The Blood Of Silver And Gold

Prologue

I woke up in the middle of the night with the feeling that something is choking me.

I immediately sat up as I gasp for air and was confused to found out that everything seems hazy. The smoke entering my room is too thick and it's threatening to kill me. As I was coughing, my urge to flee as fast as I can overwhelm me.

But I stood up from my bed and held my ground as I remember that my life is less important than the first person who comes to my mind at times like this.

Where is the prince?

I stumbled my way out of the room to look for my master and his mother, the queen. I went straight to his room after hearing him cough, making me aware of where to find him.

"Your Highness?!" I called as I enter his room and struggled to find a piece of cloth with all this smoke around us. I saw in the corner of my eye that he turned to look at me.

"What is happening? Why is the manor on fire?" he asked me, panicking.

I found a piece of cloth inside one of the drawers near the door and went briefly in his washroom to dampen it. Everything seems blurry and I'm already choking.

"Prince, we have to get out of here." I told him as I hand him the cloth so he can cover his mouth and nose.

"What about you?" he asked me when he heard me cough.

"I'm fine, Your Highness. Let's just get out of here, please," I begged. He looked at me surprised by the urgency in my voice and nodded without hesitation.

We started to find our way out of the manor and I'm getting dizzier by the minute. It's very hot that I feel like I'm being burned alive. What keeps me going is the thought that I have to save the prince no matter what, even if it cost me my life. It is my duty and I cannot fail the queen.

We stopped running abruptly when there was a loud crashing sound as I saw a big piece of wood fall from the ceiling. I only had few seconds to push the prince out of the way before it fell on him.

The wood that would've fallen on him, hit me hard on my left shoulder and I struggled to keep my balance. I bit my lip and endured the pain that shot through my shoulder.

I saw the prince stand up from where I pushed him and he put my right arm on his shoulders to guide me down the marble stairs and out of the manor.

We barely made it out alive in the manor's backyard when I crumbled beside a bush and threw up.

Instead of abandoning me and running away from the manor, I saw the prince waiting for me quietly while looking alert and on edge.

I heard horses approaching and the sounds of men laughing. I suddenly felt so tired and angry. Whoever did this should pay with their lives. But I almost panicked when I realized something:

I don't have any weapons with me.

As soon as I stopped throwing up, I managed to croak out a "Run. Save yourself." to the prince.

My throat feels like sand paper and my eyes won't stop watering. I'm in no condition to run. He should leave me here.

I don't care if I'll die tonight. However, I refuse to go down without a fight.

When I can still feel his presence beside me, I looked up, only to find him looking at me with a glint of determination in his eyes.

He shook his head and I was surprised when he picked me up from the ground and started to run and enter the garden maze.