King's Conquest (The Crown of Estoir)

~~Unwelcomed(19)~~

The weightless darkness was encroaching on her. Arianna kept on running in what looked to be a forest somewhere. Everything that her hand touched bloomed. A light radiated from her fingertips, but the evil behind her turned everything to ashes.

The unspeakable magic was unholy. It choked her. She had to escape....

Arianna awoke with a start in the most luxurious chamber she had ever seen. It housed a high ceiling with gold patterns over ice-blue paint. The place was furnished with thick rugs, fine linens, and a massive ornate fireplace with a roaring fire.

Her nightmare was already fading into wisps of forgetfulness. Feeling hot, she peeled the blankets off her and tried to sit up. Her limbs ached like an old lady's. Last night, she had fallen asleep as exhaustion had consumed her. And why not? Her sentencing had begun as soon as she had crossed the threshold of her gilded cage. Ethan had carted her from one prison to another.

Curious eyes, cold stares and malice intent had prodded at her back when he had escorted her in. True to the tales, the palace was magnificent, with rich heritage screaming every corner. If it had been an ordinary visit, she would have absorbed it all in with fascination.

Soon, Ethan had abandoned her in a small room and departed without a word. A few minutes later, succulent food had arrived, which she didn't touch. Much later, a timid maid had shown her chambers and fled as if she was a demon that would swallow her whole.

The recollection made her laugh.

She knew her fear. It was familiar. They thought her a Pyrian savage with so-called heathen magic. The Arlingtonians were touted to be above such prejudice, but they did abhor the supernatural.

The doors to her chambers opened without warning. A woman appeared with a frown and sauntered in with a posse of four girls.

"Child, the servants told me you slept away the entire day." She glanced at her with an arched brow.

Obviously, this woman had not been on the run and slept in the tents or the forest grounds for months. "Who are you?" she asked, quelling a retort.

Her clothes were less ostentatious than the royals, yet there was something regal about how she comported. Age had been generous to her as youth still lingered in her. There was nary a white nor a crease around her sharp green eyes.

"Lady Arianna, the King has declared you the royal guest, and all the four girls here are at your disposal." The woman continued rather than answering, reminding her that she was calling the shots. "The one with the curly hair is called Lavenia. She is to be your personal maid."

A tall girl who had been staring at her feet looked up at the mention of her name. Her eyes collided with Arianna, and she looked away.

"Lavenia excels in sewing, hair grooming and rouge though your colour may not require much," said the woman sternly.

Arianna didn't take the bait. The Estoirie had made puns of her olive skin, and she had been the oddity there. Arlingtonians were much fairer than her countrymen as they were mostly mountain folks.

She wondered how much a fuss her 'colouring' would cause in this foreign country whose accent was sharp and crisp, unlike the cadence of the south. The Arlingtonian were touted to be fair-minded in conjugation and liberties though Arianna wasn't sure if that was just fables exaggerated by the storyteller.

"I will take your silence as good manners. Milady, you are in the Royal corridors where the Royal family resides," the woman continued. "Now, as you from down below, the King thinks it's best to have guards by your chambers until you are acclimated to our ways and other courtiers."