The City of the Broken (Prince of the Broken) (15 page)

We drive around, touring the city, as I marvel at how quickly its changed. The power of Calix
’s ‘approval’ of The Smiley’s is earth shaking. It still has its atmosphere of death, broken hopes, otherworldly darkness but also now combined with smiles, energy and the feeling that anything is possible. It only makes me appreciate the quality’s  of the city even more .A dream that married a nightmare, giving birth to a fantasy world dynamic but flawed . The city could make you feel a sad yearning in its former days, now its uniqueness is combined with a brilliant optimism.

I hold Calix
’s hand, enjoying the mating of metal when our rings clang into each other. We head back as the night falls cloaking our secret drive ,soothing my worries of possible discovery.

I wind down the window in the car a little, keen to breathe in that distinct city air fragranced with swe
et flowers: forget-me-nots that have been forgotten and trees that hold the secrets of years gone by. Tonight I hear music, the city is alive like it was in the Black Ball game, only this time a number of the citizens are fun-loving, happy humans rather than the corpses that had to pretend to be alive.

“
So Calix, are you pro-happiness or pro-despair?” I enquire, knowing he can go without the political correctness required in his public role for tonight, as his answer is for my ears only. Yes Alfred is here, but I still think him too reserved in character to go leaking the opinions of the prince to the press.

“
I’m genuinely in between. I think the city needs to preserve its unique identity as broken and mournful but I also think people should have the freedom to choose when to be happy and when to be depressed. Moods change but we’ll always be a city for the glass-half-empty type of person. And what’s your opinion on matter”? he asks, his eyes flashing with curiosity.

“
Pro-despair. I think that if everyone was Pro-Happiness then this city would be like everywhere else. I’ve grown to love its darkness and appreciate its individualism. This is the only time I’ll side with your father Calix. Do try and remember this monumental occasion”, I joke and he smiles.

“
I’ll jot it down in my diary. Pro-despair, really?” he asks in disbelief.

“
I’ve never fitted in. I’m an outcast at heart. Smiling and happiness are for conformists. I’m a rebel who does her own thing” I remark.

“
Whoa! I’m really seeing a new side to you tonight. I can understand your point of view. Though I think a compromise would probably be the best thing for the city. Its kind of ridiculous for citizens who joined because they were broken to want to become pro-happiness but I think they’ve had enough of Dad’s regime.”

Chapter Eleven.

The Forbidden Room

At college, I spend my time in the treasure-trove that is the library. The blood of life gushes through my veins as  I find hidden jewels in this cav
e of paper and words. Renowned books I’ve heard the names of from since I left the womb, only never have actually read. That feeling that my life will never be complete until every classic is devoured and every great author’s style completely understood.

“
Hey, you look happy. You don’t need any pro-happiness group when you’ve got the library” says Calix ,reading my feelings as he comes over to join me.

“
Oh Calix ,does the City of the Broken have a library? I’m never more enthralled than when I’m looking at books” I smile.

“
It sure does. I should have taken you ages ago. You’ll love it, its huge and has every books you could ever think of” he says, his eyes glittering with promise as I beam up at him like a small child.

The City of the Broken public library has gothic architecture and an impressive nobility that makes it seem more like an official government building than a library. It’s the most amazing library I’ve ever set foot in. This masterpiece of libraries is an example to all the rest. I feel as though I’ve come across a diamond mine in my own back garden that I never even knew was there. A hive of literature that not only stocks the classics that by birthright should grace every library, but also the new, the rare and the most popular.

The black flo
ors gleam with polish, squeaking as I walk over them, taking care not to slip from my excitement. The walls are white. The books are the ornaments, the centrepiece, the works of art that hang in the frames of old oak bookshelves.

The library has three floo
rs-fact, fiction, poetry and drama. We’ve been here hours and I’m still no where near full in this feast of words.

“
Oh Calix, why didn’t you take me here the very first time you took me to the city? I feel as though I’m sampling oxygen after a lifetime of breathing only fumes” I say, still not believing such a perfect place could actually exist. The ultimate library.

“
Sorry Seren. I know you love books, I do too but I thought you’d be more interested in the palace or BlackBall” he says earnestly.

“
This city should be famous for its library if it isn’t already. The City of the Books should be its new name” I say.

“
I wonder what Dad would have to say about
that
idea” he smiles.

“
Okay, I now officially don’t understand the point of view of the Broken citizens .How can you be unhappy when you have access to all of
this?
” I ask stretching out my arms to motion to the library as a whole.

At the third floor, after practically crying tears of joy on discovering numerous editions of The Complete Works of William S
hakespeare, Wordsworth and Keats ,I realize there is one more flight of stairs, which seems to lead to an attic or perhaps another layer of books-the rarest and most wonderful that Calix has forgotten to mention?

I climb the stairs eagerly, wondering what
magnificence awaits, what other titles and authors there could possibly be that the vast array of the first three floors didn’t cover. The door at the top of the flight of stairs is covered by a large, embroidered tapestry of black, silver and gold. I shift it to one side and realize a padlock bars my entry through the oak door.

“
Hey! Seren, you cant go up there” says Calix racing towards me, looking alarmed.

“
Why? What’s behind the door Calix? Are there any more books?” I ask feeling like a child that has just been scolded.

“
It isn’t open to the public. That’s Fathers own archive” he says in an unfamiliar formal tone.

“
Why doesn’t he have his archive in his own palace rather than a public library?” I ask bemused.

