The sun was fading against the horizon, its crimson hues streaking against the fluffy white clouds. I had passed a couple servants here and there, bustling through the hallways as they rushed to and fro. Not one asked who I was or why I was wandering, which is exactly what I had hoped would happen. 

I let out a puff of frosty air that fogged in front of my face, drawing forth a small pulse of power into my fingertips. The stone in my palm began to glow a faint purple, shaking as it lifted above my palm. 

“Reveal.” The word made the stone spin a small circle in the air before it shattered into glass shards that melted to dust on my palm. I blew them across the room, scattering in patches on the ground in a semblance of footprints. I wanted to smile at the small victory but the ache in my bones from the small usage of magic made my skin tremble too much for any facial expressions to turn out right. 

I began to trace the footprints, a purple haze wafting up from each little imprint that imbedded itself in the carpet with a glittery glow. 

They led deep into the castle, down dark staircases and through locked doors. Spell after spell was used to get past the barriers, and my body felt on fire from all the magic drawing words in my veins. 

Until I came to one door. It was simple, wooden and knocker made of brass. Something no one would give a second glance. 

But the enchantment that littered every last grain of wood was a kind of deep that made the sea feel small. 

And I was at my limit. 

I clenched my fists tightly to my sides, teeth grinding together when I imagined what I might find behind it. The magic required for this kind of dispelling would take weeks to accumulate, maybe even months. 

I’m running out of time. 

She's running out of time. 

I turned away, dragging my aching limbs back up the stairs and through the broken spells. There was no way to reset them, so I left them unraveled. Bracken wouldn’t think of me when I had died so recently. I shouldn’t have even had any magic, which would be normal, if it weren’t for my special ability. Something else he would never know about. 

The windows were filled with night now. I plodded on, past all the same paintings and scattered threads of red and black. Head held low, eyes drifting in a seamless thought of panic and restless motion. If only the plan had been put into place sooner, I might have had the time to get that door open. 

“Hey! You there!” A voice rang out from behind my trembling form, steps faltering in the wake of hurried thudding. I turned to find a young servant rushing towards me, his eyes wide with furrowed brows and clenched hands at his sides. 

“Yes?” I asked softly, face going blank when he came to stop in front of me. 

“What are you doing wandering on this side of the castle?” He looked ready to pounce with one wrong word. I was taller than him but that didn’t seem to deter that strange courage he had. Even with no weapons in sight. I could make him disappear without a trace and no one would know. I hadn’t seen any souls for miles. 

Maybe I should just shut him up quietly. If my magic were feeling fuller I wouldn’t have hesitated to begin with. 

“Just taking a walk. Is that not allowed?” My hand twitched, the need to feel cold steel between my fingers making itself known. 

“No one is allowed in this corridor. You should know that. Who is your supervisor?” 

Supervisor? Did he think I was a servant? Interesting. My simple clothes – a long t-shirt and sweatpants – were a strange ensemble to assume servantry duties. 

“I don’t have a supervisor. Bracken gave me the room at the end here.” I pointed at the door. The man paused in his suspicious gaze, eyes widening before they narrowed further than before. 

“Just who are you then? Lord Bracken is to be talked about with a full title by nobodies like you.” Well now it just felt personal. 

“I’m….” Gosh how was I supposed to word this again? A friend? Or maybe a visitor from a neighboring country? No, that might be too close to the truth to really hide anything. I pondered for a moment, the servant's paranoia growing with every second his questions went unanswered. 

“What’s going on here?” A deeper voice appeared behind me, hand sliding against mine before he rested his arm around my shoulders. Bracken. I let myself relax in his hold, feigning that simple reliance he so craved. 

“Lord Bracken! I was just questioning this suspicious man who was wandering the forbidden corridors.” The servant bowed low, fear trembling off his form in little shudders. Interesting. Bracken didn’t usually go for the intimidation tactic. 

“He is my guest and to be treated with respect. I don’t want a repeat of this incident.” There was that commanding tone all royals seemed so familiar with. The kind I was supposed to be so good at naturally. 

“Of course! I’m so sorry, my lord!” He was still on his knees, sweat falling like a river down his brow. 

Bracken turned to leave, arm taking me with him, before he paused. Turning back slightly, just a glance over his shoulder Bracken spoke again. 

“Oh and Torvin? I want the rest of the servants to know his status, so as to avoid any more mistakes.” I swear his eyes looked like they were glowing when he said that. If I was anyone else, take the poor servant for example, I might have started weeping. Luckily for him, the tears were small and he wiped them quickly. Barely a noticeable event, really. 

“Right away, my lord!” He raised his head only to bow it again, repeating the motion like a chicken pecking at seed. 

“Good. You are excused, Torvin.” Bracken turned his head forward again, sending a vague gesture with his hand of dismissal. Torvin promptly rose and scurried back the way he’d come, reminding me of the fact I didn’t know why he had come this way to begin with. 

“You’re in trouble Colden.” Bracken whispered the words against my ear, those dark eyes giving me a sideways glance as we walked slowly back to my room. 

I scoffed at the brazen attitude, giving him a look of my own. 

“I was just stretching my legs. I didn’t realize I was supposed to be your dirty little secret in a forbidden corridor, lord Bracken.” The arm tightened its hold around my shoulders. 

“You’re a dead man, Colden. Of course you’re supposed to be a secret.” We entered the room, the bed in the same place at the center, windows that ran to the floor on either side with bookshelves in the corners. 

“Even to the savages hell-bent on war?” I turned around, finding Bracken in the doorway like a looming shadow. 

He leaned closer, lips almost brushing over mine as he whispered, “Especially to the savages hell-bent on war.” As the leader of said savages, Bracken seemed a little too happy about calling them all deranged beasts. 

“Whatever.” I turned away, plopping my butt on the too-comfy bed and regarding the man almost coldly. He lingered in the doorway for a minute too long before stepping inside and closing the door. 

“Seriously, Colden. You should have said something less suspicious to Torvin. What would have happened if I wasn’t nearby?” He was almost pacing, a slow back and forth that paused every few steps. Those eyes kept looking my way, fingers clicking where they were repeatedly popped in his hand. 

“What exactly am I supposed to say? I'm your supposed dead, almost fiance, come to visit?" I folded my arms and raised a brow at the strange man. 

“I would've preferred you hadn't left the room to begin with.” Like that was a good excuse. 

“I’m not a prisoner. We made a deal that guaranteed my freedom, after all.” I was definitely glaring now. 

He paused in that odd half-pacing, turning slowly. Like a predator in search of prey. I refused to flinch, eyes unwavering even when I felt my fingers tremble on my arm. 

He wouldn’t notice. I could do intense eye contact all night, even if the rest of me wanted to find a dark corner to panic in. It had been a big part of my princely training after all. A good prince can look his subjects in the eyes and only a shameful one looks away. 

Yada-yada-yada. 

“Yes. Our deal.” Bracken was musing now, hand on chin as he glanced around the room. 

I won our eye contact. 

“Very well. We shall create a type of….. Character disguise for you. Something special but not too special, so as to keep eyes un-searching.” He nodded to himself, continuing in his little steps around the room. 

“I like this plan. It will be fun, like your fake assassination scheme.” He threw a smirk my way, as though we had decided on a fun game to play. Maybe, to a savage wild man, this was a game. 

Something to pass the time while we waited for the war to truly begin. 

What a truly terrifying place to be. 

I couldn’t wait to finish this plan and disappear forever.