Chapter 11-1

Chapter 11-1

Of course, lunch had its own curiosity as Prince Orin and his Grandfather took a walk along the castle hallways. King Salsern could feel something deep and dark when he looked into his grandson’s eyes. The pain of loneliness and a great emptiness resides deep inside him as he takes his hand into his.   They slowly reached Prince Orin’s room as he points to the hidden passageway behind the cabinet.

His Grandfather watched his grandson without pause summon his staff then pushes the cabinet away. The passageway walls now dark, no brilliant green as before, its coldness felt as they entered. His grandfather lights the way taking his stuff of blue-white coral. He slowly squeezes his Prince Orin’s hand as they both descend the staircase avoiding the broken rubble. Now and again they would stop as his grandfather cleared the way.

Prince Orin pointed to the small opening where the figure swam through and where he found the ring. King Salsern nodded with a curious smile as he sees the small hole and the doorways off to the side of more hidden compartments. He frowned and felt angered; not for the boy prince, but of invasion of these people from the Dark Isle of Sybil. The question is why are they after the boy prince? Has his secret been found out that the real EJ is here and he is the White Solan? If not, why would they be interested in Prince Orin?

King Salsern stops around the corner taking a seat on a broken step. His eyes gaze slowly around the surroundings then without pause places a solid crystal shield over the hole where the invader or invaders made their way into the castle. King Salsern picked Prince Orin up and setting him on his knee as he rubs the ring on his finger, he looks deep into his eyes as he slowly brushed his hair away from his face. “Orin my dear boy, I want to assure you that you can tell me anything and I will love you no matter what.

"For I too like your Mother Lady Gwin and your Mother Martha Downing and your Father Wayne Downing and all your brother and sisters love you, for I see what’s hidden in your heart and in your mind. But there is one thing that only I and your Mother Lady Gwin can see that no one else can see. We can see the dangers that lie waiting for you. For there is darkness like a cancer eating at your heart and your mind. Not just in your spirit self, but of your other self which you can not see. For it does not dwell here with you but lives as the Dark Prince."

Prince Orin stares back at his grandfather wondering how did he know about Jeff and his other self. Didn’t Jaydan and Derrick take care of that by removing the bond?

King Salsern chuckles seeing the puzzlement on the boy's face as his secrets come to life. He brushed his cheek with his hand. “Fear not my son, your secret is and will always be safe with me. For this reason, I wanted to talk to you where we could not be disturbed and yet solve a problem that has both been on our minds,” he replied pointing to the sealed hole and the area they are in. 

“These doors lead too many rooms as you know and I will not seal them so you may enter them, for here lays your secret so you may still be with your family and yet be apart from them. Think of this as your castle, these chambers are a way for you to be with your family.” His Grandfather spreads his arms letting the light flow through him and disperses around the room.

I have sealed the hole and the area so no intruders may enter even thou it puzzle me my boy on how they got in here in the first place? And the damage they have done? Another problem for another day to be solved,” he replied rubbing his head.

“For mysteries of the Dark Prince and your companion I will not discuss here for all has yet to be revealed and would change the course of events regarding both destinies. Yet it does concern me what our dear friend Morgan and his Master Hess know, yet we must put aside these problems until they manifest themselves into the light.” He said setting the prince down and taking his hand as they climb the stairs to his room.

Prince Orin looked up into his grandfather’s face as he smiles back at him as they enter the room. With a single nod, his grandfather closes off the passageway with the cabinet; watching it lock into place with a loud snap, his Mother Lady Gwin sitting on the bed waiting for them with a worried look as she watched the cabinet close. “It's alright my dear daughter,” he said as Prince Orin runs into her open arms checking him out from head to toe as he sighs.

“Mother I can’t breathe,” his Mother paying him no mind as she kisses his cheek and straightens his clothes again watching his grandfather chuckle.

“I sealed the hole where the intruder came in, but I can not be sure if there are more. I will inform the castle guard and have them do a search throughout the countryside that I can assure you, my dear,” her father replied in a more serious tone

Her father leaned down towards Prince Orin patting his head, he unbuttons his jacket putting it way in the closet and pulling out a green coral silk pullover shirt helps him put on. Telling him to go play and explore the castle laughing watching him put his slippers under the bed. Padded out on his bare feet out the door down the hall to find his brothers and friends, his mother laughed. “It’s alright father,” picking up his silver slippers setting them in the cabinet. “That boy hates shoes,” she said watching her father laugh with a curious smile.  

It sure was something as Prince Orin ran through the castle listening to the trumpets outside the castle walls. The music and ticker tape parade with fireworks that lit up the underground water kingdom; Prince Orin dangling his little bare feet over the edge of the balcony with his Grandfather and Mother standing by his side proud as a peacock.

Prince Orin pointing to several giant sea horses with riders who happen to be his brothers and Pa riding them. Will and Robert in matching green coral waistcoats and shirts with silver lining and blue pleated knee-high pants and matching white royal capes of white silver and gold with a symbol of a large sea dragon spitting fire outlined in green. His Pa all dressed in gold’s and silvers with a long pearl handle sword at his waist.  Sam, Ted, and Danny dressed in blue waist coasts, with no shirt underneath them and brown pleated silk pants, barefoot, each riding a very large sea turtle.

