“I’ll see you then. Off with you!” Derrick smiled benignly, and the guards closed the door behind them as they walked out. Instead of going back the way they’d come, however, Will started leading her towards some stairs.
“Uhm, Will? I may not be an expert at castle geography, but I’m pretty sure the way out is behind us.”
He laughed. “You’re right, but I want to show you something before we go.”
Her curiosity piqued, she asked, “Oh? What is it?” He just grinned and shook his head.
“You’ll see when we get there. It’s a surprise!” She grumbled, but diligently followed him, trying to ignore the bowing servants along the way as he did. It was still eerie to her. Up the stairs they went, one flight, two flights, three flights…
“I think...this is...high enough...already...” She panted, not used to the exertion of climbing stairs. The one floor at The Green Dragon was okay, but this was too much! Her muscles were burning! Why did people put so many stairs in!?
Will snorted, waiting for her to catch her breath before he jested, “It’s good that we’re here then.” She nodded, grumbling at him. He led her over to the window which she’d just noticed, and she gasped as she glanced outside.
Pressing her nose against the window, she stared in awe. At the side of her vision, she could see the other parts of the castle, other towers and such. There was a sublime garden area to the left which she hadn’t noticed on the way in, and then there was the wall. What honestly took her breath away was beyond that. The town lay sprawling before them, large and bustling. To her right, at the edge of town, was another hill, upon which sat more imposing walls and another towering building. She grinned and almost started humming ‘I will show you the world.’
“That’s Dracona,” Will helpfully interjected when he saw where her gaze had landed. She smiled, but didn’t take her face away from the glass. The sky was blue with a few clouds drifting along lazily, but she could now see the high walls surrounding the city. She noticed a few closed gates, but beyond them… To the left were giant plains, while straight ahead she could spot a river, once it was no longer obscured by buildings, that wound into the most bewitching forest she’d ever seen in person.
Granted, it was the only forest she’d ever seen in person. Still, the sheer size of it astounded her. The tallest trees seemed like they would be as tall as the redwoods of her world. Her attention, however, was drawn more to the plains. There, she could see something that didn’t look quite right. She didn’t think they were humans because there was something wrong with how they ran, and also…their skin was green. They were waving weapons around, and she saw the people on the wall pull out bows and shoot them down.
Horrified, she watched them go down, one by one, until there were no more running towards the wall. She slid to the ground, trying not to throw up.
They were dead. From the frown Will was sending her way, this wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for. Then again, maybe he hadn’t expected for a raid to happen at just the right moment either… It most likely wasn’t his fault…
But reality was settling over the luminous dream she’d been painting. Sure, she might have a chance to go on a shopping trip with the girls, fun! But she could never forget that underneath the shiny of this world lay raw brutality where it was either kill or be killed.
It was a lesson she’d never forget.
Chapter Twenty – Schedule
She conjured a little ball of light in her hand, staring at its brightness. By this time, Will had figured out what she’d seen and was studying her, disconcerted. “Jade, what’s wrong? I thought you’d like the view.”
She smiled wanly at him as she lilted, “I’ve...never seen anything or anyone killed before. It’s not a normal occurrence in my world. It was...peaceful. So when I got here, I saw magic as some amazing, bright thing. So far, I’ve used my magic to make things easier or prettier. I’ve considered all the things I can use it to invent or bring to this world. It makes me wonder. How much will this world change me? Will I one day be able to shoot down whatever those were without blinking?”
She glanced up at him, then laughed a little hollowly and put out her ball of light. “Sorry, this is more a conversation for a psychiatrist than a prince.” Getting up, she gazed out the window once more, avoiding looking at the field. She could still see them there though, from the corner of her eye. With a sad smile, she turned away from the window and breathed softly. “Thank you for showing me the view, but I think we probably ought to go before I’m late again.”
“Again?” he asked curiously as he led her down the stairs, happy for the change in topic.
“Yes, the first time I met Eric…which I guess was still only yesterday. It seems like so long ago! Anyway, I didn’t know Raphael had made an appointment for me, and I didn’t have a way to tell time yet, so I was nearly an hour later than they were expecting…”
She regaled him with her first confrontations with Raphael and Lucas as well, trying to remember the good things that had happened. She had people supporting her. She was going to go shopping for the first time ever! She was going to go to school! She could freaking do magic and walk! The good of this world far outweighed its shadows, shadows Lucas had already told her existed. She just hadn’t expected to see it laid out quite so brutally in front of her. It hadn’t even been a fight; it had been a massacre from a distance.
They talked enthusiastically until they reached the library, chattering even as they entered. There was a studious-looking youth sitting there that she didn’t recognize. He, like Lucas, was reading a book at the desk. It appeared to be a common practice, and it made sense since they couldn’t take books out of the place. His eyes widened when he saw them and he stood up hurriedly. “Greetings, Prince Will! And…”
“Jade,” she helpfully interjected. She pulled out her library card and noticed Will doing the same. She didn’t mind that he had no idea who she was, and it was pretty easy to tell the royals apart. No one else seemed quite as blonde and blue-eyed. They seemed to have perfected the genes into its most purified form for the royal family. “Hey, gimme that!” Will was about to give his library card to the boy when Jade snatched it out of his hand, studying it.
The crest was slightly different, and she figured it was the seal of the royal family. Smiling innocently at Will, who was now shifting with distinct discomfort, she said sweetly, “Oh, Will, I think one of the things I need to acquire is a platinum library card, wouldn’t you agree? I definitely think that’s on my list of things to get this afternoon.”
Will sighed, tapping his fingers on the desk. “You can’t. That’s one of the things that–”
“Okay fine, I’ll just keep yours. Which way is Eric’s office?” The kid looked super intimidated by her casual theft from the prince and mutely pointed in the right direction. “Thanks. Seeya around!” She waved cheerfully at him and then set off in the direction he’d indicated, Will starting to chase behind her as she checked her clock. She had approximately two minutes to find his office.
“Jade, I need you to give that back…” he trailed off as she very purposefully stuck it into the wallet in her bra, though he obviously wouldn’t know she had a wallet stuffing her front. He shook his head, giving up. The card had his name on it anyways, so she wouldn’t even be able to use it unless she steamrolled a kid like she had just now. The poor guy never even got to glance at their cards before she ran off. Then again, he probably realized that the prince had full access, and whoever he brought that was searching for Eric was probably fine. Probably. Thieving tendencies aside.
She finally stopped, watching Will until he caught up with her. She walked behind him and began to push, cajoling, “Lead the way. I don’t know where I’m going.”