CHAPTER THREE

I did not sleep for the rest of the night. I stayed sitting up in bed with my back to the bedpost and knife in hand until the sun came up. If the intruder returned, I could quickly stand and would have the fighting advantage from the height of my bed. My uncle taught me the importance of having the higher ground.

When Rose and another handmaid arrived in the morning to bring me fresh linens and do my hair up for the day, I stayed silent about the man in the window until I could meet with Rose in private. She begged me to tell my father, but I refused. I was to meet with my uncle in just two nights. If my father learned about the intruder, the guard protection would only intensify, and I surely would not be able to sneak out unnoticed. I told her I would consider telling him after I met with Balor, but I wasn’t planning on doing so, only to save myself from a life of even more supervision. She’ll forgive me.

Although I projected confidence, I genuinely was shaken up by the experience. Who the hell was the man in my room and how did he get in through the window? My bedroom was in one of the tallest towers in Rimor Castle. The only way to get to the window would be to climb up multiple stories of stone wall. And although I was decent in combat, I had never truly had to put my uncle’s trainings to use.

Was he even intending to harm me? It seemed not because as soon as he saw me, he vanished. Perhaps he was a thief who realized he was in more than he bargained for when he entered the princess’s bedroom. It didn’t exactly make sense that a thief would climb to one of the highest rooms when our gold vaults were located beneath the castle. But it’s the excuse I held onto in order to keep myself calm.

The next two days went by agonizingly slow. I remained on castle grounds, intending to get back into my father’s good graces and avoid any suspicion. I spent the majority of the days either tending to the flowers in the gardens, helping the cooks in the kitchen – which was a favorite pastime of mine – or sat alone in my room nearly memorizing each page of the mysterious book.

I would speak with my father in brief passing and at mealtimes about my day, but he otherwise remained either busy in his study reviewing ledgers, out in Rimor resolving territorial disputes, or administering justice in the royal court. I was grateful that he hadn’t passed those duties to me just yet. They sounded dreadfully mundane.

At night, I placed large, unbalanced objects on and around my bedroom window. This included a chair staggered on two legs that leaned against the window, a few heavy books placed upright on the windowsill, and an opened chest on the floor with a lid that typically shut loudly. If the ominous man were to return, at least one of the items would surely fall and be loud enough to wake me. But it seemed the man did not return, as I woke in the morning with my room untouched.

Nightfall finally came at the end of day two, and the new moon helped to preserve the darkness of the night. It was time to secretly flee the confines of Rimor Castle and meet with Balor.

While most of the clothes I owned were royal dresses, I did have a chest of tunics and trousers that didn’t get much use. I sifted through them and picked black wool pants that were comfortable and maneuverable, and a midnight-blue top to help me blend with the night. I pulled a black vest over the tunic and tied it tightly, if only to keep my breasts snug against me while I trained. Then I donned my favorite knee-high leather boots, and placed my dagger into a matching leather sheath at my belt.

I was about to close the chest when I noted a small satchel within. I pulled it out, dusted it off, then grabbed the mysterious book and placed it inside.

Feeling like I had everything I needed, I stepped over to the only window in my room and unlocked it, then pushed open the stained glass. I began to wonder if I had left the window unlocked and ajar when the intruder found his way in, as I often did on warmer nights. I climbed backwards out of the window one leg at a time, and descended until only my hands held the windowpane and my boots pressed against the castle stone.

It took a lot of planning and observing for my first time sneaking out, in order to learn where each crack in the stone wall lie within reach of each other. Luckily, this wasn’t my first descent down the tall stone tower into the grass below. Rose always said she would never attempt such a climb. I found it exhilarating, as it tested my muscular strength.

I carefully placed my left hand into a large crack in the stone, then my right, then slowly lowered my body until my footing found the next crevice. The descent was easier than the climb back up, which I wasn’t looking forward to. The man in my room must have climbed up this same way .

I let out a breath of relief when, after some time, my feet finally felt the soft ground beneath me. I took a few minutes to catch my breath and let my burning muscles recover before I made the next move.

The guards marched the castle grounds in shifts. I had a very short window of only a few minutes while the guards met on the east end to rotate shifts. I wondered if I missed that window, as I suddenly felt like eyes were watching me. I slowly ducked down behind a hedge and waited a moment. I heard no sounds of heavily armored feet and saw no signs that a guard had caught me. I brushed off the feeling and hastily made my way to the tall stone wall that surrounded the castle.

