Olivia pushed the golden door open. I don't know what I was expecting. Perfect golden stairs to match the door? Maybe some fairies or something flying around. Something magical .
It was just a staircase. Plain stone, like all of the other walls. It was dark, the only light filtering in from the open doorway. The air was stale and still. I could see the layer of dust that coated everything. The only magical thing about the stairwell was that it was still standing.
I reached up and plucked the two gemstones from the door. They popped right off. A bit of relief washed over me. For a second I thought they had been fused or something to the magic door. I handed Olivia her amethyst and she clicked the charm back onto her bracelet. I re-tied my necklace and tucked it safely under my collar again.
Olivia stepped into the curricular room, brushing some of the dust off of the metal railing that curved up and around. I followed, squinting up to try and see the ceiling. I tentatively got up on the first step, then the second and bounced up and down a bit. Olivia looked at me curiously. I shrugged, "I think it'll hold our weight."
Olivia nodded and then looked up to the top of the stairs. It was hard to read her face in the low light, but she had this sort of determination to her. Not really curiosity, or cautiousness. More like this was a task that had be accomplished correctly .
She marched passed me on the steps and started up the tower. "Come on."
For a split second I thought of Autumne. We were supposed to be looking for her. To make sure, ya know, the Heir Princess of Villdeurvanne hadn't been kidnapped.
I looked up to where Olivia was already halfway to the top. The emerald felt strangely warm against my skin, even though the glow had stopped after the door opened.
I dashed up the stairs to catch up with her.
We circled up and around until finally the steps led into the chamber at the top. The room was octagonal, wider than the stairwell had been. It was warm, probably from the light that shinned through the windows. I blinked a couple of times, trying to get my eyes to adjust after being in the dim stairwell. The dust that floated softly in the air sparkled in the yellow sunshine. The floor was a light wood which creaked when we walked across it, but it seemed strong and sturdy. A massive floral rug filled the center. Bookshelves lined all of the walls, but there were few actual books. Instead there were porcelain figurines of ballerinas and fairies and woodland creatures. There were glazed dishes brimming with rusted jewelry. Painted pots with dried flowers and branches. And other knickknacks which must have come from across the land. Delicate wooden fans from Fenghuang. Ornate goat bells from Kang-ri. Rich metallic quills from Ridire Ceo.
But what really took my breath away was the glass orbs. Dozens of them were strung from the rafters, catching the light at different angles and scattering tiny rainbows across every surface.
I walked over to the big wooden desk which was pushed up against the wall. Half burnt candles of all different shapes and sizes were lined up along its end, the melted wax sticking them to the table. A thick leather bound book rested there. I blew off the layer of dust, most of the particles blasting right back in my face, causing me to cough.
Carefully, I opened the cover. The ink was faded and the handwriting was shaky but carefully spaced. Like how it would look if you were trying to write with your wrong hand. It read:
Reluckent Property of Briedda Kent.
I flipped to the next page.
Today is my birthday. Fide gave me this jornal journal so I can pra c t i c e my writing. I hate it. BUT he is over my sh o u l d e r right now to make sure I AM USING IT. I know, here is how I will practice:
YOU ARE READING
Royal Guard Book 1: The Servant
Fantasy(Arce Academy is a school for heirs, but there are secrets hidden behind these walls. And people are willing to die and kill for them.) I lived in a land of myth, magic, and monsters. And there was one monster who was more terrible than any beast. R...
