Gloria couldn’t sleep. There was too much noise. She had never been in a bustling city like Westfjord before, nor had she ever slept in an inn before. It was loud, and each time footsteps passed by their door, she jolted awake, on edge – it was overwhelming for her.

  Gloria sighed, then rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling. Seth’s words played over and over in her mind: “So…pretty.” She blushed and fidgeted with her blanket.

  Don’t get excited, she thought. He was just drunk. People aren’t themselves when they’re drunk. A dark thought reared its head: Sometimes they’re worse… Hideous memories surfaced, and Gloria tried to shake them off.

  Seth sighed in his sleep, startling Gloria from her thoughts. She glanced over at him from the floor and laughed a little before shaking her head. She couldn’t help it! She didn’t approve of him getting drunk, but… Maybe it’s a sign that he’s coming around, just like Kayla said…

  She watched Seth’s peaceful face a moment longer and her cheeks burned. You’re sweet, she thought. But I’m not sure I could sleep on a mattress…It’s been a long time.

  She tried to get comfortable on the wooden floor when Agmundr’s comment about her hair flashed into her mind. That was too close, she thought, gripping her blanket. She glanced at Seth again. I hope he doesn’t remember in the morning.

  Seth groaned and mumbled in his sleep, then he clenched the blanket in his fists and his head began to toss and turn. Gloria’s heart stopped – Was she about to appear? Gloria slowly sat up, watching Seth cautiously. His mumbling got louder, and Gloria could pick out a few words: “No”, “Please!”, and “Stop!”. But the woman didn’t appear.

  He’s having a nightmare… Gloria gripped her blanket when Seth let out a soft broken sob. It sounded bad. Should I stop it?

  Then, the mysterious woman’s taunt echoed in her mind: “You don’t even know what haunts him at night…but I do.”

  Gloria looked down at her hands. She could peer into his dream if she wanted. It was risky magic, but she could do it. She bit her lip. But I would be peering into his personal thoughts. Could I do that?

  The woman’s words took on a life of their own and blended with the ugly voice in her mind. She comforts him at night when terror strikes. He calls out to her.

  Gloria crept across the floor to the bed – temptation overwhelming. She slowly stood and looked down at Seth. His face was bathed in sweat and his brows were knit together as he panted and moaned in his sleep. “Please…someone…” he begged.

  What are you to him? The ugly voice continued to jeer. What they have is special.

  Gloria swallowed and reached her hand out, then she hesitated. But what if he gets angry? she thought, shaking and memories of Father flooded her mind. What would he do? Is it worth the risk?

  The ugly voice whispered in her ear. You could never compare to her.

  Gloria drew a golden sigil in the air. I have to know! Then she leaned in and touched foreheads. Let me see your fears…The world faded away and she felt her body lighten, then after a moment, everything around her came into focus.

  Gloria blinked and looked around her. She stood on a beach, the sky was pink from a rising sun and reflected a soft pink on the rolling tide. She stared at the sight in awe. This is the ocean…? Seth was right. It is stunning.

  A black speck caught Gloria’s eye. She looked up and saw something black and grey snowing down. She held her hand out and caught a flake, but it crumpled in her hand. Gloria frowned. Ash? She turned back and gasped – A magnificent castle was being razed to the ground. The flames were awesome and terrible and Gloria was sure she could hear the screams echoing from here.

  Suddenly, someone raced past her. Gloria whipped back to see a woman dressed in a rich singed dress racing to the beach. At the shore, the woman dropped to her knees and cradled her swollen stomach, sobbing. Gloria’s mouth dropped. She’s pregnant!

  She looked around her. “Help!” she cried. “Please! Somebody…!” But no one came. Gloria spun back to help, but the woman had threw herself into the sea.

  “Wait!” Gloria cried, scrambling after her, but the waves had already carried the woman far away.

  The scene shifted and Gloria found herself on another shore miles away. A pillar of smoke could be seen on the horizon. Why am I here? Gloria wondered, then she saw the same woman wash up on shore.

  Oh Crim! Gloria thought, trying to run to the drenched woman’s side, but before she could, a young man appeared on the shore with a fishing pole in his hand. Gloria looked up and saw the man drop the pole and race to the woman’s side.

  “Please!” Gloria cried, getting wrapped up in the dream. “Help her!” The man didn’t acknowledge Gloria, but he scooped up the woman and carried her away.

  As he walked away, the sky darkened, and Gloria blinked. When she opened her eyes, she saw Seth in a dark vault with a dull green light shining on a pedestal. Relief washed over her, and she was about to call his name when she noticed that on the pedestal was a golden crown set with deep blue sapphires.

