In The Kingdom of Silver (Aurelia's POV)

In The Kingdom of Silver

All my life I have been surrounded by gold. You would think with the power to summon it, I would be the richest girl in the world, but I’m not. Nothing is free and everything comes with a price. And my ‘gift’ was no exception. Even before I had found out about this power, I was an outsider. The girl who didn’t look like everyone else, with blonde hair and amber eyes. Mother and Father used to have brown hair and pale grey eyes, my whole town did- except me. When they died, I realized the gold I summoned came with curses. Ever since then I’ve been travelling around to find a place where I belong. 

~

I stared at the silver gate in front of me. Everything before me was silver. The borders, the top of a large castle looming over me, and the odd squirrel that passed by…? Perhaps someone had a gift like me, but only with silver?

“Um, hi?” I shouted, knowing someone must be behind the gates. “Can I come in, or should I go down on my knees and present you a gift?” I was probably being a bit rude, but hey, my feet were killing me after walking for the whole morning. 

“State your business.” A voice boomed from a speaker on the side of the gate. 

“Visiting, I guess?” 

“Do you have a pass?”

“Well, even if I did, my phone’s flat,”

“Trespasser.” The gate opened, and my eyes widened. I had been right, everything was made of silver, and I noticed the guard’s uniform was the same. “Word will be sent to Prince Fitzroy. He deals with all the trespassers.”

“Hey! I’m not intruding, I’m-” The guard grabbed my arm, attaching handcuffs to my wrists. Another three guards flanked me, blocking me if I wanted to escape. Not that I could. 

“Real hospitable, you guys, thanks. Could someone massage my feet too?” The guards didn’t say anything, so I took it as a no. I let the men drag me into the castle, which would've been a wonderful sight if I wasn't being arrested. They threw me onto the silver ground.

“Bow before Prince Fitzroy, outsider.” One of the guards hissed and I reluctantly obeyed, rolling my eyes. 

“Well, aren't you charming?” I observed, staring into the prince’s wholly black eyes. His hair was a vibrant green, and I wondered if he had a gift too. 

“How dare you speak to the prince that way!” A guard shouted in anguish, but the prince held up his hand. 

“Calm down. The girl doesn't appear to be a threat,” He announced, sending the guards away. He turned back to look at me, “Are you going to tell me what you're doing in Argenterra?”

“Oh, that's what this silver dump is called?” I watched steam practically come out of the prince’s ears. 

“Look at you then, crawling to a shiny dump, for what? Comfort? Money? You don't have anything,” He drawled, and I bit back a snarky retort. 

“I have a lot of things, actually. You don't know me!”

“Guards! Take her to the cells.” He waved his hand, dismissing me. 

“I haven't done anything wrong!” I shouted, but it was like the prince had suddenly gone deaf. 

~

‘I just wanted to rest for the night.’ I thought to myself bitterly. ‘Now I'm stuck in a prison cell. At least it's got a nice bed.’ I huffed, lying on the mattress. Were the handcuffs really necessary? Inhaling sharply, I closed my eyes and felt the pull. Using minimal energy and power, a small chunk of gold appeared in my hand. I looked at the handcuffs, assessing the keyhole, and then moulded the gold into the shape of a key. With a satisfying click, the gold shifted into the right size and the handcuffs fell off my wrists. Not a moment later, there was a buzz and my cell door opened. 

“What the hell was that?!” 

“Hello there, Princeling. Did you miss me?” I taunted, surprised by Prince Fitzroy’s visit. 

“How did you get that gold?”

“I don't have to tell you anything!”

“You're being captive in a kingdom made of silver, and you have brought a different kind of metal into this land. That's illegal, you know,”

“I didn't, thanks for the information.” Closing my eyes once more, I let the gold sink through the silver floor and back into the earth. 

“There. Are you happy now? I got rid of it,” I asked, but the prince was staring at me with wild eyes. 

“So, you can summon the gold out of sheer will?”

“Maybe?”

“That's…” He broke off, not finishing his sentence. 

“That's?” I prompted. 

“Incredible.” He said after a moment of silence. 

“Uh, thanks. Didn't expect you of all people to think it's cool. You're sort of silver obsessed,” I commented and he chuckled lightly. 

“It's not me, it's my father. He’s always loved silver,” He hesitated. “I should go.” He said abruptly, “You better keep that talent of yours hidden before my father finds out.”

“Don't you want my gold too?” 

“Gold is a legend here in Argenterra.” And with that, my cell door shut, leaving me alone once more. 

I must've fallen asleep because when my eyes opened next, there was a silver mug full of water. I stared at it, it was probably poison. 

“It's not poison,” A voice said through a speaker to the right, and I jolted back in shock. I looked around, but couldn't see anything or anyone.

“I'm outside, you can't see me from in there,”

“That's reassuring,” I whispered.

“I heard that,” The door opened, and Prince Fitzroy walked in. 

