Eleutheromania

(n.) The intense and irresistible desire for freedom.

Y/n's POV

I wasn't sure how long I had been stuck here. Days? Weeks? Months? I was more than just a little disoriented. I hadn't been let out yet. Though, from the meals I was brought, I was pretty sure I had been in my room for 23 consecutive days. I was always brought three meals a day, and I started counting as well. They had replaced my beloved mosaic glass window, with the many colors and shapes. The serpent in the middle... it was upsetting. The fact that they replaced it with concrete was even more infuriating. To say that I was fuming would be the understatement of the year. At the very least, I got to keep my things. I still had my favourite night lamp. It wasn't much use to me at that given moment due to the circumstances I was put under. I didn't exactly know when to sleep or not. Based on the meals I could tell which was which. Breakfast was always distinctly different from the other two. Which luckily made everything easier. I was just hoping Howl someday could find his way back to me. I couldn't stand another minute of being locked up like a prisoner. As I was sitting on the side of my bed, writing in my journal, a knock emitted from the door. That must've meant it was time for a meal. I was too disoriented to even know what meal it would be. When I didn't hear the small trapdoor inside the door open to pass along the food, I got up and slowly walked to the door. Treading carefully, I inspected the door. Another knock was heard. It sent cold shivers down my spine.

"Y/n. You have a visitor." That was odd. I wasn't allowed any visitors. Hell, not even Kosho was allowed in. Did Suliman finally decide to strip me of my powers? I wasn't exactly surprised. I had committed treason. I was a traitor. To the whole kingdom.

"Please, come in." I responded. The sound of a lock turning alerted me and I stepped back a few steps before stopping. As the door opened a male around my age stepped in. He looked dashingly handsome. I was quite surprised. Who was he and what did he want with me? Perhaps it was one of Howl's disguises.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, your grace. I should introduce myself." You shook your hands and your head.

"No need to worry about the formalities. I'm merely an orphan." He smiled at me and reached for my hand. He was wearing white saying gloves that hugged his hands perfectly. I felt the uncomfortable feeling of the satin against my soft skin. He got on one knee and kissed the surface of my hand. It felt surreal.

"The name is Nomura. Nomura Azu." Unusal name. Maybe it was Howl?

"It's nice to meet you, Nomura. You can drop the act, nobody will hear us in here." I smiled, hoping it was Howl.

"I'm not sure, what you mean." He said with a confused look on his face. It really wasn't Howl. My smile quickly turned upside down.

"My apologies, I just had an unusual dream. What is it you're here for?" I swallowed thickly, preparing myself for the worst. I usually wasn't one to get paranoid, but seeing as this man wasn't Howl, got my mind racing.

"I'm here to court you. Were you not told? I am the prince of Strangia. Since the king of Ingary doesn't have any daughters, he offered me you. In return, we will lay down our weapons." I wasn't sure what sounded more unbelievable. The fact that the king had offered me, or the fact that I was some object to be used as means to stop a foolish war.

"These are... certainly news to me." I tried not to let my pent up anger get the best of my otherwise bubbly charisma.

"I can imagine." Examining his features, I noticed he wasn't all that handsome after all. They do say all of your senses play a part in how you interpret the world. In this case, my ears certainly changed my view.

"Would you like to take a stroll in the gardens?" I was frozen dead where I stood. If Madam Suliman were to see me outside of my chambers, she would take everything away with certainty.

"We could also just stay here." I said, suggestively. He gave me an odd look but placed his clothed hand in mine as he pulled me out.

"Trust me, the king will only be happy to see us spending time together, your grace." I shook off my uneasy feeling as we mad ever way to a giant hallway. You knew these surroundings all too well. To the far left, people would be questioned. Opposite that, people were cut from their powers. Finally, at the very end of the hall way, making a left turn, it would lead you straight to the gardens. You had played hide and seek frequently with Kosho when you were younger.

"I will let you lead the way. I've no clue where to go from here." I started making my way down the hall. Lots of art was placed on the walls. They were the king's father's beloved babies. You could say he loved them more than his own two sons. Which, depressing as it is, was true.

"I noticed you looked at all of the artwork here. Does it mean anything to you?" Does it mean anything to me? The maroon walls adorned with artworks of middle-aged men, certainly didn't mean anything to you. Yet... it was still comforting after all the time that had passed by. It felt nostalgic.

"Not quite. The king however..." We turned to the left. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. I was vaguely uncomfortable. Nothing I hadn't experienced before though. Whenever I would go outside, Kosho always kept me company. Everyone believed I was royalty. They couldn't have been more wrong. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my back. The prince turned me around to face him as he made me lean into him.

"Tell me, what's on your mind?" I was caught by surprise... and that was putting it mildly. I wasn't sure if lying was the best course of action. I didn't want to seem open with him. After all... I loved someone else. Wait no. What? No! I don't love Howl. He's just... a nice friend. A friend I trust a lot. A friend who hopefully comes to save me from this hell.

"Ah, I was just thinking about showing you my favorite flowers! Follow me. I'll lead you to them." We started venturing down a dark hall. It was dimly lit and hard to see. I used this to my advantage and sneaked into a secret corridor. Only the maids and Kosho along with his brothers knew of it. The corridor was usually made to practice necromancy. That's why it was barely noticeable. The dark was needed to perform it. It would disturb the dead to wake up in a brightly lit room. I was breathing heavily from adrenaline, but soon, my breath steadied itself. The putrid stench of death filled my nostrils. I should've thought this through, but it was my only option. Hoping Howl would find me soon, I let my body shrink and crawl into a drawer at the very end of the corridor.

"Gods, Howl. Please hurry. Please..." I whispered to myself. I was at the verge of tears. Any minute now. They would turn the palace upside down, trying to find me. Thoughts swarmed inside my head. Was I being selfish? If I agreed to marry the prince, I could guarantee Ingary's safety. My mother and father- wherever they were... I could guarantee their safety as well. Maybe they would recognize me if I made it in the local news papers. I could be with them.

"You're being selfish, Y/n. Nobody is coming to save you and you're still stuck here trying to escape an inevitable marriage that could save lives." I finally let the heavy tears drop from my orbs. Everything felt so surreal, despite living in a world fully capable of magic. I was lost. So lost.

"You're not selfish, Y/n", I heard a voice as the drawer I was inside was opened. My eyes stared back at his. A smile tucked my lips. He looked at me with gentle eyes. Like he always did. He was smiling back at me. It was pulling at my heart. It felt so bittersweet. I missed him so much.

"Don't worry, Y/n. You're safe now. I'm here. You don't have to hide in here anymore." He reached down to get me. I felt my small, fragile body against the warmth of his soft, smooth skin. I felt at peace.

Sorry for the late update, I've been busy! Also, it's my birthday tomorrow, so I'll make a nice spin-off chapter soon enough💞

Next update: Sometime next week or the week after.