The Lions' Den

Paine Lionray: Prison

There is an old prison under the castle on the left side of the river. Oh, no one told you that the castle is built over the river, on both sides? Some say that this prison is even older than the castle, it was built and only then they chose the place for the castle. It is pretty empty all the time because we are not traveling around the kingdoms and my father doesn't want to lock people here, he just bans them from our kingdom, it was more used during the Dark Century.

It is a dark corridor with a couple of torches and there are just five cells in the row, I don't know why I am in the last one because I am the only one here. If I am not mistaken there is only one guard with the keys and staircase leads directly to the first floor of the castle, next to the main stairs.

I have been sitting in this dirty cell for more than an hour and I start to worry - maybe father wants to teach me a lesson, however, it is not my fault that they didn't recognize me, it is their responsibility to know their royal family. And about taking the wolf - I am the prince, so technically, everything is mine in this city. Or, no one has found out yet.

I hear someone rushing down the stairs, doesn't sound like my father or brothers.

The prison guard is standing in front of my cell, so I see he suddenly changes his standing pose, straight back and arms by the side. "My Lord! We were not expecting you today!"

My Lord? So it is Lord Tau, no one else comes down here.

"How could you! You should be ashamed!" Yes, it is Lord Tau.

The prison guard now looks confused. Lord Tau doesn't come closer because I can't see him yet.

"Pardon, my lord, prince? There is no prince! Just some boy, who said that he is a ..."

Lord Tau interrupts the guard. "... prince! You really are not smart! I don't want to hear anything more! Where is he?"

I stand up and come closer to the bars and see that Lord Tau is looking in each prison cell.

"What are you waiting for? Let me out now!" I say trying to sound more furiously, and I am, I really don't fit in here.

Lord Tau sees me as the guard is unlocking my cell, so he rushes closer. "My prince!"

Guard opens the cell for me and looks really shocked that I actually am a prince. I look at both of them. "I am so disappointed! How could they not recognize me, I am their prince and they serve to me!"

"My apologies, my prince!" Guard stammers out.

Lord Tau again doesn't wait for him and interrupts the guard. "How are you, my prince?"

How can I be feeling, such an illogical question, I stop and look at him, searching for an answer, but I spit out something that shocks him and also myself. "We should feed them to lions! Such a disrespect!"

Lord Tau looks at the prison guard. "It is not a bad idea, my prince! But then we would need to explain this to your father, and I think, that you, my prince, didn't get here just for looking like a homeless boy!"

Wait, does he know about stealing, but how? And he is right, we couldn't execute a man without my father knowing it, so it is not the best idea, perhaps.

"How do you know?"

Lord Tau looks at me and waves his hand, gesturing me to come with him, we walk slowly to the staircase. He sighs. "Oh boy, do you think you can hide something from me in this town? I am this town!"

And that is true, I have a lot of questions about Lord Tau, he always knows everything about what is going on in the kingdom and what is everyone doing, I guess he just has a lot of 'friends'. I even don't know where is he from, no one knows, he appeared like a mist from nowhere in an open desert.

"Then what you suggest? We can't leave them unpunished!"

"No, we can't! I will settle this, you don't have to worry anymore, but, your father wants to see you!"

"Father? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, why should something be wrong!"

"He usually doesn't just see us for no reason!"

We enter the first floor of the castle.

"There is a reason, he has an important task for you!"

"For me? You are joking! Tell me then..." My father never gives me THE TASK, for that he has Amir.

"No, no, my prince, he will tell you himself, but now you better think of an excuse for not being in the castle for so long time!"

"I am absolutely sure that he won't be interested in that!" I hope so.

He stops and looks at me, putting his arm on my shoulder. "That's on you, but one last thing, my prince, I believe that you are the future of our kingdom, not your brothers!"

What is going on? "Why are you saying this to me, now?"

"For you to not lose confidence in yourself! Do what you are asked to do, but never forget who you truly are - a lion!"

"But if I don't feel like one?" I really don't. It is strange because I should be, I am, I born as a lion, but I feel something is missing, lions are not so close to me and I don't have many friends in this kingdom, actually I have no one, just my brother Calhoun and sometimes Lord Tau is reliable and I can speak with him about anything, but now he is acting a little bit strange.

"You may not feel it yet, but it can save your life!"

From what? What does he mean, I don't ask because he is already gone.

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