How ironic that it’s taken this long for him to agree with me now that it matters the least.
I almost wish I could stick around to see how well it plays out. Then again, I’m not so sure the noctis who return empty-handed will be anything less than antagonistic, and that is not something I mind missing.
Especially for my aunt and her sons.
As far as I can tell, thingsare running smoothly down below. The noctis are sticking to their groups and no one has prematurely devoured any of the prisoners yet.
I make a mediocre attempt at searching for any of my friends, but I can’t find anyone. Not even Ursulette, thanks to her new hooded cloak that is likely shielding her iconic hair.
"We can't have you being the only fashionable onearound here,"she'd said to me when she showed off the brocaded velvet garment this morning.
I don’t allow myself to look for the someone else. Besides, I already know she’s not on the field yet. Her cell will be saved for last. She's nothing more than a walking corpse waiting to expire now.
Nothing more.
Shecan'tbe more.
As more prisoners are retrieved from the dungeons and stationed before the Shadowthorn, I know my time has come. My father will give the signal soon, and then the Hunt begins.
I have to go now.
Turning my back to the open window, I leave my room, my cape snapping at my heels as I stride out of my bedchamber and through the nearly vacant halls. Everyone is either participating or has found themselves a nice vantage point to perch in and watch as the spectacle begins.
Still, I don’t want to linger about too long. My father regularly participates in the Hunt, but this year with so few sacrifices, he's opted to observe instead, as well as to greet everyone upon their return. It means I don't have long before he's back inside these castle walls, asking every servant for information on my whereabouts.
Surely, if he hasn't noticed my absence yet, he will soon.
For now, he'll remain distracted by his duty—a distraction I can’t afford to squander.
My bed chamber is decidedly closer to both of the rooms where the boys are being held—which, consequently, took me days to discover their exact whereabouts. Two secret rooms that aren't even on any of the blueprints of this ancient place. I had to bribe one of the guards just to find out what floor they were being held on, and then bribe two more to learn of each location.
I'd wanted to free them first, butthanks to the Hunt, the dungeon will soon be all but vacant and unguarded, at least for a window of time. It'll be easier to free my aunt now before activity around the castle resumes to normalcy, and the guards return to their usual posts.
I take the most direct path I know, sacrificing some of the stealth I had hoped to utilize today and inadvertently running intomore than a handful of servants who I’m surprised to see aren’t hanging out of windows or standing in the courtyard to watch. Maybe I’m not the only one who finds this entire ordeal distasteful.
Being a prince, and a mostly beloved one at that, has its perks, so none of the servants show me much concern. The ones who do look at me with that question in their eyes, I ignore. By the time my father speaks to them and discovers where I was heading, we’ll all be long gone.
The heavy dungeon doors swing open with a deafening creak. I stride into their dimly lit halls like I have so many times before, but this time far more on edge, when a group of noctis appear behind me.
"P-prince Malachi." The man leading the charge stands at attention. "We weren't expecting you here. Shouldn't you be—"
I think quickly. "I know, I know. I'm supposed to be enjoying the Hunt like everyone else up there. But I think my father's anal retentiveness is finally rubbing off on me. I couldn’t rest until I verified for myself that everything was running smoothly down here."
I'm not even sure where the lie comes from, but the effect it has on the guardsman—someone I recognize by face, but not name—is more than favorable.
"Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Everything is going as planned. We're on schedule to begin the Hunt before midday. We were just retrieving the last prisoners."
"Good, good," I say, stroking my chin thoughtfully, only to find that my palm is drenched with sweat. "Well, since I'm here, let me help."
I lead the guardsmen into the stifling darkness. With most of the prisoners gone, the place feels gutted. The doors hang ajar. The air is lighter, more breathable now that there is barely anyone vying for an ounce of what little fresh air seeps its way underground.
Aside from the few stragglers nearly hyperventilating at the very end.
Fox rises at the sight of me, a heaviness weighing down her expression more than usual at the sight of the guards I'm with. As subtle as I can, I shake my head at her, a plea to be calm until I can handle the predicament I've walked into.
I'm not surprised to find that the only other cell with a locked door is the one holding Charlotte and the two other women. My father's most prized catches.
He'll make a spectacle of them. It's likely why they're not aboveground already, even though I waited ample time for the dungeons to clear-out. He wants everyone to notice their grand entrance.
