His Caged Princess

14. The King’s Lie 

“You wanted to see me,” Declan said once he had entered the king’s office not caring to bow, the anger that rolled off him filled the air of the circular room thickly. 

Through the bars, the window was cracked open, the sound of distant sounds in the palace courtyards filtered into the otherwise silent office. The king looked at him wondering if now was the best time to put the proposal forward. But perhaps. the offer would calm the man down… 

“Ah yes take a seat Declan,” Evaan said, it had been just over an hour since he spoke to Layana and had finally calmed himself down. Having sent the word that no one was to train the princess at any cost. He had then had a drink of wine before summoning Declan knowing he would be taking a break from training around now. Declan looked at the seat 

“I’m fine standing,” he said directly disobeying the king. Evaan frowned slightly but said nothing. If it was anyone else he would be punished. It was clear the Storm bloodline ran through the man before him, his arrogance and fearlessness were traits that had always been amongst the members of House Storm. 

“I have a proposition for you,” the king said now standing up and walking over to the window, “As you know we may have to go to war by the end of the year, that gives us six months… and I want my daughters settled and married before then. One of my daughters seems to have taken an interest in you… and so I am here to offer you her hand in marriage. It is an honour to marry a royal princess, and this would put you in line to the throne as prince consort besides my daughter if anything was to happen to my eldest daughter,” 

Declan looked at him the words echoing in his mind, for a moment he had thought he meant Layana and his heart had quickened until he had said ‘next in 

line‘ 

“Cordelia is an exquisite woman, smart, confident and entertaining. She knows matters of politics and the kingdom. She will not bore you and she is patient which is something I think that would suit you well,” Evaan said now turning to look at the man who now leaned against one of the bookshelves. Hoping the place of power would intrigue him if not Cordelia alone. She was a beauty and he knew many men admired her. 

“I don’t care about being in line to attain power. As for the princess, there is nothing about her that I desire. At all. I would never marry a royal. Not when the blood of my clan is on your hands…” Declan said his voice so cold that Evaan felt 

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as if it was seeping into his bones, his dark eyes glaring into Evaan’s, the anger, rage and resentment clear in them. 

Evaan looked at him, the guilt he carried was strong but he did not dare to admit it. As a king, he did what was better for the greater good. The boy said he had been there the night of the massacre, if that was true… how much did he know? Evaan thought looking at Declan emotionlessly. 2 

“Declan that’s not true… what happened then… was the only option under the circumstances,” Evaan said, “It was a choice your father agreed to….” 

“Really?” Declan said coldly, thinking it was a lie, he had been there, he knew enough…. 

“Declan there is a reason it is no longer mentioned,” Evaan said quietly, his cold eyes looking at the younger man, 

“I deserve to know.” Declan’s icy voice came staring the king down. Evaan sighed sitting down, the dark memories of fifteen years ago consuming him, but even though he owed the man before him the truth, he couldn’t bring himself to speak the truth. The truth must stay buried, and the ones who knew of it must carry it to their grave. 

“You said you were there, what do you remember?” Evaan asked calmly, but Declan knew the king was trying to pry into his memories. To seek out how much he knew, no matter how calm he was acting it was all a front. He too would not tell the full truth of what he had seen that night. The night that haunted his sleep for years… 

“I remember returning to our family lands, everything was quieter, and the smell of blood was strong. Dead bodies littered the ground. I recognised the couple who often gave me mangoes from their gardens… the boy who I used to walk to the lake with… and then I got to my house, I don’t remember much after that but there were men on horses, striking down anyone that moved, I grabbed some rocks to attack but they were of no use. I was thrown to the ground by one of the horses and when I awoke, there was just the dead… I ran to find help. It’s all hazy but I do remember that,” Declan said his face betraying nothing. The story was not the full truth, but he was not going to tell the king exactly what he knew. Evaan sighed nodding gravely. 

“That sounds about correct, did the men on horses hold any significance to them? any symbol, coat of arms… anything?” 

