Chapter 12

The sun had slowly begun its track across the sky, and now the sunlight began to fade behind the mountains.

The alleged guilty trio continued to sit silently in the room, each one left to their own devices to appease their boredom. A servant had come in a few moments prior to light some candles in the room and scurried out when Miranda barked at her on when the master was coming. Lacie was under the impression the other servants had been given strict orders on not conversing with the guilty party unless necessary.

Fuming silently, Lacie stuck the corner of the quill in her mouth to chew on it as a means to release pent-up aggression. Whenever she thought about the young lord of the castle she felt a strong urge to strangle him. Instead, knowing she would be sentenced to death for harming the prince, she chose to draw crude images of the man she had come to despise.

Well, the prince was third on her list of men she despised; he hadn't reached his full potential on gaining rank on her list. The first two spots belonged to honorary members Isla Yura and Levi, and Lacie doubted these two would be bumped down anytime soon.

The madman and misogynist.

Other darker thoughts tried creeping up in Lacie's mind but she refused to devote precious energy on them. It was better to focus on anger then despair.

While Lacie had found a way to amuse herself, it really didn't take much in her state of exhaustion, the other members in her party were not quite as successful. Reim and Lacie had tried to make small conversation but the heated glares Miranda shot in their directions eventually silenced them both. When Lacie made a comment about hell being more preferable than dealing with Miranda's death glares the older woman's face turned the shade of a tomato. The lead servant's foul mood began to increase in hostility with the decent of the sun. Miranda was fidgety and kept crossing and uncrossing her arms and ankles. The redhead would huff randomly and shoot her companions scathing gazes whenever they looked in her direction.

Reim thought questionably about his personal safety since Miranda, with her current fragile state of mind, was behaving remarkably like the Venus flytrap. He had read about the plant in the world travel collections inside the castle's library left by the prince's ancestors. The plant looked innocent at first glance but the moment you placed your finger into the plant's 'mouth' it would slam its lids close and hence, trap you.

The lead servant was striking when she was not gazing at you like you were her prey. But, with her mind in shambles, if someone made the mistake of taking pity on the young woman they would find themselves in a world of hurt when she struck out.

Venus Flytrap. With childlike admiration, Reim almost patted himself on the back for making a connection between his superior and a plant. His smile faltered when he noticed Miranda's gray eyes gaze at him with bemusement.

Growing fed up with the hostility, the innocent party members chose to avoid looking in Miranda's direction and just focus on their own thoughts.

Lacie's thoughts often drifted into different ways of torturing Isla Yura or the prince, whichever one she managed to get away with…or her hands on for that matter.

On the other hand, Reim would often sigh and repeat the same thing over and over randomly. "This wasn't part of my job description."

He was having second thoughts on continuing to work in the castle with all the death threats hanging in the air. Right now, he would rather be a stable boy; sweeping up dung was better than dealing with this shit. He chuckled randomly but quickly hushed when the peeved head servant girl twisted around to glare daggers at him.

Instead, he started to recall easier times in his childhood; his mind kept drifting off to a song his mother would sing to him before he would go to sleep. It was a popular song in among the village children since it involved slayers winning the war against a gigantic dragon terrorizing their town. Absent-mindedly, he began to drum his fingers on the desk in rhythm with the song's tune.

Pausing in the middle of drawing a crude version of the castle Lacie glanced up to stare at him questionably before shrugging her shoulders to continue doodling. Miranda pressed her fingernails into her upper arms rather painfully to keep from throttling him. Her mind was consumed with thoughts on saving her self-preservation and avoiding exile. She did not have the time or patience to deal with these idiots whose only punishment would be a slap on the wrist, most likely.

Slinking down in her seat, Miranda tilted her head back to release a mournful sigh. Why did she always act so impulsively? Her desire to live dangerous was going to cost her everything. Remembering the prince's cold, unmoving gaze caused an undesired flinch in her back as she felt her blood turn to ice. She had known the prince was not quite as gracious and warm as he had been in his early teens but seeing her childhood friend look at her with obvious betrayal made her heart pang with guilt.

