Hearts of stone
The hearts of the servants and guards trembled with fear, their eyes distant, lost in thought...planning, pondering.
The prince sat in his study, neither eating nor drinking, consumed entirely by the strategy to fend off the looming attack of Selius' gang.
Walter spoke:
"Two days have passed, and we've heard nothing from them… no sign of a single soul."
Raven stood near the bookshelf, flipping through crucial documents. His voice was low, almost a whisper:
"Their silence means they're plotting something bigger… I won't lie to you, Walter—I'm afraid."
Walter looked at him in surprise:
"I've never seen you like this before… Something's changed in you. And I don't think you even realize it."
Raven turned sharply:
"What do you mean, Walter?!"
Walter hesitated, then said softly:
"Forgive me… but it's Mera. You're different around her."
Raven's grip tightened on the papers, nearly crushing them.
Walter continued gently:
"I've been your servant and your friend for years. No one knows you like I do… You love her. You treat her harshly, but your eyes betray you. Please… this isn't right. You're a prince, and we don't even know her origin. She's a stranger. She fights,noble girls aren't trained to fight. She can read and write...servants don't learn those things.
You have many enemies, and your love for her… I fear it might destroy you."
Raven replied coldly:
"Are you done? I don't love her. I simply feel pity… the same pity I feel for Hind and Julie, for all the servants who suffered under the hands of slave traders."
Walter gave a sad smile and said:
"Then let me speak to you not as a servant, but as a friend… or as your guard who fears for you amidst cunning enemies...
Mera is a red line you mustn't cross. At the very least… let's finish dealing with the Queen first."
Raven growled:
"Forget the maid… What did the investigation reveal? Who sent them?!"
Walter answered:
"We tried every method of torture… but they took it like a mere wasp sting!"
Raven shouted:
"What kind of training turns someone into such a beast?!"
Walter said gently:
"Please… eat something. We need you. Neglecting your health won't solve anything."
Raven replied wearily:
"Go do your duty, and stop worrying about me."
Walter shook his head and said:
"Very well… I'll see you later."
As soon as Walter left, Raven collapsed onto the floor. His heart pounded violently, and his thoughts crashed like waves inside his head…
"Is it really love? She's… different. But please, my heart… not now…
Mera… what if Walter is right?"
Elsewhere…
Julie walked lightly down the hallway toward Prince Raven's library, her face radiant, as if no worries dared to touch her.
Hind smiled and said:
"You seem happy today. What's this energy all about?"
Julie laughed and replied:
"Mind your own business! Can't I be happy for once?"
Hind teased her playfully:
"Of course you can, beautiful. You deserve all the happiness."
Julie giggled softly, then stepped into Raven's library.
She lifted her chin and said with a sweet smile:
"I'll just sit. I won't disturb you."
Raven, without looking up, said:
"I'm busy."
Julie insisted gently:
"I told you I'd be quiet…"
Raven snapped:
"Do you even realize the mess we're in right now? Julie, go have your fun somewhere else."
She pleaded:
"Please… I promise to stay quiet."
He continued sketching battle plans and writing commands, focused and detached.
Suddenly, she asked:
"What do you think of my dress?"
He replied flatly:
"It's nice."
She beamed with excitement:
"The weather feels like spring! What do you say we go to our usual spot? I'll bake you your favorite cookies.....it's been so long…"
Raven inhaled deeply and said:
"Julie… I told you. I'm busy."
Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered:
"Ever since Mera arrived, trouble's never stopped chasing us… That girl… that cursed girl."
Raven shouted:
"Don't drag me into your petty drama! If you can't be quiet, then leave."
Her voice broke as she murmured:
"Alright… I'll go."
Julie left, shattered. She returned to her room, threw herself onto the bed, and wept.
"What's wrong with him? He doesn't care anymore…
What should I do to bring back his attention?"
In the kitchen…
Walter stormed in, clearly frustrated:
"Hind! Fix me something… my throat's dry, my hands are sore, and my whole body's exhausted. What kind of men are these?! Are they even human?!"
Hind replied gently:
"Don't push yourself too hard, Walter… I'll make you something. Just sit and rest."
Mera was silently washing vegetables. Then she asked:
"What methods are you using on them?"
Walter snapped:
"Do you have any genius ideas that would actually make them talk?"
Mera turned to him calmly and said:
"Hmm… will you promise to keep this a secret from Prince Raven?"
He narrowed his eyes:
"What is it?"
She insisted:
"Promise me first."
He sighed:
"Alright. I promise. And Hind is my witness!"
Mera smirked mischievously and said:
"Here's the plan: don't let them sleep. Ever.
I knew someone once who stayed awake for two and a half months—he started hallucinating, seeing things that weren't there. No one can survive long without sleep. Eventually… they break."
Walter blinked, surprised:
"And how do I keep them awake?"
Mera replied:
"Have your men take shifts. Throw water on them. Hit them every time they close their eyes. Anything that forces them to stay alert, all the time."
Walter fell silent for a moment, thinking… then nodded:
"Alright. I'll try it."
He grabbed the glass of juice Hind had prepared, and left to give orders to the guards.
"Stay up with them. Rotate shifts. If I walk in and find you napping next to them… I'll hang you right beside them!"
He stormed off.
Then, lifting his gaze to the sky, deep in thought, he whispered:
"Who are you… Mera?"
Three guards stepped into the dungeon where Selius' gang was held.
One of them chuckled:
"Aren't you bored yet?"
Another added:
"Since we got a little bored ourselves, we thought we'd stay and have some fun with you."
The members of the gang stared at them, puzzled, as the guards casually sat down and pulled out a chessboard and a deck of cards.