𝔗𝔥𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔉𝔦𝔯𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔉𝔬𝔲𝔯

𓋹 𝔓𝔯𝔢𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔢 𓋹

Aithne wakes up the next day. Just as confused and puzzled as she had been when she fell asleep. Lying in bed, all the memories come to her. That she is not yet the Queen as she was originally supposed to be crowned. Her coronation had been interrupted by a strange man that is able to disappear in a blink of an eye and reappear the same way. However, she does know his name and while the Princess cannot understand his intensions, she does know he made a mistake and that she will use for her own advantage against him.

Lying in bed, she looks at the ceiling and begins her plot. It is all coming together nicely within her mind. Soon enough what she thinks will become reality. After a couple of minutes have passed by the world, she sits up. Though, her body does have this craving to be lying down. Perhaps because of all that has happened to her and she wishes to lie in bed and fall back into slumber where nothing terrible is able to happen to her. The peacefulness would be so welcomed to her that not even night terrors would be able to find her.

When Aithne does stand up, she looks over at the book that is on her nightstand. The book with the open page at the picture of the man. The same man that might or might not have saved her life. With a heavy sigh, she closes the book. It makes a loud sound that disturbs the silence of her bed chambers and makes her almost wince. The Princess had enjoyed the silence and wishes that she could spend a lot more time in that silence and enjoy it for even a couple of minutes more to feel this sense of calm run through her entire body.

The girl walks over to a looking glass and takes in her appearance. Somehow her skin is a lot paler than it would have been. Aithne is able to blame that on the fact that she has not yet taken the crown. A knock on the door is heard and then Edmon steps inside the room. She does not even need to look to know that he has come inside her chambers. "You appear deep in thoughts" Is the first thing that he says when he sees her. Still, she looks at herself in the reflecting glass.

"Yes. It would appear that way. There is of course a lot for me to think of. At this date I was supposed to be ruling the kingdom. Yet, here I am. Not doing what I am meant to do. All because of a criminal told me they wanted me dead. Why shall I believe a man such as him?" She asks him. Not just as his Princess and future Queen but also as his friend as she does need his guidance. "I believe that he wanted to do was he thought was for the best" He tells her.

"I thought you despised him. What has changed?" She asks him. When she sees her friend in the mirror, she can see that somehow there is something odd about him. Only she cannot put her finger on what that is and neither is certain that she wishes to venture that far. Despite being friends, the two of them will have to stay from each other and do not allow themselves to cross that line for that would only mean terrible things would happen. "Oh, I do loathe anyone that escapes past my fingers and puts you in danger. What I understand is that he does have a motive and I believe he does not wish you dead" He tells her.

This time she turns around to face him with a raised eyebrow. "Have you figured out what his motive is?" She asks him. The Princess stands there in her undergarments and her night gown and yet she does not bother to cover herself for she does allow her friend to see her like this. Her hair is all over the place yet given what she has been through it is the least of her worries. Edmon chuckles as he looks at her.

"No. Of course now. What I have figured out is that he needs you. For what? I do not know just yet. That man wants something from you or something that only you can get. If he saved your life, I do not know. We are questioning the guests and the court. These things take time and we are nowhere close to figuring it out. However, if he ended did save your life, then he does want you to owe him. That might be the most dangerous thing a future Queen can ever have to do" He speaks.

This time he speaks as her Guard and not as her friend for now he is not just her Guard. Edmon looks at her, he does take notice to her bed chambers as well and eyes them every so often. As if there might appear dangers that were not there before which he would have to fight to the death to protect this girl which is the future Queen. "Why is that?" She asks him. Despite knowing the answer herself. Aithne then eyes the closed book on her nightstand and gives it a glare, as if the man were the book.

"Because then he would have leverage over the Queen as well as everyone that lives here. It would put us all at danger. What we must do now is get you to safety. My Princess, you will have to go there" He tells her. This time she looks at him with shock. "But, I cannot. I am not a Queen yet. It is forbidden. Only the one that bears the crown and is the Queen can enter. I do not know what will happen if I do walk in there and am not crowed Queen" Aithne tells him.

