Despair and Melancholie
Chapter Three: The Honorable Prince
The most terrible feeling flooded through me as I was bitterly reminded of the feeling of being dragged through the streets of my own country like some common criminal. As I trailed closely behind the knights that had come to retrieve me at the inn, we now walked through the streets of Gale up to the palace. The loud clank of the soldiers' armor seemed to cause the citizens to stir in the night, as I saw their lights flicker on and their faces peek out from their windows. They recognized me from earlier, there was no doubt. My heart beat quickly and angrily as I pondered over the wonders this would do for the plan of keeping my identity hidden.
The path to the castle was a long one, and my legs grew tired at the time when we had reached the doors to his palace. The knights opened them and the first sight was the throne room. The palace would greatly resemble the one at my home to any normal observer, though I had walked its halls so many times that this one seemed terribly different. Surprisingly there was no one at the throne, but I heard footsteps as a group approached from an adjacent hallway. A group of finely dressed aristocrats caught my attention and many of them made strange faces at me, most likely agreeing that I was a criminal. I was certainly being treated as one. As their heads all turned I could pick which one of them was the king instantly. He turned to the others and whispered something so that they all turned down the hall from where they had just came. He approached me with a grin that conflicted with the anger growing in me.
His hair was a dark black and tied behind his head with a ribbon. His attire was nothing short of magnificent, befitting a king. The red overcoat he wore with golden embroidering complemented the white vest and black pants so much that it must have been selected for him. He must have noticed my studying of him and he stifled a childish laugh.
"Prince Desperaux, I presume?" He greeted with no bitterness in his voice, and I felt my own annoyance quell slightly. I nodded, not ready to speak to him. His expression changed to something that resembled surprise in reaction to my disdain, "Is something wrong?" He asked me. His mocking me struck a nerve, and I felt my anger increase even more.
"With all due respect, sir… Why did you decide on parading me around your country like a common criminal?" My anger must have gotten to me, because it is not in my nature to be so rude.
Again, his face changed. But this time to a grin that told me he wasn't as close minded as I had thought, "Like a criminal? Are you handcuffed? Have you been formally arrested or accused of a crime? Because I do not remember issuing such orders and I would greatly appreciate it if you would not accuse me of such injustices, prince Desperaux." He emphasized my title, to show his authority over me. I sighed as he dismissed the knights.
My irritation wavered, only slightly, "My apologies, your highness."
He smiled again, "Not to worry. The reason I called you here wasn't to incriminate you, my dear friend. I have been informed of your current fugitive status by the military of your country. A man named Valinothe contacted me very quickly to warn me of your possible arrival."
My heart picked up as he approached me face to face, and he studied me, "And….?"
"And if I had paid any heed to their instructions you would have been handcuffed and paraded through the streets like the criminal they insist you are." He smiled, and I sighed, feeling the fear of being arrested lifted away from me.
"Thank you, ever so much." I replied, and bowed respectively to him. It would do me no good if I spent my time being angry at a man who desired to help me, and deciding this I forced my anger away from me. As I stood he seemed to have noticed the wrestling with myself.
"If you would, prince Desperaux, please take a walk with me."
Our footsteps echoed down the marble halls of the palace in unison. It was quite some time before we spoke, as I just marveled at the features of the palace. It was beautiful and unique, and I didn't think of saying anything to him. I had guessed he asked me to walk with him because he had something to say, but there was silence.
"Well?"
"Well, what?" He replied.
"Didn't you want to talk?"
"I decided to wait for you to tell me what you want to. A conversation is useless unless all participants have something to say. Now, if there's something you wish to tell me before I make assumptions, now is the ideal time." I sighed; he obviously knew human nature so well. He gave me an expectant look, "Well? Is there something you wish to tell me?"
I looked down. Obviously there was something, "You already know, if Valinothe contacted you. I'm a fugitive from my country and I am to be killed for hiding my curse and escaping the military."
"Curse? How do you know you are cursed?" He said with a knowing grin.
The answer seemed almost too obvious to me, "Because having eyes the color red are known as a curse. It has been ever since my country was founded and its elders wrote the scrolls dictating the laws and customs."
"And why do you believe them? Because a group of old 'wise men' wrote it on tattered paper that was passed down through the ages, your entire kingdom takes it to be true? Do you believe you are cursed?"
The moment those words escaped his lips, it hit me that he was absolutely right. Just because the elders believed it doesn't make it true. I don't feel cursed; I don't believe that I'm cursed. I had thought about it earlier, if I was created this way in God's image then no one could say anything against me. It wasn't true.
"Now, you see. You let them tell you who you are, when it is not their place to say. If you allow them to make you into who they think you are, then the real prince Desperaux will cease to exist. If you do not believe you are, then do not allow words written on old papers by aged men to make you believe it."
I happened to stare at him for some time in complete wonder and fulfillment. In one simple conversation he managed to change the way I viewed myself. A part of me greatly wanted to throw my arms around this man and embrace him. Thankfully that part of me wasn't very strong, and I decided against it. Barely noticing, a laugh escaped my lips, and he smiled at me.
"How could it be so simple?" I mused.
Claud nodded thoughtfully, "Sometimes we search so hard for something that we forget to look right in front of us."