  She frowned. A crown? Why does Seth need a crown? Gloria hung back and watched Seth enter the vault and approach the crown. Then he picked it up and put it on his head.

  In an instant, the scene changed once more to a great balcony. In front of her seven knights paid homage, and on their chest plates was the emblem of a golden leaf.

  Suddenly there was a great cheer. Gloria peered over the edge of the balcony and saw a crowd below. “Hail!” they cried. “Hail to the king!”

  Gloria slowly turned back to the balcony and her eyes widened in shock. Seth stood before the knights. He was dressed in a magnificent tunic, with a handsome blade strapped by his side and on his head was the golden crown.

  Seth? Gloria frowned in confusion. I don’t understand. Why would a blacksmith’s son dream of kingship? Just as the thought left her mind, a shadowed figure rose behind Seth.

  “Seth!” she cried. “Watch-!” The figure backstabbed Seth. His eyes went wide in shock, and she heard a small gasp come from him, before the crown was snatched off his head and he was shoved to the ground.

  The shadowed figure placed the crown on his head and the crowd continued to cry. “Hail! Hail to the king!”

  Gloria raced to Seth’s side. “Seth!” she cried, but as soon as she touched him, there was utter silence. She froze and looked around her – everyone was staring at her. Dread and unease began to rise in Gloria.

  The knights stood, staring at her until they frowned. Their mouths opened in unison, and she heard Seth’s voice come from them. “What are you-?”

  The world cracked like a glass mirror, then shattered. A rushing wind raced past Gloria’s ears and she felt her body grow heavy. Someone grabbed her wrist and sharply pushed her back. She gasped and found herself back in the inn room.

  Gloria looked down and saw Seth tightly gripping her wrist. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

  Gloria’s throat went dry, and she shook. She had never seen him this angry. “I…you were having a nightmare.” His grip tightened and Gloria sucked in her breath. “Seth,” she pleaded. “You’re hurting me.”

  “What did you do?” Seth sat up now continuing to glare at her.

  Gloria bit her lip and looked down ashamed. “I…I used my magic to look into your dream.” Seth didn’t answer, but she could feel him shaking.

  Gloria trembled and fear raced through her mind. He’s furious with me! What’s he going to do? She had to put distance between them! Gloria tried to pull away, but Seth wouldn’t let go.

  “How much did you see?” he demanded. Gloria fearfully looked back at Seth, expecting to see dark rage; instead, she saw terror mixed with anger.

  She blinked, shocked by his expression. “What?”

  “How much did you see?” he cried, his voice shaking with panic. “I need to know what you saw!”

  Gloria swallowed. “A-all of it,” she whispered, afraid. “I saw everything.”

  Seth’s eyes widened in terror, and he dropped her hand. Gloria pulled away and scrambled back a few steps before falling to the floor. She looked down at her wrist – there were a few marks on her skin from where he gripped her.

  “This can’t be happening!” Seth panicked, holding his head and shaking. “Not again! It can’t be happening!”

  He glanced at Gloria who flinched back and held her wrist. Seth stared at her wrist for a moment and blinked. Then realization came into his eyes and horror crashed over him. He tried to scramble out of bed but got tangled in the blankets and fell to the floor on his face.

  Gloria crawled back. “Stay back!” she cried.

  Seth picked himself up and met Gloria’s eyes. “Gloria! I am so sorry. Are you okay?” Gloria didn’t know what to say, she sat like a trembling deer staring wide-eyed at Seth.

  He slowly inched over to her. “Please,” he begged, tears in his eyes. “Forgive me. I…I wasn’t thinking. I was startled and I…I hurt you.”

  Seth gently reached out and took her wrist. He held it tenderly and stroked it as if he hoped that that would undo the damage he had done. “I’m sorry…” he repeated. “I’m so, so sorry.” The fear in Gloria’s heart slowly melted and the tension in her body relaxed – he wasn’t going to hurt her.

  Immediately following relief, guilt crashed over her. “No…I’m sorry,” she finally said. “There’s no excuse, for what I did. I violated your mind. I broke your trust. I was tempted and…I fell. If there’s anyone who should be asking for forgiveness, it should be me.” Gloria bowed her head in shame.

  Seth didn’t say anything for a long time. He just stared at her wrist and continued to stroke it; guilt written all over his face. Then finally he sighed and bowed his head. “I suppose it doesn’t keep you any safer not knowing anymore.” He looked up at her. “Do you want to know why I’m being hunted?” he whispered. Gloria slowly nodded.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “I should warn you.” His voice was strained. “Once you know, your life will never be the same.”

