CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 50: PARADISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST (25)

The scene shifted for the third time, and now the prince and Darin were moving through the kingdom’s streets in disguise.

They walked under the sunlight amid an extremely crowded mass of people.

Both wore simple civilian clothes, each with a wide hood pulled low to hide their features.

Their bodies were wrapped in black cloaks that made slipping unnoticed among the crowds far easier.

Cold air brushed against their faces, and a thin layer of mist coated the old stone roads.

Darin shot a sideways glance at the prince.

"Your Highness, I don’t think this is a good idea. The coronation rituals will be held tonight. You need to be there. If anyone discovers your absence, it’ll cause a very serious problem."

The prince showed no reaction. He turned his head slightly, gave Darin a brief look, then faced forward again.

"Don’t worry. I’m just going to buy something from someone and I’ll be back before the rituals. No one will notice."

Darin slowed his steps.

"Your Highness, no prince has ever been absent from the coronation rituals in the entire history of the kingdom. It will be a disgrace to you and His Majesty."

The prince lifted his hand in a small gesture that clearly meant he didn’t want to argue any longer.

"We have plenty of time. The rituals are at night and it’s not even midday yet."

"And what if the guards notice you’re gone?"

"I told them not to open my door until I walk out myself. None of them would dare disobey."

Darin didn’t like that answer. It was obvious from the way his shoulders dropped and from the movement of his lips without speaking.

But he knew there was no point arguing further.

When the prince fixed an idea in his head, nothing could make him change it.

In the end, Darin surrendered and continued walking behind him.

They passed through narrow streets until they reached a deserted corner where a small shop stood.

Its front was covered in dust, and the wooden sign above the door was half broken and completely blank.

Darin stopped in front of the door, stared at it, then turned to the prince.

"Your Highness, are you sure you want to buy something from this place? It doesn’t look like anything can even be bought here."

The prince brushed his fingers along the edge of the door.

"Yes. This is exactly the place the Captain of the Knights described."

"Why would the Captain describe a place like this to you?"

"He told me an old story about His Majesty. During my father’s coronation rituals, he and the king came to this very shop, and His Majesty bought something that helped him during the ceremony, according to the Captain."

"Your Highness, I don’t think you can trust the Captain. His behavior has been strange lately. Maybe he’s joking with you. And I don’t think the rituals require anything like this."

"I need to do this, Darin. During the ritual, I must earn the acceptance of the Great Spirit."

"No prince has ever failed that. You don’t need these kinds of things. I’m confident you’ll succeed."

"I appreciate your confidence, but I don’t want to be the first prince in the long history of the kingdom to fail."

After saying that, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The interior looked even stranger than the exterior.

The scent of old herbs mixed with a smell similar to damp soil.

Tall shelves lining the walls were filled with dozens, even hundreds, of sealed glass jars, each containing strange liquids.

Below them were wicker baskets stuffed with dried herbs.

Behind the counter stood a man of average height, wrapped entirely in black clothes with a long dark blue cloak that reached his ankles.

He wore a wide hat of the same color, hiding his features.

Which were already unclear to the masked man and Orion.

On the counter stood a glass jar containing a preserved frog.

Beside it were small metal tools with unknown uses.

The man was moving something from one shelf to another, and when he sensed the prince’s presence, he turned immediately.

"How may I serve you, gentlemen?"

Without hesitation, the prince stepped forward, the hood still hiding most of his face.

"I want the potion the Captain of the Knights bought from here years ago."

Strangely, the man didn’t ask any questions.

He simply made a brief motion with his hand and began searching among the jars.

After a few moments, he pulled out a small bottle filled with a thick black substance.

He lifted it from the shelf and placed it on the counter.

"This is it."

The prince reached for the bottle, but before he could touch it, Darin’s hand blocked his.

Darin grabbed his wrist tightly, then leaned closer and whispered in a low voice.

"Your Highness, I told you this wasn’t a good idea. This man is suspicious, and this place is even stranger. And why didn’t he ask anything? Why give you the bottle so quickly?"

The prince tried to pull his hand free, but Darin tightened his grip.

"I wasn’t supposed to tell you this, but since you insisted... I made an agreement with the Captain of the Knights to help me obtain this potion."

Darin released his hand.

"Your Highness, what exactly do you mean?"

Before the prince could answer, the shopkeeper’s voice cut between them.

"Forgive the interruption, whatever your discussion is... but could you pay now?"

The prince quickly pulled out a few gold coins and placed them on the counter.

Then he grabbed the bottle and left the shop, with Darin following behind.

As soon as they stepped into the street, Darin held the prince’s arm, this time without force.

"Your Highness, please explain what’s going on."

The prince stopped on the sidewalk and turned toward Darin.

"As I told you, when I heard the story of His Majesty my father, and how he had the most exceptional ritual among all kings, I asked the Captain to get me the same thing that helped him. I wanted to enter the rituals prepared for everything."

He paused for a moment.

"But he said he couldn’t bring this item into or out of the palace himself. So he described this shop to me and told me he would arrange with the owner to have the potion ready."

Darin shook his head.

"And why didn’t you tell me from the beginning? I thought there were no secrets between us."

The prince exhaled sharply.

"Don’t exaggerate. The Captain simply asked me not to tell anyone he was the one who arranged this potion. That’s all."

"Why would the Captain ask that of you? And why in such secrecy? Your Highness, I advise you to throw this thing away immediately. The rituals don’t require this foolishness."

"Are you ordering me?"

"No, Your Highness. But if you don’t do it, I’ll tell His Majesty everything."

The prince’s expression changed, annoyance clearly visible, but eventually he sighed.

"I’ll get rid of it. Are you satisfied now?"

The colors around the masked man and Orion began to fade.

The street broke apart into faint lines of light.

And then the light burst from the masked man’s eyes once again.