Amnesia

Second moon

When we finished taking the last of Saruna's things back into her room, we were about ready to go to sleep. It had been a long day for the both of us, and hitting the hay sounded lovely. "So where am I going to sleep?" I asked. "If you want, you can sleep with me. Or, you can sleep on the floor. Your choice." Kiel said. "Well, I'm most certainly not sleeping on the floor, it's much too uncomfortable and cold. I think I'll sleep with you." I said.(Thankfully, the bed was much more spacious than the tent, so maybe Kiel won't complain as much) "Very well then, I'm going to change...so look elsewhere if you will." Kiel said. "Why must you change right in front of me? Why change at all? Just sleep in your clothes." I said, covering my eyes. (I was hoping to catch a glimpse in the reflection of the window, so I peeked only a little) "I'm not sleeping in my clothes! It's uncomfortable and hot. Furthermore, this is my castle. My castle, my rules. You will do as told until someone says otherwise." Kiel said, crossing his arms. Ludacris. His castle, his rules. Ugh, nobility can be a pain in the arse at times. "Fine, but you can only remove your shirt. Deal?" Kiel rolled his eyes. "Very well, deal." He said. Just then there was a knock at the door. Who could possibly be awake at this hour?

Kiel told me to hide somewhere, so I hid underneath the bed. I couldn't see anything from underneath, but I heard the sound of the door opening. I could barely make out two pairs of feet, one being Kiels and the other pair belonging to that of a stranger. The other pair of feet wore black heels underneath a black dress, so it was safe to assume the other figure was a woman. "What do you want, mother?" I heard Kiel say. That was his mother? Why is she in here?

"I simply wish to congratulate my eldest, for I had not the chance at the coronation. There were so many people buzzing around you, eager to see their new prince." I heard a voice say. The voice was soft and soothing, it sounded so gentle and calm. 'What a gentle mother he has' I thought to myself. "Yes, yes. Just congratulate me and be on your way mother." Kiel said, dismissing his own mother. "Oh, very well then. I know you have much to do. And you have a big day tomorrow, so I'll make it quick." The voice said. "Mother, you may do it tomorrow. Just be on your way." Kiel said, getting impatient. "Oh, come now. Don't be so rude to your mother." The voice said. "My, I miss the days when my little Kiel would sit in my lap right before bedtime and demand a bedtime story. The days do pass by quickly I suppose. Watching your children grow can fill you with joy, but it also leaves you feeling lonely." The voice said, quietly and somberly. Kiel was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Well, times change. Now, if you will, I have a very important day ahead of me, and I need my sleep. So if you could kindly remove yourself from my quarters, that would be wonderful." I heard his mother sigh, and then she said, "Very well then, do try and get some rest. Goodnight, my prince." With that, she turned around and made her way towards the door. But right as she got to it, she stopped. She started sniffing the air. Uh oh, now what? From under the bed, I could slowly see the pair of heels turn towards Kiel. Then I heard his mother say, in a more stern and serious tone, "I smell...seraphim..."

I could feel sweat racing down my face. My heart beat faster and my hands became clammy. "Whatever are you on about?"I heard Kiel say. "What exactly were you hunting the previous night?" His mother said. There was a silence. A long and deafening silence. Kiel mustered up the words to speak. "I can't remember mother." He said shakily. His mother didn't believe him however. "Do not deceive, Kiel. I know when you are lying, and you are now. So I ask you again, what were you hunting the previous night?" There was an even longer silence, more deafening then the last. "Very well then Kiel, if you are unable to tell me the truth, then I must search for it myself." I heard his mother say. From underneath the bed, I could see her approach Kiel and drag him out the door. She pushed him out into the hallway and closed and locked the door. My heart stopped completely. Now it was just a game of hide and seek. I watched in horror from underneath the bed as Kiels mother scoured the room for any trace of seraphim. She peeked behind window curtains, in closets and she even checked the ceiling. She paused at the foot of the bed, and to my horror, she knelt down and our eyes met. Her eyes were a glowing crimson, brighter than any fire. She cracked a twisted grin and grabbed my arms. With almost little to no effort, she pulled me out from underneath the bed. I shrieked and screamed, trying to free myself, and for a moment I did manage to free myself from her grasp. I could hear Kiel banging on the door demanding to be let in. I scrambled for the doorknob, and just as I reached it, I felt a great pain in my head. Then everything went black.