  Gloria swallowed then whispered back. “My life will already never be the same.”

  Seth felt horrible. What was it Bhaldran called people like him? An asal? That’s right! He was an asal.

  The room wavered under him and a knot twisted in his stomach when he saw bruises beginning to form on Gloria’s wrist. What would Gloria think of him now? Would she think he was no better than her father? Seth swallowed hard, his head pounding. Maybe he wasn’t.

  “Seth?” Gloria whispered, interrupting his thoughts. He sighed and met Gloria’s eyes for a moment before looking away again, too ashamed to meet her gaze. “Why are you being hunted?” she pressed.

  He stared at Gloria’s hand and wobbled a little. No sense in hiding it anymore… he thought blearily. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I was telling you the truth when I said I was born in Weatherridge and that the man who raised me was a blacksmith, but…” He paused and a pang of grief filled him; he didn’t want to say it. If he said it, then it’d be true, and Crim! He didn’t want it to be true. “He’s not my real father.”

  The words hung in the air. He said it. He’d finally said it. The truth he’d been denying for two years.

  “I don’t understand,” Gloria said. “Why would-?”

  “I’m the heir to the Fenguar throne!” Seth blurted out, his voice trembling. “My true father is the king of Fenguar…” He slowly looked up at Gloria who stared back at him in shock. “Or at least was before he was murdered,” he finished.

  Gloria blinked and shook her head, trying to process what he’d just said. “I don’t…” She looked up at him, her brow furrowing. “You’re royalty?” Seth nodded. “But…” Gloria stammered. “How did-? Why are you-? The dream-?”

  Seth put up a hand. “Let me try to explain.” Gloria closed her mouth and settled down to listen.

  Seth sighed, trying to blink back his blurry vision, and folded his hands in his lap. “This is the best I can figure from what I’ve been told and pieced together on my own. Twenty years ago, Lord Ember, one of the nobles, staged a coup. They razed Autumnport and under the cover of fire, they murdered the royal family, all except one – my mother.”

  “Good Crim…” Gloria muttered.

  Seth nodded and continued. “She never told me what happened, so my best guess is whatever I see in my dream,” he shook his head, as Mom’s face came to his mind. “I don’t know how she survived,” he whispered. “All I know is that she did.”

  Seth leaned against the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “She married my father—I mean…” His voice cracked. “I mean… she married Daniel Smith. I was born not much later…” A faint smile crossed his face. “Mom used to tell me about how I was so eager to be born that I didn’t wait until it was time.” He laughed a little, then his smile faded as he glanced at Gloria. “She lied to me… she was pregnant with me when she fled Autumnport.”

  Gloria’s face fell and she reached out to touch him, but Seth shook his head. If she did, he’d cry and if he cried, he’d never be able to finish telling his story.

  “I’ve been having variations of that dream since I was four,” he said, pushing onward. “I can still remember the first time I had it.” Shadows of that night echoed in his mind. “I woke up screaming, Mom ran in to comfort me…I can still remember how pale her face was when I told her my dream. She forbade me from telling anyone about it, even...Dad.”

  Seth swallowed back a lump. “At first, I didn’t understand why, but then as I got older, it would rattle me so much that I didn’t want to tell anyone. Does that make sense?”

  He flicked his eyes at Gloria who nodded, staring at the floor. “Yes…I understand how that feels,” she murmured. There was a pause and Seth blinked heavily.

  “Where does Master Naboth come in?” Gloria asked quietly.

  Seth smiled. Master Naboth… “Well…when I was fourteen, my master, Wizard Naboth, was passing through Weatherridge when his carriage broke down. So, we put him up for a few nights while Dad fixed it.” He grinned at the memory. “I’d never seen a wizard up close and I was incredibly curious. So, one night, I snuck into his bag and poured over all his tomes about magic theory, sigils, spells…”

  Seth shook his head and chuckled. “I got caught. Master Naboth was furious that I’d gone through his things, but I was so excited and pestered him with hundreds of questions that he didn’t yell at me. He just paused as curiosity took over and he asked me to cast one simple spell.”

  He paused and drew a simple sigil in the air. It was a little sloppy but still legible. “Lux meridania,” he said, and an orb of white light popped into his hand. He turned his hand over and rolled the orb on the back of his hand. As he did, Seth couldn’t help but glance at Gloria.

  Her face glowed in the orb’s light, and she stared in wonder. “Wow…” she breathed in awe.

