Chapter Five

Sorin opened his eyes and saw the dark sky. He looked around, trying to see where he was, but it was all dark. He realized he was lying down on the ground, so he stood up.

He looked around again, this time, he saw really tall trees, from the light the moon gave. He started walking, trying to find a way out of the dark forest.

Suddenly, he heard screaming and someone running, then he heard the ruffling of leaves. Something about that scream seemed familiar. Astraea! he thought and ran towards the scream.

When he got there, he saw huge men hacking down a little girl, with axes. Blood was spluttered everywhere and the girl was screaming, but the men kept on bringing their axes on her heavily.

One of the men moved out of the way, that was when Sorin saw Astraea screaming on the bloody ground, as the men hacked her down. Her insides were open and it made him sick.

Stop it! he tried to scream, but no sound came out of his mouth. Astraea! he tried to scream out, but nothing. He was just a spectator to the hacking down of little Astraea.

Tears began to fall from his eyes as he watched the men slaughter her. He could not even move a muscle to fight them to stop.

One of the men stopped and turned and saw Sorin watching them with tears in his eyes. He got up, his blood-stained axe in his hand and he moved menacingly to Sorin, who tried to run, but his body was not cooperating.

The man stopped walking when he got to Sorin, then he raised his axe and brought it down heavily on the prince, but then, a crow cawed and there was light.

The maid walked away from the draperies she had spread apart and opened another one, light burst into the room, spilling some on a sleeping Sorin, hence, waking him up from his nightmare.

He opened his eyes slightly, another nightmare, he thought. "It is time to wake up, your highness," came a sweet voice. "Mmm..." he mumbled and sat up, then he looked at the maid who had a worried look on her face.

She reached out to touch him, "Your highness, you are---" she stopped herself from touching him. "Why are you crying, your highness?" she asked and Sorin touched his face. It was wet with tears, and more were still streaming down his face.

Why am I crying? he thought and then shook his head, "Perhaps my eyes are not used to the morning air here," he gave her a smile, "Do not bother yourself with it."

She nodded slowly and then noticed he was sweating bullets. A nightmare perhaps? she thought and bowed, "I should have drawn you a cold bath, but the weather was cold, so I had thought you would have liked the water hot, but you are perspiring and I think a cool bath would be more helpful."

He noticed that his nightshirt was drenched in sweat, "Well, I can just wait for the water to get cold." She nodded, "I see...very well then, your valet will be with you shortly to pick your clothes for the day."

He sighed. When he was leaving for Guire, his father had given Julian to him as his valet and it annoyed him. He did not need someone picking his clothes or always hovering around him. He also found Julian annoying and talkative.

He got up, but noticed she did not look away. "I can pick clothes by myself. I do not need a valet" he said as he fiddled with his buttons. "Well, the maids seem to adore Mr. Julian and his talks about Thurtian, since they have never set foot outside Guire, they are eager to know about the other kingdom."

Sorin unbuttoned his nightshirt halfway and then looked at her, now she was looking away. "Hmm..." he thought and crossed his arms behind him, "Why don't you pick my clothing for today?"

"Huh?" she looked at him, shocked and he raised a brow, then she quickly bowed, "Y...your highness, what do you mean by that?" "I would like you to pick my clothing, what else do I mean by that?" "Well...you have your valet, I am just a mere maid, why would you---"

He took his nightcap off his head and put it on hers, "While picking my clothes, I want you to take into consideration that I get cold easily," he said and walked away into the bathroom.

"Eh?" she asked and stood up straight, then her hand went to her head where his nightcap sat on. "Huh?!" she screamed in her head, her cheeks turning pink.

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Sorin was walking down the hall with Julian behind him when he noticed the maids cleaning, were staring at him.

"He is so handsome" one of the maids gushed, "And tall" another whispered, "He has strong arms too, I bet he can lift me up" another one squealed.

"Why the stares, Julian? Did you do something?" Sorin glanced at his valet who was giving charming smiles to few of the maids who were gazing at him.

"It was your parents that did everything. They gave you good genes," Julian smiled and winked at a maid who blushed.

"Also, I think your clothes are helping, though they are not doing much, but they are certainly a key factor on you. You are looking quite different today, your highness, who picked these clothes for you?" Julian asked as he touched the sleeve of the shirt.

