Chapter 3
Dagger yawned and kicked gently at her brother's foot. "I'm going back to bed. See ya when I see ya." She turned, and headed back down the hallway from which she came. Adam sank to his knees on the cold floor and stared at his little clenched hands. Parts of his mind comforted him, assured him that the King would never lie-that his mother was going to be okay. But the other part (which, by the way, was the majority) told him his sister was right, and Queen Garnet was lying peacefully on her deathbed. A small whine escaped Adam's throat as he heard a rasping cough from the other room. The boy loved his father dearly, but his sister had always been the one to comfort him, or read him stories. She was the only one who ever had time for him. So why would she lie to him now? Adam thumped his fist against the floor as a trickle of water ran down his face.
Zidane threw open the heavy doors to a small room and stepped back in surprise. A man stood with his back to him, bent over something.
"Who the hell are you? And where's Claudia?" The man turned, smiling. Claudia poked her head out from behind his broad shoulders and began to blush. Nervously, she stepped out, straightening her skirt and fixing her hair. She picked up her apron (which had excitedly been tossed over the corner of a large mirror on the side of the room) and hurried out.
"So pleased to meet you, Zidane. I am Charim, your son's guardian." His light blue eyes flashed in an eerie, lifeless sort of way that made Zidane shudder. Charim turned to him. His appearance made him look nothing less than a street performer. His shirt was simple and not of good quality, tied at the waste with a crude leather belt that hung down to the knees of a bland pair of tan pants. A heavy white coat trailed slightly on the castle's floor, covering some of his floppy boots. Zidane looked at him awkwardly.
"I didn't hire you. And no offense, but you don't look top quality." But Charim only smiled, and made it quite clear that the Queen had sent for him, only a month before.
"Now, your majesty, I do hope you've realized the absence of your dear guest. It seems he went out for a little fresh air, don't you think?" Zidane, had in fact, not noticed this, and was now very worried.
Adam tried to stop his shoulders from shaking as he stared at the massive shadow overlapping him. It had been there for a few minutes now, but Adam was too afraid to turn and see who it was. Besides, it didn't look like anyone he knew. He wiped his eyes with the blue pajama sleeve, and took a deep breath.
"Y-yes? Who is it?" The figure gave a pleasant giggle, and turned to walk away. Adam could hear the sound of heels clicking against the stone, and, assuming it was a harmless maid, turned to teach her a lesson about sneaking up on people.
"Now listen here, you--!" He stopped just as he finished turning around, and gasped. The figure was not a maid at all. It had long, tangled dull white hair and was wrapped primarily in blankets. It stopped walking, and looked back at him. Dark circles lingered around his eyes, and his cracked lips were drawn into a tight smile.
"Well, what do you have to say?" Adam stared, mouth hanging open, shaking his head back and forth. "If you have nothing, then why did you stop me?" His smile disappeared, and was replaced by a more curious look.
"I- I'm sorry. I thought you were a maid." Adam's brain began working again, and he remembered his manners. Bowing, he said, "I am Prince Adam of Alexandria. Do you seek a court with my father?" The cloaked man shook his head sadly, and continued walking.
"I know who you are, boy, and I do not need to see my lovely king. Would he even speak to such a common man like myself.?" Adam stared after the man as he turned the corner, and was out of sight. The hallway suddenly seemed colder and more lonely than before. The prince's thick hair clung to his wet face, and he brushed it out of the way. A looming presence was making itself known to the boy, and he wrapped his arms around his chest as tight as he could, and looked up to the ceiling. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a small voice whispered angrily into his ear.
"Who's there?" He called out, and stood waiting fro an answer. The only one he got was his echo. Adam's breath quickedned as the voice became louder in his head. He could just barely make out the words, but it was getting louder. Two small hands clamped themselves over a pair of princely ears as the voice became louder and louder. Adam sank to the floor again in pain as the voice raged in his mind.
LET NOT THE MAN WITH THE BLACKENED WINGS TAKE REST UPON YOUR SOUL.
