Morgana arrived.
“Father was asking again about where you’d run off to this time. Mother managed to make up some elaborate lie, but I
don’t think he bought it this time. He told me to summon you when you returned.”
“Well, Father can wait. I need rest.”
“I don’t think even the heir can make the king wait. Get washed and changed. Mother and Father should still be in their
chambers.”
Knowing there was no point arguing with April, I shrugged my shoulders and headed into the washroom to clean up and
get changed before heading across to the other side of the castle to my mother and father’s bedroom.
Knocking on their door, I eyed the two guards stationed outside. They didn’t shift to open the door as it wasn’t
permitted unless a bell from inside rang. When it didn’t, I suspected it may have been too early for me to show up. Except, I
was summoned. April made it perfectly clear I was to come immediately.
Not waiting another second, I lowered the handle and pushed the doors open. No curtains were open. The candles and
fire had long gone out and the strangest feeling crawled up my spine.
Something wasn’t right.
Two half full glasses of wine were still on the small table in front of the smouldering fire. Father’s recent letters were
scattered across the same table, some even on the floor. Perhaps I was just nervous about the punishment I’d get. Father
already forbade me from seeing Ornella and I’d gone against his wishes a month later.
I just needed to see her one last time.
To say goodbye to her.
Even if it was tearing up my heart to keep myself away from her, it was for the best.
Silence. The room was deathly silent.
Not even the sound of Father’s loud snoring came from the bedroom.
Shaking as I slowly drew the drapes from around their bed, I could hear my heart pounding in my chest. I believed it to
be the only sound in the room and it took me a second to pull myself together to draw back the curtains.
‘Don’t be silly, Nicholas. They are probably just sleeping, drunk on wine again,’ I thought.
But as I drew the curtains back, they looked peaceful, deep in slumber. At first, I was caught off guard, sighing and
turning away before my eyes caught something on the edge of the crisp white bed sheets.
A pool of dark red.
Blood.
Blood stained their sheets.