Climbing the wall was the easiest task of the night, if only because it was made up of the same stone structure as the castle, but nowhere near the height. I took one last look behind me, ensuring that the guards hadn’t yet finished their shift-change, and began the last climb.

I landed on the ground outside the wall and smiled, the excitement only building from there. Now I had to make my way through Oreross, our main city, to the abandoned theater where my uncle would be waiting. The walk usually took an hour, and consisted of mostly dark, dimly lit streets where I would not be recognized, if anyone was even awake at this hour.

Even in the darkness, I couldn’t help but marvel at the stone buildings that made up Rimor. Even the lowest classes lived in stone houses. Those with more wealth had intricate statues and designs molded into the structure of their homes. There was so much beauty, so much art put into every building that I felt like I was seeing something new every time I was in the city…which was rare.

I stopped for a moment to trail my fingers over the head of a lion that was jutting out from one of the buildings, when I thought I heard a shuffle behind me. I spun towards the noise, hand on the hilt of my dagger. But I saw no one. Heard nothing else. So I reluctantly brushed it off.

As I walked through the streets with haste, the eerie sensation that I was being followed nagged at me. But every time I turned around, I would see nothing and no one. At one point, I even slid into a back alley, waiting for someone to pass in search of me, but no one ever came. I shook it off, convincing myself I was just on edge after the other night.

Within an hour, I reached the edge of Oreross and found the abandoned theater which looked as untouched and disheveled as ever. The theater was the lone building on that stretch of cobblestone road. My mother and I used to come here often when I was a child. After she died, it seemed the happiness surrounding the theater slowly turned bleak, and it eventually shut down. The bittersweet memory of the place in its prime halted when I reached the large door. I pushed back the overgrown shrubbery and turned to take one last look behind me to ensure I wasn’t followed. The nagging feeling remained, but I saw no one and continued through the door.

I stepped inside and was met with the familiar stale air and cobwebs of the abandoned building. There were three levels, each with multiple sets of benches and seats, and a balcony overlooking the stage. I wouldn’t dare go to one of the upper levels – not in the current state the building was in. Splintered wood lined the grounds where wooden beams had fallen. I carefully stepped over them, kicking up dust with each movement.

I started heading towards the stage where my uncle and I trained when I felt someone grab me from behind. Quickly, I dropped my weight and slammed my head backwards causing the attacker to loosen their grip. I forced one of my arms out from the hold and launched my elbow backwards into the center of the attacker’s chest. They exhaled a startled breath as they let go of me and staggered backwards. I whipped myself around to face my foe, hands up in fighting position.

“Nicely done,” said my uncle, his hand on his chest as he leaned forward in discomfort. “I wasn’t expecting you to get free so quickly.”

“Never underestimate your opponent,” I smiled, repeating a phrase he had said to me many times.

Balor laughed, standing up straight and bringing his hands up, mirroring my fighting stance. “Keep your feet steady and your body balanced.”

I rolled my eyes. “I already know the basics, Uncle,” I scoffed. He grinned, and as quickly as he grabbed me before, he launched himself towards me for another attack. I brought my arms up, defending his punches. When the opportunity struck, I hit back, hurling fists and high kicks at him with everything I had. He always told me never to hold back, even in our trainings. We often both came out of them bruised and battered, although he made sure not to hit my face where I would be unable to hide the bruises.

We continued to fight with little to no conversation for half an hour. Sometimes I felt I was going to come out victorious, then he would hit me with a surprise move I was unfamiliar with. He humbled me, reminding me that I still had much to learn. After our initial combat ended, we moved to the stage and Balor spent the next two hours teaching me the moves he had used on me during our brawl. I relished every second of it.

Time moved quickly, and I had to keep track of when the sun would be up. It would take me an hour to get back to the castle, and maybe another hour to scale the tower walls with sore muscles. When we finally stopped to take a break, I sat at the edge of the stage with my feet hanging down.

“Something is on your mind,” my uncle said from the center of the stage. He could always tell if something was bothering me. He made his way towards me and sat down at my side .

“Yes, a lot is on my mind actually,” I answered. I reached over to the satchel that sat at my other side and pulled out the book. I placed it in my lap and took a deep breath, wondering where to start.

