Part I - THE PRINCE

CHAPTER 1

Aldric had snuck out of the palace enough times now that it was child’s play opening the latch behind the family tapestry without a single servant noticing him. It helped that the palace was unraveling into absolute chaos as a multitude of changes were being ordered by his mother. Carla Ingram had declared with particular intensity that the carpets in the guest quarters were far too yellow and warm, and needed to be changed to something colder to match her party’s Winter Wonderland theme. Aldric had wanted to laugh at her pickiness, but knew his mother tended to cry when he teased her.

With one last check around his surroundings, Aldric sealed the passageway behind him, plunging the stood corridor into complete darkness. The air was cold and damp, but its familiarity brought a calmness over him that eased the tension that had been easing its way into his gut since the beginning of the week. He took a moment to steady his breathing and leaned against the wall, his hands folded behind his back and his head raised towards the ceiling.

For a moment, he listened to the palace staff as they hurried by. Their footsteps were heavy and their breathing labored, and a few stopped their running to groan to one another. Aldric smiled to himself as he listened to them complain about the endless list of choirs they had to do and all the ridiculous demands the queen was making. The servants were always so quiet around him that he often felt they were more like statues than people. Hearing their laughter, their frustration, it eased a tightness in his chest he hadn’t noticed before.

Aldric didn’t fault any of them for their behavior. Their attitude of overt politeness and falsehood was to be expected. Besides it wasn’t like he was particularly genuine with any of them in return. The only person who ever saw the real Aldric was Rhiann.

The thought of his cousin had his chest tightening again.

He had always pictured that when his seventeenth birthday finally arrived he would be celebrating with her. The day would bring so many difficulties and expectations already that just the notion of having to maintain his princely façade the entire time, too, sent him spiraling into an anxiety attack. Knowing that she was going to be by his side had brought him comfort.

But she was gone and he was going to have to face tomorrow night without her.

With a heavy exhale, Aldric pushed away from the wall and began descending the slick steps. He had lost count the number of times his mother and father had lectured him about sneaking out of the palace. They both particularly hated this specific passage, since they considered the lack of light and its steepness to be dangerous. But Aldric had convinced them not to seal it away in case there was a raid or a fire. This passage was closest to his rooms and would be the quickest exit.

The ultimatum had been that he was to never use the secret passage again. If he was caught, it would be immediately closed without question. They had also told him that if he wanted to head into town he had to get permission from either one of them, leave through the front gates, and be accompanied by Ewan or another guard.

Aldric had, of course, agreed to their demands. The lie had been easy and believable, and in the two years since that discussion he had been extra careful when leaving. He was confident that not a single person was aware of his little habit. He always timed his disappearances appropriately, and when they did bring up suspicion, his skills of deception came in handy. He often tried not to think about how easy it was to redirect people’s attention; how simple their minds could be twisted to believe whatever it was that he wanted they to believe. A charming smile here, a casual caress there, a boisterous laugh slipped in after a simple joke – they all usually did the trick.

The passageway descended in a spiral for a couple levels before evening out. Gradually, the stone turned to dirt and the chill in the air intensified as he approached the exit. He knew he was getting close as the ground began to rise and he had to crawl on his hands and knees up a slope for the last stretch. He was careful to only ease the latch open slightly at first, ensuring the vicinity was relatively empty, before stepping fully outside. He turned back to secure the latch, marveling for a moment at how perfectly the entryway blended in with the forest floor.

When he was younger, Aldric used to have to mark the entrance with a large rock or tie a scarf to a nearby tree. However, over the years, the surrounding scenery had become to familiar to him that the extra steps were unnecessary.

Harsh October air greeted Aldric as he stood. He readjusted his cloak, pulling the hood firmly over his head before he began the trek out of the dense trees. His feet were silent as they worked their way around fallen branches and leaves, and it wasn’t long until the canopy above him started thinning and the noises of the city could be heard.

Electus stood like a glittering jewel in the distance, and Aldric’s chest swelled with pride at sight of the capital of Aguki. The reddish-brown, brick buildings rose high around him and the cobblestones echoed every footstep he took. It was still relatively early in the morning, and stores were just finishing opening their doors.

The smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns and bread wafted through the air, and as if pulled by a string, Aldric migrated to the scent.

The Oven was the most famous bakery in Electus and it was situated almost perfectly in the center of the city. It laid adjacent to Vaughn’s Clothes for All Occasions and Lady Miracle’s Apothecary with the standalone royal cathedral directly across, the city square dividing the space between the structures.

Aldric didn’t have to worry about being recognized as he slipped through the front door. His face wasn’t known to the public, but tomorrow night that would change.

The overhead bell jingled and he was greeted by the warm smile of Lady Santana. She tossed a dark curl out of her face, readjusted a large basket of bread on her hip, and bellowed a loud good morning as he sauntered over to the display case.

“Expecting a big crowd today?” He asked her as he examined a batch of donuts. Though the chocolate covered delicacies looked appetizing, the cinnamon buns were the real treat and he always timed his morning arrivals so that he got the freshest ones.

“You know it,” Santana bolstered excitedly. And right on cue, she shuffled towards her ovens and pulled out the next round of cinnamon buns. Aldric watched with growing hunger as she laid them out on the cooling racks and began drizzling frosting overtop. He had visited her bakery so many times by now that Santana didn’t even glance at him before she began packaging twos of the sweets for him. Still with a cheery, red-cheeked grin on her face, Santana handed him the parcel, but held up her hand to refuse him as he extended money towards her. “You’re a loyal customer, Nick. Today’s on me.”

Aldric knew better than to argue with her. Instead, he pulled back the hood of his cloak a little and gave her his most charming smile. He even lowered his head a little to compensate for their height difference, his dark hair falling slightly across his grey eyes. Santana blushed furiously at the attention and turned away flabbergasted.

“Now you stop that right now, Nick. How many times do I have to tell you to stop flirting with me? My poor old heart can’t take all this swooning,” she stuttered with a laugh, fanning her face a little as she turned back to her work. “Now go on now. Enjoy the festival tonight and make sure you dance with plenty of beautiful young lasses.”

Aldric didn’t bother telling her he wasn’t able to attend. The festivities tonight were reserved for the people. Besides, he would be stuck in a meeting with his father and the other council members for the majority of the evening. A number of emissaries from the other areas of Cinthra would be arriving tomorrow morning, and King Rodell wanted to guarantee that his son was prepared for the more official duties his position entailed.

Though Aldric could confidently say he was excited to finally be acknowledged as the Crown Prince of Aguki there was a large portion of him that couldn’t shake the anxiety of finally stepping into the role. As of this moment, Aldric had only ever participated in formal family affairs like birthdays and holidays. He and his sister usually participated in combat training in the early mornings before attending lectures sprinkled through the remainder of the day, but any meetings with actual importance, decisions with actual weight, those were off limits to Aldric.

Well, until tomorrow.

He didn’t bother mentioning any of this to Santana. As far as the bakery owner knew, he was just a local trader who went by the name Nick and who really enjoyed her cinnamon buns.

With a wave and another smile, Aldric repositioned his hood and slipped back out onto the streets of Electus. His steps immediately halted, though, when he made eye-contact with the last person he wanted to see.

“Hello, Ewan.”