Embers

Chapter Ten

They knew famously the ballroom for the extravagant balls it hosted, but now it only felt like a burden for Franklin as he accepted the third dance within the first six minutes of the commencement. He accepted the young woman’s hand with a stiff walk, and they began swaying on the dance floor.

“My, you’re even more handsome up close. What do you do for fun?” The girl muttered as she looked up at him.

“My fun would not be entertaining for you. I am sure of it.” Franklin could not imagine the girl in his arms swooning at such a statement, but goodness, she did. The work they would put in just to be within royalty. He wondered why they did such a thing.

“I understand. Would you like to know what I do for fun?” He had to give her points for being relentless. She was a prissy thing and didn’t accept him to not be interested in her.

“Not particularly. I hate dancing. There, that should be one thing you should know about me.” Franklin said, looking anywhere else but at her. He was praying silently for the song to be over, and before he knew it, everyone else stopped too.

“You’re quite rude to a lady. Am I not pleasing enough for you?” She continued asking, trying to get him to look at her. Her lips were turned into a scowl when she saw the disinterest he had in her, and she turned away from him, yet refusing to let go of his hand.

“Kindly excuse me. I need to use the restroom.” He excused himself and bowed, bidding her farewell in his mind, and dashed off.

Immediately, his mother looked at him sharply, and his father looked elsewhere. He exited quickly as possible. Like a patch to the arm, he thought. It was the first time he was complying to attend a ball, and one for himself, no less. He thought the introduction was a bald expression of pure selfishness, and he hardly thought it was necessary. He wanted to be outside and wondered what Prentice was up to.

It must be a stupid thing to run away from a party. The look his mother gave him planted that idea in his head, but he ignored it. The clothes were stifling, and he felt suffocated in a room packed with highly scented perfumes and haughty women. After some time of actually going to the bathroom, he went to the back of the castle and through the metal gates he walked through, looking for some other guards. The place was cool, and the night air blew across his face with a soft grace, made him smile. He inhaled deeply and let out a huff of longing. 

Seeing four soldiers all ganged up, eating and talking, he walked over. He recognized one he spars with his swords, and two who looked as though they swallowed bricks when they saw him making his way over.

“Good evening, men. How is the lookout going?” He announced himself to the other two, who still had their backs to him.

“Good evening, my prince. The lookout is quiet. Nothing to report.” The unfamiliar face said. He looked pale as a ghost, and the food in his mouth seemed to be forgotten.

“You name, soldier?” Franklin asked seriously. 

“I am John, sir,” muttered him, terrified of making a mistake in front of his hierarchy. He swallowed the painful lump mixed with fear and food.

“I will join the lookout tonight. What is that towards the wall?”

Pointing to the wall, a dark figure and glowing hands were drifting over the walls, and it gave chills to Franklin’s spine that Prentice was so close to the wall. The men simply shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. What was he doing anyway? Franklin asked himself.

“He has been like that for quite some time. He greeted us and went off to work.” Abraham came forward and spoke to Franklin. He offered his hand with bread, but Franklin shook his head.

“I would like to have the same attire that you have. Fetch one for me, John.” Squinting his eyes John’s way, it seemed the poor man wanted to fall a part. Not very warrior like.

“Immediately, your highness!” He said, standing at attention. 

Abraham wrinkled his eyebrows and cocked his head to his shoulders, daring to ask, he said, “Are you planning to camp outside with us tonight?”

“Indeed. I would be with Prentice most time, but I would be here if you need help.” Franklin offered politely. His father would not be pleased to hear him speak this way. He would rather his soldiers fight for them.

“Your highness, we are supposed to be protecting you.” Just as Franklin thought, they began getting nervous about what he said. It reminded him how much he hated the way the family worked in order to protect everyone. It was working, yet unpleasant.

“Protected by a wall for too long, you would forget why you’re living. Fighting battles isn’t all life is supposed to be, or serving.” Franklin revealed what he was thinking.

“You might think so, your highness, but some depend on this job to feed our families.” Abraham spoke as the other men watched on silently, not daring to speak or look directly at Franklin.

“I am not disregarding your efforts to keep me safe. All I am saying is, I am not helpless. I am here to assist you if you need me. No need to be scared asking for help.” 

Seeing their hesitant faces, he wondered if he was wasting his breath or if he should order them to call him for help if the need arose. It would only scare them more, he thought. It would be better to let the men work with their minds.

“Did the party already end?” Abraham asked, looking up at the brightly lit ballroom is full swing, laughter, and cheers coming from the open balcony doors. 

“As you can hear, the party stands in full swing. Get my outfit,” Franklin said, refraining from highlighting what a stupid question it was. He rather kept quiet than make light conversation or small talk.

