Cassian sat in his room paralyzed by indecision. On one hand, his father had made it very clear that he wasn’t to venture out into the Undercity for the festival this year. And yet, on the other hand, the prince wanted desperately to experience the excitement of the celebration. As he laid on the black marble floor, long legs stretched up towards the vaulted ceiling, he tossed and caught a small ball repeatedly. His frustrations boiled up inside of him until he felt like a firework about to explode.
The sound of a cat purring at his window was a welcome distraction, Wrrrooooooowww.
Cassian got up and grabbed a plate from an intricately carved oak table. He placed the plate full of leftover fish and carrots on the window seal. The fluffy black feral cat nodded its head in appreciation before digging into the food. Cassian smiled, petting the dirty cat gently between her ears.
Striding over to his bedside table, he picked up a pitcher of iced lavender tea and poured himself a glass. A chorus of meows turned his attention back to the window. Cassian looked over at the window and laughed warmly. “Looks like I’ll need to remember to order larger portions from the kitchen moving forward. I suppose I’ll tell them I’m trying to bulk up…” They’d certainly believe it, Cassian was muscular, but due to his tall frame he looked like a twig. Five more stray cats had joined the fluffy black cat to enjoy the offering of leftovers fit for a king, or perhaps, fit for a prince. Cassian brought the glass up to his nose and breathed in the delightful floral aroma. Sipping the tea, he couldn’t help but remember a time when he was much younger.
The memory of the day he and his mother had disguised themselves as farmers and gone out into the Undercity to enjoy street food played fondly in his mind. His father was not only extremely overprotective of his sole heir, but his beloved wife as well. If not for my mother’s love and good intentions, I very well might have been chained up in this tower my entire youth. As he reflected fondly on the trip, he fell back on his bed and beamed. That’s when a clever idea came to him.
He paced back and forth inspired by the possibilities. If he disguised himself as a common man, he could walk freely amongst the citizens without fear of unwanted attention. Cassian ran to his closet full of extravagant garments and thumbed through them with a sudden and very much welcome excitement.
The prince pulled out outfits of every cut and cloth, holding them up to himself in front of his floor to ceiling mirror. They’re all much too fancy to be worn in public. I’d be discovered immediately.
That’s when another idea popped into his head. Cassian ran through the castle until he made his way to the servant’s quarters. He peeked his head in, looking left then right to make sure no one was inside. When he knew the coast was clear, he snuck in and took the clothes from a trunk at the end of a straw bed. The linen tunic and pants were too big for Cassian, but he figured that would add to the disguise. After all, most common folk didn’t have their clothing tailored, did they? He threw the servant's attire into his leather satchel and made his way to the castle library.
As Cassian moved through the opulent halls of the palace, he looked down at his longsword belted to his hip. He wondered if he should leave it at the palace. After all, one look at his one-of-a-kind blade would certainly reveal his identity. His eyes bounced from side to side as he weighed the decision. In the end he decided he’d rather have his sword with him, the oversized cloak would obscure it well. He would just need to ensure no one go too close a look at the blade.
When he entered the library, Cassian was greeted by the musty smell of old parchment. It was far from his favorite area of the palace, and he usually didn’t enjoy spending time there. The checkered tile floors were spotlessly clean, and a giant sea creature's skeleton hung on display overhead.
Mira, a young woman around his own age wore a plain linen dress and her strawberry blonde hair was tied up with a piece of hemp twine. She was putting books back on the shelves when she noticed him. “How about that, the very world must be ending. Is our beloved prince in the library of his own volition?” She said laughing.
Cassian’s cheeks flushed red, with a sly smirk he stepped in close to his friend, “Oh shush, if anyone asks, I was never here, ok?”
“You expect me to lie for you?”
The prince shrugged, putting his hands on his hips, and looking around nervously. “Come on, I thought we were friends?”
“Friends don’t ask friends to lie for them. Especially when it could result in time locked up in the dungeons.” Mira replied, half in jest and half truly worried about the consequences.
“It’s easy though, all you have to do is say you never saw me if anyone asks.”
Mira replied without saying a word. Her scrunched brow and stern glare let him know how she felt about the situation.
“Okay, how about this…I’ll stop by the bookstore in the Undercity and pick you up K.J. Bernard’s latest smut novel, if you keep my secret?”
