Dishonored

Her name was Kiya, or at least that is what she told me it was, in all honesty after today's events I have doubt that anything she told me was true. To reveal her betrayal I must also retell my descent into dishonor. It happened two days ago, there was a ball held to celebrate my twenty-seventh birthday, it was there I first laid my eyes upon her.

Across the floor I saw her, her raven hair hung loose and free while other women had theirs done in towers over their heads. Her simple blue gown offset her silver eyes which shone like stars against her tan skin. Her simple elegance was captivating in the same way as the moon over the plain would steal one's breath. One look and she was all I could see, she did not see me as I approached giving me the sense of being a great hunter ready to pounce on the unsuspecting gazelle.

When I reached her finally the startled look in her eyes gave further fuel to the fire in mine, I had frightened the deer all by herself in the crowd. I smiled and played my charming self while she too smiled and put up an even better mask. Her name you know as well as I do, her family of low noble status, she was sent here by her strict father to procure a husband with a better title than his own, and of course, she never dreamed she would meet the prince himself. We danced for the night and she did her job well to ensnare my senses.

By the end of the night I was begging her to stay, she was convincing, she shied away saying her father would be angry. She acted the damsel soft-spoken and docile. I finally convinced her to stay to my delight, a message would be sent to her father explaining where she would be. It would take the night and half the day to reach her home and would return the day after next. She accepted my offer and stayed in a room two down from my own. I went to her that night dismayed to find her door locked and barred. So I contented myself to sleep knowing I had one more night to make her mine and how sweet it would be to close in on my pray.

The next day after breakfast I toured her the castle she hinted about wishing to see the kingdom's treasure, the golden heart, a rudy the size of a man's palm wrapped in fine golden patterns. In my folly, I took her to the top of the tower vault where the treasure was locked away. She marveled at it looking toward the only window which I explained had been made to be far too small for any man to fit through...any man indeed. As I led her away and the day moved on she grew more and more distant from me, retiring early from dinner she calmed to have head pains, I watched her go knowing that her door would not be barred to me tonight.

After dinner I went straight to her chambers the locks, as I had ordered, were removed from the door. However, when I entered I found the room empty the curtains fluttered in the chilled night air. I ran to them fearing what could have happened. Halfway there I fell, my feet tangled together when I looked it was the same gown she had worn the night before that had dragged me down. The gown itself was torn and pieces missing, my fear deepened as I stumbled onward to the window looking down I saw nothing. However, looking up I saw a rope and in the distance, a small figure climbed the tower vault.

I called for guards as I ran to the tower, taking two steps at a time I burst through the door before anyone else. To my dishonor, the golden heart was gone. A shadow cast from the window caught my attention as the door to the vault slammed shut -as I had not thought to stop it as it swung back- locking me in. In the window sat a figure whose eyes were like stars and whose tied up hair disappeared into the night sky, her white pants and sash gave her small frame shape against the darkness. She smiled holding the heart as she said I was right no man could have fit through the window. With that, she was gone as was the kingdom's treasure, both never to be seen again.

This morning the messenger arrived the nobleman's house had burned to the ground many years ago the whole family was presumed dead.

This is the tale of my dishonor, this is my final confession.

~memoir of a foolish prince.

Excerpt from "Memoirs"