Wanderess

CHAPTER TWENTYONE

CHAPTER TWENTYONE

He had to move fast.

He needed to get out of here. He needed to get above ground. Out of this dungeon they called a Castle.

He had opened his eyes, now Adrian needed to get out.

"Why did you bother telling me this?"

Shrugging once, his grandfather tutted, "Because you cannot leave now." What?

"You cannot leave Prince, for you have no where else to go. You had the honour of your Birthright bestowed upon you. There is no where else you will fit in, where you will be accepted. There is nowhere but here where you will feel as though you belong. You were a recipient of the most hunted artefact in history- you will forever be hunted, tortured and ruined for the information you hold. You will become a King one day. You will rule Malvat and fulfil your destiny. You will control the Demons and the Angels."

Adrian silently heaved a sigh, his shoulders relaxing ever-so-slightly. He was afraid that there would be a spell of the Old Magic keeping him from abandoning the corrupt kingdom he had grown up in.

Do not let him see you relieved. Do not give him any ammunition to suspect you, he thought.

He fumbled for words, coming up at a loss.

Finally, he managed, "Do you feel no remorse?". It was barely a whisper, but he knew the King heard him all the same.

The echo of his question seemed to reverberate and bounce of the walls of the expansive room. It hung heavy in the air, waiting to be welcomed- to be received and answered.

The King of Malvat took his time to answer, to give his grandson the reprieve he so desperately craved. An answer to an ever-burning question.

"When you are as old as I am, Boy," he began, "emotions are a funny thing. Sometimes you may feel a flicker of an ember in your veins. One that ignites your body and all the long-forgotten emotions come rushing back in. Pain, guilt, grief, happiness... but most of the time, they leave fleetingly. Creating a gaping chasm in your being. Sometimes they leave behind certain feelings; rage, hatred, horror... and sometimes you feel nothing at all. The emotions you so desperately need do not tend toy our wounds, they do not nurse you back to health. They abandon you."

"Is that what happened to you? All those years ago... did your emotions fill you so wholly, that when they left, only hatred and bigotry remained?"

The Kings gaze settled upon his heir, the coldness of them freezing enough to ice the desert. They were stone cold and molten anger lay beneath the exterior that all saw.

"Remember your place Prince. Or you will soon find yourself without one at all." A warning... and a threat.

Not that it mattered to Adrian.

Not as he bowed deeply once, then stood and began walking out.

Not that it mattered to the Prince of Darkness who would unleash night itself upon Malvat and his grandfather.

****

He needed access to one of the cars from the Royal garage.

Above ground.

Making his way up through the tunnels of the Underground Castle, the Prince felt freer than he had in his entire life. Free to do what he wished, free to be who he truly was... free to rid himself of the monster he was made into.

Stopping by his quarters, he gathered his supplies.

His sword was a must, it was his fathers and would be his sons one day. No matter what.

Clothes, his scabbard, his hunting knives gifted to him on his sixteenth birthday, the essentials. He could only spare what was necessary. He dug through his wardrobe, noticing the grandeur of his attire, he would need more inconspicuous clothing. That, he decided, he would buy on the way.

Afterall, the castle wasn't short on cash.

He was free to come and go as he pleased, so long as he reported to the King. Everyone knew that, and they knew from idle gossip that they had both previously been in the throne room together, and so assuming the worst- they let the Prince by without hassle. Adrian needed them all to believe that he was on an errand for the King, so pulling from himself, a bit of the Darkness that made most beings quake in terror. He let it slip a mask of maliciousness onto his face as he made his way above ground.

Almost there.

So close.

"Sire, the King wishes to speak with you again, Your Highness."

Adrian turned slowly, the Darkness he omitted covering his bag of belongings from any prying eyes.

The painter-the one who painstakingly painted his portrait just the other day, stood there.

He held his smock by a hand, wringing it incessantly. Nervously.

"And what- pray tell, does the King want? I have only just returned from His Majesty."

The poor painter looked as if he was about to pass out. Adrian could see the sweat forming on his brow and the redness of his cheeks darkening. "I...I....Well, he...Yeah- yeah, um... He wished to speak to you about your up...upcoming nuptials." He was shaking like a leaf; one breath and Adrian would have him convulsing on the floor.

The works shocked the Prince. His upcoming nuptials. No one had said anything in his almost twenty-one years alive about him being engaged, much less having upcoming nuptials.

He took a menacing step towards the messenger of such news, 'I'm sorry, my what?" Malic dripped from every word. This time, none of it was faked.

"S...S....Sire, surely you know? About your arranged marriage to the Mayor's daughter- the M...M...Mayor of the City of D...D...Darkness."

Of course. Of course, his grandfather would plot and scheme behind his back. Securing an alliance with one of the larger and by far the wealthiest cities the continent had to offer.

An alliance with the City of Darkness would be beneficial in many ways. Apart from Malvat, they are known to be the cruellest when it comes to all this really. Solas tries to keep them in line, but what goes on behind closed doors would be enough for his grandfather to be tempted to bind the kingdom with the city.

Over his dead body.

The Prince began to panic, albeit only in his mind. I have to get out of here, he thought.

Plastering his wicked smile on his face, the Prince of Darkness became so once more, "I see, Painter. Tell my grandfather that I will meet him shortly, I must change first for such an occasion." The painter nodded ferociously and practically sprinted down the hall to get away from death incarnate.

Now was his chance.

Skulking into the shadows, Adrian Tenebris escaped the Underground Castle without another interruption.