While Miranda wallowed in self-misery, Lacie smiled from ear to ear as she finished her drawing. Holding the paper up, she examined it with loving admiration. Reim halted his annoying taps to glace at her work. Despite his professionalism, even Reim snickered in amusement. When Lacie peeked at him underneath her eyelashes he coughed into his hand to pretend she misheard him.

The two smiled knowingly at each other as Miranda had her head lowered. Lacie mouthed to him Think the prince will like it?

Reim jerked back in horror, raising his hands into an X position, shaking his head fervently. He mouthed to her No. A glint of amusement rose in Lacie's eyes, she was certain there was a Hell before that No, but it was hard to determine.

The messenger's eyes were huge as Lacie granted him a devilish smile, he scooted an inch over in his seat to remove himself from the woman's disconcerting burst of energy. In his mind, Reim thought unsettlingly, One woman has the charms of a Venus flytrap; the other has the calculating mischief of a minx.

Releasing a morbid breath of air, Reim tilted his head back and wished for better luck in the future.

Miranda raised her head at that moment and her companions instantly silenced, diverting their heads to pretend their attention was occupied by something not in her line of vision. Lacie had started whistling when she halted in horror, her eyes widening, as she realized whistling was a habit performed by people with a guilty conscience.

The head servant looked down at the scatter of doodles on the paper held in Lacie's hands. A grimace overcame the woman's face as she tried to make out the arrangement of the drawing. Figuring out the girl's artwork was a hardship since a toddler's drawing of a flower was a masterpiece in comparison.

When she finally figured out the symbolism in the doodles, her head sprang up. Accusingly, Miranda asked coldly, " Is this all a game to you?"

Just who was this naïve girl? Did she think the world was all rainbows and sunshine and there was nothing evil lurking in the shadows? The anger in Miranda rose. Perhaps, the innocent girl with the unusual eyes needed a rude awakening to the dark sides of humanity.

The younger girl shifted back at the amount of hostility being sent her way in one statement alone. Lacie blinked confusingly, not understanding what brought forth the servant's anger. However, her own anger rose in challenge to the woman's desire to argue.

Personally, Lacie was sick of it all. She came to retrieve her brother and return to her happy life of peacefulness. Even the villagers' hatred and prejudice were welcoming compared to the constant worry of her safety and that of her brother's in this hellhole. This castle was filled with incompetent rulers and irresponsible followers in her opinion.

"No, I was simply looking for a good way to spend the last minutes of my life here in Limbo," Lacie paused, a cruel sneer overcoming her comely face. "Now that you mentioned it, I have been wondering if we are sentenced to die which of us will be given the quick, clean death and which of us will be left to suffer until the end?"

Turning to provide Miranda with a malevolent glint of haughtiness in her red eyes, she wondered out-loud, "Just how will you die, Miranda?"

The redhead blanched at the villager's cruel assessment of their situation. Lacie knew what was troubling the servant girl's mind and took advantage, tired of being the only one whose emotions were toyed with. A stab of guilt struck her in the abdomen and for once she couldn't shake off the guilt overriding her irrational, cloudy decision to pick an argument with Miranda.

One part of her reasoned she deserved to give the cold, vindictive woman a taste of her own medicine. The other half remembered how she tried to help Lacie rescue her dying brother and the look of despair on her face when Isla Yura attempted to kill Oswald.

Yes, the guilt increased when she looked back on the events that transpired earlier.

Miranda continued to writhe in aggravation, as she seemed to be split between the desire to burst into a pool of tears or tear the red-eyed woman's hair out.

"Shu-Shut up," Miranda commanded lamely, her voice seeming to fail her. The once proud woman with the cool gaze grew quiet as her gaze shifted to the floor. A few tense moments of silence followed before it was certain she would remain this way for the duration of their time together.

Reim sat shell-shocked at the viciousness expressed in Lacie's question. He had deemed her the nicer person between the two women but now it was a tossup. Edging closer to the end of his seat, he stated with authority, "Lacie, enough."

The girl whirled around to direct a challenging look in his direction. With childlike aggression, Lacie spit out, "Why? All I'm doing is stating what everyone is afraid of saying out-loud instead of thinking internally."

