Prince Frederick woke up the next morning and started the perilous journey to the Fortress to retrieve Aurora Arkov, who was the greatest threat to the kingdom until yesterday. Now, it seemed like there was a new villain, the Child of Ash, whose name sounded like it had come from a fairy tale he would have read as a child.
The man got in a large boat, the Bluebell, and went down the stream that led to the Stratified Sea, where he could make his way over to the Okarian Ocean, which was located beside the Fortress. He had always feared the water since, after his father’s death, pirates had roamed, and if they caught you, you would be sold to a corrupt organisation that would make you work 23 hours a day. The Emperor, his brother, had promised to sort out the issue, but ever since the Empire started, the Empire was all that was on his brother’s mind. Deep down, Prince Frederick hated the idea, but as the Empire expanded, it became more and more difficult for a rebellion against it to take place.
‘The sky suggests that there may be a storm brewin’ up. Methinks it is best to stop halfway, in the centre of the Okarian Ocean, and then, when the storm finally goes o’er, we continue the journey.’
‘No, we are going through this storm, whether you want to or not!’ Frederick took the oars and paddled them through the purple vortex.
‘Sir, our boat will not handle this.’ The captain tried to take control, but Prince Frederick would not allow him to do so.
The boat was now located in the exact centre of the storm. The waves crashed against the boat vigorously. In all his time alive, the captain of the boat had never seen a storm like it. This was a mistake. The strong winds pushed against the boat, rocking the people in it to and fro. Bolts of lightning struck the grey water. The crew were splashed. The storm was too powerful for them to resist, not even the greatest captain to ever live could survive this.
‘ROW!’ Prince Frederick screamed over the top of the loud noises made by the storm.’I said row!’ The Sentries rowed with the oars, however, the current was too great to push against.
‘T’was better to hang on than to endure this mighty storm.’ One of the crew members laughed and jumped off the boat. The others followed, all but Frederick. I am going to do what no captain has ever done before, I will get through this tempest. He rowed the oars so hard that his arms bled. This storm would not stop him, Prince Frederick would get through it. The man looked at the sky. Grey clouds loomed overhead. There was only one way he could escape it: to attach the boat to something stronger than the storm, and then use that to push the boat to shore. Yet, there was nothing to attach it to. Prince Frederick would be a dead man.
Memories flashed back in his head. This would be his demise. He ripped off his shirt and screamed at the sky.
‘Take me! I have achieved as much as I can, and now, there is nothing to do but let me die.’ He took a deep breath and jumped from the edge of the ship. The seawater was salty and clammy and left a bitter aftertaste when you swallowed it. Not yet, I will not die yet. He kicked his legs and reached his arms forwards. Now, his swimming would depend on his survival. The end of the storm was in sight. He could see the light of the Sun reflect against the purple outline of the storm.
‘I will not fail you brother.’ He said to himself.
Then, Frederick looked at the storm for one last time before leaving it. The struggle was finally over, he had escaped the storm. Parts of the wooden boat he had travelled on floated towards him. He took a bit, as a reminder of what he had endured.
⤖
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Hours of swimming later, Frederick had finally arrived at the shore of the land in which stood the Fortress. When he freed her from the prison, Frederick would tell her all about the perilous journey that he had faced just to even see her.
‘Name?’ The Fortress Guard interrogated him at the gates of the prison.
‘Frederick, I am the Emperor’s brother.’ Frederick stated his name and relation to the Emperor, which would surely get him in.
‘Yes, and my mother is the Queen!’ The guard laughed and jeered at Frederick. All that danger just to not be accepted into the facility. Frederick swung at him but missed. His fist collided with the metal gate, but he had no time to cry.
‘What do you think you are doing?’ The Fortress Guard attacked him, landing several blows to his stomach. He struggled to get up from the ground. So, the man thought of another strategy. He got a pocket knife from his boot and stabbed it in the Fortress Guard’s leg. He then scraped the blade down the whole leg, piercing through all of the flesh. The Fortress Guard screamed in agony and collapsed. Then, took his clothes and disguised himself as a Fortress Guard. Never in his life had Frederick ever had to do this, but sometimes, people had to take risks.
They let him through the metal gates of the Fortress. Now he was in, it would be easy to get the girl and go, or so he thought. As he walked down every corridor, searching for Aurora’s cell, many guards gave him dirty looks. Finally, he was stopped.
‘Are you lost?’ The Fortress Guard put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I am guessing that you are new here. Who do you have to see?’
Frederick cleared his throat.
‘Aurora Arkov.’ Frederick spoke in a deep voice to try and mask his identity. He looked the Fortress Guard dead in the eye.
‘Ah, well, I can lead you there. Would you like that?’ The Fortress Guard offered, and Frederick nodded. ‘Right, come on then, I will show you.’
The Fortress Guard led the way, walking down the corridor and up fifteen flights of stairs. Frederick wanted to comment; he was afraid it may reveal who he truly was.
‘Here we are.’ The Fortress Guard pointed to a cell with three Fortress Guards standing outside of it.
‘Thank you.’ Frederick waved goodbye and asked the Fortress Guards for a key to the cell. They looked at him for a brief second and then gave him one. He put the golden key through the lock and hoped to hear a satisfying click. Click! There it was. Frederick opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.
‘Aurora.’ Frederick said.
‘What do you want?’ Aurora skulked in the corner. Scratches were all over her arms. This prison was doing something to her.
Frederick took off his disguise and showed her his true identity. Hopefully, this works. If not, then I will be trapped with Aurora Arkov for the rest of my life.
‘It is me, Frederick, the Emperor’s brother. He sent me here to free you. We do not have much time, so you have to do everything I say, no matter how far-fetched it sounds. Okay?’ He took her hand.
‘Okay.’ Was the reply. Frederick put the Fortress Guard disguise back on and unlocked the door. The Fortress Guards looked at them as they came out. Frederick took Aurora down the corridors but was stopped.
‘Where do you think you are going?’ The Fortress Guard stood in front of both of them. Frederick knew a fight would result in his identity being revealed, so instead, he lied.
‘The Emperor has asked me to take Aurora Arkov. He says it is urgent.’ Frederick gulped. There was no way on Earth that this would work.
‘I think the Emperor would confer with us, rather than just one Fortress Guard who I do not even know. Who are you and what do you want with the prisoner?’
‘I was sent here by the Emperor, and if you do not let me take the girl with me, then the Emperor will be mad, and both of us know not to anger the Emperor.’ Frederick pushed past the Fortress Guard with the girl and ran down the corridors. They descended the staircase and eventually escaped the Fortress and then sat on the shore together.
‘That was amazing.’ Aurora put her head on the sand and watched the tranquil waves of the Okarian Ocean.
‘Guess what I did to get here.’
‘What?’ Aurora looked at him with a look of curiosity.
‘Well, I headed here on a small, wooden boat with a crew of experienced people. There was a great storm, and although the Captain asked us to rest until the storm was over, I said no. I took the oars and paddled the boat through the biggest storm I have ever seen. My crew all said to turn back, but I believed we could do it. My crew all jumped from the ship, but I stayed, and tried my hardest to get the boat out of the storm.’
‘And did you?’ Aurora seemed intrigued.
‘No, I had to swim out of the storm, but it was heroic anyway. All to save you.’ Frederick smiled at her, and she smiled back. Aurora had a beautiful smile that made Frederick think that it would all be okay. They rested, and as Aurora was sleeping, got the disguise and put it over her like a blanket. Maybe he was wrong, but Aurora Arkov did not seem like the criminal that the Emperor had always talked about.