Heart desired

//Chapter 21//

They called this The Eternal Prison.

I was leaning against the wall, working out my thighs. Training, eating, washing and sleeping was all I did. The time flew fast when I was doing something. After the hundredth wall push up, I sat down on the floor, my legs sore.

I looked up at the opposite wall. Today was my seventy sixth day here. The tiny marks I made on the stone walls looked back at me. I tried not to think about too much of it. Not thinking was what kept me going these days.

I knew nobody would find me in here. This prison was known by only the prime minister and anyone with royal blood. A family was given the task to bring a meal per day to the prisoner. Before, it was Codek family. Now, it was the third daughter of Revenen family.

I stayed up one night to talk to the person who brought my meal. At first, she was cautious about me. But over the time, she talked to me more. She brought me the chalk to mark my days. She didn't tell me anything about the outside, and I did not ask. If my fate is to stay still, I'd happily do that instead of letting anyone get hurt because of me.

In a way, this was the best way to stop seeking.

Sometimes, I wondered if Daniel and Resh were alive. I didn't know if my father made it out. Perhaps the Elkelyn council decided to attack Rawen. I wasn't that much worried about that because of Rawen's defense system.

I remembered my friends. Eight years before, none of us thought that anything would end like this. We were happy, we were free.

And now, they are dead, and I was imprisoned.

I accepted my fate, because I felt like I fully deserved this. My only concern was Daniel, Resh My father and sometimes, even Savin. The Pestras's prophecy and my dream both told me to stop my seeking, to stay away from everything. So, been imprisoned this way helped a lot with that.

I closed my eyes, so I could stay awake at night. At least I could talk to Revenen then.

-

"Look, if you want to stop losing balance, you have to practice having balance." Tristan said, shaking his head as he watched me fall down from the rope for the thirtieth time.

"That's what I have been doing for the past four hours." I said, groaning as I got up. Stupid tightrope.

He shook his head. "I don't understand how you manage to take only five steps before falling."

"I don't know, okay?" I said, feeling desperate. "It's like my brain stops me from going further. The moment I take the sixth footstep, I know I'm going to fall."

"A mental block, I see." He stood up from his beloved rock and came to my side. "Get up. Let's try this one more time, in a new way."

I did as he said, climbing the tree. I took a deep breath, setting my foot on the rope once again. It expanded under my weight. I swallowed. I had a fear of heights and that was not helping with this, at all.

A little away from us, Cara and Warren were sparring. I could hear some trash talk. "Oh, boy, you are going down." "Try me, little lady." "Let's see whose little." "Are you scared?" "Does my expression match your wide eyes?"

At least they were having fun.

"Take another step." Tristan said. I did. "Another one." I did. Three steps.

"Okay, forget about how many steps you took." He said. "Close your eyes, and adjust your balance."

"Close my eyes? But I will fall!"

"You are falling even with your eyes open wide." He pointed out. "Just do it."

I hesitantly closed my eyes. This was not going to end well. I could all ready feel my body tilting to the side.

"Breathe in and out." He said. "Straighten your arms. Squat down, but relax your legs." I was dying from fear of falling. "Take another step. Don't worry, if you fall, I'll catch you."

That was reassuring. "Don't count steps. Just focus on taking another step. You can open your eyes now."

I opened my eyes. Another step. Just one.

And another one. And another one.

That time, I took eight steps before falling down. Tristan was a liar. He didn't even try to catch me when I fell.

I got up and stared at him, without saying a word. He came and ruffled mu hair. "Don't be mad now. I have a feeling that when you need this skill, I won't be there to catch you."

"What a load of crap." I said. He grinned back. I dusted myself off and climed the tree again.

-

When I woke up, it was already dark outside.

I guessed it might be just passed midnight. There wasn't any food. Revenen haven't come yet. Good.

I did not bother getting up. The walls were mostly fused with insfi stones. I tried every day to reach my magic beyond the walls, so I could know if anyone was down here with me. It was not working, as expected.

Still, I did not stop. There was nothing else to do here, after all.

After an hour or two, I heared footsteps approaching.

I waited till she got to the small window near the bottom which was thin and long enough to pass a food tray, but nothing else.

As I waited, the window slid open. "Hey." I called.

A tray was pushed inside. Today, it was the same. Some fruits and a bowl of payasam. Whoever ordered to imprison me here must have known about it being my favourite food. It felt like someone saying "Eat this and stay here like a good girl."

"Hey." She spoke. "Are you holding on alright?"

"Never been better." I said. "How about you?"

"I had a practical test at the academy today." she said. "I can shoot arrows with my eyes closed now."

"Wow, congrats!" I said. "I guess you read ways of wind, then."

"Yup." She said. "Mages were surprised. I've never felt this good about myself. Thank you again, Sumi."

"It's nothing." I said. "Ask me anything you want."

"Okay, I have to go now. See you tomorrow."

"See you."

I turned to my food as her footsteps started to fade. That girl had no idea how much she was helping me. I would slowly start to go mad if it wasn't for her, just like what happened to other prisoners.

I used my middle name with her. It was same as my mother's. Sumi. All the daughters inherited their mother's middle name while son's inherited their father's middle name. Daniel hated the name Surren. I did not like it either. He was the reason for us to get caught eight years ago. That man had the nerve to let his son die in exchange for profit.

Still, Prince Surren was a good title.

I finished my food and marked another day on the wall. Seventy seven days done. Just another seven hundred or so years remained. Piece of cake.