  Despite his fuzziness, Seth rolled the orb up his arm and down the other with ease before catching it in his other hand. Gloria blushed and giggled a bit at his trick. “That’s incredible…”

  Perhaps it was the mead, but a little thrill went through him at her captivation. He shrugged bashfully and dismissed the orb. “It took me a long time to get good at that…”

  “I believe you,” Gloria answered, then she leaned in. “So, is that when he took you under his wing?”

  Seth nodded. “The next morning, he offered me an apprenticeship. Dad – er, Daniel – was thrilled. A wizard is very well thought of in Fenguar. Not only would this raise our family’s status, but then I would have enough money to take care of him and Mom when they grew old.”

  Seth’s face fell and he poked at the floor. “Mom wasn’t happy about it though,” he said. “I remember they argued about it for a few nights. Dad would demand for a good reason for me not to go, but Mom couldn’t give him one. Just that I couldn’t go, and it would be too dangerous for me.” He closed his eyes; he hated thinking about those nights. “Around and around they went until Dad accused Mom of stifling me and decided that it would be best for ‘the hatchling to spread his wings’.” He paused and took a shaky breath.

  Gloria reached out and touched Seth’s hand. Tears sprang to his eyes. No…he thought, blinking them back. I can’t cry. I’m not going to cry.

  Gloria scooched closer to him. “Then what happened?” she asked.

  Seth regained his composure and continued. “Well, I left Weatherridge to become a wizen in Autumnport. I remember being overwhelmed the first time I arrived – Autumnport is twice the size of Westfjord, and she never stops moving.”

  Gloria smiled at him. “Did you enjoy your studies?” she asked.

  Seth sighed and leaned back against the bed again, a huge grin spreading across his face. “I loved every minute of it.” he glanced at Gloria. “Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy, but I loved it. Master Naboth was always nagging at me to go out in the sun, see people, eat...”

  He laughed and held out a pale arm. “That ice witch took it, but I used to have the faintest tan from being out here.”

  Gloria laughed alongside him, then leaned her chin in her hands. “What was he like?”

  Seth smiled and laughed again. “He is a cranky old man who hates social convention.” He gazed off into the distance and Master Naboth’s wise twinkling eyes came to his mind. “But kind to those he cares about. He is passionate about the arcane arts and demands that it be respected…” he paused. “I miss him…” he murmured. “I miss them all…”

  The room was quiet, and Seth rubbed his eyes, his head still aching. How long had he been talking?

  “How did you end up coming up here?” Fear shot through Seth, and he gripped his pantlegs. Gloria reached out to him. “You don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

  Seth shook his head. “No, no…you should know. I…I had my dream again; except that time it was…violent.”

  He heard Gloria open her mouth to ask, but Seth shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said with a slight edge to his voice. “I try not to even think about it.”

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Gloria nod. “Okay…” she whispered.

  He trembled and clenched his hands together, soon the words came spilling out. “I…I woke up screaming like I was four again. Master Naboth came stumbling in and in a stupid panic, I ended up telling him everything. I still remember the look on his face when I told him my dream. ‘You are the one,’ he told me. ‘We knew you still had to be alive!’”

  “He told me what my dream meant and that he was part of a secret order of knights who were loyal to my father. They knew that Mom had escaped and spent the last twenty years looking for me.”

  Seth held himself close. “That was when we heard a noise in the hall, Master Naboth went to check, he didn’t see anyone, but somehow, he knew – Autumnport wasn’t safe anymore.” Seth’s grip on his arms tightened and he began to curl into himself.

  The night he left Autumnport began to replay in his mind – the tension, the anxiety. Seth’s hands shook as he remembered his pounding heart as he shoved books, clothes, and anything else he could carry into a bag.

  “Seth?” A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he jumped, turning wide eyes to Gloria. “What happened?” she asked gently.

  “I…I broke a cup…” he rocked a little. “I wasn’t thinking and knocked it off the table. It was loud…so loud…” he began to shake. “Then I couldn’t stop shaking…I couldn’t breathe…Master Naboth had to force me to sit down so I didn’t hurt myself.”

  Gloria’s hand didn’t leave his shoulder. He tried to focus on the warmth to stay in the present, but that dreadful night continued to play out and he found his loose tongue continue to speak. “He helped me escape the castle. The halls were decorated for Crimtide, but it was so cold and I was sure that around each corner, someone was waiting to drag me to him…to Lord Ember.”

  Gloria squeezed his shoulder. “But you’re here now…you made it out.”

