The Hidden Orphan (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 2)

Thirteen · · · Evangelene

Castle Starlight, Crestlin, Tatin, Ablatin

MONTA ASKED FOR PRIVACY, so that's what Eva gave him. She led him to the library along with Tapalla and their friends Ray and Chaka. Just by looking at him, Eva could tell that he was worried and something had definitely spooked him.

His hands shook when he grabbed Tapalla's and swung their enclosed hands back and forth. Tapalla also looked worried, as if she knew what Monta was going to say, but Eva got the feeling that the famous Lost Princess knew nothing. Monta was completely keeping her in the dark. He was keeping all of them in the dark.

Eva sat in a navy blue chair, her back to the enormous fireplace that she could hear popping and crackling. The chair sat alone with a huge white couch that was three-quarters of a square. Ray and Chaka sat the closest to Eva, cuddled in a tight embrace, as Monta and Tapalla sat far away from each other on their own parts of the couch. Bookshelves, all engraved in the Tatin crest, that lined the walls of the library and created the room's own small hallways.

Out of the corner of Eva's eye, she spotted her mother's old chair. It sat alone in the corner of the room, untouched. Ever since Queen Illis died, barely anyone entered the library. Eva, and sometimes the king, entered to reminisce over the past but other than that, nobody ever came into the library. The servants of Castle Starlight were too scared to mess anything up in the library to get the wrath of the king so they just left the room alone. That's what made it the perfect place for Monta to talk about information that was on a need to know basis for the time being.

"So," Ray started to say, "what are we doing here, Monta?"

Eva hummed in response. "What's so important that we needed to meet in private?"

Monta cleared his throat before he said, "I had a dream. A dream that was too real to believe that it wasn't true."

"What was it?" Chaka asked, suddenly intrigued by something other than Ray.

Eva looked to Tapalla, wondering if she would say something. The only thing the Lost Princess did was stare at Monta with a curiosity that told Eva that Tapalla wanted to know the answer to Chaka's question.

"After the second attack on Gazar by the Night Warriors," Monta said before clearing his throat again, "I had a dream of a girl. She was a Pezdan, or Casta to be more specific, I think. She was talking crazily and she did something to me in the dream that made me unable to talk for a few hours."

Surprised, Eva interrupted him. "What do you mean you were unable to talk?"

"In the dream, the Pezdan girl took out my tongue. It wasn't painful though, just numb. Anyway, she was also in my dream today," Monta replied.

Eva looked to Tapalla and saw the purse of the princess's lips. "I saw her too," she spoke up. "In a dream, though. Castan, yes?"

With wide eyes, Monta glanced at Tapalla. "Yes... yes," he stuttered. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing of importance," Tapalla said hastily. Looking at Monta, Eva could tell by his facial expression that Tapalla was lying. When he didn't respond to her comment, Eva decided not to say anything. Whatever it was, she knew it would be revealed in time and that Monta and Tapalla would probably talk about it by themselves.

"What was in the dream?" Ray asked, ending the silent moment between Monta and Tapalla.

Turning to him, Monta answered, "Well, I was dreaming of... Jack." He took a quick glance at Tapalla as if the name would unnerve her. All she did was flinch, not daring to look Monta into the eyes. "They, the Night Warriors I mean, found us. They almost killed you," he gestured to Eva, "Tapalla, and me but then the Pezdan girl said she created the dream to scare me. She said Tapalla and I, Ray and Chaka too, need to come to Wren with you guys," Monta said, referring to Eva. "She also said something about another group holding up the Night Warriors on Gazar and that they are racing to find her. As soon as the Night Warriors find a map, they are coming to Ablatin." Monta now looked at Tapalla even if she didn't look back. "You don't have to hide anymore."