The Darkness Beyond the Stars

Chapter Six: A Seventh?

 I jolted awake to a loud pounding on my door.

"Princess! Are you in there? Open the door!"

I flung back my covers and went to the door, dragging the heavy chair away and unlocking it. The door burst open, almost cracking my head. I jumped back.

One of the palace guards was outside. He looked me over. "You're still dressed."

I gaped at him. "Of course."

He straightened. "I am to inform you that the intruder in your room has been taken care of, and that no one has been harmed."

"Thank you." I brushed past him and strode towards Father's study. The guard trotted behind to keep up. Once we finally made our way to the study, I threw open the door, and went in.

Father was talking to Äsal, but once I entered Father dismissed him, and he walked past me without meeting my eyes.

Father turned to me. "Äsal informed me of the incident last night. The body has been taken care of."

"What was the alarm for last night?"

"Oh, nothing of concern, it was taken care of. The reason I wanted to talk to you was about the wedding. Since the incident last night, we have doubled the security around the castle. There will be a guard posted outside your room tonight, and several guards shadowing you wherever you go. The wedding has been downsized as well."

ARE WE REALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE WEDDING NOW??? "If you don't mind, I would like to know what happened to cause the alarm." I said firmly.

Father looked down, and hesitated. "A guard was found dead at his post."

I drew in a breath. "Dead! How?"

"He was killed, we assume, by the man who snuck into your room."

"How..."

There was a sharp rap on the door, and father went towards it and opened it. It was the captain of the guard. Father turned to me. "I'm sorry, but we shall have to talk about this later."

I groaned inwardly. "Very well."

The captain bowed, and moved out of the doorway. I walked past him, ignoring the feeling that he was lording my dismissal over me.

This needed research. Or at least, I needed a distraction. I headed to the library.

As I passed the hall to the prince's room, I stopped dead in my tracks. In front of his room there stood about ten guards. But these were not lounging about. They were at attention, hands on their weapons, plumed helmets on their heads. They weren't guarding the prince from harm. They were guarding a prisoner.

I lifted my chin, and strode towards the guards. They stood even more at attention, if that was possible. I directed a withering gaze at the guard that wore the silver star badge of a Chief Guard.

"By whose orders are you stationed here? The prince is a guest in this kingdom, not a prisoner."

The guard stiffened. "By order of Captain of the Guard Llybret."

"And why is the prince being guarded?"

The guard refused to meet my eyes, fixing his gaze over the top of my head. "He is suspect of assisting in the murder of a Guard."

This was ridiculous. I took a deep breath, and took a step closer to the guard. "Let me in."

The guard hesitated, but after a moment, he moved aside and unlocked the door. I shoved it open and went in. The room was torn apart. Nothing was actually damaged, but everything had been searched and thrown aside. The window to the balcony had been closed, and I could see at least three guards standing on the balcony.