Page 107 of Of Monsters Of Kings

The prince stopped. “What do I see, lady? I’m not sure we have the same lens.”

“You said it yourself, Prince Sign. King Raise has parted ways with his purpose. He cannot be allowed to act so, and it will fall to you and me to ensure this doesn’t happen.”

The waxy monster stared.

I leaned in. “You can feel that I am not meant to be locked away, and I can tell you that no matter of protocol will work to make me answer or sign anything I don’t wish to.”

“The protocols always work,” the prince informed me, sorrow in his voice. “I used protocol seven on my king long ago when he turned too many times from his purpose. This is what broke him properly.”

I absorbed that. “The feeling you had then is similar to what you feel now.”

“In part, lady. I do not feel the urge as strongly. The sense of misguided purpose is like a scent on a breeze. I do not feel the dungeons are for you, but I’m also not driven to step between you and my king. I am not suddenly filled with the power of ancients that would enable me to stop a king.”

“Is that how princes overpower straying kings?” I asked him.

“Yes, lady. Ancients tend to give monsters what they need.”

Then I hoped they would do the same for me. My efforts to convince King Raise to release me hadn’t gone as planned. His prince had to be the reasonable one.

“Here is what must happen,” I said. “You will call your staircase and allow me to walk to the surface. In this matter, you must obey your instincts, Prince Sign, I assure you.”

I had a dinner to attend, and I had a sense of timelessness in this place. How long was a day here in comparison to a day above ground?

“That will not work,” the prince said. “My stairwell works for me, not others, even rare gems.”

I peered in each direction of the endless hall to no avail. “I need a way out of here, prince.”

“There is none but a stairwell formed through agreement with my liege, lady. I’m afraid this is a hopeless business.”

I smiled and noticed the twist of it, then noticed the gray waxiness of the prince’s skin too. How were we monsters again already?

I rested a hand on the prince’s linen jacket sleeve. “The impossible and magical frequently happens to me. Do not worry so. Kindly call your stairwell.”

“It’s of no use, I promise you.”

“Do you agree that I should be allowed to judge that? And if there is a way to escape this kingdom, that I shall take it?”

The prince wrung two of his hands, “Y-you might certainly judge the stairwell. As for the s-second, that draws near to oath… breaking, and?—”

“I would not have you break an oath,” I said. “The stairwell, if you please.”

After an audible swallow, the prince obeyed.

The wall parted to admit the bottom of the prince’s wonderful stairs. Through the door, I could spot the maze of other stairwells beyond.

There must be a path through.

If this kingdom operated on the thought of King Raise, then the trick sat therein. I focused my mind on the motion that Raise didn’t know what he did. We could have a meaningful relationship in the future, but not if he dungeoned and tortured me. Then, I might not feel inclined toward friendship.

This was in our best interest.

Holding that thought, I tried to set a foot on the bottom step of the prince’s stairwell.

An invisible balloon formed under my foot and bounced my leg right off again.

“A hopeless endeavor,” the monster beside me said.

“Nothing is hopeless,” I replied. “Believe me. I have had some reason to lose it, but hope always remains.”

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