Sorin remembered when he had come out of the bathroom and had seen the two colours he never knew could go so well with each other, apricot orange and pastel blue, on his bed.

He was not going to wear it, but then decided to, and he liked the contrasting colours on himself; pastel blue trousers and a black shirt, with an apricot orange tail coat. She had also gotten him a navy blue scarf.

He chuckled and slapped Julian's hand off his orange sleeve, "While you were busy telling stories, I was getting acquainted with someone" "Who? The princess?" Julian asked, but Sorin ignored him.

They entered the dinning room and the door was shut.

"His voice is so silky" another one gushed, "It is so calm and soothing and it makes me want to faint," another said and feigned faint.

One particular maid scoffed, "Is he really all that though? Yes he is tall, handsome, has strong arms, has a nice voice, but does he have a good personality?" she asked and the other maids rolled their eyes.

"She always talks like this," one hmphed, "Acting like she is better than us by talking about personality and whatnot! He is a prince, of course he has good manners and is chivalrous" "It is not like she is the one getting married to him, it is Princess Neriah, Zeya's opinion does not matter."

"Hush now!" the oldest maid, Thea shushed them, "Finish your cleaning and begone! You are a noisy bunch!" she chided and the maids scurried off, except Zeya.

"Zeya, you too!" Thea glared at her and she ran off.

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"How are you enjoying your meal, Prince Sorin?" the queen, Naiari asked and Sorin looked at her and then at the steak with mushrooms, "It is different from the food back in Thurtian, but it is delicious, your majesty," he smiled and she smiled back.

One thing Sorin had noticed about the Guire royal family, was that they had pretty smiles and looked ethereal.

Queen Naiari looked like the sun with her linen skin, long honey blonde hair, mono-lidded honey eyes, button nose and small ears, and also the bright coloured clothes she wore.

Zyair looked like the moon with his pale complexion and dark clothes, and also his platinum hair, which he had packed half up.

They were like the moon and sun. Opposites, yet beautiful.

Sorin was yet to meet his bride-to-be. "Good morning everyone," someone said and they all looked up and saw a lady clad in an embroided pink, laced-up gown. Behind her was the maid Sorin had met.

"Arela," Naiari smiled and Arela kissed her mother's cheek and sat down opposite Sorin. Her maid had stood behind her.

"Prince Sorin, this is our daughter, Princess Arela" Zyair said and Arela bowed her head slightly, Sorin also bowed. "Is she..." he was about asking but Naiari waved her hand, "Oh no! Arela is still too young to get married. She is only eighteen. Even if I want her to get married, she would disagree and say she wants to see the world," Naiari chuckled.

Zyair looked at Sorin who was looking confused, "We have two daughters, Prince Sorin. Neriah, the one you are to be betrothed to, is...well...sleeping." "By this time of the day?" Sorin asked and Zyair chuckled nervously, "She likes to sleep in."

Sorin nodded and they continued their breakfast in silence.

Arela's maid looked at Sorin as he was eating, and admired the two colours on him. She had chosen those two colours because she had been wanting to see it on a man, and when she did, it suited him.

Her eyes went to his almond-shaped green eyes, then they slowly went further to his lips.

She kept on staring at him, until he raised his head and caught her staring. She quickly looked away, her heart thumping fast, what...is happening to me? she thought as she tried to stop herself from turning red.

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Sorin flipped the page of the book he was reading and then looked at Julian who was holding a book, but was busy looking at him.

He tried to ignore him, but Julian kept on staring. He dropped the book and looked at Julian, "Alright, what is it?" he asked and Julian kept his book aside, "Your highness, it is already midday, and you still have not met the woman you are supposed to marry. Are you not going to do something?"

Sorin sighed, "Well, what would you have me do? Go up to her room, knock on her door and demand for her to wake up from her slumber?" "Well, no...but---" "Exactly! Just let her be! I am sure she does not want to get married either and she can not voice her complaints, so she locked herself up in her room as a sign of rebellion," he shrugged and picked up his book.

Your head will be the first of my people, to be hung on my wall, Julian remembered Soteria's threat and shook his head. He could not let his life end like this. He was ready to anything in his power to bring the princess out of her room.

"Your highness, perhaps you should inquire from Princess Arela about her sister" Julian suggested and Sorin answered, without raising his eyes from his book, "Why would I do that?" "Why? Well, so this marriage can be finalized...and my living too will be finalized," Julian whispered the last part.