His Ma dressed in a pink silk flowery gown that floated with every movement as if she was walking on air with her hair tied up into an elegant bun with flowers and pearl beads holding baby Jess in her arms waving her little hand at all the people lined up to see them. His sisters were matching her with different elegant shades of yellows and greens, oh how beautiful and pretty each of them looked with a special twinkle in their eye. Jaydan standing with Nathaniel and platoon of soldiers marching in behind them, the crowd cheered as ribbons of silk floated in the air.

Prince Orin looked concerned when he turned to look at his grandfather and his Mother Lady Gwin. For he could see them clearly with no disguise to hide them from him; his grandfather noticed his puzzled faced trying to figure out what was wrong. “Orin my dear boy,” he said leaning down so he could hear him. “The heart you wear around your neck allows you to see who you love with all your heart. No magic can hide the love as it is pure light.” He said as he brushed his hand against his cheek. Orin nods turning back towards the parade watching his sisters and bothers wave to him from below.

The trumpets called and the drum beats as they reach the balcony staircase, overlooking the large village square of Hordandale and the town buildings far as the eye could see, in the underwater realm he now lived in. Orin seating on his chair now dressed in his regal princely suit of clothes as he tries not to frown at the silver and golden slippers on his feet as he sits in-between his Grandfather King Salsern and his Mother Lady Gwin.

Yet he knew better then too argue for he had duty to be a Prince as he waited impatiently for the bearer to introduce them in a loud thunderous voice, now that parade was now over, as the people that were not common folk by invitation only was able to get a closer view and a chance for real meet and greet. Everyone bowed and curtsied to them as each one was introduced to them and the royal throne itself. Watching the large throne room doors closes. The room was made of polished gold, with large green marble columns, and the floor polished bright of hard white stone.

Along the walls were large canvas pictures going back generations of the royal family, showing battle scenes of old wars. His picture was hanging above with sitting on his grandfather’s knee, as a little toddler holding a baby rattle of a sea horse. He wasn’t sure if it was real, just like the ones in his room, but the picture looked exactly what he would have looked like if it was. There was even a picture of his father who had died recently of the dark sickness that was converging across the lands. He too looked a lot like him, and his mother Lady Gwin.

There was no question if anyone saw him now; he was Prince Orin, not EJ Stuart, not the White Solan or the Dark Prince. His likeness now nothing but a fade dreams or memory, untraceable memory to hide his true self. How it was done he did not know, or the fact he barely even remembers pieces of it. All he knew was when his enemies arrive for the large banquet with the lands people, combined with his new people that live in this water realm, they won’t find the boy they were told was here, or his family hiding in plain sight.

In truth that is when his new life will begin, his new grandfather has been hush, hush about what he can expect. Spend nearly every waking moment planning, behind closed doors. Not even his mother Lady Gwin has been allowed to participate as she has been told that her main job was looking after him, as his mother, in grieving because her husband is dead, and he himself has lost a father.

Even now he was suffering from allergies to make him look like he is grieving and wiping escaped tears. As he looks at the painting of his father draped in black and with fresh coral flowers, and candles. How they can burn so brightly underwater was a mystery to him.

In truth, the water realm was more like it was people living on dry land. Except for the floating fish, who could talk, if they found you important enough, or had a message for you. How he or anyone understood their language was beyond him. All he knew and his family knew it happened the moment King Salsern his grandfather, gave him his living water, and made them as part of his royal family. Without that gift, you couldn’t breathe, underwater; it would be like drowning once you run out of oxygen.

It was the opposite for him now as it is for his secret family, when he and they are out of the water, for any length of time. They will drown, and could die if they are not at least touching water, at least enough water that can restore their living air into their lungs how it is done, he hasn’t got a clue, but his mother Lady Gwin and his grandfather will be teaching him that before his coronation on the mainland so everyone can see him, cast water, from the very air itself to maintain him.

He was told every child by the time they are 6 learn this. Which is why, they are teaching him in secret, or will be the moment, this little meet and greet is over, while they set up for the banquet for all the royal subjects and the ball in his honor… to celebrate his coronation and his 10th or 20th birthday in wizards years.

Grandma smiled giving a special wink to her grandson as she tries to curtsy without falling over. Orin winks back as they announce her strange name. Counties Darien and her son Lord Bryans as Richard all decked out in white with red silk around his waist and sword matching his Pa. Orin thinking of an old name better fitting long ago driving a wagon through town.  Mr. Richard Crow as he chuckled silently to himself, which turned into sniffles and a tear, as he his mother and him wipe a tear from their eyes.

After all, introduction were made fitting to royalty and his family shown to quarters too change into more elegant clothes for a social meet and greet and where they will be living here in the castle with him and more elegant to match their status. Everyone was finally allowed to breathe as the soldiers were stationed off according to the king whom he trusted as he took each one by his side in confidence, and having them swear an unbreakable oath, that if they do, they will die the second the oath is broken. Very few were assigned knowing what truly lies within the castle walls

Lady Gwin and her father kept a very close eye on Prince Orin some would say to close, but with a very good reason as King, Salsern made his way down the prison cells finding them empty. Not that he already had enough to do looking at the clock as his grandson coronation was now in preparation and the guests would soon be arriving.

King Salsern could feel a headache coming on, but he could not show the stress to the men his men as they looked in the empty cells.

Reviews

[Miles W.]

Another interesting chapter. Some good visuals, some interesting conversations, and an interesting step going towards the ending. However, it feel like we are getting ready for a pause rather than an ending. I know this is meant to be a twelve book series, but I feel like each book in a series should have some kind of gut-punch towards the end where something happens in preparation for the next book. We do have four chapters to go, so maybe that gut-punch will come up soon. Looking forward to reading more!