I was walking down one of the numerous corridors of the palace when I heard two maids gossiping with each other. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on them but I couldn't help it when they mentioned Sirius. "His Highness Sirius didn't look good when I last saw him, he just ignored me when he passed by me before. His Highness usually never does that. I hope everything is okay" she said worriedly.
I froze on that spot, I tried to listen in for some more from the two maids but they just moved from topic to topic so, I abandoned that idea and turned around briskly walking to the Prince's room.
Just another two corners before I would reach my destination, I bumped into another maid who seemed in a hurry. Thankfully both of us managed to catch ourselves and not fall down. I immediately apologized and tried to move to go to the Prince hurriedly but, just as I passed the maid, she grabbed my hand effectively stopping me. So, I turned to her wanting to go already saying, "Mel, Ca-"
"Lark!! Wait!" she interrupted me before I could finish, "The Crown Prince! I think something's wrong!!" she sounded distressed "Where did you see His Highness?!!!" I grabbed her and nearly shook the answer out impatiently.
"I saw him go towards his room but I-" before she could finish, I took off running towards Sirius' room, the entire way I prayed and hoped that Sirius would be fine and safe. When I reached the door, I was sweating bullets, I knocked on the door but when I did not receive any answer, I felt myself go cold and my worries increase I thought to myself, "His Highness might be sleeping, but what if-" I quickly stopped myself before that thought went too far. I tried again knocking over and over each one louder than the one before I was ready to slam my hand on the door when I heard a small, muffled voice say, "S-Sirius please no, I-I'm... s-save h-him. Sirius pl-please."
Saying that I was worried would be an understatement, that sounded nothing like Sirius' usual calm and gentle yet confident voice, it sounded just plain sacred and broken.
"Y-Yes, just stop th-this. I w-won't le-let him die."
"N-No, n-no"
I wasn't sure what to do now or what was even happening exactly, that was most definitely Prince Sirius but what was he saying, nothing was making sense and why would he refer to himself in third person. I knocked the door once again, and tried to open the door again but it wouldn't budge. So, I tried to call out instead "Sirius? Is everything alright???"
A long few minutes later I heard a shaky voice "Y-yes, I'm fine...". My brows furrowed, not believing that obvious lie, and tried pushing for an answer again, "Sirius what's wrong? Open this door." I tried asking a bit loudly.
"I'm fine, don't worry Lark" said Sirius again, "I'm just.... t-tired, If it's not to-too important we'll talk in th-the morning."
"He sounded bad, very bad" I thought to myself, angry at the fact that Sirius was telling me such a blatant lie, frustrated that Sirius wouldn't trust me. I gave up and solemnly said, "Alright.... if you say so. Let me know if you need anything" and with that I turned on my heels and walked away. Five steps later I stopped, I couldn't bring myself to leave Sirius all alone at a time like this, but how could I help him if I couldn't go in in the first place, that's when realized, the lock did open, when I twisted the knob before but wouldn't move probably because Sirius was leaning on the door himself. Before I could change my mind again, I turned back hoping that Sirius would have moved by now. I took a deep calming breath and silently opened the door. Just as I looked in, I saw Sirius' feet giving away and him falling, I unconsciously moved and managed to catch him just before he hit the ground. I wrapped my other hand around his waist to better support him and pulled him straight again.
"Thank you Lark" Sirius replied nervously, that look was enough to tell me that Sirius didn't want me to know about anything and that he especially didn't want me to see him like this.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to question you. I can tell you wish I wasn't here anymore." I assured Sirius; Sirius only let out a something that sounded like a groan but knowing him this long I knew it was a nervous chuckle. "Please go to sleep Sirius, I'll see you tomorrow morning." I pushed open the door and walked out of the room.
I walked away with a grim look; it hurts; my chest hurts. Sirius wasn't able to depend on me, it pained me, I wasn't sure why but I didn't want him to suffer anymore. Ever since that day that Sirius found me, something changed in me. As fairy tale-ish as it sounded, Sirius was the only color in my black, white and gray-filled life and that day it told me, "Save him, please"
After that day, I've never heard that voice again. That voice was warm, gentle and it seemed to ride the wind, coming and going as it pleases but, that day was different that soft voice said that in such a sad tone and I haven't heard it since.
I walked out to the garden and sat there on a bench, thinking back about that voice... I only found it irritating because it seemed happy, something that I had never experienced in my life, a voice nobody else could hear, a beautiful warm voice. I raised my head to look at the reddened moon my thoughts going to the time in life which I thought I'd never escape, before Sirius came along. I felt my eyes sting a bit thankfully before I could give in to that feeling I heard a soft voice, "Lark" I turned my head around so quickly I surprised myself. I opened my mouth to acknowledge that person but he just raised his hand stopping me.
"Don't say anything, just listen." I nodded.
"Please help me save Sirius, I'm not sure from what as yet, just that I need to save him. No matter what don't leave his side, grow stronger and support him even if he doesn't ask you to. And most importantly don't tell anyone of whatever you witnessed: I'm taking about what happened to him now and what I told you."
I was surprised, I didn't know that anyone else would know, "Do you know what happened?"
He shook his head, and before I could ask anything else, he walked away into the shadows of the night. I turned my head upwards once again looking at the night sky, hoping it would give me some answers but of course nothing of that sort happened. I heaved a heavy sigh and stood up and went back in. It would be useless to sit out any longer, I'd only get more questions or weird encounters rather than answers.