There was a definite note of hatred in her voice that she hadn't meant to come out. But truly, she was exhausted and sitting here like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered was grating on her nerves. She wanted action and information on her brother's well being, not this state of uselessness and feelings of despair as she imagined horrific scenarios.

What if the prince returned to give her the news of Oswald dying in his sleep while she sat here twiddling her thumbs? The barely contained feelings of despair and aggravation surged forward to the front of her train of thoughts.

Reim gave her a disappointed look before repeating, "Enough."

Something about the touch of disappointment caused Lacie to snap, "DON'T tell me to hush! I have every right to know what's going on, but guess what? I'm being kept in the dark on everything! Nobody is telling me anything. Come here Lacie, sit quietly Lacie, don't rebuke our demands Lacie, watch the last member of your family die without being able to do ANYTHING once again Lacie!"

Without warning Lacie burst into tears as her fears poured out at long last. She had tried so hard to not think about the helplessness she felt when her parents died, the disgust felt at being unable to save them. Deep down, she prayed to never feel so useless again.

And a few hours ago she felt useless again.

The messenger jerked back in alarm, confused as to what brought on this reaction. He looked over to Miranda, who was quietly observing them, to find her clenching and unclenching her hands as some form of therapeutic means. There was a dull listlessness in Miranda's expression and he determined it was useless seeking out her help. He really wasn't good with women… and crying ones were the worst.

Awkwardly patting Lacie on the shoulder, he tried to put forth a cheerful demeanor, in a high-pitched voice he declared, "Don't cry, Lacie! Your brother is alive and the bad man is being pursued. All your fears are illogical since justice is being issued as we speak!"

The crying woman's tears halted upon hearing the usually prim and proper Reim speaking like a young man undergoing puberty. Glancing up, she was stunned to find a horrific version of an easygoing smile.

Perhaps, it was illogical on how quickly her moods were switching, but presently she was too tired to care. Finding Reim in such a look of bewilderment as he tried to reassure the distraught stranger that all was well was enough to tickle her.

Reim's eyebrow rose as the strange woman went from crying to laughing at the drop of a hat. He wanted to question if she suffered from mood swings but decided against it. Collapsing back against his seat he decided he was too tired to care.

It was easier dealing with a happy woman than an outraged one he concluded. Shifting his head back on the seat, he chanced a glance at Miranda to find her staring off into space with a look of lost.

Sadly, he didn't know what to offer his colleague in this circumstance.

The entity watching over their dilemma must have had a sense of humor as voices sounded from outside in the hallway as feet went scurrying in different directions. A bold, commanding voice shot out directions to people but it was hard to determine what was being said.

Miranda stared at the door in alarm while Reim groaned, thumping his head back on the chair. Lacie stared dispassionately at the object shielding them from the outside. Brushing tears off her cheeks, she sat back and went back to drawing in an attempt to regain her composure.

The servants continued to stare as the door was opened to reveal a disheveled prince. Knights were announcing their reports as he waved them off, nodding his head along in an attempt to make them leave faster.

The prince had taken time to remove the armor and was now seen to be wearing a loose white shirt, smudged with sweat stains, and dark riding pants. His golden hair was lank in appearance and several small strands of bangs were plastered to his forehead where he had worn the helmet earlier.

Lacie turned to gaze at him briefly and finding him looking slightly unkempt was enough to make her feel happy. She smiled acidly and went back to her calming routine of drawing.

The prince began closing the door on the knights as they began speeding up their reports to get all the information out. He pushed one knight's face back to prevent him from having the door closed on his face. He stopped and whispered something to the knights, and whatever was said seemed to appease them since they grew quiet immediately.

When the door was successfully shut, the prince stared at him for a moment longer then necessary. The servants wondered if the prince wanted nothing more than to rest his head against the wood and sleep.

Instead, he slowly turned around and gave each member in the trio a calculating gaze. When his sharp gaze landed on a certain member they tensed under the look of scrutiny.

Except one, who refused to meet his gaze as she focused her attention on something before her. The prince thinned his lips in annoyance.

Refusing to take the bait, he decided to go ahead and get this matter taken care of. In an aloof tone, he stated with boredom, " Sorry for the late arrival, there were other matters that needed my attention immediately."

