The Unsung Heir

Chapter 9

Part. 5

Ch. 9

            Jane walked outside as the sun began to set. The wind gently blew through the trees, making the leaves rustle as Jane sat down on the grass leaning against a tree. The stress of the day had drained her of energy, and so she closed her eyes. Soon she drifted off to sleep.

            "Happy birthday, Jane! Your twelve now just like me!" smiled Collin giving Jane a red box with a ribbon on it.

            "Jane let's play hide'n seek!" shouted Aaron. "This castle is smaller than home, but it is more mysterious."

            "Yes, let's play! Come on Jane." laughed Collin joyfully. "You too, Lance."

            "I will not play childish games. I have better things to do." stated the fourteen year old prince leaning against the wall of the small dining room.

            "Come on, please, Lance it is my birthday." pleaded the little girl in a bright yellow dress. "Just this one time."

            After a few moments of looking into Jane's pleading eyes, the prince agreed. "Fine, but I get to count."

            "Of course he'll play if Jane asks." whispered Collin to Aaron, who then giggled.

            This was then heard by the eldest prince who then blushed and snapped at his younger brother. "Be quiet."

 "Fine, but start counting." giggled Collin, pleased to annoy his brother.

   "One, two, three, four..." started Lance as the other three ran off. “Ready or not, here I come."

   Jane quickly ran down the hall past several rooms. She tried to maneuver pass several maids cleaning the windows. Soon she heard the laugh of Aaron who had been caught by his brother, so she ran towards a room with a gold knocker with a lion head on it. She remembered the Queen telling her to stay out of this wing of the castle, but surely one time wouldn't hurt. Jane quickly ran into the room and hid under a large marble desk lined with gold.

   After a while, Jane heard no sign of the search party. Slowly, Jane crawled out from under the table. "Hey, maybe she's in here!" shouted the princes. Shocked, Jane jumped and bumped her head on the table and a small chest fell to the floor.

   The chest was silver with a golden cross over the lock. Jane tried to open the chest after she shook it and heard something inside. Jane wrapped the chest in her shawl as the three princes burst into the room.

   "Jane." Jane opened her eyes to see a black bat sitting in her lap. "Go back to sleep. I'll sit and keep you company." said Velvet snuggling into the folds of Jane's silk blue dress. Jane closed her eyes returning to another vision from the past.

            Jane sat in her room fiddling with the lock on the silver chest she had found four years earlier.

            "If only I had the key." she sighed.

            "Are you still obsessed with that box?" smiled Collin as he walked into Jane's large, brightly lit chambers. “You should get ready for dinner. This will be the last week before Lance, Aaron, and I leave for Threcia and join the war campaign."

"I wish the three of you didn't have to go. This place will be lifeless."

             "We can't help it. Duty comes first. We will also miss you, but especially Lance."