  Seth’s eyes glazed over, and he remembered the bob of The White Lily on the frigid waters and Autumnport vanishing in the early morning mist. “I got on a boat…” he murmured, the memory consuming his vision. “I sailed north to Stormvale, then I walked to Northhorn and the rest…the rest you know…”

  “Do your parents know where you are?” Gloria asked softly.

  Tears brimmed in Seth’s eyes, and he shook his head. “No,” he said quietly, trying to hold back the building tears. “I used to write letters to Master Naboth, and he would post them from Autumnport. But they still think…” Seth’s breathing hitched. “They still think…” a tear rolled his cheek. “They still think I’m in Autumnport…and I’m too busy to see them!”

  The dam burst and Seth sobbed into his knees. He barely registered Gloria rubbing his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

  “I haven’t heard from my parents or Master Naboth in six months!” Seth wept into his knees. “The last letter I got was a coded message my master, and I was too stupid to figure it out!” he slammed a hand on the floor.

  Beside him, Gloria jumped and jerked her hand away, but Seth was too distraught to notice. He turned a tear-stained face towards her. “Because of that I almost got you killed…I got myself killed! And like an idiot, I made a deal with some strange woman, and all for what?” he asked shaking furiously as hot tears ran down his cheeks. “To run with a price on my head forever? To be tormented by her for the rest of my life?”

  Gloria bit her lip and tried to remain steady. Seth clenched his fists; it was all coming out – he couldn’t stop it now. “I don’t even know if I want to be king!”

  Seth dropped his head on his knees and sobbed quietly. Gloria didn’t say anything for a long time, she simply put her hand on his shoulder and held it there. Despite his grief, Seth found her presence comforting.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she finally said.

  Seth sniffed “How?” He looked up at her, desperate for an anchor.

  “I don’t know,” Gloria confessed. “But it’s going to be.” She smiled faintly. “Tomorrow we’re going to get answers about her. Let’s start there and worry about everything else as it comes.”

  Seth wiped his nose with the back of his hand and gave a half laugh. “We? You’re not going to leave after I hurt you? After I treated you like your father did?”

  As soon as the words left his mouth, Gloria sharply turned his face towards her and locked eyes with him. “You are nothing like my father,” she said sharply. “My father hurt me because…” She hesitated, then bit her lip and averted her gaze. “He hurt me because he was angry.”

  Seth stared into her eyes. That’s not the whole truth, is it?

  “You…” Gloria struggled to meet his eyes again. “You were protecting yourself. We’ve already met a few assassins. You have to be on guard for anything…”

  “But your wrist-!” Seth protested.

  “You are nothing like him,” she stressed. She sighed and shook her head at him. “My father never would’ve apologized for hurting me. But as soon as you realized that you did, you immediately tried to make things right.” She smiled softly at him. “So don’t ever compare yourself to him again.”

  The encouragement helped, but Seth still felt sick to his stomach whenever he saw the small bruises on her wrist. Gloria sat back and noticed his gaze to her wrist. She looked at it and gave a wry smile. “I suppose this is my punishment for what I’ve done.”

  Seth frowned. “No, don’t say that about yourself.”

  Gloria shrugged and started to head back to her blankets on the floor, yawning. “It’s late. Let’s get some rest,” she said.

  Seth watched her for a moment then spoke up. “Take the bed.”

  Gloria looked back at him. “I told you, I’m fine on the floor.”

  Seth shook his head and stood. The floor was still a bit wobbly, but he blinked and steadied himself. “Nope, I’m insisting this time.” He stumbled to the bed and made it as neatly as he could, then patted it. “Please, it’ll make me feel better for hurting you.”

  Gloria sighed and laughed softly. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  Seth shook his head again and gave her a weary smile. “Nope.”

  “Alright…” she conceded and took the bed while Seth took her place on the floor. He heard Gloria sigh as she lay down, then a few moments later, she was asleep.

  Seth tried to calm his mind after everything that had happened. One feeling rose above the rest – relief. Despite his fears and doubts, Seth felt lighter. It felt good to open up – to trust someone.

  Seth glanced in Gloria’s direction. Maybe William was right. Maybe she was meant to come with him. He smiled and his face grew warm– the thought of her staying with him didn’t sound so bad now. In fact, he was beginning to hope that maybe she’d never leave. The thought embarrassed him.

  Afraid, Seth quickly rolled away from Gloria and pulled the covers over himself. It was hot and uncomfortable, but he had to hide. He felt raw and exposed. Go to sleep, he thought and squeezed his eyes shut. Then he tried to push out everything and will himself to sleep.