The perpetual skies of summer are buckled with clouds, and they flare up in a luminous, neon-blue when the mood takes them.
A goulash of scents twirls above the satin soft petals, and the pear-sweet taste in the air is a blessed joy. Neil smiled as he once again knocked on the door of the place he had known as his second home.
"Finally, you came. I was so worried when Cassius told me that you abruptly left, and then the queen took away Prince Dove, and now he is going to be publicly hanged. Agh! It's all such a mess," Eryx yelled at Neil.
"Eryx." Cassius lovingly took his hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "Breathe, okay?"
Eryx smiled and tip-toed to place a small peck on Cassius's lips.
Neil's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open. He was positive he and Dove were the only eccentric ones who liked each other. But there were more people out there like them. And somehow the thought eased Neil's heart a little.
"What? It's bad to stare, Mr. Moody," Eryx said.
"I hope that nickname doesn't stick," Neil muttered under his breath.
Just then, Azealia stepped out of the kitchen. Her curls fell over her forehead, her apron was wrinkled, and there was some flour stuck near the bottom of her left cheek. She looked just as he had remembered her.
"Neil, you came back!" She engulfed him in a warm embrace, which Neil gratefully returned.
"How have you been?" Neil asked. They talked for about ten minutes. Azealia couldn't stop flaunting the fact that the prince of Alynthi was actually in their house. She praised Eryx and filled him in about what happened after he and Dove left for Dove's godfather's place.
Instantly, guilt gnawed at his stomach. He apologized to both Eryx and Azealia profusely. He hadn't thought that they'd have to be the ones shouldering the consequences of his reckless decisions. Both Eryx and Azealia forgave him. Both of them reassured Neil that he wasn't the one to be blamed for it.
Just then, the front door to the Knight's cottage opened, and Mr. Knight stepped in with two dead ducks tied around his walking stick. His face morphed into a look of pure joy and astonishment when he saw Eryx and Neil.
They talked for a while, and then later, during supper time, Neil shared his plan to rescue Dove.
"I'll need all the help I can get, but at the same time, I don't want you all to participate in such a risky mission," he sighed.
"Of course, we're staying by your side. Why do you think me and CassiusâI mean His Highnessâtraveled all the way here? It was to help you and Dove. We'll do the best we can."
And so it was decided. The next day, their journey had begun.
They had rented a wagon for the purpose and were currently on their way to reach the Royal Castle.
The sun was a muted, wax melt-yellow, but shafts of light still poured through patches of cloud and onto the lake. Lances of its molten-gold beams splashed onto the walls of the kingdom, illuminating it in a beautiful resplendent glow.
Neil, Eryx, Cassius, and Azealia had infiltrated the castle, disguising themselves as locals who came to deliver the rations at set times in the castle. They had managed to swap positions with the actual staff who were allocated the task without much difficulty.
Cassius was tasked to ride the wagon while Neil, Eryx, and Azealia hid inside the wagon's compartment along with sacks of grains and dry goods. The guards inspected the chariot lazily and didn't even bother to open the compartment. They were so used to the mundane routine that they didn't even have the slightest bit of suspicion in their heads.
Once they were inside, Azealia stayed back to guard the chariot while Cassius, Neil, and Eryx opened the sacks and stocked themselves with the necessary weapons. They hid the weapons wherever they could: inside their coats, at the hilt of their belts, inside their shirt sleeves, and even inside the soles of their shoes.
Satisfied, they each picked up one or more sacks and went inside the palace. From there, they decided to separate ways. Eryx would go to the kitchen and deliver the items, while Neil and Cassius would go into the dungeons. They placed a few sacks on a cart that Eryx took with him, while Cassius and Neil took the dummy sack filled with rocks with them as they stalked ahead.
Neil and Cassius took a shortcut through the garden to the dungeons. Neil had found it when he got lost in the castle trying to find the kitchen after training. They moved swiftly and were prudent about their surroundings. Neil led the way, hiding behind the pillars from time to time. He knew that the kitchen had not yet opened. The stables were closed, so very few guards would be stationed in their way. It would be easy to hide from them.
Slowly, they made their way inside the dungeons. There were two guards stationed outside the entrance, while the others still rested.
They crawled up behind the guards and, with a nod toward each other, each dealt a single blow to each of the guards, knocking them out. They caught them before they could collide with the floor.
Neil glanced once at Cassius, and once he acknowledged him, together, they dragged them to the end of the corridor and left them behind a colossal pillar. Cassius exchanged his clothes with one of the guards and then went inside.
To their surprise, there were more guards patrolling inside than anticipated, but none seemed to be alert about their presence. They sneaked further inside. The dingy atmosphere and the mugginess of the room oppressed Neil, making it difficult to breathe.
As they walked, he examined the cells beyond the iron bars. Countless hands, gripping desperately at the iron bars, had worn the paint thin. Each cell contained a set of bunk beds, a dented metal locker, a simple desk and chair that was firmly fastened to the wall and floor. The only access to ventilation was a barred window. Vulgarities were written or carved into the walls.
He heard the footsteps echoing in the walkways.
