A Confused Prince

The prince's POV

"Very well," I said, my voice filled with a mix of amusement and warning. "Our meeting is pushed to another time. Have a good night."

"Wait!" She yelled when I reached the door. I halted and turned to see her face squished against the bars. 

"What is it?"

"Your name, I didn't catch that."

"That is because I didn't tell you anything."

"I must have heard it somewhere."

I smiled. How could she have stayed in this kingdom and not known my name. Something was clearly wrong. I could use this as a test and know her true identity as she was behaving in a very strange manner, or I could just tell her and behave like this didn't happen.

"Kirigan," I said with a deep voice. "My name is kirigan."

With that as my parting words, I left the cell and started for my study.

The guards rushed after me even when all I wanted was silence and peace away from them.

"Call me my spies," I said to the guard. "I need to have a word with them."

When I got to my study, I found the window open with the curtains fluttering about.

This was a sign of an intrusion.

My eyes scanned the room, narrowing in on the figures that stood before me. My spies, or so I thought. 

The air was thick with tension as I confronted them, my voice laced with a mix of suspicion and authority.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, my eyes darting between the two individuals who stood in my study. "How did you manage to breach my security and gain access to this room? You could have used the door. And how many times have I told you to stop showing up here without knocking at my door?"

The first spy, a wiry man with shifty eyes, spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness. "My prince, we apologize for the intrusion," he stammered, his gaze avoiding my piercing stare. "We were sent here to know what you seek."

My eyes narrowed, my voice filled with a mix of frustration and intrigue. 

"Fine," I relaxed. "I supposed it was my fault for not telling them to tell you two to use the door."

I fell into my seat with a smile.

"I need you two to head over to a certain girls house. Her name is Jane and she is the daughter of a famous doctor. He's dead, she's blind. She won't be that hard to find. Her house I mean. Now go over to her house with a few guards and ask for the blind girl and return to tell me what news you have of her."

The two of them looked at each other, nodded and used the door this time.

By the next morning, a knock on my door alerted me to wake up as I found myself asleep on the couch in the study.

"Come in," I grunted as the spies entered the room with the news I had been expecting. "Speak."

"We went to the woman's house and a woman whom I proposed to be her mother and a younger one her sister said he has been missing since last night and they had sent out a search party looking for her."

I looked at the man who had finished talking.

"Are you sure of that?" I narrowed my eyes as the man nodded. With a wave of my hand I started to my feet as I was going to confront her for the lies I had been told.

***

"You lied to me," I said when I entered the prison house while standing before her bars.

"Good morning prince kirigan. I hope you slept well."

"Enough with the jester!" I yelled. "Why would you lie to me?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

I could see she was playing hard to get. If that was the case, then I would simplify it for her.

"You clearly said that your stepmother and your stepsister didn't care about you and wanted you dead. If that was the case, I doubt they would send a search party out for a blind girl."

She sighed. "They were clearly fooling you and it worked."

"If you are being honest about being the blind girl then I will accompany you home and see what happens next."

"Please don't do that. They will kill me. I beg of you."

"Keeping you behind bars seems a bit unnecessary for someone who just lied about being blind."

"But I was blind. I just got my sight. That's why I'm trying to tell you."

I refused to listen to her words as I waved to the guard to open the cell.

"I am taking you back home and that is the last I want to hear of this."

"But please, when we get to my house, promise me one thing."

Her voice was sincere and she was truly scared. Whatever was making her quiver like this was really serious. 

"What is that?"

Please pretend that you have no idea that I can see."

That was beneath me. Lying?! How preposterous.

"No, I am not doing that."

"Why not?!" She asked in shock. "Please, I need it if I'm going to be kept alive."

"You keep telling me to lie for you and I will have you hanged before you can even say jack Robinson."

She stayed silent as I ordered for the chariot to be brought before putting her in it and folding my arms throughout the ride there.

I was grumpy, hadn't had my morning breakfast or my bath and here I was in a chariot taking this girl to her home.

Sometimes being a leader had its own consequences.

As we got to her house, I saw her shaking before opening the door for her to exit.

Even when I refused to tell her I would act like she was blind I did it.

I watched her act like she was blind and even watched her get embraced by her supposed stepsister and mother. I was confused about what was going on.