Ever After

☾Chapter Three☽

The road became busier the closer to the castle. The sidewalks were filled with ladies in long dresses holding parasols over their shoulders. They walked with grace and most had a man next to them chatting away.

Ever sighed. The closer to the castle the prettier the houses, the wealthier the people. Living on the outskirts of Siral her whole life, she wished she could have grown in a place as rich as this. Her hut in the swamp wasn't bad, it was a better home than some of the poor.

She reached the castle checkpoint and parked her car. The line for requesting just to talk to the king was long. Ever adjusted the bag on her shoulder and sighed.

It was more than an hour before she could talk to the guard running the checkpoint. She had been watching person after person get turned away. Only one or two were ever allowed into the next checkpoint.

"State your business." The guard held a clipboard in his hand and looked less than amused about his job.

"I'm here to speak to the king."

The guard chuckled. "No duh. State your business." He repeated himself.

"Oh um. I'm here to talk to the king about a monster. You see I got this scroll-" the guard interrupted Ever.

"If it's a monster take it up with a bounty hunter. The king doesn't have time for monsters. Next!" The guard shoved Ever out of the line, but Ever refused to be turned away.

"You don't understand! There's a monster coming, controlled by a man of shadow, and... and-" Words fumbled out of Ever's mouth. The guard chuckled before snapping his fingers. Two guards surrounded Ever on either side and guided her out of the checkpoint forcibly.

"Wait! You don't understand! I just need to talk to someone about this!"

People in line stared at her, and some laughed and pointed. They passed the end of the line and were out of the building.

"Halt." A calm voice ordered and the guards turned their heads. "I command you to release her."

"Your highness." The guard to her left kept his voice a soft hush. "What are you doing outside the walls?"

"I saw the commotion. If the girl speaks of a monster. Why don't we listen?"

The guards let go of her arms and Ever turned around.

She rubbed the inside of her arms which were now red. In front of her was Prince Wylliam. He looked different in real life than on her holoprojector. His sandy blonde hair curled every which way, and his green eyes didn't seem as devoid of life as in his interviews.

"She's crazy, your highness." One of the guards said.

"Excuse me." Ever crossed her arms.

"Gentlemen. That is no way to treat a lady." Prince Wylliam laughed. "Let her speak to the King." The guards sighed in unison and opened a small gate beside them.

The guards followed closely behind them as Ever trailed behind the prince through the gate.

"So, what was this you were saying about a monster?" The prince asked.

"Oh. Um. I received an odd scroll written in an old language called Elldive. It took a while to translate, but once I managed to." Ever pulled the scroll from her bag and handed it to the prince.

"Truth be told I don't understand most of what it's saying. But I do know that whoever sent it is worried about this monster." The prince sighed.

"I've heard the story once. When I was younger. I came upon it while looking through the library."