First Prince’s Castle 1

The princess missed to see the many eyes on her_ of waiting maidservants and of guards, and of those spying from crannies, thinking themselves too clever to be noticed.

The rest of the royal princes tended to have their nose into the affairs of the first prince. It was no surprise that they'd sent their men to lurk in his castle. After all, when it came to the royal throne, every weakness and every scandal mattered, so did every enchantment.

The servants waiting outside the castle's front terrace lowered their heads in a deep bow as soon as the prince and the princess ascended the stairs.

If they were astonished that the prince brought home a woman, they didn't express it. Although they were curious, they dared not to take a second look.

Alas! Even such person as the prince of death could have a being as delicate as a woman beside him.

As soon as they had walked past the huge doors and were within the castle vestibule, Rain felt the prince's hand abruptly slip off from hers.

He left her to the care of a maidservant, and while she was been led upstairs to the upper floors, he walked off towards an adjacent corridor.

Not another word or a glance.

The castle's interior was huge but dim, with scanty lighting and décor. Its wall fresco was too warm that there seemed to be a gloomy air hanging around.

Few paintings lined the gallery and the passage way. They had dull, faded colors and very weird depictions.

Although the castle appeared neatly kept, it didn't give a homely feeling and lacked grandeur of a noble abode. It was a dreary space and was so quiet that one could hear the sound of their breath.

"Your chambers, my lady."

Rain's reverie was interrupted by the maidservant's . She stared at the tall door in front, only realizing where they were. Her chambers.

She nodded lightly.

"A bath has been drawn inside, my lady. Dinner will be served after you've washed." As the maidservant spoke, the chamber's door were held open and Rain slowly stepped inside

She nodded once more and the maidservant left afterwards, closing the door behind.

*

The evening had set and the sun had hidden fully behind the clouds, bringing nighttime faster than Rain wished.

She had washed and changed into a night dress.

As she stood out the chamber's verandah, the night breeze flayed the silk of the white dress and brushed her still damp hair lightly across her face.

Dinner was yet to be served and she was terribly famished after not having anything since a breakfast of sour soup at Buch.

She thought of stepping outthe chambers, but the fear of bumping into the prince kept her inside.

Her stomach soon growled loudly and she leaned on the verandah rails and held onto her stomach with a frown.

Just then she heard voices from below which drew her attention.

The moon was a crescent above, yet it shone enough to make out the silhouette of these men down at the castle's patio. Gently, the silence of the evening brought the echoes of their voices up to her.

About four men walked in group along the castle's grounds, speaking in hysterical tones and letting out brief chuckles. Amongst them, a figure strode in front with a quicker gait.

Rain could tell from his physique and the elegance of his gait that this was the prince.

Amazed at how readily she could sight this man she barely knew, her gaze was drawn to him.

Once, he turned to say something to the men behind him and they said something in return and laughed.

The men surrounding him didn't have an outlook of guards or servants, and seeing their interactions, they were clearly well acquainted with the prince.

As if sensing the gaze on him, she saw him suddenly halt and tilt his jaw to look upstairs at her direction.

Under the dusk sky, the prince's feline orbs narrowed and he caught sight of a shadow dash away from a verandah.