I was expecting a strenuous amount of training, a snarky Peter, and a very perplexed Emma and Jake, but instead got a daunting meeting with the King.

It was supposed to be a day after I got caught, but it was postponed till the day after that day. This should've eased my worry, but it only heightened it. It made me think they were preparing some sort of execution on me or something. And I was not ready for that.

I spent the day after the Sideways Gates writing a letter to Grandma and Targan, just in case;

Dear Grandma,
Thank you for everything you've ever provided me with (a roof over my head, clothing on my back, and food in my stomach). You are such an amazing grandmother and I would give anything just to ensure your happiness. Also, who's been watching you in my absence? I hope you had a good day today. And yesterday. And the day before that. And all the days that I've probably left you worried sick about me. Well guess what? I'm in a castle! Just like we'd always discussed, plus I have magic. Crazy, right? Anyway, I'm all out of paper, Grandma. Have a nice week and make sure to stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dylan Castro, Your Grandson
PS, I hope you get better.

And the one to Targan read

Hey Targan!
I hope you still remember me. I'm Dylan, your old pal. Well, I wouldn't say old, as it's only been about two weeks since I last saw you. But, and not to sound corny, I miss you. You were a great friend. And I hope you have fun at your Earl parties while I have fun in a palace. That's right. I live in a palace! And I have magic! Don't know if that'll make you freak out, but it made me freak out when I learned that. Anyway, I have to go.
Sincerely,
Dylan, your sort of lonely pal
PS I hope you're not the one taking care of my grandmother, no offense.

When I felt like I'd done a righteous amount of writing to each of them, I had attached the letters to a Fairy Carry, also known as the mailmen here at the castle. But then again, they weren't just mailmen, but deliverers of all sorts of things; packages, gifts, and any other kind of important or fragile belongings that needed to be brought to another person.

I was a still very stressed about the "big, big trouble" Peter had threatened me with. Not that he himself was much of a menace, but the way he described my "punishment" for "crossing the Sideways Gates without the permission of the King, which is considered a reckless crime that shall be paid for" was just a little over the edge.

"Do you understand how perilous it is beyond the Sideways Gates?" He nagged at me. "You could have been killed! All it takes is one look from a villainous creature and then you're dead. Do you want to die, boy?"

"No," I said firmly. "I never said that. And besides, nothing would have happened. I mean, nothing did happen, right?"

"That's not the heart of the matter, Dylan," Peter had surprised as he had never addressed me by my first name. "You could have been killed."

"Yeah, could. Not was," I said. "So then why is the King punishing me? I did nothing wrong!"

"Again," said Peter with a bit of annoyance to his voice, "that's not the point. Anyway, let's begin training."

"What's the point?" I asked. "Aren't they just going to execute me?"

"Execute you?" Peter stifled a laugh. "You're the Chosen One. Even if they wanted to kill you, they can't. You're the only who can save our world."

"Says who?" I asked.

"Says the Foreteller," replied Peter, then just as quickly covered his mouth as though he regretted saying that.

"The Foreteller?" I asked. "Is this like...?"

"Yes," he seemed to read my mind's question. "The prophesier."

"Wow!" I began to form an Orb of Light. "Awesome!"

"Whatever," said Peter, forming a ball of Light of his own. "Now then, make it bigger."

"Bigger?" I asked. "How?"

"You just..." he rolled his eyes. "Ugh. You move your hands further away from the Orb, like you're stretching it."

I did so, and my eyes went wide as I watched the floating sphere expand before me.

"Whoa!" I said.

"Whoa indeed," replied Peter. "It creates more light and may even be a bigger attack on enemies."

"I can shoot Orbs of Light at my enemies?" I asked him.

"You can shoot any kind of magic at anyone," he replied. "Even Healing Magic. The only problem is, it's hard to see your opposers when there's a big circle of light in your face."

"I can manage," I said with an eye roll of my own.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?!" Peter asked furiously. "That's very disrespectful, boy."

GreatJust when we were getting along with each other.

•••

Lunch was dreadful. Jake and Emma wouldn't even talk to me, and I shifted from being the heroic Chosen One to being the creep that traversed the Sideways Gates. It was kind of ironic since I thought everybody would think I was brave for doing that, but no, they thought I was unearthly.

I didn't blame them, though. I blamed Jake for telling everyone 'Dylan went or the Sideways Gates!' instead of keeping it a secret, like I asked him to do. Now everybody gave me weird looks and long, confused stares. I hated it.

"Sorry," was he all he said after disclosing the fact that I risked my life to see a "big, hairy waste of time", or his way of describing Vex. Instead of being my friend, Jake was slowly turning into a stuck-up bully.

•••

I couldn't sleep at all the night before my punishment. Whatever the "big, big trouble" was, it only had my heart skipping a beat as I formed gruesome thoughts in my mind of what might happened. What if they sent me back to Shlaido? I wouldn't hate that, actually. But what if they executed me with a pillory? I wouldn't be surprised if there one of those lying around somewhere.

"I don't think you were wrong," somebody entered the luxurious room I was given by the King and Queen. It was Emma. Her blonde hair twinkled with the lamplight. "You just missed Vex. There's nothing inapt about that."

"Try telling to Peter," I said, then, harshly, I added, "and Jake."

