Chapter Five

Stunning.

Magnificent.

Halls with ceilings that seem to grasp the sky, marble pillars going just as high with intricate carvings, and windows that seem to be endless as my footsteps echo across the marble halls.

Every turn causes another small gasp to escape my mouth, how each room has its own unique spin upon the ostentatious design of the palace. "Are there not too many palaces where you come from?" Travon asks, his voice low as a maid passes bye, avoiding eye contract as Travon said to do.

"Not particularly. There are quite a few famous ones, but I've never been to one this immense and captivating," I explain, looking to the ceiling as paintings of different shapes of the moon, stars, and what I assume much be these people's deities. "None this breathtaking."

Travon nods, leading me to a more secluded staircase, spiraling up in a tower. "It's four stories up, the records room is one that will also astonish you." Nodding, I follow Travon, my feet hitting the hunter green dress that I wear as I remember what Travon taught me: shoulders squared, head tilted high, and make no eye contact whatsoever. I need to play the part of someone with good motives to be here but draw no attention to myself.

My mother had a way about drawing in attention. She practiced how she would walk, the particular placement of her feet when they met the floor, how her arms would move, how she would smile. That was a talent of her's: to draw attention whenever she wanted. She was able to reel my father in that way, fascinating him from the moment he spotted her. She led him on just for fun until she realized her true feeling for him. The media claimed they were a match made in heaven. The media said nothing could go wrong. The media sold a lie to the public, but of course they knew nothing of what could transpire.

"When we enter the records room, I do not know how many people will be there already but stay close by me and we shall find the name of your father."

"Do you think he will be in the records? Hell, I don't even know how long my father has been here for."

Travon shrugs his shoulders. "I've never heard of dimension traveling, my dear, but if your father did anything, it would be in here."

As we finished climbing the stairs, another hall lies before us, twists and turns taking us every way as I find myself looking outside upon a garden. I thought I'd seen some of the world's biggest gardens, but nothing could ever compare to this one. It's long and wide, bushes marking paths as flowers and authentic trees and planted along, fountains and ponds running everywhere. There are some women out, dressed in flowing pastel purple dresses as they take care of the plants.

"Those are nymphs, they take care of the castle grounds," Travon explains, expanding my horizon on just how many creatures of myth live here.

"What of vampires?"

Travon raises an eyebrow.

"Most reside within the human world..." He pauses. "We get along with them, but the elves do not wish to associate themselves with the vampires. The elves find them to be uncivil and always looking for trouble."

"And do you have dragons?" I ask, clasping my hands behind my back as a massive oak door is not too far away.

"They reside within the mountains about a week's journey from here. Dragons are tricky creatures. Either they destroy or keep to themselves."

I think of the Hobbit, how Smaug was one who destroyed and set a president for most of people's interpretations upon dragons. In Beowulf the dragon was greedy as well, ending Beowulf's journey. The books depict dragons as evil, ancient drawing with dragons burning down castle or taking a princess for the prince to soon rescue.

"Keep silent in here, I will nod when you are to speak," Travon orders, looking back to the door as he waves his hand.

The doors open, revealing a room that causes me to think of the Tardis. Small on the outside and big on the inside. It's as if this massive castle on gets bigger as you set foot inside.

I follow Travon, the sunlight streaming in as I'm amazed. Book shelves line the walls, sliding ladders everywhere, stairs to a second and even third story as only more folders and books lie before us. The smell of old books causes my heart to warm. The floor is polished to perfection, a crest of the Iduna Kingdom in the center of the floor as guards are on each side of the door.

Few people are here, most dressed in fancier attire as they skim the shelves for certain records.

"There are three record libraries in the palace. This one is for primarily historical records that even date back to when Selene created the werewolf race. But also, in this library is a small list of unusual people that have crossed this land, the kingdom keeping a knee eye upon them."

So, he thinks this is where we shall find the news of my father.

Travon leads me up the stairs, to the second floor as we pass by book shelf after book shelf. Soon, we are hidden from the public eye, Travon skimming every shelf for whatever we are exactly looking for.

He pulls out one of the books, a silver ribbon tied around to keep the contents in. Untying the ribbon, he opens the book, golden dust escaping as he flips through the pages.

"How long ago did your father vanish?"

"Eleven years in my world," I remind him, crossing my arms as I look around for anyone close bye. "His name was William."

Travon skims the book, heading back further as his fingers trace the countless pages.

William was his true name, but he adapted a new one when he took the stage and the cameras were all on him. He loved magic, he did not believe it was just science that the world had not discovered yet. My father believed magic was of its own essence.

"What would he have done here?"

I barely even knew my father. How could I guess what he would do here? But he loved magic, and if this was his final trick, the only explanation would be to explore.

"Travel the land. If anything, he would have come here as well."

Why wouldn't he come here? The Capitol of the world he had searched for countless years.

"Peculiar travels are not common, but I can try and find him."

Hours later and countless books as well, I sit against a bookshelf, my eyes barely peeled open as Travon is one row down, still searching for the name of my father to appear.

Would William even be used? Sure, it was his true name, but would he have used his true name in a magical world. Would he of rather used his magician name in this magical world?

"Can I offer you another name?" I ask, Travon looking over his shoulder to me. He nods. "Heka."

"What is that name?" Travon asks, a tone in his voice that makes me wonder what is wrong with the name.