Dagger yawned and kicked gently at her brother's foot. "I'm going back to bed. See ya when I see ya." She turned, and headed back down the hallway from which she came. Adam sank to his knees on the cold floor and stared at his little clenched hands. Parts of his mind comforted him, assured him that the King would never lie-that his mother was going to be okay. But the other part (which, by the way, was the majority) told him his sister was right, and Queen Garnet was lying peacefully on her deathbed. A small whine escaped Adam's throat as he heard a rasping cough from the other room. The boy loved his father dearly, but his sister had always been the one to comfort him, or read him stories. She was the only one who ever had time for him. So why would she lie to him now? Adam thumped his fist against the floor as a trickle of water ran down his face.
Zidane threw open the heavy doors to a small room and stepped back in surprise. A man stood with his back to him, bent over something.
"Who the hell are you? And where's Claudia?" The man turned, smiling. Claudia poked her head out from behind his broad shoulders and began to blush. Nervously, she stepped out, straightening her skirt and fixing her hair. She picked up her apron (which had excitedly been tossed over the corner of a large mirror on the side of the room) and hurried out.
"So pleased to meet you, Zidane. I am Charim, your son's guardian." His light blue eyes flashed in an eerie, lifeless sort of way that made Zidane shudder. Charim turned to him. His appearance made him look nothing less than a street performer. His shirt was simple and not of good quality, tied at the waste with a crude leather belt that hung down to the knees of a bland pair of tan pants. A heavy white coat trailed slightly on the castle's floor, covering some of his floppy boots. Zidane looked at him awkwardly.
"I didn't hire you. And no offense, but you don't look top quality." But Charim only smiled, and made it quite clear that the Queen had sent for him, only a month before.
"Now, your majesty, I do hope you've realized the absence of your dear guest. It seems he went out for a little fresh air, don't you think?" Zidane, had in fact, not noticed this, and was now very worried.
Adam tried to stop his shoulders from shaking as he stared at the massive shadow overlapping him. It had been there for a few minutes now, but Adam was too afraid to turn and see who it was. Besides, it didn't look like anyone he knew. He wiped his eyes with the blue pajama sleeve, and took a deep breath.
"Y-yes? Who is it?" The figure gave a pleasant giggle, and turned to walk away. Adam could hear the sound of heels clicking against the stone, and, assuming it was a harmless maid, turned to teach her a lesson about sneaking up on people.
"Now listen here, you--!" He stopped just as he finished turning around, and gasped. The figure was not a maid at all. It had long, tangled dull white hair and was wrapped primarily in blankets. It stopped walking, and looked back at him. Dark circles lingered around his eyes, and his cracked lips were drawn into a tight smile.
"Well, what do you have to say?" Adam stared, mouth hanging open, shaking his head back and forth. "If you have nothing, then why did you stop me?" His smile disappeared, and was replaced by a more curious look.
"I- I'm sorry. I thought you were a maid." Adam's brain began working again, and he remembered his manners. Bowing, he said, "I am Prince Adam of Alexandria. Do you seek a court with my father?" The cloaked man shook his head sadly, and continued walking.
"I know who you are, boy, and I do not need to see my lovely king. Would he even speak to such a common man like myself.?" Adam stared after the man as he turned the corner, and was out of sight. The hallway suddenly seemed colder and more lonely than before. The prince's thick hair clung to his wet face, and he brushed it out of the way. A looming presence was making itself known to the boy, and he wrapped his arms around his chest as tight as he could, and looked up to the ceiling. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a small voice whispered angrily into his ear.
"Who's there?" He called out, and stood waiting fro an answer. The only one he got was his echo. Adam's breath quickedned as the voice became louder in his head. He could just barely make out the words, but it was getting louder. Two small hands clamped themselves over a pair of princely ears as the voice became louder and louder. Adam sank to the floor again in pain as the voice raged in his mind.
LET NOT THE MAN WITH THE BLACKENED WINGS TAKE REST UPON YOUR SOUL.
