3: Tainted heart

~Laith~

With shaking hands, I shove the key into the lock and push. I walked into the inner chambers of the holy house of goddess Rezelna. The house brings comfort and peace of mind to lost souls.

Being the Incirion of goddess Rezelna I knew that only she could help me. Only she could stop this sin that was forming roots in my heart. The sin of desiring a man that isn't mine to have.

I locked the door behind me to keep others from coming in. My feet led me to the feet of the statue of the goddess right beside the pool of salvation. I went down on my knees and bowed my head before the goddess, ready to pour my heart out to her.

"My great and omnipotent goddess, I seek your council," I cried out. "I have plunged into sin. The sin of love," I owned up to the goddess.

Before the love, I feel towards the second prince taints my heart and keeps me from my duty. I felt it best to try and set myself apart from the worldly longings of the heart and body.

"I confess that I have grown weak. I've allowed myself to be swayed to desire and lust for Prince Caelan. I seek cleansing from you Mother," I let my troubles down at the goddess's feet.

I rose from the ground, removed my sandals, and submerged my body in the pool. To cleanse the impurities in my heart and leave my feelings in the past.

Closing my eyes I let the water wash away any sinful thoughts I've ever had for the prince. The peaceful water filled my mind with serenity. Letting my broken heart find stillness.

"I was unaware that the Incirion of Liradia was capable of sin," a sarcastic retort sound waking me. I opened my eyes and raised my head from the water. My soaked hair clung to my face as water dripped down my face. I cast an angry glare at the person who dared to step into the holy house without an invitation.

My heart throbbed nearly jumping out of my chest. As I came face to face with the deposed crown prince. "You are in love with the second prince," a devilish smile formed on his lips.

It was hard to discern the expression on his face with the mask he wore. The golden mask covered half his face, leaving the tip of his nose down to his jaw visible to the eyes. A mask he wears to cover the mark the king branded him with the day his prophecy was revealed. When the king tried to kill him to avoid the prophecy from coming true.

The deposed crown prince hasn't shown his face to the world since that fateful day. It has been over a decade and not once has ever made an appearance without it. No one knew what he looked like under his mask, not even his closest attendants.

"How did you get in here?" I raised a question about changing the subject.

"You must have been hurt when he proposed to Princess Zakishi," Prince Zephirin spoke ignoring my inquiry.

"I don't remember anyone giving you permission to come here," I spoke up. It was against the holy rule to enter the inner chambers of the shrine of the goddess. Only the Incirion, Saints, and the Saintess were granted such privilege. Common men and priests were forbidden from setting foot on such holy ground.

The deposed crown prince smirked. A shiver ran down my spine at his intense gaze. He had caught me, at my weakest and vulnerable moment. Gotten hold of my secret. A secret capable of costing me everything and he knew it.

He wasn't in the least terrified of the consequences of breaking the rules. But rather amused by my current predicament. Which filled my heart with fear.

"As the Incirion, it is your destiny to annihilate the Evil one and his followers and cleanse this nation," Prince Zephirin spoke up. "How do you plan to do that with a tainted heart?" he asked pointing at the holy water.

I gave attention to the water. My heart skipped a few beats when I laid eyes on the sacred water that had turned black. Which in turn corrupted the purity of my linen robes turning them as black as the holy water. My heart panicked, pounding against the walls of my chest.

"What will become of you if the world discovers you are corrupted?" Prince Zephirin questioned.

His question was the least of my concerns. The present situation caught hold of my mind and heart. It worried me. Stepping out of the holy pool I silently weighed my thoughts and actions for the past few days to find the flaw that tainted my soul.

The second I footed out of the pool the water returned to its regular state. Pointing out that I was the problem.

"This isn't good for you," the prince noted.

"Get out!" I barked. Unable to withhold the panic in my heart with his constant remarks. The fear in my soul was an event in my voice. By the look in his eyes, I could tell that he picked up on it.

At present, it was more important to figure out what was corrupted inside of me than to entertain a fallen prince.

"You should lower your voice and speak softly, Incirion," he let out in a polite tone but his expression was far from polite. "What if I step out of the holy house and speak of all I've seen and heard?" he threatened.

The color drained from my face. News of this reaching certain ears would be the end of me. My body froze. Paralyzed to the ground as fear took root in my soul, the weight of everything pushing down at my shoulders.

One moment I was fine, worrying only about the problems of the masses and the next my whole life was crumbling down to pieces.

"W...who would believe the w..word of a deposed crown prince?" I asked. My voice broke at how terrified I was of the possibility of the prince alerting the world of what he saw. "It will be your word against mine and I doubt there is a single soul in Liradia that would dare to defy my words," I sternly let out. Clenching at the hems of my robe to stop my trembling hands from shaking.