Prince Aiden awakened to a familiar ceiling, one that had a dragon pattern made from foils of gold. His upper body sprung up in an ungainly manner and that nauseating dizziness he felt earlier returned to him.
That's right. He was drugged with a mysterious fine dust. And the person responsible...those eyes, that voice and her delicate wrist. It had all been engraved in the prince's mind. Now, even her insolence had become admirable to him.
Had he gone mad? Was this an after effect of the drug? Perhaps.
But Prince Aiden didn't mind. He had waited all his life to feel that outrage, the adrenaline and most of all, the unfamiliar irregularity of his heartbeat when he looked into her eyes.
That couldn't be it. He couldn't accept that they had just randomly crossed paths and there would be nothing more to it.
"Eunuch Klyle!" His highness called somewhat impatiently.
The head eunuch of his party scurried into the bedchamber with his hands clasped together and his head bowed. "Your highness, you've regained consciousness. I will summon the doctor."
"Wait!" Prince Aiden reached his arm out in desperation which he instantly plastered over his forehead after the minimal movement had caused his head to spin.
The eunuch ran to his master's side, supporting his weight. It was brazen for the lowly servant to have laid his hands on his majesty's body but perhaps he would be forgiven out of his pure intentions was what he hoped for.
Prince Aiden raised his hand to grip the servant's sleeve and asked breathlessly, "The thief. What happened?"
"Rest assured, the palace will be hunting them down." Eunuch Klyle said to appease the prince only to end up agitating him even more.
"What? Does the emperor know? What is he planning to do?" Prince Aiden threw question after question in a panicked outburst. "I need to go and see my father." He concluded, attempting to get up but Eunuch Klyle politely held him down by the shoulders.
"Your highness, please calm down. I will look more into the situation and report to you the soonest I can but for the time being, you must rest." He said, the wrinkles on the man's face deepening with concern.
The prince, albeit hesitantly, nodded in understanding and allowed the servant to lay him back down and call for the royal physician. For the brief moment that he was left alone, the young prince wondered why had he reacted that way. What did he even intend to do once he found the mysterious woman?
Prince Aiden sighed heavily and finally brought an arm across his eyes, trying to block the unsettling thoughts for now.
When he woke for the second time on the same day, his highness could tell it was late in the evening from the deafening silence surrounding his bedchamber and the presence of small yet warm lights courtesy of the lanterns.
His breathing was much less burdened and his head no longer throbbing. On the paper panels lined with oak wood that served as the sliding doors to his majesty's room, he noticed a familiar silhouette of a man hunched and anxiously pacing back and forth.
Prince Aiden arched his long and defined brow and spoke in a deep tone. "Eunuch Klyle, what is it?"
The eunuch's shadow visibly flinched before quietly shuffling his way into the room. His wrinkles were once again engraved into his forehead and under his eyes and from that, Prince Aiden knew that the eunuch bore important news.
"Well?" The prince was growing impatient but mostly due to feeling nervous himself.
The eunuch leaned closer to the young royal, covering his mouth as he spoke as if the walls had ears—or perhaps they did.
"The lady whom you seek, your highness, has been found." He whispered so quietly, the prince himself almost didn't hear it.
The prince, quick witted as he was, gave the eunuch a questioning look instead of asking with words and he replied with a nod that assured the prince that he heard correctly.
Eunuch Klyle glanced behind him one last time before reporting in a hushed voice whilst doing his best to be clear so as not to have to repeat himself. "One of the guards recognized the tricks which they have used to be the trademark of a certain band of criminals. They lord over the poorest state of Sylphen, Shura."
Prince Aiden leaned closer as well and they were now ear to ear. "Who else knows?"
The servant lowered his gaze and shook his head timidly. His face expressing shame for what he was about to utter next. "As of now, your grace, what occurred had been concealed from the emperor's knowledge. You may well know that those who have failed to protect you will be severely punished and therefore, we have agreed to keep the incident among a trusted few including the physician who simply disclosed that you've fallen ill."
The prince leaned back, his eyes clearer. With an approving nod, he said to his reliable servant, "Well done."