The inmates paid no attention to him but coughed, muttered, swore, and whispered to one another.
He saw two guards standing outside one cell in particular.
'That has to be where Dove is!'
The guards went to the side of the cell door, waiting as Neil glanced one last time at the barren walls of the dungeons.
"Oi, you," one of the guards addressed Neil and Cassius.
Neil froze. The spit dried up in his mouth as terror took hold, but Cassius turned toward the guards and grinned. He swiftly walked towards them.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Why is a worker brought here?" the guard asked, pointing at Neil.
"Oh, him? I was ordered to bring him here. The queen has ordered some items to be given to the prince, and this worker was supposed to deliver them," he said confidently. Neil let out a sigh of relief as the guards seemed to have bought their excuse. One of the guards then opened the cell door, the remaining cell keys hanging near his belt's hilt jingling as he did.
Once inside, Neil blinked twice at Cassius, who instantly understood the signal.
"If it's not too much to ask, could you once explain to me the different routes here? An amateur like me gets lost on my way often, but I think the experienced and one of the queen's most trusted guards can surely help educate me a little," Cassius asked politely.
The guards smirked proudly. They seemed to have taken the bait. Cassius took them ahead, giving Neil and Dove a brief moment of privacy.
Dove slept on a saggy mattress. The pillows were lumpy. Neil observed the red rashes on Dove's hands. The old sheets must have been rubbing at his delicate skin. He didn't have a proper blanket; it was tattered and only partially covered Dove's body. The sight made Neil's heart swell in sadness.
Neil raced to Dove's side and shook him gently. Dove gasped, but Neil put a gentle hand over his mouth. "We're running on thin ice at the moment. I'll tell you everything later. Get in this sack first." He emptied the contents of the sacks, and Dove stepped inside.
Neil tied the top of it and carried the sack in his arms, clutching it close to his chest.
Neil grunted, and his legs trembled slightly beneath the weight.
"Just endure it for some time," he whispered and then went out.
"He's sleeping and won't wake. We'll come back when he's aware of the queen's generosity," one of the guards spoke. Neil made eye contact with Cassius, who made an excuse to the guards and left their conversation.
They walked casually until they were completely outside the dungeons, and then they picked up their pace.
"Go to the wagon and escape if you need to. I'll go and find Eryx. Don't worry about us. I'll make sure he's okay."
Neil wanted to protest, but he knew there was no other choice. He had set up rocks inside the blanket to make it look like Dove was still sleeping. But with breakfast approaching, the guards would inspect Dove's cell soon and notice Dove's absence. So he nodded.
Neil ran towards the wagon while Cassius went to get Eryx.
Once he reached the chariot, he knocked to alert Azealia of his presence. She opened the compartment, and Neil carefully placed the sack there and opened its top.
"Puah! Fresh air, finally," Dove spoke, and Azealia smiled at him. Neil closed the compartment door and clucked to get the horses in motion.
They tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible and continued wearing their disguises. But the guards stopped them while exiting.
"We just got the news of the prince escaping, so we have to inspect the compartment. Open up!"
Neil's heartbeat quickened, and sweat trickled down his brows, but he didn't dare act suspicious. He nodded and handed the key to the compartment to the guard, who opened it and froze.
"What is a girl doing in here?" he asked.
Momentarily, Neil sighed in relief as they hadn't spotted Dove inside. But then, Azealia did the unthinkable: she took a few rocks from one of the sacks nearby and started attacking the guards with them. The guard ducks to the side.
Neil swore under his breath.
Before Azealia could slam the door shut and draw a weapon, the head guard bellowed, "Follow them!"
Neil wasted no time but lashed the horses into their fastest trot. He's gone less than a kilometer when the clatter of pursuing chariots reached his ears.
"Shit," he muttered. The plan was executed so well if only Azealia hadn't jinxed it and waited for Neil to give a convincing explanation to the guards before blindly attacking them.
"Neil! Listen to me!" Azealia yelled at the top of her lungs. Neil was surprised that he could clearly hear her.
'Right, the door was left open, and now we have access to each other. Just great.'
"What is it?" he yelled back.
"I know a way to get rid of these guards. Just follow my instructions. I'll guide you to someplace safe," she said.
Taking a leap of faith, Neil sighed. "Okay, take us there, and don't be so loud or even the guards will also hear you."
Azealia guided Neil along a route within the forest with many sharp turns and narrow alleys, but the guards continued trailing them.
"Take a left there!" she yelled.
"There is no opening there, just a wall," Neil yelled.
"It's not a wall, trust me. Take the turn!"
Neil breathed in deeply and took the turn, already awaiting his fate. But to his surprise, the carriage passed through the wall, and he saw a small hut nearby.
He realized the flora were arranged in a way to trick a person into thinking there was no opening to the other side, but there indeed was.
He halted near the hut, and Azealia and Dove stepped out of the compartment.
They huddled together, listening, but no one pursued them. They had successfully lost the guards.
"We can rest here for a while. I know this place," she said confidently.
They nodded and followed her inside. Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked, and it revealed modest housing. The surroundings seemed eerily similar to Neil, but he couldn't remember when he had seen the place before.
