Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 29 - Ever but Never Forever

Wren turned the corner, succesfully shuffling away from the mass of people in the ballroom. Down a dark corridor she went, the pathway lit only by a few candles and a sparkling chandelier on the well-polished ceiling.

Armours lined the wall, candles flickering every now and then. A bit of moonlight came in from the window. As Wren scurried over to the other end of the hallway, her shadow followed her behind. Footsteps thudded from behind the wall and muffled voices could be heard.

Wren waited with bated breath before slipping out again. She went down the aisle, checking for doors, chambers, anything; but all that was were corridors. The palace was shaped like a labyrinth.

Her footsteps echoed as she tread quietly. Turning down her fourth corridor, she saw a wooden door at the end of the corridor. Finally, she thought breathlessly. She made her way towards it, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

Her hand closed in the doorknob. She twisted it open, went inside and shut the door behind her as quietly as she could.

Chandeliers lit up the room as soon as she entered. The walls adorned with decorations of flowers, the wallpapers sparkled around her; sparkles and glitter fell from the ceiling. It looked ... magical.

A grand piano stood in the middle of the room. Wren walked over to it, trailing her fingers as she walked. A piece of music stood on the piano. Beside it, a heart-shaped gem-like necklace was placed next to it. Wren picked it up, feeling the lightness trail over her fingers. Beside the piano was a violin on a stand.

'Dear me,' said a voice from the shadows softly. 'Young, charming princess, Your Highness. May I know what you're doing up here?'

Wren dropped the necklace and turned around immediately. A silhoutte of a man with broad shoulders came to sight, slowly stepping closer towards her, revealing every inch of his face with every passing second. Wren let out a slow breath when his face angled towards her.

'Ambrose,' she said in a low voice through clenched teeth as she recognised the familiar golden glimmer of his crown.

'Yes, Ambrose,' said the young prince, smiling so his teeth flashed in the dark. 'And Wren.'

Wren tried to move, but her feet were rooted to the ground. 'I wanted the bathroom,' she said, lying through her teeth as she racked her brains trying to find word of what to say.

'Now let's not play games anymore, Princess,' Ambrose said, tilting his face closer to hers. 'Clearly, you are here for a reason.'

Wren felt the urge to pull her eyes away from his stare but she refused to - one look away and that was as good as admitting she was up to something. He didn't blink, he didn't pull away either; his golden hazel eyes fixed themselves into Wren's uneven ones.

'Your Highness, I was here in Iridia to a fulfill a duty,' Wren said, forcing a smile, 'and what I do is classified -'

'I don't care why you're in Iridia,' said the young prince, looking anything but baffled. He was so close now Wren could count the frown lines etched on his forehead, could count the many earrings that hung from his left ear. As deep as his words cut, his voice remained polite, it did not slip off an edge. 'I want to know why you're in the Palace of Iridia, in the Amansky Chamber.'

'Is that what it's called?' Wren asked, looking surprised. Ambrose positively hissed.

'The Chamber reveres its ties to Iridia history and tradition. Artifacts of cultural importance are held in this room and I can assure you, Your Highness, no one ventures here. No one.'