Tursed my worid upside down

Klaus had nothing to change into, so the prince looked terrifying. He took off his light outer armor, remaining only in leather pants, stained with blood and a torn shirt. Their only means of transportation along with food and water supplies ran away, so the young people had no choice but to walk the entire way.

"We need to find some kind of water, you can't come to your mother, who has never seen you like this."

"Yes, it wouldn't hurt to replenish the water and food supplies either," answered Klaus, examining the torn sleeves of his shirt.

The journey took much longer than Klaus had planned. They had to stop often because Egor couldn't physically stand such walking. They made extra circles to hunt and get water. Several times the men encountered soldiers and, except for the first time when Klaus killed one with a lightning bolt to the head to take clean clothes, the guys avoided them.

Since no one wanted to go into the forest again, the entire journey to the estate where the prince's mother lived as a prisoner took them eight days. They arrived at a safe distance from their destination early in the morning and decided to wait until nightfall.

"Hey, you overcooked the rabbit again!" Egor said indignantly, scraping off the burnt meat.

"Then cook it yourself next time."

"If we had lit a fire, I would have cooked it."

"You can't attract attention. It's food, stop being picky. Right now, it's just a means of survival, nothing more."

"Now I'd like some of Grandma's stewed pork with vegetables and warm bread," Egor said dreamily, swallowing another coal.

"I can send you to your usual environment as soon as we see my mother. Surely Uncle has one or two decent air mages who can open the existing portal."

"Oh, no! I'll stay with you! Why are you so eager to get rid of me?" Egor said offendedly, "I understand that I'm useless, but I try not to interfere and I promise that I will make every effort to help you, no matter what you decide! I will always be on your side!"

"It's not about the benefits," Klaus sighed. "I already told you that I have a habit of losing the people closest to me. I don't want anything to happen to you either, so it's better for you to..."

"No," the fair-haired man firmly blurted out, "I will stay with you. I chose this myself and I will not back down, even if you force me into the portal."

A warm smile blossomed on the prince's face, which made Egor's heart beat faster and his face blushed again. Klaus patted the guy on the head.

"Thank you. I am truly grateful that you are here. Now let's get some sleep. There is still plenty of time before sunset."

The young people checked the map that Professor Skotsky gave them, looked around, but still did not find any secret entrance.

"Maybe he made some mistake when he drew it?" Egor suggested.

"Do you think that's possible? He visited my mother so many times using this passage that he probably remembered every bump in these parts. No, we're missing something." Klaus, counting his steps, walked forward and stood exactly where the passage should begin.

The ground was level, no vegetation, nowhere to hide the tunnel. He looked ahead. His gaze rested on a hillock on which the remains of an old and, apparently, once huge tree still stood. Its dried roots wove like a web, breaking free at the base of the hillock. Klaus took another step closer and crouched down. Egor followed his example. There was a hole among the roots, but it was most likely the home of some animal.

"No, it can't be," Klaus shook his head and, kneeling down, extended his hand into the hole.

"You don't think..."

"Well, do you see any other options?"

"I can hardly imagine a professor crawling through this hole." Egor shook his head. "An adult man could barely squeeze through it."

"Well, since you don't exactly look like a healthy man, but rather like a girl of average build, I think it would be logical to send you on reconnaissance."

Egor looked at the hole again, or rather at the impenetrable darkness inside, and swallowed.

"Maybe we should look some more? There's probably... here."

"Egor, get in already/" the prince said with a sigh and moved aside, giving the young man the opportunity to crawl into the hole.

Egor got on all fours and resignedly headed into the darkness. First, he stuck his head in and looked around. It was dark. He hesitated.

"Don't hesitate," the prince said impatiently, resting his palms on Egor's butt and pushing him hard.

"Hey!" Egor was indignant, rubbing his bruised forehead, which he literally plowed his way inside with.

"Well, what's there?"

"It's dark here, but there's more space than at the entrance. I can't see what's ahead. I think this really is some kind of passage."

"Move," they heard from behind, and Egor realized that Klaus was crawling in too.

They moved slowly and on all fours for about an hour. Klaus assumed that they should have already approached the wall surrounding the estate. After some more time, the passage began to widen, and now, the young people were finally able to straighten up to their full height, and the width of the tunnel allowed them to stand shoulder to shoulder.

"I think I can turn on the light now," Klaus said, and a white ball of lightning flashed in his hand. They had been moving in complete darkness by touch the entire previous journey, afraid to turn on the light. Who knows what could be hiding in the tunnel or how much oxygen there was?