The master of the castle smiled thinly at the group as he proceeded to walk to his seat. "Now, before we get started-"

The prince's gaze, which had been avoiding the pleading look from Miranda, fell on the instrument keeping the village girl's focus off of the matter at hand. At first he wasn't sure what he was staring at but eventually he came to the assumption whatever was drawn on that paper was something he wouldn't like.

Directing his focus towards the dark-haired girl, he tried to push off dealing with the betrayal issue. The matter needed to be dealt with but now he would rather focus on the bane of his existence sitting before him instead of the two possible Isla Yura conspirators.

Standing behind the desk, he stopped speaking to see if his silence would catch Lacie's attention. When she continued to ignore him, his eyebrows furrowed and he rolled his eyes from habit. Mentally he scolded himself, scowling, as he realized he reacted to Lacie's childish display of rebellion with a childish response of annoyance. He almost rolled his eyes again but stopped himself just in time.

Reim chuckled awkwardly at the silent standoff; he kept yanking on his neckband as though it were choking him. His usual display of feeling uncertain on how to respond.

The young woman stubbornly refused to acknowledge the displeased prince; he would rather be sleeping, so he decided he would have to force her into paying him attention. Pushing his left hand forward, that previously was resting on the desk; he put it under her line of vision and tapped his fingers on the wood.

Once again, she tried to avoid meeting his gaze, but when he repeated the tapping process a third time she finally looked up to scowl.

The prince smiled imperturbably at her. The smile was fleeting before his look of apathy returned.

Pointing at an image in the center of the drawing he inquired with insincere sweetness, "Care to tell me what exactly this lovely little tangle of lines interwoven is?"

The prince did not like the wild look in Lacie's eyes as she smirked at him. The girl stated drily, "Oh, it's simply a small tidbit of how I envision you, my lord."

The way she pronounced 'my lord' did not sit well with the prince, turning the paper around with one finger, he stared down at it with skepticism. He noticed through his eyelashes the way Reim gulped and the roll of Miranda's eyes.

Taking a long inhale, he gazed down at… just what was he looking at?

He could tell one section of the lines drawn as a triangle was supposed to mimic a tall hat- what kind of hats did the people in her village wear- then a curved line was supposed to be a humpback around his shoulders and another wide circle was supposed to imitate a stomach. Beside the strange figure were the words; "I am the High Wizard of Incompetence, bow to my ineptitude good people!"

High Wizard? The prince narrowed an eye in confusion.

Beside the wizard figure, with his arms spread out as though beckoning for applause, where terrible drawings of people with thumbs stuck in their oval mouths or eyes pointed in different directions. Some of the people had words beside them, also.

'Ahh, aye aye, my lord,' 'Do I get to pillage today, high wizard?' 'My lord you finally have gotten off your back!' where a few of the commentaries.

The prince lifted his head up and scowled at the haughtiness in Lacie's expression. It was safe to say that never in his life had he met someone who he disliked on first meeting as much as this woman.

When she saw the look of annoyance pass over the prince's usually expressionless face she beamed with happiness. Annoying this asshole was well worth any punishment. She blinked when she recognized how she automatically was growing accustomed to his expressions of annoyance with a few hours of knowing one another.

"You have a very creative imagination, my lady," he mentioned without emotion, while his voice lacked personality his eyes flashed with aggravation. Hmm, guess she wasn't the only one tired of being in a stranger's company. Folding his arms against his chest, he asked with defeat, "My gut instinct tells me I'll regret asking but my interest is piqued unfortunately, why is there a high wizard?"

A crooked smile developed, the young woman chuckled, "Have you never read any fairytales in your life? In all the stories where the distressed damsel goes to the mysterious castle…not saying I'm a damsel in distress though," she clarified, her eyes challenging him to disagree. The prince continued to gaze at her indifferently, she growled before continuing, "The damsel will journey to a castle where the owner is typically an old wizard residing there waiting to meet an interesting person to grant wishes."

The imaginative child in her was disappointed for the non-fairytale like ending.

The girl stopped and stared at him accusingly, "Sadly for me, in reality, there are not any helpful wizards residing in historic castles here, just a lazy, idiotic prince."

