Ch 2: The Prince & The Sorceress

How long had it been? Was it five years? Had it truly been five long years since Prince Calder had left on his journey? Actually, that was a short amount of time compared to most. Some royals took ten, others longer, to complete their quest and come to claim their place on the throne. The longest in history was thirty years. Known as the ‘Age of Absence’, that time had been a dark one.

Many generations before King Josnan, his Great Great Great Grandfather, had set out on his trials, only to be lost at sea on his expedition to conquer a foreign territory. But the current king was already old, and his son did not return before his passing, leaving no one to take his place. The land fell into chaos, counselors and sorcerers clamoring for the power to control the people. When finally the Prince returned, he set into place rules and regulations, appointing the most trusted of advisors to uphold and execute them, should the situation occur again.

The King was allowed only a single heir. Long ago, Princes had fought and slain one another for the right to the throne, bloodshed filling the palace. And so, a great sorcerer had worked a powerful spell on the Royal bloodline, that they should bear only a single son, thus ending the continuous battle. It was only if the heir should die before becoming ruler, that another could be born.

Now, the one true heir stood before them, his birthright sealed.

"Father," Said Prince Calder with a smile that could melt the heart of any maiden. He bowed slightly and the old king chuckled, grabbing his son into a strong embrace.

A crowd had been gathering, no doubt villagers who had followed the Prince and his Guard to the castle from Trevlin. Cheers and applause erupted from all, Astasha joining them, but it was only a mimic, for her mind was distracted by the young man before her.

"Five years. Well done Calder!" Exclaimed the King, holding his son at arm's length in order to look at him.

"If memory serves, I do believe that is two years less than you, Father. Could it be that I have bested the Unbeatable King?"

"If any were to return swifter than I, it would be you!" They smiled and chuckled together. Josnen then turned to his people. "Let it be known in all the land, the heir to the Kingdom of Trenue has returned! A celebration is in order! For five days and five nights, we shall feast and make merry to rejoice in the successful completion of Prince Calder’s journey! Let every village join in the festivities! For today, is indeed a joyous day for all!"

There was more raucous and boisterous applause. This time, however, Astasha did not join. Her focus was entirely on the Prince, whose gaze turned to her, and as their eyes locked, fire meeting ice, a sensation she had not felt in a long time washed over her. There was a look on his face she couldn't quite determine, but it was not the one she had expected, and though she tried, the chaotic energy of all those gathered, made it impossible for her to hone in on his alone, to read what it was he was feeling.

The moment was broken as the crowd began to disperse, and Astasha used the opportunity to silently slip away.

Finding a small, quiet corridor, she ducked into it and leaned against the wall, exhaling sharply. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her racing heart.

Four years since she had come to the palace she had had to prepare for this, yet she was still completely caught off guard. She knew when she came to live there that this day would eventually come. It was why she had fought so adamantly against her mother’s wishes for her to join the Advisory. But now that she was faced with it, all the time in the world wouldn't have been enough to seal her heart and prepare her mind, and even so, would she have truly wanted to? Could she have, even if she had tried?

"Tasha?" Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught.

Not here, not now. She wasn't ready to face him. If she was being honest, she didn’t know that she would ever be ready.

"It really is you." His voice was like silk running through her veins, making her blood race and her cheeks flush.

Finally, she opened her eyes. There he was, at the entrance to the corridor, the Prince, her Prince, the one who had stolen her heart long ago. His time away had seen him change and mature. No longer the adorable free spirit of his youth, but a man, handsome and resigned.

She stood herself up from the wall and bowed.

"Your highness. I am rejoiced by your return."

Calder took a step toward her, shaking his head. "Tasha...."

Instinctively, she backed away. "Astasha, your highness. Royal Sorceress Astasha."

He stopped.

They both knew what that meant, what it would mean from that moment on, but his eyes still wandered over her, his fingers trembling, as if they longed to reach out for her.

Using the last of the energy she held, Astasha built a barrier around her heart, shielding it as much as she could from her own longing, from the pain inside that threatened to overwhelm her. But it was weak, and she could feel the fire that fueled it begin to flicker. She needed to get away. She wouldn’t be able to control her emotions if that little ball of light inside her failed.

The only way out, though, was past him. The other direction led simply to a storage room. Why hadn’t she just kept going? Why did she stop here?

You know why. She told herself. In a way, she had wanted this to happen, needed it to, even if it meant torturing herself. But now that she was there, face to face with him, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to stay.

"I'm sorry, the Grand Sorcerer will be searching for me. I should go." She tore her eyes away from him, dropping them to the ground as she tried to rush past. But his hand reached out, gently taking hold of her arm.

"Tasha, please..."

It was like an electric current running through her body. Every fiber of her being hummed with yearning, and the little ball of energy around her heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Had it always been so intense, feeling his touch? Gods she had missed it, missed him. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t dare look at him. She wouldn’t be able to leave if she did.

His gaze bore into her and she knew if she allowed him to say anything more, it would break her.

Please, Goddess, give me strength. She thought to herself as she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, and with the last shred of fortitude she had left, the sorceress pushed past him out into the hall, leaving the Prince standing there in the corridor, his hand still reaching out for her.