Heir of Golden Storms

The next time I wake, I am in a cell. I spent the rest of the evening and night in this cell after the wedding. No one has come to see me. The golden liquid that is on my skin became solid and black and the pain died with it. I slept without my shirt, wrapping my arms around me and in a corner of the cell trying to keep myself warm.

The cell is made of pure stone. There are no windows in this room, not a way to tell time. The railings of the cells are made of pure iron, making impossible for a prisoner to escape. Not a single torch lights the dungeons, making me unable to see. The only thing that keeps me awake is the constant leaking somewhere in the cell.

I try to stretch, but the pain in my ankles start again. The knights tied me with iron chains around my ankles. It burns constantly but the less I move, the less it hurts. I accidentally hit something with my legs when I try to stretch. It is a filthy bucket. That’s the only thing that they left me with so that I can do my necessities in it.

I do not know how many hours pass. I fall asleep. I concentrate on the droplets. I sing a song in my head. I am starving and I am cold, but I try to keep my mind off it or what happened at the wedding.

Eventually, I wake to the sound of someone opening my cell. One torch illuminates outside of the cell. Someone enters holding a tray with two knights behind him. The knight who is holding the torch puts it against the wall. The other knight lays a bucket beside me. The two knights leave and close the cell, leaving the person with the tray behind. The person left behind puts the tray in front of me, and I see his face.

“Oberon,” I manage to say, my voice barely working.

He does not look at me. He takes a rag from inside the bucket and squeezes it, water comes out from it. He then presses it against my right arm, coldness burning me. He is cleaning me up, taking out the dirt and remains of the black lines.

“I-I am cold,” I say when he is finishing cleaning my face. “Can I at least get a shirt?” He does not answer. “Father does not want you talking to me.” He does not even nod.

He stands up when he is done. He stands in front of the gate and a knight opens it. He steps out and another knight enters to take the torch away from me. I am surrounded by darkness when they leave again.

I crawl towards where I think that Oberon left the tray. Tracing with my hands, I find something round and a cup. I squeeze the round thing, it is hard. I level it, shaking, to my mouth and take a bite. It is bread, days old bread. I still eat it and gulp down the cup filled with water. After I am done, I crawl back to my corner and hug myself to sleep.

Days continue the same way. Oberon comes in twice or thrice a day; I do not even know how many times. He cleans me up and changes the empty tray for a new one. He never says a word. He never brings a shirt; not matter how many times I ask him.

A cough appeared at one point. It hurts to breath and my lungs hurt whenever I cough. My fingers are cold. My empty feet are numb, waking up only by my sudden movement and the burning of the chains.

I do not know how long it takes for another torch to appear, but this time it is not Oberon. Father stands outside of the cell. He has dark circles under his eyes. He has not cut his golden hair and his beard is longer than usual.

“Father,” I say as I try to stand up. I use the wall beside me as support. “You came.”

“What did you do to my son?” he asks. His voice is cruel, the same voice that he used whenever he scolded us.

“I am your son,” I say, daring to start walking. My ankles hurt due to the chains, but I do not mind.

“No, you are not,” he says. “What did you do to Zephyrus?”

I stop to look at him. I have cursed Zephyrus. I do not know how. I do not know why.

“Zephyrus is dead,” father says. Before I can answer, he continues, “He passed away last night.”

I curse you. As long as you live, you will never see a crown on your head. You will never own a court. You will never be happy, and your dreams will vanish in your sight.

I had cursed him. I cursed him to never wear a crown. I cursed him to never rule a court. I cursed him for eternal gloom. I cursed him for his dreams to not come true. I cursed him and now he is dead before he could wear the king’s crown. My condemned curse worked.

“I-I cursed him,” I say, not looking at him. “I cursed him, but I did not kill him.”

“He was stabbed last night, right on the heart,” father says. “Not even Tinley heard or saw anything. How did you do it?”

