Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 23: Graveyard

Chapter 23: Graveyard

Tillian stopped his horse before the towering metal gates of the Royal Palace and jumped off the horse. The feeling of the solid, well-tended stone path leading to the gate made him dizzy for a brief second – he was used to the uneven blankets of the northern snow as well as the rough, cracked surfaces of the frozen roads of the lands he called his home.

His red eyes slowly glided over the pristine witness of the King’s quarters, surrounded by the tall, green, leafy trees that never wilted even during autumn or winter thanks to the expensive services of the mages who were paid to keep the palace in the perfect condition.

’Everything has to be perfect in the House of Ruan. Even the people. That’s why someone as damaged as her couldn’t find her place among you.’

The duke retrieved the envelope with the invitation from the inside pocket of his black uniform and handed it over to one of the guards standing behind the gates. As the guards confirmed the authenticity of the invitation, they finally opened the gates before the man and invited him to come through.

’They did not even send anyone to escort me, huh? That is one clear imperfection here, Your Majesty, – your manners.’

Tillian tugged at the reins and led his horse through the gates, ignoring the judgemental looks of the royal guards.

As he made his way through the stone path that carefully threaded into the lush gardens and orchards that filled his lungs with the unusual, almost forgotten smell of fresh greenery and flowers, the duke couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of sadness that pierced through his heart like an invisible arrow.

It was a painful sense of nostalgia he thought he had buried deep inside his chest and hoped for it never to resurface again.

’I felt it the first time I came here when I was twelve and I still feel it now... This is supposed to be my home. The home that feels even colder than the deepest, darkest cave in the Snow Forest.’

Emerging from the beautiful shelter of the evergreen trees and flower bushes, Tillian instinctively turned to his right, stepping on the cracked, weathered pathwalk that led to the place he stayed at during his first visit.

The quarters that used to belong to Aideen Ruan.

Built northwest of the Royal Palace, hidden behind the magic gardens and the building’s tall, white walls, the princess’s quarters existed as a haunting testament to her own inferiority. The building, aged and poorly tended, was an eyesore and was now half-abandoned, looking more like a haunted house rather than a place that could shelter a member of the royal family.

Its timeworn walls, draped in rotting grapevines and torn spiderwebs, betrayed that little splendor that once adorned them. The air hung heavy with the scent of neglect, as cracked windows could barely fend off the encroaching shadows.

Outside, the gardens lay in ominous silence, a graveyard of flora, devoid of life. Dead trees lowered their black branches, bending their rotting trunks all the way down to the ground which was covered with the hideous blanket of wilted grass.

Tillian paused again and couldn’t help but think,

’It has only been a year since Her Highness left her quarters to live in Count Crueder’s mansion but her place is already in such a horrible state. It is as if her presence itself was the only thing that still managed to bring some life into it.’

His attention was suddenly attracted by a subtle, dark-green glow emanating from inside a little greenhouse that used to have a myriad of colorful peonies – Aideen’s mother’s favorite flowers, the ones that Aideen favored as well as she liked to spend most of her time there, soaking in their intoxicating, yet unbelievably pleasant smell.

The duke entered the greenhouse, still secretly hoping to find at least some remnants of the abandoned beauty, but what he saw was nothing short of shocking.

He was prepared to see nothing but another little graveyard of flora, however, it was a real graveyard of dead animals.

Cats, puppies, squirrels, bats... It looked like a scene from one of the horror stories Stanis used to tell Tillian when he was a kid in order to scare him from wandering into the woods alone.

It was a macabre sight.

And, unfortunately, he knew who was responsible for it.

’Valon Ruan... A Royal Prince, huh? He is nothing but the Devil himself. The incarnation of death.’

As if by some kind of cursed magic, the moment the name of the second prince crossed Tillian’s mind, he heard someone enter the greenhouse as well.

"Alone this time? I thought you never go anywhere without your furry entourage. After all, rabid dogs walk in packs, don’t they?"

The duke turned around, his rye-colored eyebrows furrowing as his glowing red eyes scanned the grinning face of the person in front of him.

Prince Valon Ruan, the infamous scholar, and adept practitioner of "Black Alchemy" – the kind of alchemy he invented himself which involved nothing but painful experiments, torture, and death.

Valon was a perfect copy of his mother, Queen Fleur, in everything, starting from appearance and ending with his rotten nature.

He had long, frizzy red hair that surrounded his head like greedy flames. His face was pale and covered with a light touch of pinkish freckles. His eyes were big and round, their muddy-green color never boasted even the slightest hint of friendly glow, thin golden frames of round glasses nestled on the high bridge of his nose.

His lips were always stretched into a somewhat smug grin which made his already unattractive face acquire an even more unpleasant attribute.

Valon was tall and slim, skinny even, which contrasted greatly with Yanad, his older brother, who was strong and liked to exercise his body physically rather than mentally.

As Valon’s wide grin had finally tugged at the strings of irritation in Tillian’s heart, the duke let out a short exhale and offered him a light bow.

"Greetings, Your Highness. I was about to leave."

"Leave? How so? Don’t you like a little gift I have prepared for your arrival? I felt bad that Aideen’s peonies died so I brought something that they could use as fertilizer."

The prince kicked one of the bodies with his leg and scoffed while Tillian clenched his fists, his nails digging painfully into the bare skin of his hands.

He knew that retorting would not change anything and yet, he couldn’t help but feel like he would explode otherwise. Prepared to throw in a rather hurtful remark, the duke parted his dry lips only to be interrupted by one of the King’s assistants,

"Your Grace? His Majesty is waiting for you in the meeting hall. Please follow me."

Tillian shot Valon the last menacing glare and followed the assistant while the prince grinned again and said,

"That’s right, follow your leash, Duke Valentine."