Chapter 4- Sean

The cobblestones of the shadowy courtyard thudded softly against my boots. I could feel my heart beating; see my breath fog up the cold night air. The leather saddlebags, packed roughly with my most treasured belongings, rubbed against my shoulder as I crept toward the stables. 

I was leaving Atriel. 

No more responsibility, no more diplomacy, no more stupid princely duties. After this, I would be free to fulfill my vow. 

Avoiding the guards was harder than I had been expecting. Usually I hardly paid them any attention- they weren't important in my eyes until, like now, they stood between me and my goal. I had been planning to leave for months now, but I had never really worked out any of the details. I just figured things would work out for me, like they always did. 

Squinting across the open space, I could just barely make out the door that led to the horses and tack. I glanced back and forth quickly, then throwing up the hood of my cloak and looking down, I stood up and walked forward. Unhurrying, I hoped that I would be mistaken for a guard or a farrier. 

It seemed I had succeeded, for in the dappled moonlight filtering through the trees it was hard to make out faces. My hand grasped the rough wood of the stable door and pushed it open quickly. It creaked slightly, but I made sure that no one had followed me, and stepped inside. I shut the old wood firmly behind me, turning and listening with my ear against it. All was silent, and I congratulated myself on a successful escape.  

"Your highness?" A deep voice from behind me broke the musty silence. I knew that voice. It had trained me since boyhood.

I froze. 

The gruff tones of Rolf, the swordsmaster, my mentor, continued speaking to my back. "Prince Sean, are you leaving?" I could hear the rebuke in his words, but that only strengthened my resolve.

I replied without facing him, keeping my voice low. "Yes, I'm leaving- and I'm not coming back." I stepped away, stalking towards the aisle of stalls. The horses pricked up their ears as I walked past, and some of them nickered softly. Rolf followed me, reaching out.

"I know you wish for adventure, but your mother needs you here. Think of what it would do to her, to lose another-" I cut him off, finally turning. My face was as hard as my voice, and an angry flush had risen up my neck, turning my scar ice-white. 

"Another what? Another loved one, were you going to say?" I scoffed, tossing my head back. "She doesn't love me. She doesn't even know me. How could she? All she sees in me is my father, and so she tries to make me into him. But I'm NOT HIM! -I never could be." 

Rolf stepped back, shocked at my outburst. Then he opened his mouth again, as if going to continue. I glared into his eyes, pouring all my resentment and hate into that gaze, and I found that it felt good to let it out on someone else. 

"Leave. Me. Alone." 

Rolf had been hurt by my words, I knew, but he had something akin to compassion on his face as he looked at me. "Very well. I will not stop you." He swiveled and left, heading for the small door. As he reached it, he looked at me one more time, hesitating. 

"When you find what you are looking for, I hope it's what you needed."

Then he was gone, the latch sliding shut behind him.

I stared after him for a second, trying in vain to decipher his words. What I needed?  Then, shaking my head, I reached for the small gate next to me.

Gwynt tossed his toffee colored mane and twitched his ears at me as I unlatched his stall. I calmed him down, speaking softly as I set the saddlebags on the rack.

I dug through my pockets until I found a bit of grain I had snatched from the kitchen, and gave it to him. He ate it, wrapping his supple tongue around it and chewing slowly, but his glance told me that he had been expecting better. "I'm saving your apples for later." I told him, rather shortly, and grabbed the rest of his tack. 

It took a while before he was ready, and the moon was bright. I led him slowly through the buildings in the yard, waiting for moments when errant clouds scuttered across its face. There weren't many guards tonight.

The portcullis was, of course, down for the night, but I had another path in mind. In my younger days of exploring, and in my more recent days of rebellion, I had often wandered off and found small nooks to hide in. Thus, when I was nine, I had discovered a small tunnel leading through the wall and out into the forest. 

It was old magic, a simple distance-warping Dri, but I had thought it the most wonderful thing in the world. 

I had only ever shown it to one person, my father. He was gone now, and I was determined to keep this memory to myself. Sacred. Unseen by any.

I reached the wall across from the guard post, and placed my hand quietly on the ancient bricks. As soon as my fingers scraped the surface, a soft purple glow began to emanate from it, spiraling outward like mist between trees. 

I looked nervously at the guards, but they had noticed nothing. I sighed with relief, glad to know that the magic hadn't changed. 

The doorway opened in front of me, and I could see the pines at the other end, beckoning. Swinging astride Gwynt, I led him right into the wall. He obeyed, although he tossed his head worriedly at the tendrils of mist that were creeping into his mane.

I rode onward, looking forward with a grim sense of expectancy. The rumors had been circulating for too long now for me to deny their validity. A woman, in the Krebe forest. A queen dressed in red. A witch with fire in her veins.

I grinned. Freedom was within my reach.

Freedom, and revenge.

The wall closed behind me with a soft purple whisper, like a small cat purring.

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A/N

Hey guys, I'm BACK

Sorry it took so long for me to update (again), but I was on vacation without internet!

Sooooo what do you guys think of Sean?

I really like writing his perspective. I still can't decide if I like writing him or Lucia more, because they both have so much personality. 

Anyway, Enjoy! :D

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