The Source (Creasan #1)

Chapter 9

The whole Council insisted Thea let the prince stew in their makeshift prison for a bit. Merek and Carac had been pretty adamant about it. She couldn't really blame them. But she knew exactly what this would mean for their odyssey and she couldn't be more ecstatic if she tried. For the few hours they left him there, she was practically jumping up and down with barely contained energy. As soon as the agreed upon time was up, Thea rushed down to the prison.

What they called a prison was really just a cage one of the Vuterra blacksmiths had made in case something like this ever happened. It was situated at the bottom of the chasm; it took nearly a hundred stairs down to reach it. Thea held a torch to light her way into the darkness.

At the bottom, Fendrel and the Guard slumped on the floor within the cage. When they heard footsteps, they jumped to their feet. In the nearly dim light, the Guard looked more terrifying than any she'd ever seen.

The Council had insisted on accompanying Thea, but she had refused. One person would be enough. She could handle herself against the prince; she'd done so once before. Isolde hung back, allowing Thea to take control of the situation.

"Well, well, well," Thea said as she approached, "who'd have thought our roles would be reversed so soon?"

Fendrel laughed once. "Yes, wonderfully ironic."

"I don't know if it's ironic so much as it is wonderfully just." Thea leaned against the bars of the cage. "How did you find us?"

Isolde clucked nervously. "Don't stand so close, Thea!"

Thea's eyes twinkled as she gazed at Fendrel. "It's all right, Izzy. He knows how stupid it would be to try anything. Don't you, Highness."

"Thea," he repeated. "That's your name?"

"I'll ask again. How did you find us?"

"I looked." Fendrel gripped the bars, bringing his face closer to hers.

She cocked her head to the side. "Those blue eyes of yours don't seem as tranquil as they once were. Hard times at the palace?"

"You were right."

"Of course I was," she said. "About what?"

"I did as you said. I went to see my people. Specifically the people of Vuterra."

Thea straightened away from the bars. She didn't think it possible, but the prince had surprised her. "You did."

"Yes. And it was..."

"Not what you were expecting?" Thea asked bitterly.

"It was cold and dark and sorrowful. It is no place fit for living."

"I'm glad to know you enjoyed your time in my hometown," she replied sarcastically.

"And what I witnessed..." He shook his head as his eyes took on a faraway look. "Awful. I had no idea my brother had commanded for our people to be cut down in the streets. I—I am so sorry, Thea."
"You should be," she snapped. "What kind of prince knows nothing of his own people?" Perhaps she ought to control her temper but finally faced with a royal at her mercy, she was finding it very difficult.

"But that is why I'm here," he said, his fingers tightening around the bars. "I want to help you."

Yet another surprise from the prince. "Do you?"

"My brother has never been especially kind to me. In fact, I find him to be foul on most occasions. But I looked past it, my entire life, because he is king. He was chosen by Aestus and clearly the best suited to the throne." He shook his head sadly. "Every harsh word, every abuse I witnessed or endured, I put behind me because who was I to say anything against Aestus? But after what I had seen in Vuterra, after what I know he's been doing to Ana..." His knuckles became white. "I cannot allow it to go on."