Page 18 of Towering Future (The Emerald Realm 5)

I sighed as I slumped into my armchair and pressed a fretful thumb to my brow. If I was going to get into the other rooms, I was going to need a stronger key. And that meant I was going to need a little more help from the only visitor I could trust to appear.

Alright, Miron... I suppose you’ve upgraded to almost-companion.

chapter twelve

I wonder if Elle is doing okay...

I leaned over my desk, poring over the dozens of blueprints that mapped out the palace. It had been almost two days since I last visited the imprisoned princess. She had seemed pretty upset during my last visit, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I gave her a little space. Although, despite the distance, I couldn’t stop thinking about her ever since I left.

She was so broken... and it was my fault. For some idiotic reason, I thought showing her the truth behind her past would make her more willing to trust me. She had definitely opened up to me, but at what cost? I had shattered the only peace she knew and even made the mistake of flooding her mind with another unwanted vision. She was probably thrilled that I didn’t visit her yesterday after all the torment I had caused her.

I suppose tormenting people is still what I do best... Father would be so proud.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of vision would invoke such a terrible reaction. Her panicked face flashed through my mind all day. Her eyes had gone wide with horror, and her delicate features were shadowed in hurt and despair. Those dark ebony eyes... What had they seen? What about my future could be so terrible?

I pressed a finger to my temple and rubbed away the beginnings of a headache while my other hand reached for my mug of tea. Normally I wasn’t keen on hot beverages, but after spending time with Elle, I started to crave the herby teas. She always seemed to have a fresh pot handy, and the mere memory sparked a craving. My head continued to throb from the slurry of questions, so I took a long sip to clear my mind. It tasted smooth and crisp. Normally, the servants prepared all my food, but today I had decided to make my own blend. Something in my mindset had changed after observing Elle’s situation. She was at the mercy of her servant while I was free to roam. If I had the freedom to brew my own tea, then I should be grateful for it instead of pushing the chore onto a servant.

If I’m still going to be Father’s tool, then at least I can be a tool with a pleasant drink.

I guzzled down another sip of the herbal brew, but to my regret, my headache only deepened. I pushed aside the mug to try to refocus on my planning before I lost my wits entirely. There had always been a collection of servant passages hidden throughout the palace, but most of them weren’t documented on the architectural plans. The servant access to Elle’s chamber wasn’t listed, so there was a likely chance that other hidden halls existed, as well.

If Father was hiding more mages, they had to have access to servants, because surely, Father wasn’t tending to them all himself on a daily basis. There had to be another access point to those rooms; otherwise, the servants would have to pass through Father’s bed chambers in order to access the tower, and that didn’t seem likely. If only I could pinpoint where those entrances were...

I sighed and pressed my head into the table, caving into the pressure from my pounding skull.What am I doing?When I first began this mission, I was searching for mages to aid Ashbourne in a war against the other kingdoms, but now...

Did I even believe in this war?

What were we fighting for other than power? My mind fluttered back to Elle’s graceful voice and dazzling strands of glistening silver hair.

She had lost everything because of war... Her family, her name, her kingdom, her freedom; it was all snatched away before she ever even knew. Who else would this war hurt? Was gaining power truly worth all this bloodshed? I scoffed with a sad smile against the table’s surface.

Since when did I sound like Killian?

My headache eased slightly, so I sat back up to continue scanning over the documents. If I truly didn’t want to aid Father in the war, then why did I still desire to find these mages so badly? As my hands drifted across the documents, I reminisced about how Elle had taken my hand so boldly. A small smile tugged at my lips as I recalled the memory.

That must be why...

I knew far too well what it was like to be trapped under my father’s control. For most of my life, I had remained at his beck and call so I might prove my worth to him someday. Elle was the same way, but she was stripped of the freedom of choice. While I followed Father’s orders out of my own ambitions, Elle had obeyed him out of fear. If I was being honest with myself, there were days I feared him too. He trained me too wellnot to be wary of a proper villain, and now I was on my way to becoming one.

But do I have to be like him? Like Conan?

He had always been a monster, and over the last few years, I’d certainly been one, too. But that man, that vile king, had locked up an innocent girl her entire life under the pretense of protection. I may be a prince of Ashbourne, and I may desire to become king, but I refuse to bow to a man, father, or ruler who names children after his tools.

His crystal ball...

It made me sick to think about. He never saw Elle as a person; he saw her as an asset, a mere cog in his machine.She and Ishare that role rather equally, it seems...If I discovered that there truly were other mages locked away in that tower, then I wouldn’t use them as tools, weapons, or pawns. There’s been enough of that nonsense under my father’s reign already, and I, for one, was sick of it. I’d spent enough time being my father’s puppet to know how suffocating it could be under his thumb. Perhaps it was time weallbroke free from his leash. They deserved that much... Elle deserved that—

My studies were disrupted by a firm knock on the door. I slid a book of war strategies over the blueprints to help disguise my true interests before responding to the noise.

“Enter,” I called out in a bored voice. If it was Conan, then I didn’t need him believing I was on the verge of a fascinating discovery. He snooped almost as much as I did, though he was far less discreet about it.

To my relief, it was a steward who entered instead of my obnoxious brother. “Your Highness, you and Prince Conan’s presence have been requested by the king in the main throne room.” He bowed low as he spoke, allowing his voice to echo off the smooth floors.

“Thank you. I’ll leave right away.” I stood from my desk and hastened toward the door. Whenever Father requested the both of us, it was usually something of dire importance.I wonder if he’s going to appoint his successor.Had he spoken to Elle again yesterday? My chest tightened as I wondered if she had been pressured into using her magic on him. I had overheard their entire conversation the other day, and it was more than clear that Father was one popped vessel away from an outrage.

What had he said to her this time? Was she alright?

I made a mental to note to visit the tower after the meeting as I stepped through the ornate throne room doors. Conan was already kneeling at the base of the throne. Father’s dark eyes watched me thoughtfully as I strode confidently into the room. His piercing glare reflected no hints toward his intentions today, but I could still see a touch of irritation lingering beneath his gaze.Maybe he hadn’t talked to Elle, after all?Once I lowered into my own kneel, the doors swung shut behind us, leaving us in the ghastly quiet.

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