From my spot on the ground, I examined the bird, but it no longer moved. No chest heaving with breath. No feathers blowing in the breeze. Just hard, precious gold.
"I think it might be time to tell you more of my story.” Edwin extended his hand, and I eyed it with caution, refusing the assistance. "Except, I think you need to be in a better frame of mind for this tale. A little less hostile, perhaps. Why don’t you spend a few more minutes with your father, then come meet me inside? I'll prepare you something to eat and you can take a rest before we talk. From the black rings under your eyes, I’m assuming you haven’t slept in days."
"Thanks.” I scrambled to my feet, still refusing his offer of help, and brushed the dirt from my clothes. “And are you going to tell me what you just did there?”
He smirked, then retracted his hand with a vile snort. “Depends. We’ll see how the rest of the story goes first.”
I bit down on my cheek wanting to say so much more, many of those things not very appropriate for royalty, but arguing with him likely wouldn’t help my cause--even if it looked like he would’ve enjoyed matching wits with me.
He straightened the high collar of his robe and tapped the eagle on its head, the metal clanging against the golden rings on his fingers. He cast me one last glare and shook his head, then started to meander slowly back towards the temple.
I swallowed down the list of insults I wanted to spew behind his back and conjured my most cordial tone.
"Is Veda here?” I called after him. “I've been looking for her but she seems to have disappeared."
He halted and stood in silence for a moment. Maybe considering if he really wanted to answer me.
"I'm afraid not. Women can be quite crafty when they don't want to be found.” He chuckled to himself but I struggled to find the humor. “She said she needed a few days to think. You must have done something pretty stupid for her to be that angry with you."
"Maybe," I muttered under my breath, but from the sneer on his lips, he likely heard.
He turned and continued his strut back to the temple. "But at least that means she's no longer with someone of your type. Your squabbles are of no consequence to me."
I groaned, the prospect of spending any more time with that arrogant man caused my stomach to churn. But if he was finally willing to talk, I needed to take him up on it while I had the chance.
“However, I must tell you, a real prince would never toss out a diamond because it needed a bit of shine.”
Ouch.
So Veda had told her father what happened. Who knows how many details, but it sounded like enough. He already had my past and my father to dangle over my head, now he had my bad behavior to add to his collection of torture implements. Great.
The breeze picked up again and I pulled my coat closer to my chest. My father sat in the corner of his cage staring out into the distance as it ruffled the fur around his face. His rabid fit had subsided, replaced by a sad glaze in his dark chocolate eyes. A deep pain.
I inched closer to the bars, each movement long and drawn to avoid throwing him back into a frenzy. He swung his head my direction his lip stuck out, but without any fight.
"Dad, I don't know if you can hear me in there, but I wanted you to know that I'm here to help. Mom is beyond worried and we both can't wait to have you home."
I wrapped my hands around the metal bars and he jumped but stayed on the far side of the cage.
"I love you, Dad. I don't even remember the last time I told you that, but it's true. I wished I'd spent more time with you, learning and just being around you. I took for granted how hard your job is. How hard you have to work to you make the kingdom run and still maintain the respect of your followers. We're going to fix this. I know we are."
My father glared at me then took his head in his paws and let out a crestfallen whimper. The high-pitched whine stabbed right through my chest burrowing straight through to the other side and leaving a hole I didn't think I'd ever fill until the curse was finally broken.
I ran my hand across the bars as I walked towards the temple, each one playing its own mournful tune as I delayed letting go.
5
31st May
Metal bars surrounded me. Above. Below. On every side. An iron lock the size of my fist sealed me into my cell, stole my freedom. I grabbed ahold of the bars clanging and rattling them, screaming for help, but only the echo of my own voice came back. Nothing existed beyond the bars, just darkness, deep and hollow. I smashed my fist against the lock until my knuckles bled. Dark red blood poured down my fingers and stained my clothes. I retreated to the center of the cage and sat on the floor with my knees pulled to my chest. A wintry chill prickled up the back of my spine, the hair on my neck standing on end, waiting for something that I didn't know but feared anyway. Suddenly a strange blue smoke started to fill the cell wrapping and twisting around me. It filled my mouth. My nose. I coughed and choked against the unknown substance. My lungs burned, my breath shallower as I struggled against