"If you want me to get married so badly, talk to the princess yourself" "A mere valet like me? Talk to a whole princess? I could never! She would not even spare a glance at my direction!" Sorin looked up from his book and made a puppy face, "Well, isn't that too bad?" he said in a childish voice and went back to reading.

Julian was tempted to strangle the crown prince, but he held himself back. But it is either my life or his life, he thought to himself, but then he shook his head, no, if I kill the crown prince of Thurtian, that would be considered treason and then I would be killed, so either way, I die. Nobody has to know you killed the crown prince, just blame it on Guire. And risk war between the two nations?

He slapped his forehead when he realized he was actually thinking seriously about murdering the crown prince of Thurtian.

He groaned and reclined on his chair, then he noticed a pair of eyes staring at Sorin. "Huh?" He had not seen those eyes before, but they looked like Zyair's eyes in the siren form.

Perhaps Princess Neriah? he thought and then it hit him. It is the princess!

He turned to Sorin, " Your highness, the princess!" he yelled, but Sorin was uninterested. He rolled his eyes and snatched the book from Sorin's hands, which earned a confused look from the prince.

He ignored the prince and pointed at the door, "It is Princess Neriah! Now get up, your royal highness!" he yelled and dragged him up, but then he heard retreating steps.

She is leaving?!

He quickly shoved Sorin towards the door, "Go now!" he screamed.

Sorin lost balance and tried to hold the door to stop his fall, but it was too late, he was already falling.

He saw the same maid from the morning, running to him, to save him. Unfortunately, she got caught in the fall and was used as a cushion for the prince, but fortunately for her, Sorin had protected the back of her head with his hand.

Julian gasped, "Your highness!" and rushed to Sorin.

Sorin raised his body from the maid's and peered into her face, "Are you alright?" he asked.

She was too stunned to answer. Sorin was right on top of her, and his green eyes were staring right into hers.

"Your highness!" Julian yelled and the maid quickly looked away from Sorin who Julian helped up.

Sorin stretched out his hand to her as she was about to stand up by herself. She looked at him, then at his hand, before she placed her hand in his.

The way he held her hand made her flush and she quickly looked away as soon as she was on her feet.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked as he moved closer to her, but she moved back, her heart beating crazily fast. "I...I am alright, thank you, your highness," she bowed and ran away.

Sorin looked back at Julian who was watching the maid run. "So, where is the princess you pushed me for?" he asked and Julian looked at him, "I think I mistook her for that maid."

Sorin looked back, but the maid was already gone. He shook his head and went back to the library without a word.

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It was dusk, and Sorin still had not met Princess Neriah. Julian had given up hope and was busy thinking about his will, while Sorin was unbothered, reading Guire literature.

Arela loosed her bun and let her long, blonde hair fall down, then she looked at her maid who was holding the hairbrush, absent-mindedly.

She was thinking about the prince who was making her heart beat faster.

"Nee, what are you thinking about?" Arela asked, breaking into her thoughts. "Nothing, I just..." "Do you like the prince?" she asked and looked into her mirror. Her maid's face heated up, "It is nothing like that, he is just nice," she said and held the princess' hair and started brushing it.

"And handsome?" Arela wiggled her brows at her, "He is handsome," she said and immediately remembered how he looked in the clothes she had chosen for him.

"The clothes he had worn today, I know you picked it for him. What were you doing in his room?" Arela asked and the maid kept her eyes on the princess' hair, "I was just curious."

Arela looked at her from the mirror and then she sighed and got up, "Well, you have satisfied your curiosity, so stop whatever you are doing and just talk to him, Neriah!" she said and smiled, "He does look like a nice man, I approve of him!" she said and walked away.

Neriah looked at her sister as she walked into her bathroom, then she looked at herself in the mirror. A princess in a maid's clothing, was all she saw.

When her father had informed her about the marriage, she was upset. She did not want to marry some prince who was probably snobbish or rude and was a total stranger to her, so she decided to find out his true personality, by disguising as a maid.

Her whole family supported her decision and helped by not treating her any different from the other maids.

And after spending a day as a maid, studying him, she knew he was nice and made her heart beat faster. That thought made her want to know more about him.

She looked at the hand he had held when he had helped her up and sighed, maybe it was time to talk to the prince, as a princess.

