The Crimson Throne - A Grimdark Tale

"Please enjoy your meal, milady." Cecil inclined his body and marched toward the door.

"Thank you. I hope you shall as well." Elaine nodded. "Mariam, you may follow Sir Ascania to the dining area."

"But," the young maid protested. "I must tend to you during your meal."

"I am perfectly capable of dining by myself," Elaine refuted. "Go and have yours. This is an order."

Elaine's authoritative gaze struck Mariam when she wanted to object further. "As you wish, milady." She deflated and bowed, weakly trailing Cecil outside the room.

Alone after her maid and guard left, she quickly finished her food and retrieved the ashen-colored paper from her dress pocket. Elaine lit the candle in the corner of her room and hovered the paper over its fire. Seconds later, dark ink appeared, spreading throughout its surface. The invisible ink method was a discrete communication that Cecil and she used in the past year to avoid detection. Elaine flipped the paper over and read through the details. The corner of her lips curved upward. It looked like Cecil's investigation had been active these past months.

After absorbing the message, she destroyed the paper in the fire. Despite Cecil and Mariam having yet to return, Elaine glanced out the window and climbed to the main deck to feel the breeze. She encountered Elias upon arriving. He stood alone by the ship's rail, keenly focused on the sky. She quietly reversed course, proceeding in the opposite direction.

"Walking away from another noble without a greeting is improper decorum. Though I presume such unseemly behavior is not Your Ladyship's intention?"

Elaine froze, awkwardly turning her body. "My apologies, Sir d'Amboise. I failed to notice your presence." She curtsied. "Where is Miss Clara?" Her eyes darted back and forth.

"Clara is with the others in the dining area." Elias' right arm rested against the rail, shifting slightly to face her.

"I see," she said, controlling her expression despite her surprise. Considering the raven-haired young girl's determination to accompany Elias on the journey, Elaine surmised she would tail him everywhere.

The male protagonist's amethyst eyes stayed on Elaine as though he had already figured out her inner thoughts. "What were you staring at earlier, milord?" she quizzed, switching the subject to escape their uncomfortable silence.

"The birds."

"The birds?" She lifted her head above. The mentioned flying creatures were noticeably absent in the clear skies. Her skeptical gaze returned to the black-haired young man, waiting for his explanation.

"Their absence also provides essential information," he simply stated, again looking upward.

Elaine failed to comprehend his cryptic words. She wanted to seek clarification but heard footsteps from behind. Glancing back, she saw Clara running up the stairs. The raven-haired young girl reached the main deck and bowed before Elaine. Perhaps this is a question for another time, she concluded, allowing the girl through. Then, she excused herself and descended to the lower decks. Elaine reunited with Cecil and Mariam on her way back, and they all continued to her chamber.

No complication happened on the second night. However, a slight creaking noise woke Elaine from slumber on the third night. Still drowsy, she wiped her eyes and looked outside the window. The double moons remained elevated on the dark canvas, surrounded by dotted, bright stars. She scanned the room and noticed soft, even breathing sounds. Her maid was sleeping in the corner. Nothing seemed amiss, yet a strange, unnerving sensation overwhelmed her. Tiny movements came from above, followed by a faint woman's voice—a familiar voice Elaine had never thought she would hear inside the book's world.

"Ell," the woman called. "Do you remember me?"

The woman was calling her nickname. No, no. It can't be. This is not real. Elaine's eyes widened as her sleepiness wholly evaporated. She pinched her arm, attempting to ground herself to reality.

"Ell," the woman repeated. Her words had a slight drawl and were melodic, like a robin's singing. "I miss you, my sweet baby. Don't you miss me?"

"Mom…" Elaine whispered. Her chest swelled with many complex emotions. It was a voice she had heard thousands of times in her dreams and could recognize from miles away—that of her biological mother, Cynthia Lawrence.

How is this possible? She cannot be here.

"Your dad and I were searching all over for you," Cynthia's voice sobbed. "Come back to us. We are waiting for you on the upper deck," she urged.

"Yes, we miss you very much." Another voice joined Cynthia's. It was deep yet sorrowful. "Your mother has been crying every night since we lost you. Come upstairs, and we can be together as a family again."

"Dad." Her lips quivered. Warm liquids clouded her silver eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she listened to her kind father, Johnathan Lawrence, voice. How long had it been since she experienced familial warmth and affection? Though Elaine's intuition warned of the apparent trap, her emotional side wanted to burst out the door and search for them. She pulled the rules from under her pillow and frantically scanned its details. Rule six from the list immediately drew her attention. "Do not search for the person calling your name after midnight," she mumbled.

"Please, Ell, honey. We don't have much time," Cynthia begged. Her voice filled with despair, raising the urgency. "Don't you want to see us again? We will be separate forever if you don't hurry."

How were the creatures able to imitate her parents' voices? Did they intrude on her memories? The realization that the voices were impostors was disheartening and frightening.

Elaine hesitated, battling between rationality and impulse. Against reason, however, she rose from the bed and slowly advanced toward the door. A dangerous thought wormed into her mind, fueled by a fierce desire to see her family. The entities were not the whispering woman and wanted her to meet them on the upper deck. Therefore, opening the door would not immediately endanger her. She would not look for them, but perhaps she could peek outside. Even if the chance for these voices to be her parents was rock bottom, she still wanted to confirm. Elaine's chest palpitation accelerated while her trembling hand reached for the knob. Yet when she turned the handle, the door would not open—something was blocking it on the other side. She tried twisting many times to the same disappointing result. Then suddenly, Elaine heard a calm voice from opposite the door, deterring her from leaving.

"Please stay in your chamber, milady," Cecil said.