“No, I don’t remember that much,” Declan said. Taking all his willpower not to show his hatred to the king. How could he forget the symbol on the shields and the cloaks of those men? 

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“Ah… if you had, then you would have known they were the men of the dark lord …. House Storm was the bait to lure the dark lord out, the power of such a high ranked house was appealing. We had a plan, your father and I…. A plan the king’s council agreed to and my father too, with the rumours spread on purpose that House Storm wanted to overtake the kingdom and kill all the royals, that they were so consumed by hate everyone soon began seeing them as a threat. Of course, we just wanted the word to spread to the dark lord and it did. To make it real we had to make it look like the House was against the royals. None but the king’s council knew the truth,” the king spoke, Declan listened quietly wondering how many lies the king would spout. 

“As predicted the dark lord went for House Storm. But we were prepared, your father was the strongest and so he was ready to take the fall for the kingdom. We had a poison prepared, that would attack his internal organs, in hopes that when the dark lord entered him, possessing him, it would paralyse him. Your father drank this poison willingly Declan. At the first sign of the dark lord approaching, he was ready. When the dark lord was to switch from one body to the next it took time, and the plan was he would die when he possessed your father. One of our most skilled fighters was the one who was to kill your father, and he did as planned, however the dark lord’s followers went mad with anger at the fall of their leader and attacked the entire clan. It was a dark night, one I will never forget,” Evaan said sighing deeply. 

Declan looked at him his body felt empty. He had given the man one chance. Once chance to tell him the truth… but he lied… 

“Then why were they not hailed as martyrs?” he said his voice trembling ever so slightly. 

“The sorrow of the loss was too deep, and it was hard to talk about, the grief was. too much, and the council decided it was best to not shed light on the matter, we are guilty of that, it was wrong of us,” Evaan said quietly, the guilt ate at him like maggots ate the flesh of the dead, spreading to every inch of his body, he felt sick to the stomach at the lies that he could not stop himself from speaking. 

He looked at the man before him. 

“I am sorry Declan, I am sorry for all the pain we have caused you, I wish I could turn back time and that night played out differently, but your father was a hero. who gave his life for the peace of this kingdom,” Evaan said. If he told the truth, he would be breaking, the rules of the council, his hands were tied, at the time he had been outnumbered in the vote. He did not like the truth of what had happened. And now he was paying for it with the guilt that consumed him as he lied to the sole heir of the House they had tarnished and ground into the dirt. 

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“One who was not even acknowledged in death… it is done, we cannot change the past,” Declan said quietly. 

His decision was made… nothing would get in his way, the king would die by his hand. But before he took his life, he would make him suffer. Suffer for every wrong he had committed to House Storm. And he vowed on the lives of his parents that the truth would be revealed. One way or another. 

“I know perhaps we can rectify that one day…” Evaan said it seemed the man bought his story and he felt relieved. “So about princess Cordelia-” 

“I’m not interested, my answer is no,” Declan said cutting him off 

“It is an honour to marry a princess, any man would kill for the chance,” Evaan said feeling insulted. Declan raised an eyebrow 

“I’m not any man, my answer won’t change, you should tell your daughter to set her eyes on someone else,” he said coldly, with that he turned and left the kings office not waiting to be dismissed… 

Evaan frowned slamming his fist on the table, the arrogance of the man… he knew Cordelia would be disappointed after all it was the first man she had ever mentioned. But it was not like he could force the man into marriage. 

A sudden thought entered his mind and he looked at the large wooden door that was now shut. 

“Reveal the truth you have hidden; Reveal the guilt you have suppressed. When the pure light meets the tainted darkness, there you shall find your answer,” 

Catherina’s words echoed in the king’s mind but he pushed them away, did he make a mistake by not telling Declan the truth? He felt his stomach twist with nervousness, but he squashed it, opening another of the many scrolls that he needed to take care of… 

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15. A Silent Wish