Isiah frowned, anxiety welling in his gut. There were no statues in the palace for the followers of the Old Gods to pray at. He was so used to the statues of his five Gods and the sixth, the Beast that was Promised. No one had ever told him what to do when there were no statues to pray at. Not even the monks, who had worked at the palace before.

The only thing he could do that morning was drop to his knees on the hard wooden floor of the room Prince Nerin had escorted him to. “To Ishin, grant me warmth. To Askarune, grant me safety. To Nyat, grant me strength. To Belganine, grant me health,” he recited, pausing to take a deep breath. “To Teremtys, grant me wisdom. And to the Beast, may you only appear when we need you the most.”

He repeated the mantra over and over again until he was satisfied that the Gods had heard him. It would have been easier with the statues. It was said that the Gods were able to watch the Ishini and the Askari through them. Without the statues, his prayers might not reach them.

He missed the warmth of the crystal at the Sanctum of Ishin. No one had ever been able to explain to him exactly how it worked, especially considering that it wasn’t made of fyrite and shouldn’t have any heating powers whatsoever. But it didn’t matter, it was a relic from the Gods and it kept them warm in the milder winters.

All he had was a meagre fireplace on one side of his room. But the walls were made with stones. There were cracks between them that sucked the heat from the room, allowing the ice-cold air to seep in. Sleep had been rough due to the thin blankets and his weak powers.

Someone knocked on the door, and, ignoring the unusual feeling of deja vu, Isiah jumped up to open it. “Oh! Your Highness, what can I do for you?” he asked. Prince Nerin stood in the doorway, his eyebrows furrowed and anger in his eyes.

“My brother told me to stop bothering Princess Sharina and to bother someone else instead,” he answered. “He specifically said that you are to escort me around the palace so that you can make up for your failure last night.”

Isiah opened and closed his mouth in a struggle to find the right response. He hadn’t exactly failed to escort the Prince, he just hadn’t known where he was going in the palace. All King Harudan had told him was to come to his office that day at sunset. It wasn’t much to go on.

He bowed low. “Of course, your Highness,” he answered and then looked down at himself. “If you would be so kind as to let me change into my robes.” Prince Nerin waved him away and he closed the door. He got changed as quickly as he could, fumbling with his robes in a desperate attempt to look neat and tidy.

The Prince gave him a small smile when he opened the door again. “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?” he asked as he gestured for Isiah to follow him down the hall.

“No, your Highness, I was only praying,” Isiah replied. If he needed to, he could continue that night.

Prince Nerin frowned and looked to him. “Do you also pray in the mornings and the evenings?” he asked and then shook his head. “I apologise, I don’t know much about your beliefs.”

“I doubt many people do, Your Highness,” Isiah answered. He shivered at the cool morning breeze that seeped in through the open windows. According to the Prince, he was staying in the servant's wing of the palace, which wasn’t as looked after as the main wings. “We usually only pray once a day, but there are three specific times to do it, sunrise, midday, sunset.”

“I see.” The Prince led him down another hall and pushed open one of the doors that lined the walls. “It seems there are more similarities than I thought.” Faint smells of food wafted towards Isiah and his stomach growled in response.

He ignored it. “But also plenty of differences as well,” he said.

“That is true,” the Prince replied noncommittally. Further into the kitchens, they went and vaguely Isiah remembered passing through the rooms when he’d taken Prince Nerin back to his rooms. On one of the benches sat a tray of pastries. When the servant's back was turned, the Prince reached over and snatched one. “I’m assuming you haven’t eaten yet.”

When Isiah shook his head, the Prince handed him the pastry. “Thank you, Your Highness.” It was sweet and light and fluffy, better than anything he had eaten at the Sanctum. “Where am I supposed to be escorting you, because I’m assuming it’s not the kitchens?”

Prince Nerin huffed out a small laugh. “I have a lesson with my tutor, we’re heading there. I just figured I should get you something to eat first,” he answered, waving to a pudgy cook with a scowl on his face.

When Isiah finished his small meal, Prince Nerin took them from the kitchens and up a set of stairs he referred to as the servants' stairs. The castle continued to surprise Isiah. Never had he seen anything like it. He’d thought he’d seen everything when he’d arrived in Ishmar the day before, but the castle was nothing like he’d expected.

Ishmar had been a bustling mess when they’d arrived. Every couple of streets held a market filled with people and stalls. He’d stared out the window in wonder. Even Princess Sharina’s advisor, who had been snoring for the majority of their trip, had been wide awake and awestruck at the sight. It was all so bright and beautiful, far too busy for Isiah’s liking, but still nice to look at.

The castle felt like the complete opposite of that. While as bright as the city, it didn’t have the same feel to it. Every inch was clean and well decorated, but it was so quiet as if no one really lived there. It was nowhere near as busy and joyful as the snippets he’d gotten of the city.

“You mentioned differences in our beliefs earlier,” Prince Nerin said as they walked up the long flights of stairs. “I’ve never actually talked to the apprentice monks we’ve had at the castle, so I did some reading last night. I already knew a little about your Gods, but I’ve haven’t seen much about the Beast that was Promised. That’s what it’s called isn’t it?”

Isiah, taken aback, took a second to gather his thoughts. “Yes, your Highness,” he replied. His hands bunched themselves in the folds of his robes. “The Beast that was Promised is our saviour. They are meant to come in a time of great need and help to bring peace back to Vishera. They are said to be a sixth God themselves or a child of the Gods. No one is completely sure because they haven’t shown up yet.”

“Do you think they will?” Nerin asked. The real question was: do you think they exist?

“Well, I hope that they don’t come during my lifetime because that would mean something terrible had happened,” Isiah explained. “Some back at the Sanctum believed that the tensions between Brenmar and Minisia would cause the Beast to come, but obviously that didn’t happen.”

“And what exactly are they meant to do?” Isiah let out a smile. All the questions reminded him of teaching the children back at the Sanctum.

“It is said that they have the powers of all six Gods and they will use that power to destroy Vishera’s enemies and help their allies restore a modicum of peace.”

Nerin hummed thoughtfully. “Aren’t you all pacifists? Why would you want to believe in something destined to destroy?” he asked.

“Pacifists need the most protection,” Isiah answered. The Prince was a lot smarter than the children at the Sanctum if the questions were anything to go by. But he probably had a high-class tutor. “The Beast is our protector.”

The stairwell ended in a worn wooden door. Prince Nerin pushed it open, revealing yet another clean and beautifully decorated hall, as empty as the rest of the palace. “I suppose that makes sense,” he said, frowning down at the floor.

They stopped at a small room lined with bookshelves. A woman waited within and waved to the Prince when she saw him. “You’re a little late,” she said.

“I had to get my escort for the day,” the Prince replied and turned to Isiah. “You should get something proper to eat. Ask the cook, he’ll help you. Be back here in two hours to escort me to lunch.”

Isiah bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”

The Prince blinked for a second and let out a chuckle. “You don’t need to bow all the time, Isiah. And you can just call me Nerin, I’d prefer it.”

“I- Are you sure?” Isiah asked. It was disrespectful to call a royal by their first name. But he had permission, so maybe it was alright.

The Prince- Nerin waved a hand at him. “Of course. Now go get something to eat, I have lessons.”

Isiah turned to go before spinning back around and bowing again. He knew he was asked not to, but he had to do something to show his respect. “Yes, Nerin. Two hours,” he said and shuffled away. The door closed behind with a click and he breathed out an exhausted sigh. It was going to be a long day.