"You say his name like you hate him," she slowly stepped into the room, stretching. She was wearing a lavender nightgown made of the finest fabric from the richest towns. "There's no reason to."

"I don't hate Jake," I sighed. "It's just... he sort of betrayed me."

"That's Jake," said Emma sadly. "Anything that makes him more popular, more cool, well... he takes those opportunities."

"You say that like you can relate to me," I squinted my eyes as I examined her grim expression, which turned to a flushed face and rosier cheeks.

"No..." she laughed softly. "I just... fine. Yeah. Jake broke my heart."

"You dated Jake Hudson?" I chuckled. "Why?"

"Why?" She repeated. "Well, because... I thought he was cute. I was wrong. He's anything but that. He's vicious and rude and a moron—"

"Take a step back," I said. "Why are you even friends with him now?"

"Because that's all we ever pretended to be," she replied. "We hid our relationship... Until he revealed to just about everybody that he was dating the "pretty princess of the castle" and I was made fun of for dating a Knight instead of a prince, especially by the girls. But... I just feel like if I stop being friends with him, people will think I've been defeated by their—"

"Their stares." I finished for her. "Their looks of disgust."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "Precisely. So I can't stop being friends with him or that's the same thing as succumbing to their stares."

"I'm sorry," I said to her. "That must suck. Especially since your mother is strict about that."

"What isn't she strict about?" Emma sighed. "Sometimes... I just wish I could be..."

"Normal?" I asked.

"Yes," she said then gave me a creeped out look as though she thought I was reading her mind. "I dunno, I just wish I could be a normal girl. Not a princess. A normal girl."

"Me, too," I patted on her on the shoulder reassuringly. "I wish I want the Chosen One sometimes. I wish I could go back to my village and see my Grandma again and be with my old friends. Sometimes... I wish I didn't have an Element, even though it's what I've wished for since I was three. I wish I could be normal too, sometimes."

Emma nodded then gasped.

"Oh my goodness," she slapped her forehead with her palm. "I nearly forgot what I was even here for. Here. It's from the King."

She'd handed me a little envelope with a red seal and, before I could even look up at her and question what it was, she was gone.

I stared back down at the envelope and sighed. It was probably my punishment or something explaining it, or it wouldn't be addressed to me from the King.

I slowly pulled the first flap of the envelope upward, the seal lifting from the second one like a sticker. Then I, regretfully, pulled down the bottom flap. Out dropped a letter directed to me.

DEAR DYLAN,

Did I even dare read on? Or would the words drown me with their scariness before I even got the chance to finish? I didn't know if I wanted to continue with the letter, but I realized I had no choice. This would the King of the kingdom, the man who could chop my head off or throw me in a dungeon with the snap of finger.

I sighed, grasping at my chest, which had a racing heart beneath the cloth of my tunic. I had to catch my breath before it went away, but also stop my hands from dropping the letter as they were shaking so much.

Then, at last, I closed my eyes, took a deep, heavy breath, then opened them and pressed on and read the bold, inky letters on the parchment.

IT IS WITH MUCH REGRET THAT I DO THIS, BUT I FEEL THAT I MUST. IF AND WHEN YOU ARE READY TO RECEIVE THE TRUTH—MEANING THE PROPHESY—THEN COME TO THE THRONE ROOM WHERE ME, MY WIFE, AND EMMA WILL BE WAITING. I CANNOT DISCLOSE ANYTHING AT THE MOMENT, BUT THE SOONER YOU GET HERE IS THE SOONER I CAN TELL WHAT MUST BE TOLD.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT YOU WILL NOT BE PUNISHED—WELL, NOT IN THE SENSE THAT YOU ARE BEING PENALIZED FOR A WRONGDOING, BUT IN THE SENSE THAT YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR AS THE CHOSEN ONE.
IF WHAT I JUST WROTE SOUNDS RATHER MEANINGLESS TO YOU, FEEL UTTERLY FREE TO DROP BY THE THRONE ROOM AND KNOW WHAT I MEAN WHEN I TALK ABOUT YOUR DUTY AS THE CHOSEN ONE.
THAT IS ALL FOR NOW,
KING RICHARD HARK

I had to read the message about three more times to fully sink in its bold, black letters. Prophesy. Duty. Throne Room. Those were the words that stood out to me the most.

So, the King was inviting me to the Throne Room to receive the truth? As in the prophesy? This intrigued me a ton. Ever since I got here, I wanted to know why I was chosen, and now, if I went to the throne room, I would know why.

All it took was leaving the room and heading to the white door. That's all it took...

And yet, something drew me back from doing so. Did I even want to know the truth? Did I even want to know the prophesy? What I decided was that, if it meant I was free of punishment, then it meant I had to go to the Throne Room. That was the only way to get out of it.

..Why was I so afraid of doing that, though? The least that could happen is the truth would horrify me, but could it really be that bad?

A strange feeling invaded my stomach as I slowly made the way to my fate, the Throne Room.

•••

The white door faced me with a terrifying face that wasn't even there. I sighed and told myself that nothing ruinous could happen, but even my mind had to process that the truth, the prophesy—everything—would hurt. More than anything.

But, rather suddenly, these worries subsided as soon as I turned the knob to the white door and entered what was beyond it.