Korin walks over and knocks on the door. “Hey! We need a new lamp in here!” There is no response. He pounds harder and finally we hear boots clattering on the stone.
“What’s going on in there?” an irritated voice sounds from the other side.
“We need a light. The lamp just went out.” Korin responds. Suddenly, without the sound of anything opening a lock, the door swings open and light spills back into the ink that is our cell. An extremely annoyed face covered in brown beard glares at Korin.
“Well, there’s no need to shout and pound. I was in the middle of a nice meal upstairs. You could’ve just gone to get a light yourself. It’s not like you were locked in.” I am very surprised. We weren’t locked in? Scelerisal said we would get three days head start but I hadn’t thought she would just throw us in an unlocked dungeon cell.
“Why aren’t we locked in soldier?” Danielle’s voice sounds imperious.
“Oh don’t go talkin’ like a bloody queen. Under the new law, you ain’t any higher than me.”
“C’mon, just answer the question please Bonzo. I’d like to know too.” Korin says, his voice sounds tired.
“Ah whatever. It’s cause she doesn’t care how you get out of here if you get out by being escorted by her men or sneak out because your door’s not locked. It makes no difference since she’s gonna catch you anyway ya do it.”
“Thank you Bonzo. You can return to your supper now.” Bonzo turns and stomps away. Korin turns to us “I’ll go get a fresh lamp.”
Danielle, who has been standing sits down again on the hay and buries her head in her hands. I am trying all I cannot to think about the ink pressing in on us, trying to crush my very soul. What did my parents look like? I wish I could remember them. I wish I could anything. I seem able to remember impressions. I knew that Scelerisal was evil and that Danielle is someone I love. Maybe the rest will come to me later. I reach up to rub my forehead and feel dried blood. I quickly withdraw my hand. It hurts like a thousand spears. Not that I know what a thousand spears feels like. On the other hand, maybe I do since I was a warrior prince. How did it happen that everyone failed to notice such an injury? Maybe they did notice but didn’t say anything. I guess it was understandable if I was hit with a rock and the hilt of a sword. I suppose it was either the trauma of losing my parents or the impact of the hilt that made me forget everything. I am inclined to suspect more of the latter. Maybe as the wound upon my brow heals so will my memory. I can only hope so.
Korin enters with a lamp in his hand and Danielle does not eve look up. “Good day Korin.” I greet him. He puts his hand on my knee in greeting. “You don’t talk much do you?” I ask him in a low voice. I don’t particularly want to talk either but I don’t want silence to descend right now and Danielle doesn’t seem like she’s going to talk.
“I don’t feel like talking since the queen killed my family.” He says matter-of-factly. I take a deep breathe.
“She truly s horrible isn’t she?”
“That she is.”
“She’s not really the queen.”
“No, I guess not.”
“Danielle is.”
“No, she isn’t”
“No?”
“You are the king.” I am the king. He is right.
“Korin?”
“Yes your Majesty?”
“Where are we?”
“We are in the dungeons at the castle in Iugosus, the mountain region”
“Iugosus. Is that the name of the kingdom?”
“No, that is the region where the castle is. Your kingdom is named Vangaardewen but the current ruler calls it Gnalasa.”
“Vangaardewen is a good name.”
“Yes it is.” After he says this, we wrap ourselves in silence again. Even though I tried to prevent it. After a while, Danielle lifts her face from her hands. Her face is wet with tears. She laughs humorlessly as she dries her face with her sleeve.
“I’m feel like I’ve been a tearful wreck since I though t you dead during the battle of horns.” I put my arm around her and lightly squeeze. She lays her head on my shoulder. “I promise you that this as the last time though. I was just letting put all my tears for past present and future. Until you are crowned king, I will refrain from the indulgence of tearfulness.” With this, we all fall into silence and I, into sleep.

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