The passage stretched forward and disappeared into the darkness. The roots of rare trees and bushes stuck out here and there from the rough earthen walls. The tunnel was not very deep underground, and Klaus was surprised that it had not collapsed after so many years. If even one battle had been fought here, nothing would have remained of the secret passage, therefore, there was nothing in these lands that attracted soldiers, nobles or commoners.

All that the young men noticed when they stopped for the day at a safe distance from the estate was a wasteland, in the center of which a small fortress was barely visible, surrounded by a high wall and posted with sentries. There really was nothing remarkable here, even the land was not suitable for raising livestock or growing crops. A dead place in which his mother had spent more than twenty years.

The young people walked along a narrow but fairly high passage to the only door. It was unlocked and led to the underground cells of the estate, as the professor had said. Klaus motioned for Egor to stop, and he himself slowly walked through the damp room, where on both sides there were empty cells with bars that had long since rotted away. There was no security here either.

"Everything is quiet here, let's go," said the prince.

They walked through a small prison, where there were four cells along one wall and the same number along the other, turned the corner and noticed a small glimmer of light almost at the door. There were cells here too, but they were more well-kept. These cells had definitely not been empty for decades, like the previous ones.

Klaus put his hand on the katana and moved forward almost silently. The light came from the very first cell, where a girl was sleeping, curled up on a handful of straw and covered with a piece of burlap. No one was guarding her, and Klaus came close to the bars to get a better look at the prisoner. She was petite, no more than sixteen years old. Judging by her dirty face and greasy hair, she had been here for more than a day.

The prince walked on, stretched out his hand to the door. It was not locked. He motioned for Egor to follow him. The fair-haired guy only paused for a few seconds at the cell to look at the prisoner. He was surprised that such a seemingly harmless girl could commit a crime. The prisoner turned over in her sleep, and Egor crossed the distance to the door in two steps and disappeared, leaving behind thoughts of a possible offense.

The young men did not encounter any guards when they were climbing up the spiral staircase, or when they found themselves in the kitchen utility rooms, or even when they freely entered the main hall.

"Don't you think it's strange that such a guarded place on the outside is completely defenseless on the inside?" Klaus asked, more to himself than to Egor.

Egor was also surprised. The estate was so quiet that it seemed deserted. Maybe Klaus's mother lived here all alone? Then how to explain the captive?

"Let's go up to the third floor. There should be bedrooms there," the prince suggested.

"Do you want to burst into the bedroom of a mother you've never seen in the middle of the night?"

"Do you have any other options?" Klaus spread his hands, as if showing that they had no one to even ask where the mistress was.

They went up to the third floor, deciding to check all the rooms one by one, but before they had time to cross the last step, they heard the quiet creak of an opening door. Klaus jerked Egor against the wall and covered his mouth with his hand. It was good that he did not see how much the guy blushed and did not notice how his breathing became irregular, because all the prince's attention was riveted to the little girl approaching the stairs.

Klaus was thinking about what to do, knock the girl out so that she would not create unnecessary noise and, as planned, check all the rooms, or cover her mouth, threaten her and find out where the former queen's bedroom was?

There is no time to think and the prince, moving away from Egor, quickly grabs the girl, who is about to turn towards the stairs, by the hand, presses her back to his chest and covers her mouth with his palm.

"Quiet," he calmly whispers to her right next to her ear and the moaning dies down.

The slave is shaking slightly and Klaus does not like it, but he has no choice.

"I will not do anything to you if you behave quietly. You will behave quietly, right?"

The girl nods nervously several times in agreement, and Klaus loosens his grip, but does not remove his hand from his mouth completely.

"Tell me, where is the mistress's bedroom?" the maid's eyes widen with fear, she turns pale. Klaus feels how her lips, touching his palm, open and close again.

"Please," she exhales barely audibly and shakes her head from side to side.

"I won't hurt her. I just need to talk." After a second's hesitation, he adds, "I promise" and loosens his grip enough for the girl to be able to move freely, but not have time to run away.

"My lady... Please, she has suffered so much already," the maid looks at the prince with a pleading look.

"I told you that I only came to talk."

"But..."

"I will find her anyway, but it will be easier if you help me with this. So, where is her room?"

The girl looks down at the floor, hesitates for a couple of seconds, raises her hand and points to the part of the corridor from which she just came.

"You were in her room?"

The girl barely nods. Klaus glances at her again, touches her neck from behind with his finger and sends a weak discharge. The slave goes limp in his arms, and he carefully sits her down on the steps, leaning her back against the wall.

"Let's go," he says to Egor, who casts a wary glance at the girl, "don't worry, she'll come to her senses soon."