“What is that?” Balor asked, curiously eyeing the book.

“I got it from Rimor Library. I was looking for something that might help with a dream interpretation.”

Balor’s brow rose. “Callum finally let you go to the library, did he?”

“No, I snuck in,” I answered. Of course my father wouldn’t have let me go.

“They lock up pretty tightly at night from what I remember. How did you get in?” he asked.

“I didn’t go at night. I went during the day.”

Balor paused for a moment before breaking into laughter. “You escaped your guards,” he said as a statement rather than a question. “How pissed was Callum?”

I cracked a smile. “Well, he threatened to be my personal escort himself if I do it again.”

My uncle’s laughter continued, and he covered his forehead with his hand. “Of course he did. And you better believe he meant it.”

“I know,” I answered. My father did not bluff, and his threats were always serious. My uncle knew firsthand, being exiled by his own brother.

Balor paused and I turned to look at him. He was handsome for his age, with shoulder-length, sandy hair that he had tied back and out of his face. Despite being an exile, he looked well taken care of. The strength of his movements alone proved he hadn’t lost any muscle during his time away. And he didn’t appear as aged and weathered as my father, although the resemblance of their features was still uncanny. With strong cheekbones, a slender nose, and thin lips, there was no mistaking them for anything but brothers. But his eyes, unlike mine and my father’s emerald green, were as gray as the stones that made up our kingdom.

“You say you had a dream of some sort?” Balor shifted back to my earlier remark.

I told him about my dream from start to finish in detail. I discussed how I found the trap door within the library that led me to the strange book. I swore that the atmosphere shifted as I continued, but my uncle’s facial expressions never changed. He only looked curious and confused, much like myself.

“So you went to the library and found this book about dreams hidden in some secret room,” he said, gesturing to the book that remained unopened on my lap.

“Well, I’m not sure it’s about dreams. Here, take a look.” I handed the book to Balor and watched him turn each page, eyes burning with curiosity. When he finally got to the page with the map, I rushed to point at the height of my own curiosity. Zolmara. “There is a fifth kingdom,” I addressed.

Balor was silent. His emotions were more difficult to interpret than anyone I’d ever known. He closed the book and handed it back to me before standing up. I waited silently as he paced the stage.

“There is a rumor that a fifth kingdom existed centuries ago,” he finally said after a few moments. “It was nothing like the Four Kingdoms we know today. Then one day, it was written out of the history books until it was forgotten.”

“Why?” I asked. Balor looked at me and shook his head, indicating that he didn’t know the answer. I opened the book to the picture of the wolf and stood to show him. “This is the wolf from my dreams. At least, it’s extremely similar. I need to know why.”

Balor looked down at his boots, and appeared to be contemplating something. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” I asked.

He looked up and stared into my eyes. “I think…” he began before stopping, like he wanted to tell me something but couldn’t. “I think you should go to this fifth kingdom,” he finished.

I stared at him blankly. “Why?”

“I believe this recurring dream, and the fact that you found this particular book, are no mere coincidence. This secret kingdom may have the answers you are looking for.”

My brows rose quizzically. “Did you see where it’s located? The Forest of Torment. Even with my father as an escort, there is no way he would let me go there. Not in his lifetime.”

Balor grinned. “There is no way your father would let you sneak out at night and meet with your exiled uncle either, and yet here you are.”

Well, he had me there.

“You are a smart and cunning warrior, Aurelia,” he continued. “If anyone is capable of making it to the Forest of Torment, it’s you.”

I bit my lip as I considered it. I would be sneaking out of my own kingdom to head so far north where the likelihood of anyone finding me was sparse. If things went wrong, my father would never know what happened to me, and my kingdom would be without an heir. And yet, my heart was telling me my uncle was right. I would never get answers, never live a full life, if I remained in Rimor and did nothing.

“Okay,” I started. “Let’s say I decide to go. Will you meet me here and then travel with me?”

My uncle’s smile quickly faded. “That I cannot do,” he answered. “You would have to find your own way.”

I grimaced. “You are an exiled man tied to no kingdom. Gods know where you’ve been staying for the last several years, because you won’t tell me. What in the heavens do you have to do that you can’t take me yourself?”

