Chapter 123: Bonus Chapter: The Beginning

Elizabeth had never wanted to live in the castle. There was a feeling of inferiority that grasped her among all the dragons. Unfortunately the castle came with Kaiden, and she could never refuse him. And by gods, she tried. She stood near a chair by the window, staring at the sea. A sigh escaped her lips as she drummed her fingers against the wooden frame. The sound echoed through her and Kaiden’s chamber, mixing with the excited murmur of the celebration outside.

The child was born. As predicted by the Keeper it had been a girl. The servants were restless, either helping Evelyn or trying to please Emile with their happy cheers. Elizabeth did not feel like celebrating. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her pulse vibrated through each finger. What had she gotten herself into? She sat down, and nibbled on her fingernails.

Elizabeth lay her hand down, and found herself tapping again. It had been hours and the orders from the King had yet to arrive. Was he dead? Or maybe he realized that he was wrong, and they had all been foolish. Doubt clouded her mind, accompanied by a strong urge to find a bowl, and vomit. Bile did not rise up, but maybe if she forced herself the nausea would stop. Kaiden’s warm fingers interlaced with hers and put an end to the drumming. He knelt beside her and rested his head on her lap. She lifted her hand and traced the features of his face, fearing that it would be the last time that she would be able to touch him.

“You worry too much,” he said, acting as if nothing of significance was happening just above their chamber. They had been married for five years and she had yet to give him a child. There was no envy within her for Evelyn. After what they plotted, she was likely to die this night. And still she felt guilty for not allowing a child to grow within her. In another life she would give Kaiden everything he wanted, and more. But to raise a child among the glimmer of a coming war. Never.

“No, I worry enough.” She sighed, and removed her fingers from his face. “I fear that you, however, do not,” she replied and shook her head. Kaiden looked up, and smiled. The blue rings under his eyes were more prominent today.

“How can you be so calm, Kaiden?” she asked in frustration. There was barely three hours of sleep between the two of them the night before, and still he would not show concern.

“Because, nothing is certain yet, we do not even know the name of the child,” he replied, and stood up. Walking off to some corner where she could no longer see him.

Elizabeth let out a soft growl, and rubbed her eyes. “One does not take the riddles of the Dream Realm lightly. I would rather you worry and plan, than keep calm and die by your brother’s magic,” she said. There wasn’t a time that he didn’t listen to her, not unless his brother was involved. So many signs of his betrayal were clear, and Kaiden chose to look past all of them. She had to explain each and every one of his brother’s schemes to him and still he would not believe her until he fell for Emile’s trap. Emile had thought everyone in his family to be fools apart from himself, of course. Since the first day that she stepped foot in the castle she had seen through him. And he knew it.

A knock sounded on the door and Elizabeth jolted up, clasping her chest. Kaiden laughed, and walked over to the door, opening it. Gevil stood on the other side, as happy and clueless as everyone else in the castle, including Kaiden. Elizabeth wanted to shake them both.

“My lord, the King told me to inform you that Lady Evelyn’s daughter is born. They named her Aurelie, and they are taking visitors now to view the child,” he said happily, bowed, and hurried away.

Kaiden closed the door and faced Elizabeth with wide eyes. She could not move. Flashes of ice traveled through every part of her body. The certainty was a farce. All this time she hoped that for once Kaiden was right about his brother. A single name ripped it from both of them. Would it have helped if they told Elizabeth to refuse it? If what they were meant to do changed the outcome of the future, then surely they could have done so before.

“What do we do?” Kaiden asked her from the door.

“We take Evelyn and the child and we run,” she said. There was never anything else. No other plan. It was simple, they would run. Far, and never to one place for too long. How silly that sounded now that they had no other choice. She of all people should have made better preparations.

“The whole kingdom is buzzing around her, how are we going to manage that?” he asked her.

“Maybe you should have helped us decide what to do, instead of frowning and taking us for fools who simply did not like your brother,” she spat, and regretted it as soon as the last word jumped from her lips. Her fingers traced her lids. She was tired, so tired. “I’m sorry. We need to speak to Evelyn.”

Kaiden closed his eyes, his head pressed back against the door. “It has to be tonight, how am I to face my brother whilst thinking of stealing his child?” he asked. Yet again, after all the warnings, he thought of Emile as a victim. Anger rose in her chest, and warmed her throat.