The guy exhales with relief and follows the prince towards mother's bedroom.

Near the door, Klaus stopped abruptly, and Egor bumped into his back. The prince froze with his hand outstretched, barely touching the handle with his fingertips. His face was expressionless, but Egor felt Klaus's hesitation. The strong and confident young man now froze like a statue, afraid of what awaited him behind the door.

Egor hesitantly placed his hand on Klaus's shoulder and squeezed it lightly in silent support. The prince exhaled and slowly lowered the handle, pushing the door forward.

The young men froze on the threshold. Opposite the door stood a small table, and on it burned a single candle, barely dispelling the darkness of the night. In the fireplace on the side, coals were barely smoldering, filling the room with a light warmth, but did not provide additional light. The window was open, and the full moon illuminated an elegant female profile. The hostess of the room was just about to take a sip of wine, when the door to her chambers swung open without warning. She slowly took the glass from her lips and turned to the uninvited guests.

For a few moments, everyone froze. The woman lazily glanced at the male silhouette in the doorway, and then turned her gaze to the second, less impressive one.

"I thought I made it clear that I do not intend to tolerate you in my house, but you decided to show up right in my room. There must be a very good reason for that - the woman said calmly, put her glass on the round, high table next to the chair and slowly and gracefully stood up."

"We are not...," Klaus croaked out hoarsely, but the woman interrupted him with a wave of her hand.

"You dared to burst into my private chambers, breaking all the rules. Having such impudence, you can not clearly explain the reasons for such behavior? You serve the king, yes, but that does not mean that I am obliged to tolerate you. Now get out of my bedroom. Immediately."

The last words were imbued with such hatred and contempt that Egor involuntarily shuddered, but Klaus, on the contrary, seemed to wake up from a dream.

"I am not from the royal guard," the prince said in his usual calm and confident voice, taking a wide step towards his mother, "My name is Klaus Deffender. I am the first crown prince of Isorobia and your own son."

Egor looked from the woman to Klaus, but nothing could be understood from their faces. Two people with impenetrable faces stood opposite each other and were silent, finally, the prince's mother decided to break the silence:

"Klaus Deffender," she drawled slowly, as if savoring each letter, and then turned around and sat back in her chair, taking the unfinished wine, "And what brought you here?" she took a sip, put the glass back on the table, "although no, how did you find out about me?"

"Your friend told you."

"Friend? Do I still have friends?" she grinned.

"There is and may be much more, if it is revealed how the father... the king treated his wife."

The woman slightly inclined her head, stretched her lips into a smile, and then burst into loud, abrupt laughter. Klaus was confused, Egor, who was still standing in the doorway, took a few hesitant steps towards the prince.

"Where is my maid?" Minami asked, abruptly stopping laughing. "Since my son decided to visit me, I want more light and snacks."

"She is not quite in a state to serve now," Klaus hesitated, but the woman took a small bell and made two movements from side to side.

"She is not alone here. Your father did not skimp on servants and guards. I would offer you to sit down, but," she wrapped her arm around the room, "as you can see, I was not expecting guests."

A frightened young man appeared in the doorway and froze, seeing that there were uninvited guests in his mistress's chambers.

"What are you frozen for?" Minami said coldly. "Can't you see? I have guests. Prepare the table for an early breakfast, or at least a late dinner. We'll be down now."

The slave quickly bowed and ran away.

"Do I need to worry about the girl's body? I hope you didn't splatter the walls with blood. I hate that nasty smell," she turned to Klaus, wrinkling her nose slightly.

"I just knocked her out."

"Too bad, it's so boring here. The slaves would have enjoyed the show," the woman grinned, her eyes sparkling.

Egor shuddered. As he came closer to Klaus, he could notice a striking resemblance between mother and son, especially the eyes, just as deep and attractive, but when Minami's gaze changed, the young man realized that he was wrong, and except for the color and cut, these eyes had nothing in common with Klaus's eyes.

The whole reunion of mother and son did not go as Egor had imagined. He thought that the woman would burst into tears of happiness, throw herself on Klaus's neck, and they would talk for a long time, trying to restore the lost time. And Minami herself seemed different to the young man. She was beautiful, which Egor had no doubt about, given the prince's appearance, but it was not her beauty that surprised him, but her youth. The woman looked a little older than himself. There was not a hint of gray in her black, shiny hair, her skin was fair, unlike the tanned Klaus, and smooth. If Egor had not noticed the obvious family resemblance between the woman and Klaus, he would never have believed that she was already over fifty years old.