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Astra watched the stone fall into the lake, creating ripples in the water. On her mind, was what Cato had told her about her parents. She never got to experience parental love because of Thurtian, and now, her grandfather did not trust her, though he had put her in charge of an army.

She heard footsteps and immediately halted the person sneaking up on her. "It is the boy you saved!" she heard Avriel's voice and turned saw the boy that had slashed her across her face, frozen.

She released him and he was about to fall down, but Avriel caught him and balanced him on the ground. She stood up from the log she was sitting on and walked to the boy.

Ever since she had brought him back to the fort, she had not seen him. She just knew that her grandfather knew about him and was planning on using him as a battery.

She stopped in front of him and crouched down, but then, he flinched back when she reached out to touch him. "Stay back!" the boy whimpered, but she gave a small smile and touched his face, then she looked at his leg. The injury was bandaged.

"You can walk now," she said and touched his leg. "Sarissa wants you to take him under your wing and train him since you were the one that brought him," Avriel said and she looked at him, "He trusts me enough to do that?" she asked and he looked at the boy, then at her, "...with me watching you."

Her face fell, "Of course," she whispered, then she looked at the boy. He had dark hair and dark eyes which still had a glimmer in them. She was taken aback, she had not seen that before.

All she had seen were people with empty eyes, within the fort, and she had also seen the life leaving the eyes of the people she put her sword through.

"What is your name?" she asked and Avriel scoffed, "What does it matter? Call him whatever you want," and Astra glared at him, "I have not started training him, so you do not have to be here." "Well, Sarissa wants me to keep an eye on..." "Get out now!" she ordered and he raised his hands up in mock surrender, then he left.

She turned to the boy, "What is your name?" she asked again. "My mother called me Zori" he said as his watered, thinking about his dead family.

"Mother?" she asked and a motion picture entered her head; it was about a pretty, slim woman who was all smiles. Mummy?

Tears rolled down her cheeks and Zori worriedly asked, "What happened?" She looked at him and shook her head, "Nothing," she said with a smile. "But you were crying. Why would you cry if nothing happ---" She shut him up with a hug.

"Do not bother yourself with it, Zori. In fact, do not bother yourself with anything in this place," she said and released him, then she looked into his dark eyes that had so much life. "In this place, it is just you and I," she smiled and hugged him.

She vowed in her heart to do whatever it took to protect the glimmer in Zori's eyes.

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Sorin was standing at a cloister admiring the orange sky, brought by the setting sun. He smiled when the wind came his way and made the flowers dance. It also blew some wisps of his golden brown hair to his face.

His thoughts shifted to Astraea, I wonder what she is doing now.

A voice broke into his thoughts, "The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" He turned and saw the maid that woke him up in a navy blue ruffled gown. Her hair was let down and he could see that it was platinum, just like her father's, only that hers was longer and wavy.

She curtsied, "Your highness, it is I, Princess Neriah, the one you are to be wed to." Sorin put his arms behind his back and looked confused, "Are you not the maid who woke me up in the morning?" he asked and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Yes, your highness, pardon my deceit," she curtsied again. "You could use some work being a maid though," he said and she looked up, "What?"

"You gave yourself away since morning. I had my suspicions that you were a part of the royal family, probably a cousin or a distant relative" "How?" she asked and he smiled, "You did not look away when I got out of bed."

She was dumbfounded. Such a trivial mistake I made and he already saw through me.

"Well...that was because you had clothes on," she found words to say. He smirked, "I do not know if it is a reflex action in maids, but anytime their lord or lady gets out of bed, they always look away. You did not look away, that made you suspicious."

Neriah knew Sorin was saying the truth about maids always looking away, because she had noticed it about her own maid, Zeya.

Sorin continued talking, "Then my suspicions were confirmed when you came out for breakfast, behind your sister, as her maid..."

She looked up at him and then her sea-green eyes widened in surprise as he took a step closer to her. She moved back reflexively.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have your father's eyes? And that you look so much like him?" he asked and she looked away, "Well...now that you have told me, I will keep that in mind."

"Hmm..." was the last thing he said before they turned back to the sunset.

She looked at him, "So...what happens now?" He turned back to her. I just have to do this, he sighed. He walked closer to her, this time she did not move back, then he gently took her hand, "Now, I ask if you would marry me."