Within her eyes this look of fear comes, as if she has begun to fear this man that stands in front of her and yet never will the girl fear him. He is not only her most trusted Guard but he is also her friend. Her only friend and that can never be undone. "You are a Queen. You do not need a crown and a ceremony to tell you otherwise. I believe in my heart that you are a Queen. Always have been and always will be. You are the Queen that will change the world. Never forget that" He tells her.

His words are spoken with so much truth which she knows is true and she believes him. Eyeing him carefully as if she were trying to study him, she then nods at him and gives him a gentle smile. Walking over to him, she stands in front of him. Edmon gives her a bow. "You are my Queen and I will follow you anywhere. Do not let a title take away your destiny" He tells her. She nods and then sighs. Aithne parts her lips before she says what she wishes to tell him.

"All right. I shall go there. However, I wish to dress properly before I enter. It is the most sacred place within the castle and it would be foolish of me to disrespect tradition" She says. Edmon nods at her words and gives her a smile, a smile that shows that he is proud of her. "I shall send your maids" He tells her and then walks to leave the room, but not before he gives her a small bow once more. When Edmon has left her, she's once more in the silence and all alone in her bed chambers.

A heavy sigh leaves her lips as she turns to look at herself in the mirror again. Seeing that she should have been wearing a crown on her face. The crown that shows that she is the true Queen and that she rules everything. However, perhaps her friend is correct. Perhaps she does not need a crown to tell her who she is and who she is meant to be. She was born to be the Queen and the Queen she shall become and the Queen she is. A crown will not change that and a ceremony does not either.

The longer that she stares at herself, the more she realizes that she is prepared to enter the most sacred place that they have to offer and she will do so with her head held high. The only place in this castle that she has been forbidden to step foot in or even come close to it since before she can remember. The Oracle. It is a room within the castle that is also a gateway. To where? She has never been able to know for none know but the Queens that enter there upon their crowning and it is tradition that they enter.

The Oracle is said to show the Queen her future and how she will lead the people. However, when they step out, they do not speak of ever having entered there nor do they speak of what had taken place. Whenever enters uninvited will suffer a fate worse than death. Not only is it guarded well, but those that have gotten past those guards and entered fall to a fate that will live with them for the rest of their lives and will give them the most agonizing life that there is. Which is what she does fear will happen to her.

Aithne is not yet the Queen and if she does enter there when she is not the Queen yet for she has not been made Queen then she might suffer a fate worse than death. However, Edmon will always protect her and the safest place for her to be is inside that room in the Oracle. If her future will be shown to her, she does not know. For there is no way for her to know unless she does walk through the doors and enter that room and enter another world through that gateway, if it does lead to another world that is.

Not long after Edmon had left her chambers, her maids enter and they prepare her in her finest clothing. Putting on her her finest jewels and her crown, her Princess crown though for she is not yet the Queen. All while she remains silent and tries to not think of that man. Even when her mind does all that it can to not think of that man, she cannot help herself for she thinks of him all the time. He is on the top of her mind, much to her own dismay.

Then gown feels heavy and the crown feels even heavier for it is made out of pure gold and decorated with diamonds that are just as rare as they are beautiful. For years she has spent training to not only carry the jewels on her head but also the fate of her people and in all those years, she has prepared to enter the Oracle. Princess Aithne has been decorated and her face has been painted as well. Her lips made red as the rose, her cheeks pink, and her eyes sharp with black around them to make them stand out.

Taking a deep breath, she is prepared. Edmon looks at her and nods at her as she walks out of her bed chambers. The guards are in front of her and behind her and even beside her when she walks down the hallways. The way that her heart is pounding within her chest shows that she is nervous. Finding all the duties and preparation she had done when she was younger has failed her now. It is not until she stands in front of the doors that she finds herself afraid to enter that room, without knowing why she does feel afraid.