“Do you have separation anxiety? Is that why you keep coming back here?” I frowned, taking a sip from the cup. Thankfully, it wasn't poison. 

“I don't have issues, thank you very much. Am I not allowed to be curious? A pretty outsider enters this kingdom with the ability to produce gold out of thin air. Of course, I'm going to keep an eye on you,” He rolled his eyes, and I blinked. I could feel the cogs in my brain turning, pretty?! He thought I was pretty? The prince must've seen my facial expression because he coughed hurriedly. 

“Just so you know, the girls of Argenterra are much more beautiful than you. I was just saying that to make you feel better,”

“Sure… Also, fact check. The gold doesn't appear from nowhere, it comes from the ground,” I stated and he flushed. 

“Right, I knew that. I have some questions for you, don't go thinking you're special,” He explained, and all I did was shrug. “When did you first discover your power?”

“I don't know.”

“Okay… How far can your ability go?”

“I don't know.” The prince stood up, exasperated. 

“Please, work with me here-” He paused, realising he didn't know my name. 

“Look, Prince Fitzroy. I just wanted to stop by to rest, if that wasn't okay with your kingdom, then fine. I would've left and gone somewhere else. I’m not here to harm you, or anyone. So, if you could kindly let me go, that would be wonderful,” I pleaded and the prince raised his eyebrows.

“You have the ability to summon the most precious metal in this kingdom, you can manipulate it to whatever you want, and you think you won’t cause any harm? I’m afraid I can’t let you out,”

“What can I do to prove you otherwise?” I asked desperately. “I don’t want to live in a cell for the rest of my life,”

“Give me some gold, and I’ll let you go,” He bargained, and I froze.

“No. I can’t do that.” I said immediately, and he sighed.

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated. You can’t have any,” I fired back, and he shook his head.

“You’re the one in the cell. Stop avoiding all my questions-”

“I’m not!” I interrupted, and he scowled.

“Okay, so when was the last time you answered one of my questions?”

“Um… The last two questions you’ve asked me, I’ve answered,”

“I- Shut up. That’s not what I meant,” He spat, “You know what, I’m done. Fine, don’t give me the gold, but that’s your only chance of freedom.” 

~

Time passed, and every day Fitzroy never failed to visit me. Something in our dynamics shifted, and suddenly it was like having a friend.

“Aurelia,” He’d said when I’d finally told him my name, “An amazing name for an amazing girl.” It took everything in me not to blush furiously. From there, our friendship only grew. He told me about his kingdom, his father, and how he treated Fitzroy. Sometimes, when I was alone, I realised how much I would miss him, and I’d wait for hours until he came and visited me. That didn’t mean everything was perfect. Often, there would be days when I slammed the cell door shut, telling him to leave me alone. I hated crying, and I hated it more when it was because of him. There were days where we couldn’t look each other in the eyes because we knew the pain was still too raw for words. But then, it was like he made the cell feel more like… a home. At least, a place where I could know I would sleep easily.

“Aurelia,” Fitzroy knocked on my door, one morning. “Happy birthday!” He unlocked the cell door, and I grinned.

“You remembered,” I breathed, and he smiled.

“Of course,”

“And you couldn’t remember how to speak Aerish and Aeirnum?” I laughed.

“I regret telling you that,” He moaned, and I giggled. “Do you want to know what your gift is?” 

“You got me a gift?” I asked, incredulously and he nodded. “If it’s made out of silver, we no longer have a friendship,” 

“I promise, it’s not. I’m freeing you from your cell,” 

“Wait, really? I’m free?” My jaw dropped, how long had I been in here? This was it, my chance of freedom.

“You’ve been in this cell for a long time, for no reason. You deserve freedom, Aurelia.” Before he could say anything else, I tackled him into a hug.

“There are some conditions though,” Fitzroy said after I let go. “You’ll have to stay in the palace, no questions asked. I can’t let my father find out about you. I’m surprised he hasn’t suspected anything yet,”

“Alright. I’ve been inside a palace before,” I joked, and Fitzroy gave me a weak smile.

“There’s one more thing, you know what it is,”

“I can’t. I’m sorry, you know I can’t give you gold. You know that, Fitzroy.” I watched him run his hands through his hair, shaking his head.

“Why? Every time I’ve asked, you’ve always said no,” 

“I know. It’s not because I don’t trust you, it’s… more complicated than that,”

“That’s okay,” He tried consoling me, “I can work with complicated, I just want to know why,”

“It comes with a price, okay?” I burst out, desperation and hysteria dripping with every word. “It’s always been this way! It’s not a gift or a power, Fitzroy. It’s a curse,”

“What’s the curse?” He whispered, and I shook my head.

“If someone I don’t love touches it, they’ll be cursed for the rest of their life.” I had ruined everything.

Fitzroy stepped back from me, taking his hands out of mine. I missed the warmth of his touch already.

“That’s the problem? That’s what you’ve been worried about?” He froze, “You don’t love me?” He choked out the words, and I bit my lip, tears threatening to break loose.