“
Security is very tight here, Dad actually believes it safer for his documents to be stored
here
. No one except senior members of staff actually knows what this room is for. Only Dad and I have a key” he says.

“
Why do you have a key to
his
archives” I ask still puzzled.

“
Well, actually I don’t have the key yet. I’ll inherit the key and the archives when I’m King. He says that room holds the secrets of the city. To be honest I’m as intrigued by it as you are. I don’t understand what secrets there are, but that padlock is so frustrating. I long to know what’s in that mystery room” he says, his eyes lighting up with wonder.

“
Wow. It must be pretty special if he won’t even allow you to go in there. I cant even imagine the knowledge that room holds.” I say fascinated, staring at the lock that guards the secret forbidden information.

“
Can’t we just break the lock?” I ask suddenly, impulsively, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“
Oh believe me Seren, I’ve tried in my youth. I even had Frederick with his muscles of steel and cunning nature to find a way to break, pick or loosen that lock but even he gave up- and he’s a man who would jump over every obstacle there is to achieve a goal. The
only
way it opens is with that illusive key” he says arching his eyebrow.

“
How often does your Dad come in this room then?” I ask.

“
You know that is the curious thing. I have never known him to even set foot in this library, yet he places such importance on that room. The only time I know that he came here was when I was a child when he opened it officially .But even then he didn’t actually go inside the library, he just stood at the entrance” he says, now equally as bemused as me.

After finding a dozen books I want to borrow, I use Calix
’s shiny black card, embossed with purple ‘City of the Broken Public Libraries’ font. I cant have my own library card as they are available to citizens only.

“
Promise to take them back on time Seren. I love the library as much as you do” he says.

“
I
always
return books Calix but I’ll make absolutely certain I will when they are on your card” I say truthfully and he smiles trustingly.

“
I’m so fascinated by that forbidden room Calix. I’m more inclined to believe it stocks secrets of the King than secrets of the city” I say ,wondering what darkness the king has hidden away.

“
Don’t encourage the itch of my imagination Seren. I both long for and dread to know the depths of information that room holds. Then at other times I think that I’ll be sorely disappointed when I discover what is probably little more than a collection of historic documents and family trees” he says.

I’m well aware that there could be anyone watching, waiting to report us to His Majesty the King but I don’t care. It’s a beautiful day and my fiancé and I are enjoying a rare undisrupted stroll through The City of the Broken.

Just as I
’m becoming totally engrossed in the sweet sunshine kissed sky, a passer by dressed in yellow approaches us

“
Hi! Would you like to join us as a volunteer? I’m a Smiley and we promote the Pro-Happiness cause to bring colour, happiness and smiles back into this gloomy city. Interested?” she asks beaming up at us with an almost unnatural, permanent political smile on her face.

I look at Calix, unsure what to say.

“Not today, but thank you” he says, smiling politely.

“
Oh wow, you’re the prince. I heard you support this cause already, that’s one of the reasons I joined” she says smiling adoringly at Calix.

After we escape her, Calix and I laugh at the irony of the situation.

“Its hilarious that the King brought about his own worst nightmare by his own doing. You’d have thought he’d think it through before telling the world you were a fan of The Smiley’s” I say, nearly choking from laughing so much.

“
I think he was just so angry that the two of us were engaged that he acted almost impulsively. I’m sure he’ll be working on damage limitation now he’s realized his error. It’ll be all over the news tomorrow that I’ve switched back to Pro-despair now” he says.

“
Probably” I agree sniggering.

“
The City really is divided now though. Pro-despair groups are concentrated heavily on one side of the city and Pro-happiness members are banned from entering and vice versa. I’m all for freedom of speech but I don’t agree with these sunshine and cloudy sides of the city” he says, looking concerned about the situation.

“
What has your father said about the whole issue?” I ask, wondering why the King seems to have become so quiet of late.

“
Actually Seren, I haven’t seen Dad in days. I really don’t have a clue what he’s up to and what his opinions are. I’ve actually taken it upon myself to set up a group to discuss the divide. It’s called City Reunited. I want people to live their lives how they choose to but this divide is silly. Its turning people who’ve never even met each other into enemies and I don’t want this to be a city of conflict” he says passionately.

“
Oh Calix, you are so active in society, unlike me. You stay up to date with all these current affairs. I just don’t know how you do it” I say enthralled.

“
Well, its my duty Seren. I am the
prince
and especially as Dad’s absent at the moment, its my responsibility to lead these types of things” he says modestly.

“
So where is this group?” I ask.

“
We meet every Tuesday evening at the community centre .If a serious or notable incident or development occurs, such as a riot, we’ll meet twice or three times a week” he says.

“
Who can join, elites only, like at the meeting with your Dad?” I ask.

“
No. That’s the beauty of this.
Anyone
who’s a citizen of this city, whether they are Pro-Happiness, Pro-Despair or neutral can join” he smiles.

“
Oh ,that’s great. That way its fair as everyone can express their opinions and concerns. But Calix, the trouble is
I’m
not a citizen, so can I attend?”

“
Well Seren, ordinarily I’d say no but since its you I’ll make an exception and bring you along as my plus-one. Just try not to contribute too much though .It might irritate the citizens if you are opinionated on matters of a city you aren’t even a member of” he says honestly.

“
Okay. That’s not a problem. Even if I was a citizen I’d be far too shy to say anything”  I say frankly and he laughs.