“I-I-I did not,” I say.

“Liar!” he yells at me.

“Faeries cannot lie!” I yell back.

“But you are no faerie,” he answers. “No faerie can curse! You are a monster!”

I snap launching myself towards the railings. “A monster, you say?” I grab two railings in my hands, burning me but I do not pull back. The king takes a step back, showing weakness. “You are afraid of me, are you not? You are afraid of what curse I can bring to you. You are afraid of all the terrors that I can bring to your court. Well, believe me when I tell you that I did not kill your son. I do not have anything to gain by his death.”

I turn around, letting go of the iron railings. I walk back to my corner, not letting my knees fail me nor the burn of the chains bother me. As I sit down, hugging my knees in the process, the king leaves with his guards. I return to being alone in the dark.

Time pass, where I only sleep or stare at nothing. A torch comes and I am surprised to see no knight. Gracin stands in front of my cell with a lighted torch in her hand. Even in the torch light, I can see her pale ghost skin and black dead hair. She smiles.

“Hello, Rowan,” she says. “I hope you have not forgotten about me. People up there are saying that you have gone insane, even saying that you threatened the king.”

“What do you want?” I ask. I have been who knows how many days in here alone. I do not want to see anyone right now.

“To see it with my own eyes,” she says. “Did anyone tell you what happened with Zephyrus?”

“He is dead,” I answer.

“Tragically,” Gracin says. “An expert should have killed him. Imagine, someone entering the room, stabbing him in the heart without anyone, not even his wife who was resting beside him, hear it. It had to be silent like a spirit.”

It had to be silent like a spirit.

Why did she use that sentence? She once told me that spirits talk to her all the time. She is also from the Court of Spirits.

“You killed him.” I cough.

“Close assumption, but I did not,” she says. “I know who did, though.” Why is she telling me this? I know the answer before I ask it. She is playing with me. As if on cue, she says, “Let us play a game. If you answer me these three riddles, I will grant you your freedom.”

“Why?” I ask.

“I could use you in a future occasion,” she says. “Now, do you want to play?” I nod, hoping that she can see me. “Riddle number one: If someone knows about me, I am all right, but if someone shares me, I die. What am I?”

“A secret,” I answer. I have heard it before one day at Fairdell, a faerie was telling it to his kid.

“I started off with the easiest one,” she says. “Riddle number two: What have in common the Court of Summer and Autumn that the other courts of seasons don’t have?”

The Court of Summer is located south from the Court of Miracles and both touches the border of the Court of Autumn. The Court of Autumn intercepts with the other two courts of seasons. They have in common that they are in the coast, but the Court of Winter and the Court of Spring are also in the coast. There must be something else in common between Autumn and Summer. Summer. Autumn.

“They both share the letter ‘u’ and ‘m’,” I answer.

“Very well,” Gracin answers. “Riddle number three: What rooms do spirits avoid?”

Of course, she should have made a riddle about spirits. I start to think. Spirits should avoid cemeteries. No, they linger in them. They linger where their bodies are buried, it reminds them of living. Still, the riddle mentions a room.

“The living room,” I answer.

“Good,” Gracin says. She throws a key into the cell. “That is the key to your shackles.”

“What about the door cell?” I ask.

“I promised you your freedom,” she says. “I have given you freedom from your shackles. Fare well, Rowan. May you rot inside that cell.” Before I could yell at her, she is gone.

I jump to where I remember the key landed. When I find it, I try to look for the locks in my ankles, burning my fingers in the process when I touch the iron. When I find them, I insert the key and open them. I sigh in relief when the pain subdues.

I stay in my corner, covering myself with my arms and legs. The next time that Oberon comes, I move the chains so that they look locked on my ankles. A knight opens the cell’s door and steps in to place the torch against the wall. Another knight places a bucket next to Oberon as he puts the tray on the floor. He begins cleaning me.

“I am sorry,” I whisper to Oberon. This time he looks at me for the first time.

