Page 69 of Somber Prince

“I will join them,” Alzali announced.

It wasn’t ideal, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. I couldn’t possibly order the princess to stay put or sent her back to Kalmena. All I could do was make it clear to my warriors that General Oskura was in charge of this mission and that her orders superseded Alzali’s.

“Very well then.” I gestured at the door, signaling the end of our conversation.

Alzali left, maybe not entirely content but at least somewhat pacified. Tension drained from me, sending me down into the cushions.

With a muffled meowing, Zala returned, carrying a dead rodent in her mouth. She dropped it by my boot.

“It didn’t take you long,” I muttered, kicking the dead body away.

Zala jumped onto my lap, arching her back and rubbing her head against my arms and chest.

“Thanks for the present.” I scratched behind her ear.

Peace descended upon me as the cat curled on my lap, soft purring vibrating through her small body. I stroked her fur, letting the relaxation permeate my muscles. But it wasn’t enough. Since Dawn came into my life, I’d been craving emotions far more exhilarating than peace.

I craved chaos.

Chapter Seventeen

DAWN

The guards took me down a wide, winding staircase with an ornate railing. We descended into a huge, open cave. The place was so big, for a moment I wondered if we had come outside somehow.

The calming sound of a bubbling stream filled the cave. Stalactites of glowing crystal grew from the high ceiling above. The walls of the cave stood back, giving space to shimmering waterfalls that cascaded down black rocks. A white-water stream descended along a wall, then curved across the floor inlaid with colorful mosaic. Pale-gray and purple plants grew in decorative arrangements between the rocks above the water.

“I had no idea that the underground could be this gorgeous,” I muttered, stunned.

The air here was rich with moisture and filled with the aroma of the plants. Low marble benches stood along the stream, arranged in a way that presented the best view of the water for the person sitting on them.

“This way.” A guard gestured for me to follow him down the stream.

At the far end of the cave, the water ran under a wall of rock. Two doors were carved into the wall on each side of the stream, which was crossed by a narrow, arched bridge.

The guard opened the door on the left.

“His Highness wishes for you to stay in the golden sitting room.” He let me enter.

Long, thin crystals were laid into the shape of a hexagon in the center of the ceiling of the room. They shone with a golden glow that spread along thin veins of crystals from each end of the hexagon toward the walls. The ceiling and the walls were made of yellow clay. A mosaic of white and gold tiles decorated the floor. The golden glow reflected with a shimmer in the silk cushions arranged on a slightly raised platform in the middle of the room.

The platform was also shaped like a hexagon, with six carved poles rising from each corner. The poles arched over the platform into a structure resembling a gazebo. Light, shimmering fabric draped over the arches, framing a sitting area inside.

The golden shimmer, along with the yellow walls, gold tiles, and butter-colored silk made the room indeed look as if made of gold.

Several servants entered behind us. The first few removed the cushions off the platform and the fabric from the poles. The ones following them carried in a thick round mattress and armloads of bedding.

Before I knew it, a large bed replaced the sitting area on top of the platform. Next, they brought in a black canopy that was stretched between long, thin spikes like an umbrella. They fitted it over the bed poles to block the glow from the ceiling for the person who’d be sleeping in the bed. It looked like that person was going to be me.

I stopped one of the servants by catching the end of his skirt. “Am I to stay here until tomorrow?”

“You’ll stay here for as long as His Highness desires,” he replied.

Another servant brought in a huge basket filled with linens, towels, and toiletries. Setting the basket on the floor, he opened a door to the left.

“Your dressing room is here, Sweet One.” He gestured into the adjacent room that held tall shelves and empty trunks with their lids open.

“Will Prince Rha come down here anytime soon?” I asked. “I need to speak with him.”