The Calixtine Empire
1174 Words
Cason Thorn narrowed his eyes and grinned sinisterly before turning around, the smile on his face returning, “Come on, Adela. We can ride a horse back to the palace.”
Cason first helped Adela up onto the black horse before climbing on behind her, grasping onto the reins, “Hold on tightly.”
He carried the sack on his shoulders before turning around and taking one last look at the guard, “I’ll be back for you.”
The man shivered in the warm night and watched as the horse rode away steadily, in the direction of the palace.
He immediately collapsed onto the ground in fear. The second prince wasn’t dead?! How? What should he do now?
Adela and Cason rode down to the defensive wall that surrounded the Calixtine Empire. There were two guards standing on either side of the gate, which was closed already.
The guards narrowed their eyes when they saw the horse getting closer and closer, and they gripped their rifles tighter, staring alertly at the people on the horse until it came to a stop in front of the gate.
In the dark, it was hard to see the faces of the people on the horse.
“Who are you? The empire gate is closed.”
Cason Thorn grinned and leaned forward, close enough for the guard to see. The guard blinked a few times before he gasped in surprise,
“Your highness!” The other guard raised one eyebrow at his partner and looked up at the horse.
“Open the gates,” Cason said as he straightened his back and grabbed the reins. Adela was half asleep and she was leaning back against Cason’s chest, trying very hard to stay awake.
The guards looked at each other uncertainly. . . By the rules, they weren’t supposed to open the gates after curfew, but he was the prince.
“Do you not hear me? Open the gates,” Cason replied again, his voice a little colder but a smile still present on his face.
One of the guards nodded and the two of them walked over to the gate, pulled out a key and unlocked the gate.
They opened it slightly, large enough for the horse to get through before immediately closing it again.
The loud, creaky noise of the gates opening and closing woke Adela up completely, and she looked around confusedly.
“We are in the Calixtine Empire?”
Cason nodded his head, “You can go to sleep again. I’ll wake you up when we arrive at the palace.”
Adela glanced back at Cason before closing her eyes, but she didn’t go to sleep. She couldn’t tell if he was nice to everyone like he was to her, and it was just a part of his playful nature, or if he was especially nice to her. . .
Although she hadn’t planned on falling asleep, she still did because it was late at night and they had just walked the entire day.
When she woke up again, they had arrived in front of the palace gates.
“We’re here. . .” She mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat up straight.
Cason hopped off the horse with the sack on his bag and reached his arms out to help Adela down.
She first carefully moved both of her legs to one side of the horse and took a deep breath before she jumped down, falling into Cason’s embrace.
He grunted softly from the impact and Adela immediately pulled away after finding her balance.
Cason chuckled softly before grabbing onto her hand, “Come on, let’s go.”
The guard opened the door for them and they walked in. It was dark so Adela couldn’t get a good look at the palace grounds, but the building in front of her looked enormous.
She looked around curiously as Cason led her to the front door. He knocked once and they waited.
About a minute later an old man opened the door in what seemed to be his sleepwear, and he held a lantern up to see who was at the door.
“Butler Stafford,” Cason said with a smile.
“Prince - Your highness!” The butler seemed to be very surprised upon seeing Cason, and he almost dropped the lantern.
Cason chuckled softly, “Why are you so surprised to see me?”
“I - Everyone thought that you. . . that you. . .” Butler Stafford’s voice died off as he looked down. As he did so, he saw the pair of feet behind Cason.
He looked back up and finally noticed the small body standing, or more like hiding, behind the second prince.
“This is. . .”
Cason didn’t want to change the topic but he knew he would find out the answer sooner or later anyway, “This is Adela, my fiancee.”
Crash! The lantern fell down onto the marble floor, the glass shattering into pieces.
“Your - Her - This - Your highness’s fiancee?” The butler was at a loss for words as he stared confusedly at Adela and Cason.
Cason grinned and wrapped his arm around Adela’s waist before they stepped into the palace, leaving the butler alone still in shock.
It took several seconds before the butler shut the palace door and stepped in, “Your highness, well. . . His majesties and the crown prince all thought that your highness had. . . died, so. . .”
Cason nodded his head, “Go wake the King, Queen, my brothers, and my mother. Tell them that I am back.”
He smiled as he walked down the empty palace hallway with Adela.
“Where are we going?” Adela whispered softly to Cason as she tried to keep up with his pace. She did not think that he would be so direct and straightforward in telling the butler who she was, but she didn’t complain.
It would be much easier for her if Cason was the one to tell others about their “deal”.
Cason came to a stop in front of a large door and pushed it open, “Welcome to the Calixtine Empire’s throne room, my Princess Adela.”
Adela looked around the large room in awe. It was at least twice as large as the Audience Room in the Baldamia Empire. . . Indeed, the Calixtine Empire was very wealthy.
They sat down in the large chairs to the right of the room, right next to each other, and waited.
Several minutes passed and nothing happened, no one came.
When Adela was beginning to get tired again, the door suddenly opened and a woman ran in, several people following behind her.
“Oh, my son!”
- Writer
