I couldn't measure how dangerous it was to be in that place. Who were my allies? I followed the king's entourage into the private meeting room. Alexander's father, Duke Theodor Barto Belatrinelatrin, was clearly on my side—he wanted to take full advantage of my presence, and I was fine with that. There were some nobles from different houses. The king wore red and gold as the sovereign; Alexander's family was black and gold. But there were other noticeable colors too—green, blue, and pink. Well, I couldn't tell who sided with the king or who was interested in my return. I needed to ask Alex once he came back. My heart wouldn't settle knowing my companions could be escaping at any moment. What if something went wrong? No, all eyes were on me. The attention of the kingdom was on the lost prince, and now everyone was talking about it.
What if William tried something? No, he wouldn't be that stupid—he still needed allies if he wanted to rule.
The meeting room was large and beautiful. It had a thick wooden table with the carving of a golden dragon with red details. A tapestry with the kingdom's maritime routes hung near a bookshelf. On the ship, I had learned a lot about sea geography and how to navigate by the stars. There were also many books and a floating globe near the window that shimmered with light. It was beautiful. If it were any other situation, I might've stolen it and given it to Baltazar. He always loved magical items.
— Where have you been? — William sat at the head of the table like a sovereign king.
And, defiantly, I sat beside him. The king seemed surprised but didn't stop me—he was restraining himself. I still remembered Alex telling me not to provoke the man.
— Wandering. Looking for my place in the world… until I found the capital of Raviera. — I said in a sorrowful tone.
— You're nothing but a vagrant. — William spoke, trying and failing to keep his voice calm. — You walk like a peasant, speak like a peasant, and you address royalty improperly. How did you become so undisciplined in just four years?
— I lost my memory. — I replied with a little smirk. The memory-loss card always gave me some leeway.
That would give the king a false sense of confidence. According to Alexander, William had come in person to kill me—so if I had my memory, I'd know my older brother had murdered our family and staged a full coup.
— What do you mean, Your Highness? — A curious noblewoman stepped closer. The alpha wore a strong perfume—some flower I couldn't place. But the scent was nauseating.
— Ah, you know, I don't remember anything after falling off a cliff. I was lucky to survive. — I showed the deep, ugly scar beneath my dreads. — It was terrible, wandering from city to city, knowing no one, being taken advantage of by vagrants.
Everyone looked shocked. I noticed William clenching his fists, wondering where he hadn't searched thoroughly enough for his little brother.
— Yeah. — My voice was sorrowful, and I let a few tears fall over my poorly told lie. — I learned to survive, to steal to eat, to trick people with my pretty face. I… I really went through a lot these past four years. — I pulled out a silk handkerchief from the fancy outfit and began sobbing softly. — Who could've guessed I even had a wealthy fiancé?
I knew no one truly sympathized with me—it was more like watching a freak show, with me as the main act. Still, everyone began expressing their respect and solidarity. Who would believe those liars?
— And you don't remember, yet you came here anyway. — William still looked skeptical.
— Yes, because when I arrived at the port, some people recognized me. And what child doesn't dream of being a prince? After four years of all kinds of hardship, all I wanted was to have my family back. — I sniffled. — When I reached the gates, I was so surprised to find I had a big brother. And then the heartbreak of learning my parents were dead. The commoners told me a little about myself, but I only believed it once I got to the castle.
Everyone looked amazed, even if a bit doubtful of the story.
— I thought I might finally find my place. Get off the streets, stop stealing and eating trash. Alphas abusing me just because they thought they could do whatever they wanted for a handful of coins. — I wiped away crocodile tears. I didn't dare say that Alexander had been the one to help me.
William suddenly stood and crossed the room. I thought he was going to smash my head against the table—but instead, he grabbed my arm and tore my clothes, searching for something. He wasn't looking for tattoos or marks; he was searching for something more specific. He ripped the rest of my shirt until Alexander's father stepped in and pushed him back.
— You dare defy your king? — William challenged. That boy looked no older than thirty-five and acted as if he were the wisest man alive.
— Your Majesty, you're attacking the prince—and likely king, according to our laws—since there's no one else representing the royal family besides His Highness Albertin. — Theodor spoke with imposing authority, his claws showing.
— How dare you? — The king was red with rage.
— Your Majesty, the Duke is right. — The noblewoman intervened. — The prince is the legitimate heir to the throne. There is nothing we can do about that.
— He doesn't have the cognitive ability to rule a kingdom! All of you will be charged with treason! — William continued his performance.
— Your Majesty! — Theodor asserted himself more, and the king took a few steps back. — No one on the council or from the other nations would support any retaliation against the prince. And you tried to harm him, but we can keep that between us. However, we cannot accept any actions against the honor of Your Highness.
I wanted popcorn and a drink while watching the situation unfold. Was I scared out of my mind? Yes. Still, it was kind of entertaining to watch everyone fight.
— And we can teach the prince how to be a king. There's still time. Meanwhile, Your Majesty would remain our sovereign until the prince is ready at twenty-one to rule once more. — Theodor added. — But we'll have to talk to the council and decide how to proceed. Gather the allied nations and discuss the situation, not forgetting there is an obvious memory loss.
Suddenly, someone opened the door. We had already spent hours in that meeting. William couldn't do anything but accept it. Would he really kill me in front of everyone and risk all the nobles turning their backs on him, leaving him without soldiers, lands, or influence? A coup needs interested allies. And everyone had the blood of my family on their hands.