The prince tensed and stated in an almost too calm voice, "Thank you for the insightful information, guest. Now that I have been thoroughly enlightened with your obtuse imagination I think it's time to gather details so I may decree who is innocent and who is guilty."

Lacie pursed her lips before snapping her head to the side, sulking. Reim muttered under his breath needing a break while Miranda gazed dully at the prince.

The prince pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling completely drained.

Dropping his hand, he straightened himself and tried to compose himself in a regal manner. "Before we jump straight into the events leading to the battle earlier and Isla Yura's duplicity and revelation of paying my men to cover his illicit crimes," he stopped and gave Miranda a stony glare. The plausible innocent members of the trio felt rather than saw Miranda shrink in her seat.

He continued, turning his gaze away with a look of disgust to focus on Lacie, "I paid a visit to your brother, Oswald, and though he is extremely malnourished and dehydrated he seems to be faring well with my healers' care. Do not fret over his condition, esteemed guest."

Lacie breathed out in relief and nodded her head gratefully; her brother was alive nothing else mattered from here. Even though the prince was trying to make polite pleasantries she felt that his title were insincere. However, she decided to brush aside any feelings of insult, he rescued her brother and for that she could fake pleasantries for the rest of their interrogation.

Try, she could try…this was a definite test of self-control and willpower.

The prince nodded in return and leaned back against the seat, drumming his fingers on the desk, contemplating how to approach the subject diplomatically.

"There seems to be many internal factors which contributed to the fiasco earlier. Before this meeting can begin I will state that some of my informants among the loyalists have provided me with crucial information which will play a key factor in determining your sentences."

The prince stared at the wall behind the trio as he searched for words. "Lottie and Break have asked that each of you receive a light sentencing, but-" his gaze drifted towards Miranda, "not all of you will receive such civility."

Reim chanced a look at the head servant and saw her shoulders hang loosely down as she bit her lip to keep from talking out. The head servant's mind was a mixture of confusion as she tried to make herself appear composed on the outside.

The prince spared Miranda a glance and reminded himself that he could not treat her delicately and with the same tenderness as he had in their youth whenever she acted out. She had wronged him and perhaps countless innocent individuals.

There must be punishment.

"Let's get down to business," the prince laid his palms on the desk, "Lottie has revealed some troubling information on your more illicit side activities, Miranda. My guard has discovered that you have been lending Isla Yura a hand in dealing justice to the convicted criminals for quite some time without my knowledge."

His hands formed a steeple as he gave Miranda a harsh look. "It would appear that you have been living a double life. During the day, or in my presence, you pretend to be a humble friend only caring for the best interests of the castle. When left unattended you prefer to spend your free time torturing people for personal amusement."

Miranda returned to reality out of her dazed state, "That's not exactly true Ja-"

Slamming a hand on the table, the prince sent her a reproachful look, "Do not address me without an honorific. You have lost any right to refer to me with such intimacy when you turned your back on my ideals of justice to cruelly harass people with sicken enchantment of the cries to those suffering. No, Miranda, I doubt anything you claim of your innocence will fall on non-deaf ears."

With a cold, detached look, the prince finished aloofly, "Former head of the servants and presently the betrayer to my house."

Miranda balked at the declaration of her being a former head servant. "What do you mean, former?"

Thoughts of execution flashed through her mind as she pressed the memories back. "You can't seriously be thinking of executing me, Ja-My Lord!"

The prince continued to gaze at her with evident hostility.

"No, I've gathered from various sources, though you have tormented fellow staff members and possibly helped torture prisoners, you were seen as distant from Isla Yura and showed a remarkable sense of loathing to the man. Even I have noticed a distinct difference in attitudes towards one another when we met for monthly discussions on affairs within the castle."

The prince gave her a severe look, "Lottie has spoken on your behalf and says she doubts you were in cahoots with the turncoats. They were serving a different function compared to your perverse interest in trying out torture techniques."

Miranda began to plead again, hating how he addressed her so distantly. He had to remember they were friends and she refused to turn against him. She was one of his main supporters during the dark days in the castle. "Please don't do this. I swear that I will change my ways…"

He scoffed. "I highly doubt that, even I know that you possess a vindictive nature. But…even now, as I look at you I can't help but wish for things to not end on this note."

