

The last gates that led to the King's throne room were opened by guards, letting Casrian and Lawrence in. There his father sat on a grand throne that looked much too uncomfortable, his stepmother sitting on an identical one. He refrained from scowling at the sight of Ilena.

Casrian bowed. "You summoned me, father?"

The King beckoned him with a wave of his hand. "Come stand beside me, son."

He hesitated, but did as his father said and walked up the steps of the raised platform. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ilena gripping the arms of her throne, staring straight ahead. Good. He did not like her either.

His father ignored the rising tension between him and the Queen, sitting up straighter as Casrian stood next to him. Lawrence took his place a step below, near the king.