"Indeed. I cannot thank you enough, your highness. I owe you—"
"Nonsense, you owe me nothing. Now, I didn't not mean to steal so much of your precious time. When Valinothe contacted me he said that he would be sending groups of his soldiers to the farthest countries in search of you, so you must be extremely careful. I know not if they have already arrived, so be on your guard, prince Desperaux." He put his hand on my shoulder, "And please notify me of your departure back to Gale. I would like to supply you with as many soldiers and supplies as you require."
I was shocked, "Your highness. A gift such as that, I could not accept." I bowed respectfully and removed his arm from me.
"Very well. But feel free to contact me whenever you require aid of any kind." He smiled again, my refusal to his kindness not seeming offensive. It seemed to me that nothing could offend this man.
It had seemed that Crystaline had followed me shortly after I was taken from the inn, but Claud had kept her from intruding on our conversation. When I left the hallway where we had been speaking, she met with me, voicing her concerns over what had happened.
"I assure you, Crystaline, this man will prove to be our strongest ally in our battle against Valinothe. I can promise you that."
Crystaline gazed at me with a confused look in response to the confident look on my face, "Well then, let us return to the inn, my prince."
I nodded, but on our way out a question struck me and I turned quickly back to Claud.
"What of my title, should I make it known to the citizens here?" I asked.
"Do whatever you wish, but be on your guard. Neither you or I know of when Valinothe's men will arrive in search of you." He warned me with a slight nod, "Now go, enjoy your stay in Glade, prince Desperaux."
We looked towards eachother one last time with smiles and nods as Crystaline and I left Claud's castle, and stepped back out into the streets of Glade at midnight.
I had slept for a very long time, as I awoke some thirteen hours later in the middle of the day. The sun shone brightly through the windows and I wondered what Crystaline was doing. Normally she would have woken me many hours earlier at the castle. I sat up, and ran my hands through my hair. It had only been a few days since my home, family and country was stripped from me by the hands of a terrible man who seemed to control the people of my kingdom better than I did. My heart ached and the thought of all that happened depressed me, even with Claud's words of encouragement echoing in my head. Such would be the life of Desperaux, the accursed fugitive prince.
I dressed myself and set out again into the streets of Glade. For some peculiar reason that I still cannot recall, I suppose I was still very tired and left the inn with my sword strapped onto my belt. Some people of the town recognized me, and nodded as we passed. I felt lightheaded and sat down in the shade by one of many small shops. I leaned back and breathed deeply, never once being able to relax like this in my own castle, in the warmth of the outside and comfort of the town. It was saddening to think of, and I tried to go over my plans. The nearest country from Glade is very far, but it is a large thriving country with separate regions and kingdoms, it has many different names but is most commonly referred to as Itinere Cordis. Crystaline and I would need to choose which kingdoms we traveled to carefully, for Itinere Cordis has many kingdoms though some are corrupt. I went over our options in my head, when some strange noise disturbed my concentration.
"Stop, thief!"
My head shot up, and I stood, hearing footsteps approach. I turned and looked to the street where the noise originated and saw a boy much younger than myself though not a child, running from a group of men. The boy held an armful of bread and fruit. In the short moment I noticed he was frail and thin, most likely a homeless boy who needed to steal to eat. Somewhat out of instinct I stepped into the street and caught the boy's arm just as he ran past me, pulling him behind me and drawing my sword. I held it out and the men who were chasing him stopped as they approached it.
"What seems to be the problem?" I asked calmly.
"That little thief stole from our shop!" One of the men shouted scornfully, and I looked to the boy. His eyes seemed to be pleading with me. I sighed, and sheathed my sword. Reaching into my pocket I pulled out enough coins to be able to pay for the food twice more, and handed it to the men.
"Here, that should take care of it. Now, leave the boy to me." The men looked shocked, but eagerly took their payment and left. I turned around and released his arm, "Now, what is a boy like you doing stealing from people like that?"
The boy glared at me, "Stop calling me that! I'm not a child." He replied.
"You certainly behave like one. A man knows right from wrong, and that stealing is a crime."
"I need the food."
"I need food as well, I don't steal it."
"You have the money to pay for it!" He shouted angrily. We faced eachother, his glare meeting my superior gaze. This headstrong boy clearly disliked me, but something in him knew not to be so angry at the one who had saved him from the wrath of those men. He took his armful of food and began to walk away.
"I believe I deserve a thank you."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me. He scanned my features while trying to remain defiant, "Who are you?"
I grinned, "Desperaux Melancholie, prince of Gale. And you?" I asked, while walking closer to the boy.
His featured immediately changed, though he tried to hide it. He felt guilty of insulting me, "Y-You're that prince everyone's been talking about?"
I brushed my hair aside, "You mean the fugitive with the accursed eyes? Yes, that's me."
"You don't look cursed."
"I don't think I am."
"Then why did you say that?"
"It doesn't matter. Now, what's your name?"
He looked down dropping his act of forced defiance, "I'm Sethe. And, I'm not a boy! I'm seventeen!"
I laughed. It felt strange to speak to someone like this, in such friendly terms that you could fake anger without upsetting anyone. I had never truly felt the emotions brought on by friendliness, but it was even better than I had expected. Surely this day would prove to hold many friendly encounters for me. That is, until we leave for Itinere Cordis. And with Claud's words of caution echoing in my head, I knew that time would be soon.