I kick him away and I stand up, letting the chains fall to the floor. The knights react, but I am already grabbing the torch. I pull Oberon up and use him as a shield. The torch is close to him.

“Let me out or I will burn him alive!” I say. The knights do not move. “Leave your swords on the floor with the key to the cellar!”

The knights lay their swords on the floor slowly and one of them leaves the key.

“Step into the cellar!” I shout.

The knights enter and I start moving with Oberon. I circle them until I am at the entrance of the cellar. I take a few steps back until I am out. I pick the key from the floor as fast as I can. I push Oberon towards a knight and throw the torch to the other. This gives me enough time to close the door and lock it with the key. I throw the key back to the floor and run to the stairs as the knights start screaming at me.

Going through the spiral stone steps, I think about how I have never been in the dungeons. I continue going up, crossing halls where no knights are, and trying to look for a way out. I do not look back. I do not return through the same way I came. The odd pattern that I notice is that there is not anyone in the cells. The only prisoner is me.

In the last set of stairs, I find a door above me. I push it open a little and reveal the night sky. I look around, searching to see if there are any feet of any knight. I push open when I am sure that I am secured and climb out.

I am at a garden, one of the several gardens of the castle. I close the door, seeing that it camouflages with the grass on the floor. That is why I have never been in the dungeons. The castle is a few yards away and by its side, I know that I am on the west side of the castle. The stables are south-east from the castle. There is no way I can make it there and take a winged horse before anyone spots me.

I decide to go to the north of the castle. That way I can leave to Fairdell and find someplace to be safe until I manage to form a plan. I start jogging, my legs hurting and my stomach grumbling. Cruising through the gardens, I hide behind trees, looking out for anyone that might spot me. When I get to the main gate, I see that it is closed, like always. Four knights are gathered, two outside and two inside.

I think of several ways to pass that gate. I could enchant a tree and make it hit the knights with a branch, but I have never been good at enchantments, which is the basic type of magic of the faeries. I could try to climb the stone wall, but it is so smooth that no one could do it. I could climb a tree and move through a branch until I am outside, but there are not any trees nearby.

I take a small rock and throw it to the farthest knight inside. It hits him in the helmet. The knight looks stunned for a moment but then hits his colleague beside him.

“Stop doing that,” he says.

“Stop doing what?” the second knight says. He hits him back. “Why did you hit me?”

“Because you hit me first,” the first knight says and hits again the second knight.

“I did not hit you first! You hit me first,” the second knight says, hitting back the first knight.

“Stop that!” the first knight says, pushing the second knight.

“No, you stop!” the second knight says. He pushes the first knight to the floor. He starts hitting the helmet of the first knight when he is on top of him.

“What are you doing?” one of the knights from outside says.

Then I see the gate opening. The two knights from outside run inside, trying to break the fight between the two knights. I use that opportunity to sneak past him and walk outside. Once I am outside, I start walking quicker.

“Hey!” a knight yell. “What are you doing?” I cannot afford them looking at my face or they will recognize me. I start running away. “He is escaping. Grab him!”

I hear the metal against metal of the knights as they run behind me. I accelerate my pace. I am weak; they will catch up to me fast. I spot the Slumbering Forest from here. If I can get into it, I will be safe; they will not dare enter. I do not know what lays inside it, but it is better than being back in the dungeons, waiting for father to decide what he should do with me.

One knight manages to catch my left arm, but before he can hold a grip, I jerk my arm away and push myself to run faster. I jump into the forest, but a knight grabs me by the right ankle, right where the iron chains were. I kick him with my free leg until he lets go and crawl further into the forest. I look back, they are standing outside, saying things to each other.

“There are worst things in there than us,” a knight shout at me.