Miranda's heart stopped, "Ja-"

"I was going to sentence you to exile, Miranda, and even now I am fighting the urge to not have you flung out and the gates close on you forever. However, I think you should be notified on your brother, Arthur, pleading for me to spare you. Your brother prostrated himself before the loyalists and myself and begged me to not turn you away. He was practically weeping as he cried out on how you have never know any other life and will not be able to function outside the castle."

The prince leaned his head on his hand and gave her a somewhat bored expression; however, his tense posture suggested otherwise. "His pleas and humility touched me and a few servants took pity on you. The loyalists present during the ordeal reminded me of how you refused to budge when the executioner went about his selfish desires on obtaining my castle and prestige. Miranda, you have them to thank on why I am sparing you the humiliation of being locked out forever."

Lacie and Reim were aghast when Miranda burst into tears. She sniffed and wipes her eyes, "Thank you, I swear that I will maintain a humble outlook for the rest of my days for the kindness you have shown me."

She didn't even care that she was showing such vulnerability. Every nerve in her body was happy to be allowed to live and remain in the only place she knew as home. Seeing Jack's dark expression sent shivers down her spine, she was confident things would never be the same between them, much to her sadness.

Thankfully, the prince wasn't cruel enough to behead her for the various forms of betrayal she had done without his knowledge. Perhaps, he was still in the dark on just how much sin she had committed.

"Miranda Barma, you are no longer allowed to travel alone without a knight accompanying you. You will no longer be allowed to live in your current quarters; your belongings are being carried to your new room as we speak. And…"

Her heart pulsed rabidly as she numbly awaited her whole verdict.

"You are no longer my head servant. Your new position will be a cook in the kitchen staff on the pleas of Arthur. You will be replacing Daisy who has gotten too feeble to remain on her feet for long periods of time. Arthur and Daisy are in charge of you, anything they ask you do, no questions asked, understood?"

Miranda nodded.

"Also, since Isla Yura has not been captured yet and there is disquiet amongst the staff on whether he will return, you are forbidden to approach me at any point unless under life-threatening emergencies. If you wish to speak with me you are only allowed to under the observation of one of my knights."

Miranda's skin tingled with disbelief, but she calmly nodded her head, refusing to display her shock.

"I have instructed your watchers to provide you with a disciple lesson for an hour each day on why humans should value life since you seem keen on destroying it. Maybe these lessons will help regulate and enforce your destructive tendencies into positive actions."

The red head stared at him inquisitively. "What?"

The prince ignored her. "Miranda, you are dismissed, Break will take you to your new living quarters where you will remain for the rest of the evening onto tomorrow when things are settled. Daisy will retrieve you when it is time for you to begin work."

Lacie spared Reim a glance; he appeared to quietly be musing over facts. She had to resist snorting, Break seemed to be a very busy boy today for someone who was only a messenger.

"Break," the prince shouted. When the messenger instantly opened the door Lacie questioned if he had been listening in the entire time. She wouldn't put it past the white-haired man with the clownish smile. He had the qualities of someone known for snooping.

"Please escort Miranda to her room, and tell the commander to assign one of the knights to be placed on watch duty."

Break's visible red eye blinked once before the messenger nodded, "Come along, girl."

Lacie and Reim watched with sadness as Miranda tried to maintain her composure as she stood up and walked stiffly to Break, keeping her head up and her gaze pointed straight ahead as she hid her humiliation.

Break ushered her ahead first and then turned around briefly to give a two-finger salute. Reim was too absorbed in thoughts to notice the other men nodding at each other. Lacie did and questioned what information was discussed between them.

The prince waited until the door was close before directing his attention on them. He steepled his fingers again and rested his chin on them. "And then there were two."

Lacie and Reim gave the prince their immediate attention, neither one would willingly admit just how afraid they were currently.

Rant- We get to the juicy part next chapter. I'm sure many of you wanted Miranda to be dismissed but unfortunately our prince still has too soft a heart. Will it come back to bite him in the end? And what about Lacie and Reim caught in a bad situation? Just what future awaits them? Yes, I'm being that author right now. I don't consider this a true cliffhanger in my opinion. Anyway, please review!