"How about we play a game instead?" Thalia suggested after a few seconds of suddenly forgetting everything about herself. Now that she was asked to talk about herself, nothing seemed to come up. "A game?" Prince Aldric asked. "Yes, I think a game would make it easier for me and you too, to talk about ourselves," she explained."Okay that's a great idea," The prince said, wearing that boyish smile that never failed to make her tummy dance."It's called the truth or dare game," she started. "Interesting…" he raised a deliciously thick, perfect eyebrow at the name."But we'll focus only on the truth because you want to know more about me and frankly I also want to know more about you." Thalia wondered where she got all the courage from. This was a prince she was talking to, a prince who would be crowned King soon. They were from two separate worlds both literally and by their status. "If it's a game, shouldn't there be a winner? And prizes too?" He asked and plopped a grape into his
Thalia regarded the enormous glass window in front of her with gloomy eyes, this particular table at The Silver Spoon restaurant was her favorite. The rain was coming down in torrents. The air was cold but not as cold as her heart felt. She watched as the rain removed a stain from the window's glass and prayed she would simply vanish and be carried away by the rain as well.Drumming her fingers continuously on the table in a steady rhythm, she looked down at the ominous object that had arrived at her apartment that morning and changed her whole demeanor.The letter sat on the table in front of her, and she continued to stare at it. Normally she would have lit the letter on fire the instant she got it. They were from her stepfather and they were always heartbreaking and bone-chilling to read. It always had the same vile content, so Thalia stopped reading them a few years ago. Clutching the crystal necklace she was wearing, her body shook. She wasn't crying, it wasn't laughter, she di
Thalia dropped her head on the table, her head swarming with thoughts of disappearing. But where would she go? Moments like this made her feel lonely because she truly didn't have anyone in the whole wide world; friends, relatives or even close acquaintances. No one.Maybe something was wrong with her.Something under the table caught Thalia's eye under the table. She bent and picked it up slowly examining it. It was a black ancient-looking book. How didn't she see it before? She examined it. Its worn leather cover showed the test of time, revealing faint traces of intricate inscriptions that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly glow. For some Reason Thalia's heartbeat sped up in excitement, she traced the inscriptions on the book with her fingers. They were etched in silver and gold, and it formed a mesmerizing tapestry of arcane symbols. The book felt like it held magic. It made her feel powerful even though she hadn't opened it yet. Thalia felt like she'd found a hidden treasur
Did she even want to stay in 2019?Nothing mattered anyway, right now she would do anything to not be stuck in the same place as her stepfather.Her mortal enemy.He would come after her soon enough, she was wise enough to know that. Thalia didn't want to be so scared of her stepfather but she couldn't help it. He was a truly sick man.Without looking back, Thalia stepped into the portal. For a moment, everything went black, and she felt like she was falling through space. She entered a dream-like condition, and she felt herself slip in and out of consciousness.When she opened her eyes which she had shut tightly out of fear, she saw that she was floating somewhere that felt and looked like it was a realm between life and death. It was beautiful. A silent purple lightning strike designed the place. It was lathered with thick smoke in some areas and it was empty, with no sign of any living things.She tried standing from her awkward floating position and it worked. So she started to w
The servants bowed as Prince Aldric walked into The Great Hall, Darian right behind him as always. Darian was his secretary, confidant, personal assistant, and his friend. Aldric didn't have many people around him. When you're someone in a powerful position as he was, you could be surrounded by thousands and have only one person who truly supports you.Darian was that for him, a reliable shoulder to lean on.He had a stressful day and it was about to end terribly as well. The note Darian passed to him while he was attending to the ministers in the royal court weighed on his mind and they hadn't gotten a chance to talk privately since then which put him on the edge. He was tempted to ask Darian about it immediately but instead, he just walked towards the dining table. It was a conversation they needed to have in secret.The Great Hall was where the Royal family had their dinner and he was eating alone once again. Princess Yara, his beloved younger sister, had traveled once again to vi
Thalia's heartbeat raced, nearly exploding.She held her breath and searched for a good hiding spot as the voice drew closer. She heard another voice, this one was lighter and sounded a bit huskier than the other one. Two people. Two men. She knew how terrible it would look if they were to find her. A strange woman in their bedroom, how would she explain herself? She paused her train of thoughts as she spotted a closet. The closet looked large enough to contain about 20 people, it was practically a room at that point. She slipped into the closet and closed the door slowly just as the other door opened and she heard footsteps and voices. Thalia held her breath and hugged herself tightly staying still in a squatting position. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and trickled down her face. She tried her best to decipher what they were talking about but she could only hear bit and pieces of their conversation and a few words she heard made her panic more.Assassination. Anarchists
"Who is this?" Thalia's chest echoed with the thunderous beats of her heart. For some reason, she'd been more comfortable with the presence of the first guy she met whom she now recognized as the prince. From his robes and outfit alone and also with how regal he looked, she could tell he was royalty. While the other guy looked good too, he scared her for some reason.In the dimly lit chamber, the air was thick with tension between the three of them. "Your Highness, who is this?" The guy who just came in asked again as he stared at her with bewilderment and caution. "I don't know," The Man who was apparently called Your Highness said, "She was hiding in my closet when I came in," he moved towards the second guy while speaking and now Thalia was facing both of them.She felt trapped, like a fly in a spider's web."Guards!" The guy who had just entered yelled, and her heart plummeted in response. Maybe she was in more trouble than she thought."Your Highness, step away from her she m
3 days. Thalia had been locked up for three days now. Things were starting to look really serious and she was starting to panic more than before. Talking to Lily made her not lose her mind though, it kept her sane, which she was grateful for. The bread they served that morning and yesterday in the prison wasn't bad so Thalia had eaten some of it. Now she was just staring at a spot on the wall while sitting next to Lily who was doing the same.Suddenly, the creaking sound of heavy footsteps approached, and the clanging of keys grew louder. The cell door swung open, revealing a grizzled prison guard.The guard looked at both her and Lily, then redirected his stare to Thalia, "Hey.. you," he gestured gruffly to her with a careless flick of his hand, "Stand up and follow me." She wanted to ask why but the guard didn't look like a person that had the patience to answer her questions. He looked bored and straightforward.Thalia mustered her strength and stood up, her heart pounding in h