I ignore him as I use a tree to stand up. The whispers are beside me, accompanying me in my walk. My legs hurt, and I must almost drag them. I need to walk a little farther until no one can see me from outside. I lay against every tree, pushing myself further. At some point, I look back and I cannot see the path outside of the forest. I sit slowly with my back against a tree. It is colder in here than in the dungeons.

“What is this?” I hear a whisper say. My eyes open a little. I did not know that I fell asleep.

“A faerie,” someone answers. “Let’s take it to the council.”

A male sprite with brown skin appears from behind a tree. He is an earth sprite. He starts walking towards me as I try to stand up. A female sprite with blue skin stands behind him. She is a river sprite. I must leave before they do anything. I try to move to the next tree, but I fall, hitting my chin on the floor.

“Uh, that got to hurt,” the earth sprite says. “This is going to be much easier than I expected. Hand me a vine.”

I do not see what is going on, but I feel when the earth sprite takes both my hands and start wrapping something around them. He then tries to pull me up by my hands behind my back. It hurts, but I manage to stand up. He pushes me, now holding me by the back of my neck.

“Start walking,” he orders.

I start taking steps, trying to keep myself steady. Whenever I fall, he pulls me up again and continues pushing me. This continues until we get to a clearing. There is a village with houses. There are less trees here, but their leaves and branches cover the sky. There is no way that anyone flying over can see this village.

The houses are inside of big hollowed trees. The lights that illuminate the village come from lamps on the branches of the trees. Small hills form also small underground houses. A river crosses from one side of the village to the other, leaving a small islet in the middle. Two wooden bridges go to each side of the river and one other bridge connects the islet with the mainland.

As I walk the way that the earth sprite leads me, the villagers stare. A kid with blue skin playing with a fox stops to stare as the fox runs away. A woman with light gray skin, a wind sprite, that is washing her clothes on the river stops to pull her child towards her. A bulked forest man crosses his arms and moves near me, as if daring me to cross him.

The earth sprite continues pushing me. We walk through the bridge to the islet. Four thrones stand on the small islet, each one made of different materials. The first throne on the left is made of roots, branches, and leaves. A male forest sprite sits on it. He has a circular crown made of leaves and twigs on his brown hair. He has a short brown beard and green eyes that are the same color as his skin. He has one elbow on the throne and is resting his head on his hand. His clothes are made of brown and green leaves, except his pants that are all made of roots, and he is barefoot.

The throne next to his is made of gray stones. An earth sprite woman sits on it. She has a circular crown made of different sizes of gray rocks that moves around on its own. Her black hair is straight, and it ends right after her chin ends. Her brown eyes are lighter than mines or anyone in my family and exactly the color of her skin. She sits straighter than anyone and wears dark brown garments that form a simple gown. Her feet are covered of what looks like smooth sandals made of stone.

The throne at her left is made of red coral. A river sprite man, with blonde short hair with a red circular coral crown on it, is sitting on the throne. He has blue eyes, same color as his skin. He wears dark navy clothes that looks like the clothes I wore for prince duties. He even wears boots and a cape.

The last throne is white and similar to a cloud. A wind sprite woman sits on it. Her light gray skin is the same color as her eyes. She has a circular white cloud crown on her long black hair, the longest hair that I have ever seen. It covers the throne almost completely. She wears light gray robes and has sandals that looks to be of bamboo wood.

The earth sprite that is holding me throws me to the floor. I hit the floor with my chin again. I turn my head to see the earth sprite and the river sprite that captured me kneeling in front of the figures.

“What is this?” the earth sprite on the throne asks.

“We found him in the woods, my queen,” the earth sprite that captured me says as he stands up. “He was already in these horrible conditions when we did.”

“Lift him and free his hands,” the Earth Queen says. The earth sprite lifts me and cuts the vines that are holding my wrists. I stand there watching the Earth Queen directly as I rub my wrists. I look at the earth and river sprites kidnappers and they are not looking at anyone of the sprites on the thrones directly. “Why are you prowling the Slumbering Forest, faerie?”

