Whispers of Willow

Chapter 6

The prince stood near the glass doors in his sanctuary, looking at the raindrops aggressively tapping against them before slowly slipping down to the floor. Outside, the view was partially obscured, but on a clear day, one could see the beautiful garden that led to a waterfall.

"The king has requested your presence in the throne room, again," Raven said eloquently from outside the door. "We're going to open the barrier tonight. The king has asked you to lead the mission."

The prince made no move to acknowledge Raven or respond to him.

"Do you think I need new bed sheets?" The prince asked instead, his gaze fixed on the rain. He took a step back from the glass doors and sat on the bed in the center of the room.

"What?" Raven asked, astounded.

"The bed sheets. This one is quite old." The prince lightly stroked the pastel lime green fabric.

"But the king..."

"I do not desire an audience with him at this moment," he said steadfastly.

"I'll notify him then," Raven said, leaving the prince alone in the large room.

The prince's sanctuary was a single room on the right side of the palace with a dome roof. Its door was linked to the palace via an enclosed path, which only a few were allowed to cross. It was a place where the prince preferred to be alone. Even the king chose to respect his son's privacy; after all, the king loved his only child.

The prince took the letters from the side table and walked over to the opposite wall's bookshelf. He gently caressed the spines of the books before removing a large historical book and safely placing the letters inside. He returned the book to its proper place and left his sanctuary to make it back to the palace.

After noticing that the rain had stopped, he exited through the glass doors rather than the connecting path. He went for a short walk in the garden, watching the tiny droplets fall from the leaves, the birds start chirping again, and the flowers that looked fresh after a shower.

There was no heavy security surrounding the palace because no one dared to attack any of the royals. The king had a close relationship with his subjects. Even if someone dared to attack one of them, the royals were powerful enough to defend themselves.

The prince entered the palace and went straight to his room. He didn't spend much time here because he preferred his sanctuary, but the king insisted on him being around at least for a few hours. He didn't spend much time here because he preferred his sanctuary, but the king insisted on him being around at least for a few hours every day.

The broken pieces of an ancient pot lying on the floor were the first thing the prince noticed when he entered his palace room. The only maid permitted in his space was picking up the shards.

Marielle apologized when she noticed the prince.

She was an elderly maid who had worked at the palace for many years and had cared for the prince after his mother died.

"Who is responsible for this?" He questioned, knowing full well that Marielle was always cautious and would never cause harm to anything.

Even if he didn't care about this room, it was still his, and he despised anyone disturbing it.

"A cleaner," Marielle explained. "He is new. I had told him not to enter your room, but he must not have realized it was yours."

She was one of the few old vampires that the prince respected. So when he was annoyed by the commotion, he didn't vent to her.

"I want to meet this new cleaner."

Marielle's face was immediately filled with fear.

"Please don't, sir. He's new here," she pleaded. "This was an honest mistake. I'll make certain that he does his job correctly from now on."

The prince let out a sigh. He went to the bathroom to take a shower after leaving Marielle to clean up. When he returned, the broken pieces were no longer on the floor. He was getting ready when he heard a knock on his door.

"Is there anything else?" He asked as he let Marielle back in.

"You are aware of the ongoing festival, am I right?"

"Yes, I am aware," he said, motioning for her to proceed.

"The royal family had been invited by the common people. They are getting ready to put on a show. Your stepmother accepted the invitation on behalf of the family."

"And?"

"She... isn't exactly acting royal... from what I heard... She has been drinking a lot and made quite a scene. The king is busy tonight, and he had ordered that she be brought back to the palace if such an incident occurred, and...you are the only one..." she expressed herself politely.

"What a pain." He pinched the bridge of his nose.