“No, no! That’s not what I meant, it’s just that… I don’t know, okay?”

“I get it. You’re free to leave.” 

“Fitzroy!” I sobbed, “That’s not what I meant. Please, come back!” I screamed, but it was just like that first day all over again. No matter how hard I pleaded, he couldn’t hear me. I didn’t leave the cell for another five minutes. I hated knowing that he was drifting away from me. I stood up then, I was going into the palace. I had to make things right with Fitzroy. I took one last look at the cell, and ran out of the hallway, hoping that Fitzroy would wait for me.

~

There was a soft knock on the door, and I opened it slightly, murmuring his name.

“Fitzroy, is that you?” I asked gently, knowing it had to be, he had told me this was a secret room, hidden in the palace. I hadn’t seen him since he’d stormed out of the cell, and that had been a few days ago. Meals were given to me at the appropriate times, but I never saw him.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I opened the door, letting him in. His dark eyes were murky, and there were deep shadows under them. 

“It feels like we haven’t spoken in forever,” I whispered, but he gave no response. “What are you doing here?” I questioned, but I already knew why.

“We both know why, Aurelia.” He said flatly, and I knew he was suffering. The King was beating him down, word by word.

“I’ve told you, Fitzroy. I can’t endanger you like that, you’ll be cursed for the rest of your life!”

“I don’t think you understand, Aurelia. I’m not asking this time. I have to get this gold to show my father I’m worthy. All my life, I have been treated like a dog on the streets, useless. I can’t be the person he wants me to be, so I have to do something about it.”

“I can’t! You know I don’t have complete control over it.” As I said this, a large chunk of gold appeared at our feet. I could see Fitzroy’s eyes widen. That was his chance to prove himself to his father.

“Don’t. Fitzroy, please, don’t.” Before I could send the gold back down into the earth, the prince picked it up. “No!” I screamed, “The curse will kill you!” I raced over to him, wrapping my arms around his, trying to pull it out of his grasp. Fitzroy sank to the floor.

“Don’t do this, Fitzroy. Please, don’t,” I whispered in his ear, tears dripping down my cheeks. “It’s not worth it. I’ve seen it too many times. Don’t make me go through it again.” I continued to try and pull the gold out of his hands, but the hope in me was fading. I didn’t have the strength to keep trying. He was going to die, I knew he was. I heard him gasp as he dropped the gold back onto the floor.

“No!” I sobbed, putting my hand on his face. “Don’t leave me, Fitzroy. I can’t lose you!” I watched him writhe in pain, and it was like seeing everything all over again in slow motion. The people in my town who’d traded the gold, screaming to put the fire out. I wasn’t letting this happen, not again.

“You’re not dying on me, Fitzroy!” I sat the prince up, “Listen to me,” I shook his shoulders slightly. “I’m not going to lose you, okay? I’ve never been so happy to see someone in my life. Every day, you came to my cell, and we talked like good friends. No one has done that for me before. I miss you when you leave, and I always think back to our conversations because they always make me smile. You have the rest of your life to live, with or without me. I hope it’s with me, though. I- I’m going to say it, alright? I don’t care if you’re about to die, I love you, Fitzroy! You make me feel like the luckiest person in the world, and I forget that I’m burdened by this stupid ‘gift’ and I’m sorry. Sorry for not realising it sooner, because now you’re leaving me.” I breathed in heavily, wiping my eyes. “I’ll say it a million times if I have to. I love you, I love you, I love you, and I wouldn’t be able to bear it if I lost you, okay? So come back to me, Princeling. Because yeah, maybe I’m the one with separation anxiety now, I admit it. Just don’t leave.” I looked at him through blurry eyes, and his hand twitched.

“Fitzroy?” I felt his hand clasp mine, and I laughed shakily.

“Hey, Aurelia. I think I forgot to tell you this, but I love you too.”

“Shut up!” I whacked his arm playfully, and he shook his head in disbelief.

“You really went down to the last minute, didn’t you?” He coughed, and I hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry, Fitzroy. I’m so sorry,” I apologised, and he smiled, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“You don’t have to be sorry for anything, love. I’m the one who should be sorry.” Then his lips were on mine and I realised everything we’d gone through was worth it. When we pulled away, we were breathing heavily, but Fitzroy was smiling.

“You, sir,” I panted, “are under arrest for stealing my heart,” I managed to say, and he tilted his head back and laughed.

“As long as I get my happy ending, it’ll be worth it.”

~

All my life I have been surrounded by gold. With the power to summon it, it has never made me feel powerful, but loving Fitzroy has. We stood together when we confronted his father, we stood together when he became King, and we stood together on that altar, years later. All my life, I had been trying to find a place where I belonged, but now I know, it wasn’t a place I was looking for, it was a person. Specifically a prince with green hair and dark eyes that made me giddy, but we’ll cast that aside for now. We live in this shiny ‘dump’ called Argenterra, the kingdom of silver, with a hint of gold.