— The pirates. — The soldier said, out of breath. — They all fled. Took the southern forest path. Permission to summon the troops?
— Yes! Just call everyone and capture them. — William didn't seem very worried, actually. It was irrelevant at that moment. However, something seemed to flicker in the man's mind. And then his gaze turned to me again. — Did you do this?
— Do what? — I pretended to be clueless as he closed the distance between us again, grabbing my shirt that was already in tatters.
There was the mark I got when I was arrested, a "P." For pirate, branded hot on my chest, marking my crimes.
— You let them go. — William accused me again.
— How would I do that, little brother? I was in front of you the whole time.
Theodor once again stepped between us.
— We were all in the room. At no time was there any interference by His Highness. — Of course he would defend me to the end, right? Loyal dog.
— He's a pirate. — William quickly accused me.
— I did it out of necessity, because I didn't remember who I was. — I said, alarmed by the accusation. — Sorry, but it was the only way to stay alive.
— Enough. From now on, the council and the allied nations will decide what happens. — One of the nobles, who had remained silent until then, took the initiative. The old man with long white hair and a thick beard was impatient. — Not even Your Majesty can do anything regarding your brother, and the fact the prince is a pirate will also be considered. But as he said himself, we cannot ignore the hardships of orphanhood. Let's end this. You will be under the care of Duke Theodor and his family, including your education, since life has made you a wild one.
I wanted to curse that man, but everyone seemed to respect his words, and even the king retreated. I knew he didn't have much power if everyone turned their backs. And of course, he'd try to kill me. He wanted to keep his position, so he had to be careful. I was treading dangerous ground and didn't want to make enemies.
I went back to the room after that. Put on a more decent shirt and sat down. My hands were shaking, and I really thought I'd get stabbed in the heart.
I felt exhausted. It seemed I hadn't rested at all since that moment. I'd only slept a few hours, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't feel relieved. I needed to know if Baltazar managed to leave and was okay.
Would I manage to escape later? Our meeting point was the Maltese Islands. I'd try to leave and get there. What if I made a deal with William? The alpha didn't want me in his kingdom, and I didn't want to stay. I wasn't interested in living with an obvious target on my back, much less ruling an entire kingdom full of cities, provinces, villages, and whatever else I'd have to command.
But if I did that, at the first chance my brother would kill me. I could try to flee with the king's help, and some assassin would follow me and finish me off at the first opportunity. William wouldn't hesitate to end my life, especially with the chance to interfere in his plans once again.
I buried my face in the pillow, wanting to scream.I ended up passing out from all the stress. I thought I'd wake up dead, but I was only disturbed by people wanting to feed me. Or the tailor, who was horrified when he saw my tattoos and earrings, the pirate mark on my body—but in the end, he managed to take my measurements in peace.
I spent two days in that room without news, only visited by servants. I was going crazy. The guards wouldn't let me leave.
— "It's for your safety, Your Highness." — I mocked the guard's tone. — "Your Highness, you need to wait, please stay in your room. We can't let you leave."
I threw a vase, presumably expensive, against the wall at some point. The servants quickly went to pick up the pieces. What stupidity. If this had happened on the ship, Baltazar would have rubbed my face in the shards of glass.
I couldn't do anything. And even if I broke something, I wasn't reprimanded. I even tried to escape through the window, but at most they just locked it and didn't say a word.The servants weren't allowed to exchange words or longer sentences. I tried to talk, to find out what the castle was like or what I had lost, but no one told me anything at all.
— I'm going to die in here. — I said, upset. I was in the bathtub, relaxing. I had used a good amount of bath salts, and the whole place looked like a pool. I took care of my dreads, washing them and applying some oils that would work well.
— Darcy? — The familiar voice sounded distant. I hadn't even noticed I was almost fainting from the pleasant warmth of the water and the feeling of sinking into such deep boredom that I felt I might die.
I only felt the pull upward. I ended up coughing a bit. Didn't even realize I had slipped.
— Shit, are you okay? — It was Alexander, very scared because he almost saw me drown. And that would've been a pretty ridiculous death.
— Yes. I thought you had abandoned me. — I said, still dizzy from the situation. The alpha pulled me toward him, wrapped me in a towel, and carried me to the bed, starting to dry my body little by little. I was still frustrated with the situation, but Alexander was the only one I knew and my ally—I needed him, even if I wasn't so satisfied with his conduct in the past.
— No. I'm handling all the political mess involving my family and making sure your companions escape. — Alexander knew what I wanted to hear. — Everyone is fine... Some weren't even captured, from what I heard. Baltazar got a ship at the port and fled during the early morning, before the king's soldiers could even organize themselves.
I felt relieved. The pressure on my chest about the whole situation had eased. I hoped they would be safe.
— Baltazar said he'd be waiting for you... But he wants you to have a good life. And he sent me to protect you. — The alpha said with a tone as if he had sworn an oath.
— That's the least you can do. — I smiled weakly at him. I wanted to run away, but I couldn't yet. I needed to settle everything before leaving.
What comforted me was knowing that even if everything went wrong, I'd have a place to return to. I'd be next to loyal people who loved me. The sacrifice I made was nothing compared to giving them all the freedom I could. And I hope one day, my companions, we meet again.
To be continued.