“However, I do not know if giving you Bride of the Night status would be appropriate,” he said hurriedly, his voice even higher than usual. “So instead, I believe I will give you a tour of the Inner Sanctum, where the Healing Lattice grows.”
“Oh, that would be just perfect, Your Majesty!” Elli clasped her hands between her breasts in excitement. Finally she would get to see the thing she had come to get! And maybe if the Crown Prince was feeling extra generous, he would give her a piece of the Lattice tonight!
“Yes, well—as I said, I’m in a mood to honor you, my dear.” The Crown Prince nodded regally. “So if you’d like to accompany me?” He held out one arm to her courteously.
Elli knew that Roke wouldn’t like it, but she took the Tenebrian Monarch’s arm anyway. After all, she couldn’t snub him and still expect him to give her a piece of the Lattice. She heard a low growl from behind her but it was a growl of irritation, not possessive Rage, so she considered it safe.
“Almost no one gets to see the Healing Lattice,” the Crown Prince remarked as they strolled down the broad hallways to the center of the Palace. “It comes directly from the Mother Lattice on our home planet and so it must be kept in the same planetary conditions to keep it healthy.”
“How fascinating!” Elli widened her eyes at him, hanging on his words as she had seen all the Tenebrian nobles do. During their time here at the palace, it had become abundantly clear to her that the more one flattered and fawned on the Tenebrian monarch, the more likely he was to give you what you wanted. It was ridiculous but necessary and she couldn’t help thinking that she would be glad when her quest was over so she wouldn’t have to do it anymore.
“Yes, yes—most fascinating indeed,” the Crown Prince remarked, in his fruity voice. “And in fact, here we are!”
They had come to a stop outside the inner sanctum—an octagonal room at the very heart of the place. Though there was only one doorway in, the sanctum had a guard at every one of its eight walls—and four more guarding the door itself.
The guards all stepped aside and bowed low when they saw the Crown Prince.
“Your Majesty! How may we serve you?” the head guard asked.
“Just open the door to the inner sanctum, there’s a good fellow,” the Crown Prince said loftily. “I have guests here who wish to view the Healing Lattice.”
“But Your Highness—the Lattice has never been viewed by non-Tenebrian eyes!” the head guard protested.
“Well, it will be now!” the Crown Prince snapped, his pale eyes bulging in sudden fury. “And how dare you speak back to me? Give me the key to the sanctum at once!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Forgive me, Your Majesty!”
The head guard bowed low and drew a golden key on a silver chain from around his neck. With trembling hands, he presented it to the Crown Prince.
“Good!” The Crown Prince snatched it away and glared at the hapless guard. “Who is your second in command here?”
“I…I am, Your Highness,” quavered the Tenebrian soldier standing next to the head guard.
“Rejoice,” the Crown Prince said dryly, handing him the golden key on its silver necklace. “You are now the Head Guard in charge of guarding the inner sanctum of the Healing Lattice. And you,” he continued, turning to the former head guard, “May go out to the royal stables where I believe, there is an opening for a dung shoveler.”
The former head guard paled.
“B-but Your Majesty, I have served you well for over twenty cycles—” he began.
“Go!” the Crown Prince snapped. “Unless you prefer the executioner’s block to shoveling dung?” he asked, glaring at the hapless man.
“N-no, Your Majesty,” the demoted guard gasped. He made a low bow and then scrambled away as quickly as possible.
“Good.” The Crown Prince gave a long-suffering sigh and turned to the new head guard. “Now open the door for me.” He motioned imperiously at the golden door in the octagonal stone room.
“Yes, Your Majesty! At once!” The new head guard hastened to obey, fitting the golden key into the lock and opening the heavy golden door. It swung inward silently on well-oiled hinges.
The Crown Prince beckoned to Elli and Roke.
“Come, my friends. You and you alone shall accompany me into the inner sanctum.”
The new head guard, as well as some of the nobles, looked like they wanted to protest this. But after the petulant and capricious display with the former head guard, no one seemed willing to risk their position—or their head—to do so. So Elli and Roke followed the Crown Prince into the inner sanctum and His Majesty shut the door behind them.
“This way,” he said to Elli when the door was firmly shut. He led her and Roke through a short, twisting hallway that felt almost like a tunnel. After several sharp twists and turns, it opened out into a high, airy room with a huge structure right in the center.