Hallow King

Leiah stirred underneath the bed sheets, mumbling to herself as she threw them aside. The cold environment was a bit uncomfortable, but it didn't bother the young woman too much.

She rubbed her tired eyes, looking around her darkened room with a slight frown. The lamp light beside her bed had already gone out, which was a bit confusing to Leiah. Usually, it would stay lit throughout the whole night and go out when it was early in the morning. By the looks of it, however, it was still night-time.

The princess peeled away the curtains from her barred up window and peeked outside. The whole village was silent and all she could see was the dark sky reflecting off a far off lake.

I really should go back to sleep, Leiah thought to herself, wrapping the blankets over her shivering body once more.

She must have laid there for a whole hour, tossing and turning, hoping that her eyes would get heavy. It was no use, however. The sudden grumbling off her stomach forced her to get up and wander towards the door. "Just a quick midnight snack. I won't get in trouble for that," she reassured herself, suddenly remembering the doors were chained up. Either way, she pulled on the door, hoping that by some sheer luck it would give. Much to her surprise, it did. She poked her head out, a smirk crawling on her face as she realized there was no one and nothing prohibiting her from escaping her room. Maybe father changed his mind? She assumed, but it didn't exactly seem like something he would do.

With another quick survey of her surroundings, she tiptoed down the hall and sneakily made her way past closed rooms. It was odd to find no one roaming about or the guards making their rounds, but she didn't really stop to thinking about it. Leiah wandered into the dark kitchen, her eyes straining to adjust to the almost pitch-black area.

Like a mouse, she slipped into the pantry and began to pull a loaf of bread apart. She stuffed a few pieces into her mouth, and also latched on to a glass jug filled with strong red wine. With half a loaf and a large bottle in her arms, she scurried off and hurried out into the hall. Leiah was pleased with how she hadn't gotten caught, and rewarded herself with a quick sip of the rich drink. She was about to take an even larger gulp when the sound of voices caught her attention. She paused in her tracks, facing towards a door that led to the kingdom's porch. The voices were coming from outside, and her curiosity got the better of her. Pressing her ear against the wooden entrance, she tried to make out what was being said. It sounded like her father along with other men. Their voices were quick and panicked, but she could not make out what they were speaking about.

As Leiah strained her ears, she realized that her father's words were getting louder. Panicked, she scrambled behind a large metal vase and crouched down as low as she could, stiffening as the door flew wide open. The king was the first to step out, followed by his guards along with Tyrell. Leiah cautiously rose up her head and examined them all. They seemed weary, but her father appeared worse. His eyes were darting all around and his trembling hands were tightly clasped on to one another. There was a very troubled expression on his face as he turned towards Leiah's personal guard and asked, "Is my whole kingdom affected?"

"Yes, your highness." Tyrell's face was both somber and worried. It stunned the young woman who had never seen such distress amidst any of the men present. Perhaps something very serious had happened?

"Bring me anyone who has ties with magic. I need to know exactly what is going on!" The king stormed and pushed his way past everyone, marching down the hall with loud, anxious words.

"Your highness, I have something else I wish to speak with you about..."

The voices faded away past another set of doors. Leiah stayed where she was, even after they were all gone and she was finally alone. Her heart pounded softly against her chest as she struggled to understand what was troubling the men.