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She looked at him rolling her eyes, a smile beginning to emerge on her face. “And…?”
“And, I’ll bring you back those pear cakes you love.”
There was no hiding it any longer, Mira was smiling wide now. She blushed, curtsying mockingly and they shared a laugh. “You’ve got yourself a deal, my lord.” Mira moved aside so that he could push the bookcase out of the way revealing a secret passageway.
“I’ll be back this evening. And Mira, thank you for helping me.” Without another word he slipped into the tunnel, pulling the bookcase back into place behind him.
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When Cassian reached the end of the secret passageway he changed into the servant's clothes. Stepping out onto the bustling Undercity streets he pulled his hood up obscuring most of his face in sharp shadows. He walked forward slowly, before the flow of the crowd caught him and swept him along like the current of a river. He found himself looking around with wonder. Vendors lined the streets selling exotic wares as eager customers moved from stall to stall examining the offerings. Though it was mid-day, the Undercity was naturally dark given its location tucked away in the shadow of the Topside. The small amounts of light peeking through the exposed cavern ceiling meant that the illumination of thousands of lanterns displayed an almost magical quality.
The prince hadn’t been to the festival since he was very young and the notion of being out of the palace on his own filled him with excitement. Intoxicating scents melded together in the street. Hints of paprika, roasted meat, and charcoal found their way to his nostrils and his stomach rumbled. Cassian cut a path through the crowd and approached a stall where a bushy-browed man was selling freshly barbecued rabbit skewers. Paying the man a small handful of copper coins, he took the skewers and found a spot to sit atop a stairway looking out over the hazy Undercity. Cassian tore into the rabbit meat and was amazed at the delicious flavors dancing on his tongue. The curry seasoning used was extremely uncommon in Cloudreach and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever tasted something quite like it.
In the distance he could see the racetrack. The main event wouldn’t start for some time, but it appeared that the preliminary races were in full swing. He finished eating the exquisite rabbit meat and made his way down a dark alley in the direction of the races. Cassian felt amazing, he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so alive. To be out on his own without the suffocating presence of guards and servants felt surreal.
A harsh chemical scent stung Cassian’s nostrils as a group of robed men pushed past him carrying three struggling children. Alarm bells went off in Cassian’s head immediately. He was supposed to be maintaining a low profile, but this just didn’t feel right. Tossing his skewers aside and jumping to his feet, he pressed up against the edge of a dirty brick alley, peeking around the corner to get a closer look at the robed men. He watched for a few seconds before they disappeared into a building that looked like a ramshackle unmarked red warehouse. He wasn’t certain what to do, but he knew those kids needed his help.
This part of town was an industrial area and wasn't very busy. Still, he took precautions to be as stealthy and inconspicuous as possible. Prince Cassian decided on a course of action as he approached. Going through the front door seemed like a bad idea, after all, he was only one man. And so, he snuck up to the side of the warehouse, hiding behind crates and wagons along his path. Climbing up onto the roof of an adjoining building nimbly, he did a quick stretch, then jumped onto the roof of the red warehouse. The prince rolled gracefully when he landed. He quickly located an entrance hatch on the rooftop and cracked it open as quietly as he could before dropping down into an empty chamber lit by torches.
The room appeared to be a makeshift laboratory. As Cassian looked around a deep sense of dread began sinking in. Upon closer inspection, this laboratory looked more like a a torture chamber. Blood stained the old tile floors and large glass containers filled with body parts floating in colored fluid lined the walls. In the center of the room was a rusted surgical table with heavy leather straps and locks on it.
A young boy was strapped onto the table, gagged, and struggling desperately to get free. Cassian felt overwhelmed for a moment and began to wish he had never left his cats and the palace. When he noticed the boy, the feeling dissipated and Cassian rushed over to him. The kid looked terrified and when the prince removed the gag from his mouth, he wasted no time pleading with Cassian. “Quick, we need to get out of here! They’ll be back any minute. I don’t want to end up like the others. Please…. please I want to live!”
Cassian felt the terror and urgency dripping from the boy’s words and drew his longsword. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you and the others out of this place.” He exhaled nervously and more than anything, he hoped he could make good on his promise.