“It’s complicated,” he answered briskly. It seemed my uncle had just as many secrets as my father. I was getting frustrated, but I had no retort. “I want to help you, Aurelia, but my path is set in stone. What you do with yours is up to you.”

“You’re speaking in riddles,” I spat. “You’re either hiding something or you’re a coward.” The words I spoke were like fire burning from my mouth, but all I felt in that moment was anger and hurt.

Balor looked at me for a long while, and I stared back at him unwavering. “Zolmara will have the answers you seek,” he spoke. As I looked into his eyes, I could see how sure he was. But how did he know? What was he hiding and why couldn’t he just tell me?

“Fine. Keep your secrets,” was the only response I could come up with. He was a stubborn as my father, so pressing the matter would get me nowhere. I opened the book back up to the page of the map and inspected it before saying, “It’s just north of Sprath. Do you think if I went to Sprath, someone would know—”

“No,” Balor interjected. “Whatever you do, avoid Sprath at all costs. I know it will extend the journey, but it is not worth the risk of running into King Volund.”

My eyes narrowed. “I know you and my father dislike him, but don’t you think if anyone knows about Zolmara, it would be someone from the City of Knowing? Someone whose kingdom is just south of the forgotten one?”

“Aurelia, you need to trust me on this. Sprath is off limits.”

I crossed my arms. “Trust you? If you won’t tell me why you can’t take me, the least you can do is tell me why I can’t go to Sprath to find someone who will.”

Balor stared at me for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. “King Volund is a snake. A vile excuse for a king. He treats his people poorly and worries only about himself. Not only that, but he’s manipulative and devious. I’d trust him as far as I can throw him.”

I only shrugged. “If you haven’t seen him in years, maybe he has changed. ”

My uncle let out a breathy laugh. “The last time I saw the bastard was…” he paused, his face frowning. “Your mother’s funeral,” he finished, his voice suddenly a bit more gentle. “I overheard a conversation he was having with Callum.”

My body went stiff. “What did he say to my father?”

“He told Callum that if he gave him his armies, he would help him get his revenge for your mother’s murder. And Callum, so broken and desperate, didn’t look like he was going to say no when I stepped in. Callum’s face was so full of hatred and sadness, I had never seen anything like it. He would give anything to avenge your mother, and Volund knew that. If I wasn’t there, there’s a chance Volund would have taken control of half our armies because of your father’s vulnerability.”

I gulped. “I…I didn’t know.”

“Like I said, Aurelia, he’s a manipulative snake hellbent on controlling those around him. Stay as far away from him and his kingdom as you possibly can.”

“Fine,” I replied. “But how do you expect me to get to Zolmara? No one who has made it to the Forest of Torment has ever returned.”

“Because you’re as smart as you are strong. You’ll find a way.”

“Uncle—”

“You’ll find a way, Aurelia.” He walked past me and hopped off the stage. “I have to go before the sun rises and the guards at the gate are able to recognize me.” He put a hand out to help me down, but I only glared at him.

“Fine,” I said again, this time with a bit more disdain. “Goodbye, Uncle.”

He pulled his hand back, a frown on his face. It was dead-silent for a moment more. “Goodbye, Aurelia,” he finally said. “And good luck.” And with that, he turned and left the theater, leaving me alone on the stage .

I took a deep breath and inspected the map one last time. Zolmara. I had to get to Zolmara. And Balor, for whatever reason, wouldn’t even give me a hint of what lied in the kingdom or how to get to it. This only left me feeling angry and disappointed.

Placing the book in my pack, I swallowed my emotions then started making my way back home, stewing in my own endless thoughts and ignoring the lingering feeling that I had a shadow. I hated that those closest to me kept so many secrets. I hated being left in the dark.

I spent the long trek back to the castle contemplating my options. I could remain in Rimor, a prisoner in my own kingdom until the reign was passed to me. In that scenario, I may never find the answers I seek. Or the second option, I could escape my so-called prison now and find out what my family was hiding on my own.

My recurring dream had only served as a catalyst to my inevitable decision. By the time I climbed the castle wall and scaled the stone tower up to my bedroom with burning muscles, I had made up my mind. I would find my way to Zolmara, or the Forest of Torment, or whatever it’s really called. I would find my way to the answers no one else would give me. And I had no idea how to survive out in the world on my own, so I would find someone to take me.