The Prince's Choice ✔

Chapter Fifty Seven • Still Here

*LONG CHAPTER ALERT*

-Jade-

Jade jumped off Dimma, handed the reins to Loren and hugged her cloak closer to her. The black creature nudged her with his muzzle in her cloak and she smiled faintly. It almost felt like he knew something was wrong.

"Where is he?" Jade asked Loren quietly while he gave the reins to a stable boy who met them. From the look of it he knew who Loren and had been given coin to take care of their horses. She did not receive an answer. Loren was busy with instructing the stable boy about how he was supposed to take care of the horses.

Jade took the opportunity to take her surroundings in; they were in a city she had never set foot in before. Even if it was the one closest to Thornstead, she had never been here. It was located a couple of hours journey away on horseback, but her father did most of his business in Thornstead or in other adjacent villages, never cities.

It took so long to get here... How did they get William here in time? Jade wondered. She had no clue how they could have possibly gotten here in time with William alive in her father's poorly constructed carriage.

A bad feeling slowly grew inside of her. She had managed to stay optimistic about going to see William, but now, when she knew how long it had taken her and Loren to get here, she was not so sure there was anything to be optimistic about anymore.

Jade swallowed and let her eyes sweep the snow-covered streets around them. There were trails made from carts, horses and people on foot in the snow. All the while there was not a soul except the stable boy, Jade and Loren outside. What seemed like a snowstorm was building up. Jade looked up to the sky and thick foreboding clouds of what she guessed would spew out enormous flakes of snow hung above them. Maybe people were staying inside, just waiting for the chaos that would be needed to take care of after another thick layer of snow had fallen.

With an impatient look Jade noticed that Loren was not finished with the stable boy.

Should I tell him that Dimma will be fine and that is my husband which I am here to see? She snapped internally and rolled her eyes as she took another look at the city around her.

All of the sudden she noticed that Loren was walking with hastened and determined steps toward a building made of dark grey stone that was three stories high. Jade did not pay it more attention than that because her heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to make its way out of her chest.

She ran through the snow to catch up with him and pulled her hood down from her head.

"Where is he?" She asked impatiently as Loren walked up two steps and then opened the door.

"On the second floor." He answered her and motioned her to enter first with a sweeping motion of his hand.

. . .

Jade was led to a door on the second floor. The hallway leading to it was in was poorly lit and it smelled strange. Its scent, or stench, smelled like sick people and wounds that were poorly tended to, and it something smelled damp. Jade's nose wrinkled and the bad feeling had nested in her stomach, it grew stronger and her heart felt weaker with each second that passed in this wretched place.

"He is in here." Loren stated and handed Jade a key. She took it and tried her best to hide how much she was shaking.

"Why is he locked in there?" she whispered and looked over her shoulder if anyone was following them.

"He is still a prince, miss." Loren said with a lowered voice. "And even though King Uldard is loved in many parts of his kingdom, there is still those who would like to see the end of his reign and his kingdom fall... If anyone would get word of the king's only heir being on his deathbed, there could be a risk that someone would try to make it go a lot quicker..."