“I did not have much choice,” I tell her.

“Why is that?” the Earth Queen asks.

“He is a prisoner,” the Forest King says. He points at me with his hand that is not holding his head. “He has burn marks on his ankles where shackles must have been.”

“What did you do?” the Earth Queen asks me.

“Nothing,” I say.

“You must believe that you are innocent in order to say it,” the Earth Queen says.

“Ah, I know who he is,” the River King says, pointing a finger at me several times. “He is one of the princes of the Court of Miracles. He is the one that had the wedding two weeks ago.”

Two weeks ago. I have been trapped for two weeks.

“Are you?” the Earth Queen asks.

“I am,” I said as I nod. “Prince Rowan of the Court of Miracles.” I want to bow but it might hurt me too much.

“How did you end up as a prisoner, prince?” the Earth Queen asks. She uses my title. Even if she does not respect that I am a faerie, she respects that I am a prince.

“I could not grant a miracle to my wife,” I say. I remember Thalia. How did she take all of this? What happened to her after the wedding? “The king thinks that I am not his son and that is why he sent me to the dungeons.”

“How did you escape from your cellar?” the Forest King asks, curious about it.

“Tricked the knights,” I say. “They chased me as I left the castle and ended up here, the only place where they do not dare enter.”

“You lead them here?” the River King asks, leaning on his throne. “This is horrible! They do not dare enter but we do not know if they do in order to return their prince.”

“You are right,” the Earth Queen says. “Return him to the Court of Miracles and do not let him enter the Slumbering Forest until a knight picks him up.”

“No, wait,” my voice comes a little desperate. “They are going to kill me if they find me. This forest is connected to the Court of Summer. Let me cross it. I will be out of your forest and I will never return.”

“No,” the Earth Queen simply says. “Take him away.”

“Wait,” I say raising my hands. “How about a deal? I can give you anything that you ask for.”

“How can you give us anything when you are no longer a prince?” the Earth Queen asks. I feel the stab of her words. “Whatever you offer us, you cannot give it.”

“I might not be recognized a prince to the Court of Miracles, but I am married to a princess of the Court of Storms,” I say. “That makes me a prince to the Court of Storms.”

The Earth Queen opens her mouth to say something, but someone interrupts her from behind me. “Your Majesty, if I may interrupt.” The forest sprite that lured me the first time into the forest, that was on the ball with the woman in red, and that asked me to lift the curse, is standing behind me at the bridge.

The Earth Queen seems to speak again, but the Wind Queen speaks for the first time, “Proceed.”

The forest sprite moves to stand beside me. “This faerie is the wielder of the Cursebreaker.”

Gasps and whispers start forming around me. Sprites start looking at me surprised. Even the Forest King lifts his head from his hand. The only one to not show any emotion is the Wind Queen.

“He can lift the curse,” the River King says to the Earth Queen. “We could be free!”

“I tried to make him do it,” the forest sprite says. “He could not break it.”

“Then this is what we are going to do,” the Forest King says and points at the forest sprite with his hand. He wants to end this conversation. He is tired of hearing me. “Glade will take you to the Court of Summer. In exchange, you will retrieve the Cursebreaker and bring it to us.” I nod. “I need you to say that you agree.” He is binding me to my word.

“I agree,” I say. “I will bring you the sword.”

“Glade show him the way out,” the Forest King says.

The forest sprite, Glade, takes a bow. He steps aside and points me towards the bridge. I walk with Glade following. He passes me and starts leading me to another bridge. When I am out of the village is when I breath. I did not know how tense I was. It takes a while before Glade speaks.

“This is as far as I go,” Glade says. “The council is going to ask me to retrieve you when the time is right to pay your debt. I will see you soon.”

I nod and he turns around. I take a step out of the forest and feel suddenly warm. No more shivering. The sun is coming up as the warm wind blows in my face. I made it to the Court of Summer. I am safe, for now.