Shadows Of Reckoning

Ariana wished she could believe she was imagining it—the faint sound of stone against stone. But for some reason, her skin prickled, and her heart raced painfully in her chest.

“Is someone there?” she found herself whispering.

Nobody answered.

She hovered inches from the wall, peering at the tiny cracks in the masonry. She couldn’t see anything. Just as she was about to touch the surface, the air in the room dropped cold.

Before she could blink, a cloaked shadow burst from the wall. A strong hand grabbed her neck and slammed her against the wall by the window.

She gasped; pain shot through her back, but that one didn’t seem important as she couldn’t breathe.

Not again, she thought. She struggled and tried to claw at her captor, but her fingers slipped right through the smoky shadow.

The grip tightened. She couldn’t scream. Darkness began dancing in her vision. Then the shadow leaned closer, and a raspy voice spoke with a hiss.

“You didn't do what we told you. The princess is still alive and that’s a great failure for you.”

Princess? What are they talking about? Ariana panicked, but she couldn’t say it.

“So you must pay for this failure with blood.” The shadow started pulling her towards the open area in the wall by her neck.

Desperate to break free, Ariana kicked out a leg. Her foot struck the wooden stool beside the table, sending it crashing to the floor with a bang.

The shadow growled.

At once, footsteps came rushing. The lock clicked and the door burst open. Captain Kaleb entered the room, annoyance clear on his face, his hand resting on his sword.

“What is it n—“ He stopped, eyes widened. The shadow veered at him and it was pure swirling darkness staring back at him in the cloak. Kaleb snapped into action instantly.

Drawing his sword, he rushed towards it. The cloaked shadow freed Ariana, melted into the wall, and the space shut tight in an instant. Kaleb hit the wall in frustration.

“What the blazes was that?”

Ariana was on the floor, trembling. She coughed fiercely and struggled to breathe. Her hand went to her throat while tears flowed from her eyes. Dark bruises could be seen already rising on her skin.

Kaleb loomed over her. “Answer me, what was that shadowy thing?”

Ariana coughed again, holding her throat as she glared at him. “I don’t know, okay? It appeared probably a minute after you left.”

“Then why was it trying to kill you?”

“I don’t know!” she shouted, and rejected it immediately as pain flared in her throat. “All I know is that it came out of the wall and tried to kill me.”

Kaleb went to where the shadow had vanished and touched the cool surface with his fingers. “But that shouldn’t be. It’s impossible to use magic in the palace.”

Ariana leant against the table leg, fighting to steady her laboured breath. The shadow words kept echoing in her head. The Princess is still alive, and you must pay for this failure with your blood.

A scary realisation hit her. Elena—the girl whose body she’s in—might have been part of a treacherous plot she had no idea about. Someone hired Elena to end the princess. But then the maid's body became Ariana's when she woke up, so the job was never finished.

Which meant the girl living Ariana's life as the princess was in unforeseen danger.

At first, Ariana didn’t care about the spoiled girl who had ordered her whipped. She just wanted to get her life back. But now, she must care.

'Cause if that girl dies, I die as the princess. And if I die here as Elena, I'll never get my real life back.

Her entire future hangs on this hidden conspiracy.

Kaleb moved toward the door. Ariana called out with a croak. “Wait, please don't tell me you're leaving me alone here again?”

Kaleb glanced at her. "You need protection, and I need to report this suspicious…event.” He stepped into the passageway and called out, "Guards, get in here!"

Two guards hurried in.

"Watch her," Kaleb commanded. "Nobody enters. Nobody speaks to her. If anything unusual happens, raise the alarm immediately."

"Yes, Captain," the guards responded.

Ariana pulled her knees to her chest. Although she felt a bit safer with the guards here, her mind was still in deep unrest. After all, she was trapped in a place where she was all alone, and it seemed that her life might even be at risk.

Briskly, Kaleb walked towards the throne room. Reaching the grand doors, the guards opened them for him, and he entered, shutting them behind him.

Inside, King Myde and the Princess sat on their respective thrones in the room. Their expressions were grave.

“Captain Kaleb, any news of the whereabouts of the seal or the criminal who stole it?” King Myde asked.

The Captain knelt. “No, Your Majesty.”

“Then why are you here?” The King’s tone was a touch hostile.

“Something happened to the servant girl: Elena.”

The Princess's smile was brittle. “You mean the stupid, deluded maid who was claiming to be me?”

King Myde frowned. “Did she have anything to do with the missing seal?”

“She might be connected, but that's not all. Someone—or something—just tried to kill her when I left her in the interrogation room.”

"Explain," King Myde ordered.

Kaleb did that.

"Impossible," the Princess flatly intoned. “Father had unknown magic blocked from working within the palace. Are you sure you saw it correctly, Captain?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I swear on my life.”

“So, someone dares to use magic in my palace without my consent?” King Myde’s expression was thunderous.

“Father, do you actually believe that? Even if it's true, what if the girl staged it to get rid of the suspicion on her?”

"I’m not so sure, Your Highness," Captain Kaleb firmly said. "I think the person who took the seal might be trying to silence her permanently. If she’s truly involved in the theft, we need to keep her alive even more. She could have noticed or learned something, even if she insists she doesn’t remember anything about herself. Also, she knows some things she shouldn't know. If she dies, we might lose our only lead.”

The King considered this, his brow furrowed. "Those words she's saying, claiming to be the princess... could she be under a magic spell?"

"It is a possibility," Kaleb admitted. "But someone wants her dead, which means she is important. We need to keep her safe."

King Myde was silent for a bit, then raised his hand. "Get and bring her here. I want to ask her some questions myself.”