Her cheeks heated up at the question, so she looked away, "What sort of question is that? You make it seem like I have a choice." He let go of her hand, "I am giving you a choice. I can just tell my father that the Guire princess he wanted me to get married to, does not want to marry me, sure there will be lots of yelling, but at least you would not be unhappy all your life by getting married to a man like me."

She was intrigued, "A man like you? What kind of man are you?" He smirked, "I am a complicated man. Would you be happy with a complicated man?"

She looked at him, then at his hand, then she held it, "Everyone is complicated one way or the other. Do not count yourself as special."

He smiled and interlocked his fingers with hers, "Then it is settled and finalized." She grinned at him without knowing that he was displeased with her choice.

I do not even have a say in my own marriage, he thought, his cheeks hurting with the fake smile on his face.

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Julian clapped excitedly, "After all the tribulations we faced, this journey was a success!" Sorin just sighed as he flipped a page. "But who would have thought that the princess would disguise herself as a maid just to learn her husband-to-be's personality? I actually find that charming."

Sorin closed his book with a thud and glared at Julian, "You have been yapping non-stop since we left Guire. Can I get some quietness now?"

Damned brat! Julian cursed inwardly then he smiled and bowed, "I apologize you highness," he chuckled. Well I do not care if you find me overbearing or not. My life has been saved today, of course I would not shut up about it.

He leaned into the chair and did a double-take at the book Sorin was reading. It was the same book he had been reading since they were in Guire. He also noticed a stack of books beside Sorin.

"Your highness, why the books?" he asked and Sorin looked at the books beside him, "My younger brother likes to read. I am bringing these as gifts to him." "Oh..." was all Julian could say.

The ride continued in silence. What could be heard were the sound of hooves hitting the stony ground as the horses galloped, the rolling of the carriage wheels as it touched the ground, the chirping of nightjars and the murmuring of the soldiers.

They were complaining about how late they had to set out for Thurtian. After the marriage had been finalized, Sorin decided to leave for home. The Guire royal family tried to persuade him to stay and head out tomorrow, but he had lied that there was an emergency, and so they had set out.

The truth was that Sorin saw no need for him staying back. He had finalized the marriage, like his father wanted, and now, he just wanted to be home, drawing.

Suddenly, part of a cliff fell, almost hitting the guards riding at the front. "Whoa!" they said trying to calm down the scared horses.

Julian tried to see what was going on outside the carriage, but he could not, so he turned to Sorin, "Your highness, please stay inside," he said and left.

"What happened?" Julian asked the guards who explained what happened. Sorin heard screaming from above him, so he looked up and saw another part of the cliff falling, but this time, with a boy.

He rushed out of the carriage and caught the boy before he fell and hit his head. Julian snapped at him, "Your highness, I told you to stay inside. What if another rock comes falling down and it hits you? Or what if there are bandits and this boy is just a distraction?"

"He is wounded, Julian!" Sorin glared at him and Julian only pouted as he grumbled about Sorin being careless.

"Zori!" someone screamed from the higher relief. Her eyes moved to the flag attached to the carriage; blue and white with a crowned lion.

Thurtian! the person above tsked. She looked down and saw Sorin holding the boy.

No! she yelled in her head and jumped off the cliff, daggers in her hands. A guard flew out of his horse and then she put pressure on the other rider and his horse and they started getting crushed into the ground.

"What---" Julian was saying, but the other guards pushed him behind and held out their weapons to the hooded and masked woman.

She glared at them and their swords and spears flew out of their hands. As she landed on the ground, she wasted no time in slashing their arms. She held one and brought his neck down heavily on her bended knee.

Sorin was too shocked to move. Julian too.

After she broke another guard's fingers, she turned her attention to Sorin and ran towards him, that was when Julian recovered from his shock.

"Your highness, no!" Julian yelled and pushed Sorin out of harm's way, making him drop the boy.

The strike meant for Sorin ended up being taken by Julian. She slashed his arm and stabbed his abdomen with her other dagger, then she grabbed Zori and somersaulted over Sorin, giving him a deathly glare.

Oddly familiar grey eyes staring daggers at him.

She landed perfectly on a horse, with Zori lying unconscious in her arms. She did not even spare another glance at the wounded soldiers and the shaken up prince. She kicked the horse's side and it galloped away.

Sorin ignored the groaning of his soldiers and valet and sat in shock, thinking about those grey eyes.

Astraea?