“Yes, your highness,” he promptly answered and dashed off. It was the only time he spoke since Franklin got there. 

“Is he always so scared?” Franklin said, walking a little to see where he ran off to.

“You’re intimidating, and you also have a reputation, your highness.”

“What reputation is that?” Franklin said, taking a step back to assess the remaining man. He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for one of them to speak up.

Abraham spoke up with his head bowed. “Well, you have a knack for getting angry and lashing out. He is scared of making a mistake in front of you.”

“I appreciate your honesty. I am sorry if I was too harsh to you sometime. Though I can’t say it won’t happen again.” Franklin explained as he watched out to the fields, and finally settled on inspecting Prentice's hand gestures on the wall.

John came rushing back with a complete attire fit for the prince. He offered with head bowed and shaking hands. He wanted to wheeze, but he strained as he held his breath from panting too hard.

“John. Gentlemen, soldiers, I would be at the wall and please, finish eating,” he said quickly, seeing them getting up without finishing, “Have a good night, men.”

“Prince Franklin, a good night to you.”

Franklin stood a moment, realizing it’s the first time someone addressed him as Prince Franklin. It sounded weird since most times they reserved for your highness, or majesty. Brushing it off, he stripped and got dressed in his armored outfit. Not as heavy as he thought it would be, and not noisy either. It would be fun to fly in it, and it is warm. What luck, he thought.

Flying over to where Prentice was, he saw him with glowing hands and head bowed, muttering words quickly, as they could hear sickening cracks from the bricks.

“Prentice, what are you doing?” Franklin asked, quite scared to be so close to the wall that moaned, yet it felt familiar. He touched the wall and pebbles fell to the ground.

“The wall is cracking from the ground under. I am trying to fix the wall. What does it look like I am doing?” He bit harshly, and looking at Franklin. Sensing hostility, Franklin took a step back and watched, his forehead dripped with sweat from waving his hands over the wall.

Franklin looked on only a moment, then finally asked, “I think you’re frustrated; may I help you?” 

“Can you pass the book on the ground? Look on page twelve. Find the healing spell for materials.”

Flipping through the pages, he muttered quietly, “I found it. Now what should I do?”

“Cup your hands and mutter the spell over your hands and then pass it over the wall.”

Franklin said the spell and his hands soon matched the green hues that glazed over Prentice’s hands. He rested his hands on the walls and immediately the green spread like wildfire, cascading the wall and fixing all the cracks that were visible to the other side. It was mostly dark when Franklin looked into it, but it scared him to see what eerie horror lined just behind a thin wall over.

“We are only doing this temporarily. How do we fix this once and for all?” Franklin pleaded with realisation. 

“If you have a sick animal, shouldn’t you see its habitat first to know what infected it?” Prentice asked cryptically, pausing only a moment and giving him a look to get busy with his hands.

“Yes. You’re saying we need to go into the forest to find what’s been making boulders-sorry tree barks catch on fire?”

“That’s exactly what I am saying.” Prentice said dryly. He stopped completely now and rubbed his shoulders. He was still in his long coat, which Franklin had determined he never took off, no matter what. 

Franklin had enough of an attitude to last him a lifetime, so he demanded, “Why do you sound annoyed?” 

Prentice bit back harder this time, and his tone refusing to continue talking about it. He dismissed, saying, “You keep asking stupid questions.”

“I thought you said there were no stupid questions,” retorted Franklin, equally upset at their little spat.

Prentice sighed and apologized, “It’s not your fault. I am upset because I have a lot on my mind and I need to venture into the dark forest.”

“It’s not as though you’re alone in this. I am here.”

“You’re a prince. I am your protector. I am supposed to keep you safe. What’s the point of being a protector if I can’t be around to help you?”

Knowing very well, prentice was trying to talk some sense into Franklin. Deep down he knew Franklin's help would be a necessity if he wished to expunge the dark force playing around with lives in the forest.

“Prentice, you have given me more than I could possibly imagine. I won’t ever let you leave without me.”

“I have a witch sister from school. She lives in the dark forest, and she offered me to stay with her. She and I would work to find what’s been causing it.” Prentice walked off a little way and continued working where he deemed necessary.

“How come you never told me about Freda? How do you know she means well?”

He didn't mean it, just wanted to play petty, so Prentice could ease the argument to a matter of compromise.

“She is not someone I like to talk about. She is a sister no less, but not by blood. I stand true by my word. I have no family.” Staring at him for a suitable moment, he saw tiredness in Prentice's eyes.

“Well, hope she can accommodate for two because we are going together.” Determined as ever, Franklin concluded.

“Frank-,”

“That’s final, Prentice,” commanded Franklin, looking at him for a challenge.