The Omega Princess

Chapter 29

As I burst into the castle I slowed down, the surprised eyes of the servants making me aware of where I was. I offered a reassuring smile to no one in particular, smoothing my dress as I realised just how messy I must have looked. My head turned behind me expecting to see Dale or Kai behind me but there was no one to be sighted as the doors closed.

I sighed unsure of whether I was hurt or relieved. Even before I had met them all they had sacrificed so much for me, how could I face them knowing that a majority of their grief had come about because of me? I lowered my eyes as I walked through the castle alone in my own thoughts.

There was nothing in this world I could do to bring Pietro back and the one thing that would make his death plausible was if I sat on the throne, a feat that seemed so far away that I could not even envision it. What if they grew to resent me? How would I live knowing the only man I loved hated me?

Dale would never show it to me but resentment is a deep rooted serpent. It lies at the very bottom of your stomach, slowing slithering upwards until it bursts out fangs dripping with truth. Another heavy sigh filled me, to think that a single word from Dale would destroy me. It would hurt more than being rejected by my family, it would be so painful that my heart would become paralysed beating, yet completely broken.

I brushed my fingers over my mark, unable to envision a life without his love for me. It would be like living in a world with no colour, he had opened my eyes and showed me that there was more to life than I had thought and without him I wasn’t sure I could keep them open.

I cried out in sudden surprise as I slipped over something, I pushed out my hands lessening the impact as I fell to the hard floor. I looked up to see I’d tripped over the corner of a pedestal, as I slowly got up I realised I didn’t know where I was. My eyes skimmed over my surroundings, behind me was a wrought iron door which I couldn’t remember having opening. I pushed it only to find it was lock, after another rigorous shake I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t going to budge.

I looked past the gate seeing a large door which seemed to flash in recognition within the deepest corners of my mind. Frowning I turned back to staring at what seemed to be an archive of relics from the history of our world. The pedestal which had caused my fall, held a grotesque sculpture showcasing the awkward and terrifying state of mid shift.

The face of the poor man was in agonised pain, his face frozen in a silent scream that found a way to vocalise in the back of my mind. His bones stuck out in unnatural way, the shape of wolf trapped by his human form. I stepped back once again staring at the locked door.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have run away so abruptly, now I didn’t even know where I was and there seemed to be no other way for me to leave. I jumped as the scattering of small footsteps sounded, my body lost all tension after I saw a small tail disappear behind one of the many statues.

With another sigh I frowned, coming to realise that there was no point in me standing here waiting to be rescued. In Krysta the castle had many hidden doors, within the vaults and I was sure that this castle would be no different.

Lifting my dress I passed through another wrought iron gate, travelling down a dimly lit hallway. Shudders travelled in never ending waved through my spine as I noted the uncanny resemblance this path held in my mind. Only I could not quite grasp where it was I had seen before.