"A country in my world called Egypt, it's the world for the personification of magic, like the ancient practice of it."

Travon shuts the book, quickly putting it away as he rushes to me. Grabbing my arm, he pulls me with him, up another flight of stairs as my heartbeat quickens.

"Have you heard the name?"

Travon nods. "One of a kind."

I raise an eyebrow as Travon's hands begin to shake, letting go of me as he skims the rows of records.

Just as he placed his finger upon one, the atmosphere of the room begins to tense, a tunnel-like vision occurring as my brain becomes light headed.

Travon lands his finger upon a sentence, skimming over and over it again as I take in deep breaths.

"Heka....the slayer of royal blood."

"What?!" I hiss, quickly pacing myself to where Travon stands.

He hands me the book, the heaviness surprising me as Travon points to the paragraph.

There's an illustration, one of a man portrayed with pale skin and poor clothes, pulling back upon an arrow in a black bow as one man sits upon a throne.

My father killed the man who wears a crown.

My father killed the King.

Looking up to Travon, I see fear in his eyes. I read the paragraph repeatedly, my palms becoming sweaty as I wonder what will happen next. My father shot and killed the past King right before the Prince's eyes. My father vanished into thin air before anyone could bring him to justice and has not been heard of for eight years. The son of the King swore to find my father and bring him to death along with all who reside with him.

Looking up to Travon, I see worry within his eyes. "I cannot let you stay within the palace walls any longer," he explains. "If they find out what you are, you will be beheaded as a warning to all."

"Who? Who would do so?" I ask.

"The King, the son of the King your father murdered."

He's right, I need to leave and leave fast.

Grabbing the book, Travon puts it away fast, motioning for me to begin walking back down the stairs as all I can concentrate on in my father. Why would he kill a man, a King? What made him murder a ruler? But even more important: where is he now?

Just as we reach the first floor, the doors shoot open, everyone within the room dropping to the floor and bowing. Travon grabs me, placing me beside him and taking me to the ground with him. We take the pose of everyone else within the records room, my heart skipping a beat as I can see shoes and a long robe trailing behind the individual. The robes are beautiful, white fur around a thick and silky maroon fabric. This man is royalty. But who?

He walks around the room, circling it as he passes bye every individual, getting closer to where I bow. If he does not linger too long, I shall be fine.

"Who has spoken the name?" What name? How would they even know what name was spoken? Were they just passing by or what?

He stops right before Travon.

"The name of a savage."

The voice. The voice of the man is what draws me in the most. The rich sound, baritone, beautiful to listen to. Yet it's a voice I would image not an angel to have, but a character such as Hades, one who is deceiving and dark. But a voice like that, one that holds so much authority and power, that I could get used to. Travon. I can sense it now. Travon is shaking. He is scared.

"The name of a murderer."

Heka.

My father's stage name. This man is describing my father. Is my father's stage name cursed now or something? Guards move forward as my arms begin to shake. They rip Travon from the floor and onto his feet, the individual taking a step back.

"Was it you?" He's talking to Travon. What will he do to him? Harm him? I am the one who got Travon into this mess. I am the one who is responsible for any wrongs to Travon or even Soka's kin for that matter. The individual steps away from Travon, the guards releasing him as he drops to the floor and back to kneeling.

Just as I think he's gone, I let out a sharp scream of surprise, my eyes wide as pain shoots through my arms.

Those eyes. The eyes that seem to hold the galaxy within them. Every constellation, planet, nebula, every aspect of the stunning universe held within those eyes as I could get lost in them for centuries. These are the eyes that have flooded my dreams.

The room falls still as no words are spoken, the only aspect that reminds me I am not dreaming is the pain of the guards holding me up.

"Or was it the small female..." The man states, his voice almost a whisper as he sounds as if it is hard to speak. "The one who no one would expect."

He takes a step forward, his hand reaching up, fingers softly brushing my cheek as my eyes expand. Shocks spread across every inch of skin he traces, my heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings as I become speechless. He's inches from me, his guards no longer holding me as I stay up on my own. The way he looks at me, positions himself before me, how he barely even touches me, it all makes me wonder what is truly happening.

"Why would such an innocent creature speak such a discourteous name," he whispers, as if to himself as he comes closer. And I stay still, a soft breath escapes my lips as his tilts his head to the side.

And that's when I see it, the crown, the massive golden crown holing so much design and jewels that causes me to feel fear. This is the man that wants my father dead. This is the very man that would see me beheaded as a warning. This is the man Travon feared me ever running into.

This is the King, and I'm now in his domain.

He pulls back, walking around me as he scans me from top to bottom as his fingers dance across my shoulders for a second. It's as if he has a limitless longing to just be next to me, embrace me, see me, make sure I am not just a fixture of his imagination.

"Why would you say such a cursed name? Treacherous names should never leave those lips of yours."

He motions for his guards, the man laying a hand each upon my shoulder as I know trouble awaits me.

"It's as if you need to be taught a lesson."

My eyes widen, watching as a hint of mischief fills those eyes and I'm scared for my life.

"Do not fret, Astronomer Travon, she is in respectable hands now."

Respectable hands now?

It kicks in as he King turns his back to me, his guards ushering me out as this all feels like I have no control anymore. It kicks in that I am no longer in the hands of someone I trust to get me out of here, but in the hands of a man who will never let me leave.

And it's just a matter of time until he uncovers what I am.