The Raven

Thirty-Three

After giving himself a few minutes to calm himself as he watches Caleb's shadow form head in the direction of the tower, Henry sets off to find his dear mother. After unsuccessfully scouring the palace for nearly half an hour, he reluctantly gives up the search, deciding to check on his new husband instead.

The tower is eerily quiet when he arrives, even more so than usual; the unexpected stillness sends a chill right down the prince's spine. An overwhelming need to be close to Caleb burns in his stomach, inciting his feet to move faster as he desperately tries to get to his love as quickly as physically possible. At the top of the barren staircase, he can see that the thick wooden door to the room he has been so frequently visiting is left wide open. Panic surges through Prince Henry's body as he rushes forward, his heavy footfalls reverberating through the empty, concrete corridor as he hurries into the room. His heart plummets into his stomach as he realizes Caleb is nowhere to be seen. Swiftly, Henry runs back down the tower stairs and through the castle, searching for his mother once again. Obviously, this must be her doing. She better not have harmed Caleb!

Henry's steps slow as he comes upon Princess Elaina's bedroom, the sound of voices floating into the hall from within the room. His mother is likely in there, considering her recent obsession with the princess. Silently, the prince stops before the door to eavesdrop and is instantly filled with fury by what he hears from the other side.

"You saw them kissing?!" the princess shrieks, the shrillness of her voice almost capable of shattering an eardrum. Henry unknowingly flinches at the sound. "But Henry is supposed to marry me! He can only kiss me!"

"I am sure that vile being compelled him with his magic or something," the queen says. "I know my Henry would not do something like this, not with your wedding so soon."Princess Elaina huffs, exclaiming, "That vermin! How dare he do such things to my Henry!"

"Do not worry, Princess. I have temporarily taken care of the problem," Her Majesty assures. "I have locked that disgusting creature in the dungeon, where he can no longer harm my son."

The prince would like to address so many details about this conversation with these two delusional women, but he has not the time right now. Fueled by a storm of emotions, Henry takes a deep breath to control the rage mounting within him. He cannot focus on his feelings right now. No, at this moment, his main priority is to rescue Caleb from his mother's evil clutches. As quickly as he can, he makes his way to the dungeon to free his love.

When he finally reaches the underground cells, the prince pauses briefly to catch his breath, thanks to all the running he has done in the last few minutes. Looking around the dark prison, Henry spots Caleb and his mother walking toward him, relief immediately filling him at the sight of his dear little bird seemingly unharmed.

"Caleb!" Henry calls, grabbing the raven-haired boy's attention.

The raven perks up at the sound of his husband's voice, crimson orbs scanning the darkness until they finally land upon his prince. "Henry!" he yells, running into his husband's arms. The two embrace for several moments, uncaring of the present audience or the possibly dire circumstances and simply relishing in each other.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" the blond asks, his hands on the sides of Caleb's head as he worriedly looks him over.

Placing his smaller hands over Henry's, he wraps his fingers around the other boy's, giving them a gentle squeeze. Offering a soft smile, Caleb replies, "I am fine."

"Let us get back to the tower," the witch says before mumbling some words in Prince Henry's direction. "I have cast a spell on you to be unnoticed within the West Wing by anyone who does not have magical capabilities," she informs him, her tone hushed in case someone might overhear the conversation. "The only two people who should be able to see you are Raven and me."

"Caleb," Henry says, his gaze narrowing at the woman before him; although she appears to be helping them right now, there is something about her that does not sit right with the prince. He is determined to remain skeptical of her until it is proven otherwise.

"Pardon?" she asks, her brows knitting in confusion.

Gesturing to the boy beside him, Henry clarifies, "His name is Caleb."

With a swift nod, the witch responds, "Right. Well, let us go, then." The trio quickly and quietly ascend to the very top of the West Wing tower, luckily remaining unseen by palace staff. Once safely back inside Caleb's room, his mother looks between the two boys and asks, "Now, who is going to tell me what exactly is going on here?"

The two princes are hesitant to spill the details of the recent happenings to the raven's mother; however, they understand that she will likely get the information regardless, as the news appears to be spreading through the castle like wildfire. With their hands clasped firmly together in a show of support, Princes Henry and Caleb deliver their story to the awaiting witch, hoping that her reaction will be one more so of understanding than retaliation.

After gathering all the information, the raven's mother simply instructs the two boys to remain in the tower, assuring their safety within the barriers of the West Wing. "Please just wait here for my return," she says, her words holding a suspicious sincerity that is entirely unfamiliar and discomforting to her son. "I shall see what I can do about Her Majesty's objections to your union; perhaps, I will be able to convince her that it is not such a terrible thing. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if the two of you could remain out of her line of sight; I do not know if she will be so lenient upon you the next time, and I fear my magic may not be enough to save you from whatever retribution she desires."

Caleb and Henry quietly agree to the witch's plan, however unsettling her words leave them feeling. The raven recognizes instantly that something is unusual about his mother; she has never even attempted to show care or concern for him before. Still, he would much prefer to get her out of his room swiftly; then, he can devise a plan on how to best avoid whatever is coming his way. Or retaliate, whichever it comes down to. Either way, his utmost priority is to keep his precious Prince Henry protected at all costs.