Regal [h.s au]

36. Journey

AMELIA

The sky slowly gains a faint orange colour mixed with pink layers, the first early rays of the sun making their presence. The terrifying shouts and screams have long evaporated, leaving a chilling silence behind, the smell of smoke and burning flesh permeating the air.  Goosebumps scatter over the surface of my skin at the thought of what I shall have to witness once I step out of here, an uncomfortable feeling already settling in the pit of my stomach.

My prince is sitting on a pile of hay, his tired, bloodshot eyes focused on nothing in particular, face pale and almost lifeless.  His knees are drawn to his chest, forearms resting on top of them, strands of his haphazard brown hair sticking in various directions, some falling over his forehead.  My heart aches at the sight of him, looking absolutely broken and vulnerable, the smiling prince full of happiness now gone, lost within all the trauma he has experienced.

When we sought shelter here last night, it was surprising to encounter Joe hiding amongst the horses, a drink in his hand and a few bleeding cuts over his face and arms. He never had any training in his life and would surely have died if he had attempted to fight. He apparently barely managed to save himself as it is.

The three of us have spent the past couple of hours hidden in the stables while being forced to listen to hundreds of people dying and suffering, unable to do anything to stop it. One look at Harry and I know he won't ever be able to forget about the horrors of the last night, let alone the sight of his mother dying before his eyes. I wish I could take away his pain, I wish he never had to witness all the gruesome things humans are capable of, I wish what was left of his innocence hasn't been stripped away.

What worries me the most, there is a big chance his father lost his life, sealing Harry's fate as the rightful King of Solis. In addition to that, I have no idea where Niall is, I assume he got separated from them last night, and there is a slim chance he is among the living now as well. I pray my assumptions are wrong, the last thing Harry needs is more names on the list of people he has lost.

With a sword in my hand, I carefully open the stable doors, my eyes squinting, gradually adjusting to the brightness of the early morning.  A harsh breath of surprise is sucked between my teeth as my eyes trail over my surroundings, taking in the bone-chilling scenery. Hundreds of bodies are littered over the ground, gaping wounds settled over their chests or stomachs, faint white smoke the only remainder of the fire eating away everything on its path last night.  The castle walls are damaged, chipped rocks lined against their width, but the palace itself is still standing tall and strong.

The usual white flag with a golden sun in the middle is now gone from the turrets, even the smallest sign of hope there might have been diminishing upon seeing that. My eyes widen when I notice a group of Darkland soldiers roaming around, checking the bodies and talking among themselves, carrying burning torches in their hands. I don't fail to notice how some of them drag the bodies on piles, knowing they will burn them. The enemy soldiers, along with a missing flag, are clear indicators enough who has won the battle last night and the blood starts pumping faster through my system, anxiety creeping into my chest, spreading through my veins. It is time to leave.

Hastily, I run back into the stables, moving towards the Prince. I drop to my knees in front of him, my palms clasping his cheeks, trying to get him to look at me. "Harry, we must go. Right now."

He keeps staring ahead, not sparing me a single glance. Fear works its way into my system, my legs burning with desire to run, knowing it won't be long until they check the stables and find us here. "Harry, let's go!" I snap in a hushed tone, grabbing his hands and tugging. "I won't let you give up and die, come on!"

Gritting my teeth, I stand up, walking towards one of the sections where the horses reside, finding Harry's mare Star, her bright eyes looking at me carefully. I unlatch her gates and stroke her muzzle to inflict a sense of trust, grabbing the reins hanging from her neck, tugging on them gently. She is the only horse left, the rest have either run away or died during the battle. It was a chore to calm her down last night, risking getting smacked with her strong hooves, but I managed to do it. I knew I had to, she is the only remainder of Harry's old life left, everything else has been cruelly ruined.