“Your problem is that you still think of him as a person with feelings, that you remember the times that you spent with him as a child. You need to remember that he is not the same person anymore, Kaiden. He is cruel and hungry for power, he wants everything that is meant to be yours and he will take it no matter the cost. The Dream Realm is never wrong, Kaiden,” she said, standing up and walking toward him. She needed to convince him of this, how could he be so foolish, as to still doubt the ruthlessness of his brother? The words she uttered cut through Kaiden, his face creased as if she had just inflicted pain. Oh, how she despised herself, and this wretched world. Would she ever see him happy? As they were when they were young.

“You do not know him as I do, you have never trusted him. I cannot believe that he is capable of the things that you and father accuse him of,” he said again. The vein in his temple hardened. A temporary spur of anger, it would pass.

“Nobody knows him like you do, Kaiden. Not even he himself knows this person you are describing. This is not the brother you knew, jealousy and power can change a man. He has been changed by both. Do not let him fool you this time. We need to leave and we need to take Evelyn and the child with us,” she said, walking up to him until she stood so close that his breath gently touched her face, her eyes pleading with him to listen.

“You know I will follow you anywhere, Elizabeth,” he said and picked up both of her hands in his, and dropped his head down to kiss them.

There was no brother or sister for her to leave, and no father to listen to. Everything and everyone she had, had been confined in this very room. She did not pretend to understand or share his feelings, but that would not stop her from making him leave the castle. They could keep the child, and have her killed for treason for all she cared, as long as Kaiden was safe somewhere away from his brother. Elizabeth pulled her hands out of his grip and walked over to the bed, knelt down and turned over a corner of the carpet.

“What are you doing?” Kaiden asked her and walked over to see.

“Move back a little,” she ordered. Knowing her magic, the bed would kill them both. He stepped nearer, his legs almost touching her back. “Have it your way then,” she said, and touched the bed with both hands. “Motus.”

The bed flew back. Elizabeth threw her hands in, protecting her head. It crashed into the wall, cracking the headboard. The mattress bent inward. “Gods,” Kaiden shouted, and moved to the door, keeping his hand on the handle. “You could have just asked me to shift it.”

Elizabeth shrugged, and raised her hands. “Preasto,” she chanted, and blue light shone from her hands. She moved them around in a triangle until the floor faded into nothing and a hole appeared right by Elizabeth’s knees.

“What is that?” he asked her and stepped closer once again.

“I am a witch in a castle full of dragons, Kaiden. Did you expect me to have no plan at all?” she asked, and removed a suitcase from inside the hole.

Elizabeth lifted the suitcase onto the bed. It was made from light brown leather, and covered in a grey layer of dust. She lifted the corner of their beige blanket and rubbed the dust, leaving a grey mark on the expensive material.

“Were you going to leave me?” He smiled slyly.

“No, my dear, you were going to be packed as well.”

“What is that?”

“Our new home,” she replied, and traced her hand across the metal lock. The lock flicked open at once and sent a cloud of dust to explode out of it. Elizabeth coughed and waved her hand to clear the air.

Tiny furniture, cloth, clothing and a cabin made from wood, was packed neatly inside the suitcase. Elizabeth closed it, and stood.

“How long have you been planning for this?” he asked her, and took the bag into his hand.

“I collected these things when we had learnt about the riddle of the Dream Realm. You might trust your brother, but I do not and I never did,” she replied. “Keep that safe, until I return,” she added and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked after her, but she had already closed the door.

Elizabeth rushed toward Emile and Evelyn’s chamber. The halls of the castle were silent, it seemed that the celebration had shifted. She walked upon the white marble floors and past the family portraits of the Dranoir’s that hung on the cold, grey, stone walls. Their eyes burned through her, as if following each of her steps.

Footsteps approached, marching hurriedly in her direction. She slowed down and evened out her breath, trying to look calm and normal. Emile appeared around the corner followed by the shadow walker and about ten guards. They stopped in front of her and bowed down their heads, all the men dropping their eyes but not Emile. He clenched his jaw, and looked her up and down.

“I suppose congratulations are in order,” she said, keeping her eyes tightly locked on his. She would not look away from him. He might frighten everyone in the castle, but he needed to know that it would never be her.

“My dear sister, you are too kind as always. I assume you are on your way up to meet my daughter?” he asked, sweetly, too sweetly. Her heart pounded in her chest. He knows, he knows! A smile spread on her lips, but her eyes remained cold as stone.