Azealia seemed unusually comfortable with the surroundings. She went about opening the cabinet doors and dusted the kitchen with a dry cloth nearby. Neil ended up reasoning that she had lived in the forest her entire life. Maybe she liked to wander off and found this place.
"I'm thirsty, is there anything inside these cabinets that I can drink?" Dove asked as he sat on an armchair.
"I'll check," Azealia said and wandered off to the kitchen.
Neil decided to examine the settings a little more. One particularly striking item caught his eye: it was an oval-shaped mirror on the left wall, encased in silver and embroidered with sapphires and emeralds.
"I think I might've found something for you, Dove," Azealia said as she stepped towards him, handing him a silver chalice.
"I chose the fanciest little cup I could find inside the kitchen cabinet for my dear prince."
Neil observed the scene playing out on the mirror's surface.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, his hands trembled, and he let out a small gasp. Inside the mirror, he saw none other than the queen handing the chalice to Dove. There was no trace of Azealia.
That's when everything came back to him. He had come here with the queen long ago while discussing the details of the potion. This was her clandestine spot.
She was impersonating Azealia.
"Dove, don't drink that!" Neil yelled.
But alas, he was too late.
Dove had already taken a sip. He stood up coughing as blood gushed out from his mouth. He gulped in fitful air. His body trembling. The chalice slipped from his hand and fell to the floor as he collapsed. Neil rushed to his side and caught his body as he fell. His ruby lips were now tainted with a dark bluish-purple hue, and a yellowish pallor spread across his face. As he clutched at Neil's hands, Neil's eyes fluttered shut, and he breathed his last breath.
"No! Y-you can't leave me, too. You're not going to leave me!" Neil cried. He methodically squeezed Dove's abdomen, trying to remove the toxins from his body. A small quantity of liquid spilled from his lips and trickled downwards. He kept repeating his movements. Tears started falling from his eyes.
He heard loud, boisterous laughter from behind him.
The queen no longer impersonated Azealia. She smiled. "Now, it's your turn."
Neil left Dove's side for a moment and stood up.
"Fine, let's finish this once and for all," Neil said.
He raced to the kitchen. Knives gleamed in an open drawer. Snatching one up, he whirled on her. He launched it through the air.
The queen dodged, laughing.
"Even if they did penetrate through me, I won't die," she said.
Neil glared at her and removed a dagger hidden in his shirt's sleeve, which he had saved back during the mission. He threw it at the queen.
The queen looked surprised and stumbled slightly as she tried dodging it. But she couldn't protect herself, and the dagger hit her shoulder. Steadily, she removed the weapon and hissed in pain. Blood dripped from her shoulder, but a moment later, it healed itself.
Neil staggered back. 'What dark magic is she using?'
She threw the same dagger at Neil. He narrowly saved himself from getting his neck sliced in half.
He remembered the sword Dove's godfather had gifted them. He darted to get the sack he carried with him.
The queen used the opportunity to hit him with a knife that pierced straight through his thigh. Neil yelled a strained cry of pain.
The queen's mad laughter echoed throughout the four walls of the room.
Neil drew the sword from inside.
The queen stood confidently, knowing that the sword wouldn't harm her.
Neil raced forwards with the sword, and it sliced her abdomen, to both of their surprises. Neil staggered backward, leaving the sword stuck inside her abdomen.
The queen looked down to examine a gush of blood oozing from her abdomen. Blood dripped from her mouth as she staggered downwards and fell to the floor on her knees.
Her hands twitched as she held the sword near her stomach. The sword had turned ashen black. Her body jerked forwards, and she died on the kitchen floor.
Neil let out a breath he had been holding back. He grabbed a cloth from the kitchen counter and covered the wound on his thigh with a cloth.
He knew what he had to do. He knew how he could bring Dove back.
He began making the potion. He read the instructions written in the Cascadian Book of Legends and began to work.
An hour later, the potion was finally ready. Neil had already removed the toxins from Dove's body. He gently opened Dove's mouth and held the chalice near his face. He poured a small quantity inside, but the potion didn't completely go in; it dribbled down from the corner of his lips.
Neil pulled Dove closer into his arms. Beneath one hand, a faint pulse fluttered. He checked Dove's wrist, and there, the pulse beat more clearly. The potion was working, but he had to ensure that most of its contents went inside Dove's body.
So, he placed Dove's head on his lap. In the spur of the moment, he executed the only idea that came to him. He drank a small quantity of potion and brought his lips closer to Dove's until they touched. He transferred the potion inside his mouth. He repeated it, his warm lips feeling Dove's incredibly soft and plump ones. He could feel Dove's heartbeat become stronger while his quickened.
He did it once again, and after he pulled back from the kiss, something magical happened.
Dove's eyes fluttered open.
Tears of joy spilled from Neil's eyes.
"Y-you are okay," he said as a drop of his tear fell on Dove's cheek.
"I'm okay," Dove replied softly.
Their lips touched once again, and the last shard fell.
A/N
Hi thanks so much for the read! If you enjoyed please leave a vote or a comment that's the best way to support me! Thanks so much xx, Anne.