The Crown of Spheres

߷ C H A P T E R - T W E L V E ߷

☁︎︎ C H A P T E R   T W E L V E ☁︎︎

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"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to look at Nahm with a questioning look as I placed a book back on the shelf. We were in the library, surrounded by the smell of dust coated old books, mixing in with the crisp smell of the ocean air that came in through the thin windows way above my head.

"You want to run away with Atlas?" Nahm asked, hissing through his teeth very quietly, since I would be the only one here able to hear him at this level.

"You make it sound so romantic," I replied before glancing over my shoulder.

"This isn't a joke, Nynia. You have no idea what you could be triggering by doing this. There is already unrest in Aruna because of your engagement to Calder, if you ran away with another Prince that will start another outright war."

"I can't stay here, Nahm... Atlas has offered me a way out, and I'm going to take it. And what do you mean unrest?"

"There have been riots in the Capitol about the blood moon. The people believe father deliberately defied the Goddess's warning to appease his own ego as King. People are furious at the arrogance," Nahm sighed, still keeping his voice down. One of the librarians wandered by the end of aisle we were standing in, bowing politely before they continued on without saying anything. I fought with myself in silence to try and find something to say... but something settled in my belly, soothed by this information, and that worried me. "This isn't a safe place to talk."

"Nowhere is," I murmured, turning back to the row of books on Abstract History I had been previously looking at.

It was the day after the Masquerade Ball, and as most slept in to snooze off their headaches and nausea from the alcohol, I had ventured into the library along with Nahm to explore the upper level of the white stone library. Here was where I knew the older books were kept, the ones I hadn't had a chance to sift through yet.

"Nynia, please reconsider."

"Why?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"There doesn't need to be more violence. And you know exactly how Calder will react when he finds out you ran away, is it worth the bloodshed? Especially if he finds out you left with another Prince who you only just met,"

My limbs went partially numb as my face settled into the mask I had been trained to wear from a young age. I said nothing for a few moments, allowing Nahm's words to sink in. "You think I should stay?" I asked without looking at him.

"You have a duty-"

"I don't have a choice," I interrupted, my eyes already watering. "Is that what you're saying?" Nahm was quiet. We both were, for a few seconds. My heart was pulsing in my chest during the loaded silence, pumping icy blood round my veins. "Are you advising me as my brother or as the future King?"

"I don't know," Nahm replied, his tone slightly more forgiving but it didn't soothe me. "it's not your fault... any of this. Of course I understand why you want to run away, but... there are already too many who have lost their lives to Calder's wrath. Do you want-"

"Do not even finish that sentence," I hissed, my ears lowering painfully. I felt cold right down to the innards of my bones and froze where I stood, scared to breathe incase I smelt it. That sickly sweet stench of rotting flesh.

"You know I don't mean it like that, I'm just-"

"Nahm," I snapped, my voice louder than I expected it to be. The air between us went stale, and I sensed his awkwardness as what he had said sunk in. I didn't look at him for a few seconds as I calmed my breathing. "I'm sorry for raising my voice," I whispered, "but, please... I have made up my mind."