“I am, indeed,” she said, bowed and walked past him. The men moved to one side of the hall so she could pass.

“One more thing,” he called after her, turning her blood ice cold.

Elizabeth turned around and faced him again. Her heart dove into her stomach. “Yes.”

“You have not by any chance seen my father, have you?” he asked her and looked deeply into every detail of her pale face.

“I have not,” she replied, panic becoming clear in her shaky voice. He knows, her mind shouted again and again.

“Are you sure?” he asked again, crooking his head to one side.

“The last time that I spoke to your father was yesterday morning, before he departed for his walk. So, yes I am most certainly sure. What do you seek him for, if I may ask?” she replied sweetly, he would not dare touch her now. If the king was missing she was his superior, Kaiden was to take the throne if his father was gone, certainly not Emile. Not yet.

“Do not worry yourself too much about a tiny matter, go see my child. Who knows maybe someday it will be your child we visit,” he replied, and the men laughed.

So that you can consume my child’s magic too? She thought bitterly. Let them think that I cannot conceive. Let them laugh. Tonight Elizabeth would laugh last, even if for a couple of hours. Or maybe minutes. Fear held her in place, looking at the man that would someday kill her.

Emile turned, and gave a heavy sign, as if the weight of the kingdom had just fallen on his shoulders. The guards walked a few steps ahead, leaving him alone, with his back to her. “I wish you wouldn’t hate me so.”

Elizabeth smiled politely, bowed once more and walked away. There was a deep need within her to turn around, and look at his face. To try and decipher what was going on in his mind. But she continued walking, gaining speed. Running from the doubts that had been created by a single sentence. He did not care about her. Since when? She stopped, and recollected herself. They had listened to the King so blindly. What if their actions here, this night, created the horror that the Keeper had seen? Had anyone thought about that? When her steps were the only ones to echo in the hall, she ran once again, turning corners until she finally reached the kings library.

The bookshelves surrounded the room, filling up several stories that one would have only reached by climbing the swinging ladder. Chairs and a candle holder were placed on each floor for the King’s comfort. A bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds was painted on the roof.  They had to hire a witch to levitate the human painter for a month while he completed the painting. The floor here was no longer the famous white marble that was used in the rest of the castle, but tiny mosaic stones that were placed in patterns resembling rocks by a stream. A large chair, which could have served the purpose of a bed, stood in the centre, near it a table was covered in stacks of books, and a chandelier filled with burnt out candles.

An archway stood in the left corner of the library. The road to Evelyn’s chamber. She ran through the arch and climbed the stairs. By the time Elizabeth entered the room, she was completely covered in sweat. She could only imagine how hard it had been for poor, pregnant Evelyn to walk up and down them on a daily basis.

The room was enormous. Possibly three or four times the size that Elizabeth had shared with Kaiden. Half the room was only glass from the bottom of the floor to the top of the roof. The bed stood in the centre of a sort of platform, three beige, tiled steps and you reached the bed. The other wall contained a painting of Evelyn and Emile. Even in the still version of Emile, Elizabeth could feel his haunting gaze upon her.

Evelyn lay in the bed as white as the marble floors of the castle, and looking at Elizabeth through tear streaked eyes.

“Leave us,” she said to the servants in the room. All three of the young girls swiftly moved out of the room and left them to talk in private.

“I thought you would come a little later. I thought I would have more time with her,” Evelyn said, as tears once more filled her red eyes. She clung to the baby, wrapped in golden cloth.

“Evelyn, what are you talking about? We are not leaving without you.” She sat down beside her, trying to peek at the baby.

“I tried, Elizabeth. I tried giving her another name, but he named her before I had a chance to say anything. He would not listen, the Dream Realm, the riddle. You have to take her, Elizabeth, you have to leave tonight.” She cried and gripped her hand.

So she knew? That had never been discussed with her and Kaiden. She watched Evelyn carefully, as the tears rolled down her eyes. There was numbness within her, she tried to conjure up feelings but nothing came. Everything had been stolen by fear. “Evelyn, we are not leaving without you. We will carry you if we have to,” Elizabeth said, a shiver went through her. The truth was that right then and there, Elizabeth did not care about leaving Evelyn behind. And it scared her.

“But you cannot. If I am here, he will not notice that you are gone for days, maybe even weeks. I am weak. I will be of more help to you here. I will tell him that Aurelie is with the servants. I do not think that he would care enough to check straight away.”

“Evelyn, he will kill you,” Elizabeth said, trying to form tears, but none came.

“As long as you live and she lives, I do not care what happens to me. Keep her safe, you have to leave tonight. He has noticed that the King is missing, he will not return for a couple of hours,” she said and kissed Aurelie. “Take her.” She opened her arms, and closed her eyes, trying to catch a breath between the sobs.

“Elizabeth, I know that you have never wanted to be a mother, but I need you to be one now. I do not want her to know this life. I do not want you to tell her about me. I do not care what happens to this world. Emile can have it. I just want you to keep her safe,” she said, and wiped the tears off her face. “Now go, be fast and do not show her to the guards.” Her hand clutched the wrappings of the baby.

“Evelyn, we can still take you with us. He is gone; we will have plenty of time to get away from this place.” The words came out manually, she had to crease her face and turn her head to seem sincere. If she had not lost all emotions, she would have tried harder. Picked her up, and carried her out by force.

“I am not coming. Now go, please,” she said and sighed loudly, and took her hand off the baby.

Elizabeth stood up from the bed and looked at the baby. “I don’t want to be a mother.” Aurelie tried to twist beneath the covers, and stilled again, her eyes fluttering. It was the wrong thing to say, but Elizabeth had to utter the words. They clung to her tongue even after she said them.

“You’ll make a fine one, that’s all that I care for,” Evelyn replied and turned to her side, tears streaming down her cheeks once again.

Saying goodbye had crossed Elizabeth's mind when she was on the otherside of a closed door. Her mind wondered from escape to death, there were too many things to keep track of.

Elizabeth ran down the stairs, baby in hand, avoiding any servant that crossed her path, behind doors, shelves and whatever was big enough. Gevil stood outside her and Kaiden’s chamber. She walked up to him and grabbed him by his arm, fingers pressing deep into his skin.

“Gevil, I need you to listen to me very carefully,” she said. His eyes ran from her to the baby, and widened.

“Ready our horse, and do not speak a word of what you have just seen here. After we are gone, I want you to pack your things, take your family and leave. A war is coming and you do not want to pick either side,” she warned him and let go of his hand.

“Yes,” he said, his voice quivering and his eyes locked on Aurelie.

Elizabeth opened the door and stepped inside. Kaiden was waiting for her on the bed. He rose, looking to the door, and frowned as Elizabeth closed it behind her. “Where is Evelyn?” he asked.

“She is not coming with us, get the suitcase and follow me,” she ordered and opened the door again, peeking from side to side.

“What do you mean, she is not coming?”

“Kaiden, trust me like you always have, this time is no different. I need you to trust me, now come,” she said and stepped through the door. Kaiden picked up the suitcase and rushed through the door after her. Elizabeth removed her scarf from her neck and wrapped it around Aurelie, trying to cover her from the sight of the guards.

They reached the back door of the castle, two guards stood outside, wearing the white and black dragon insignia uniform. The guards looked Kaiden and Elizabeth over, and stepped in front of them, blocking their way. A wave of ice and fire travelled through her spine. She stepped behind Kaiden, trying to hide the child.

Kaiden stepped forward, his eyes glowing with orange fire. “You dare?” he asked.

“My lord, your brother has instructed us to keep everyone inside the castle,” one said, while the other placed his hand on his daggers.

“I do not think that I need to inform you that my brother holds no power over me. If you want to fight me, please do,” he said, and his hand ignited. “Move,” he ordered. They shared a looked, and stepped out of the way.

Aurelie was getting restless in Elizabeth’s hands. Her lips quivered, but she made no sound. As if she was aware of the danger. Elizabeth walked past Kaiden, her steps slow and careful. Another noise and she would fall over, and freeze. Fear fuelled Kaiden, his hands shook with uneasiness, but his hands formed first. Elizabeth searched for a place to put down the child if the guards changed their minds, and decided to attack. Kaiden placed his hand on her back and gently pushed her forward, quickening her pace. The only thing that kept Elizabeth from sinking was his presence.

Gevil awaited them outside of the stables, two horses by his side and ready to ride. He took the baby from her, and passed her back once Elizabeth was steady on her steed.

When Kaiden grabbed his own reins, Elizabeth turned back to Gevil. “Remember what I told you,” she whispered and followed Kaiden through the large metal gates.