The Heir of Aiwan--Book 1

Chapter 5

Emma doesn't quite know how to process what she has just seen. Her shock is written all over her face. She doesn't have time to think about the fact that the queen just killed someone. Just like that, with a cut of her cold eyes from across the room, before she's sweeping toward me with long strides. That eerie smile still plastered on her beautiful face. She reaches a hand out toward me and through the fog of her shock and fear Emma finds herself lifting her hand up to allow her to take hers.

"Emma, I know that was," she pauses a beat, "unsightly, but he could not have expected that I would take lightly the kidnap and hostage of my only granddaughter. I do not negotiate with people like him," she throws a sneer in the direction of Kade's body, which is limply hanging between two guards. His feet drag behind, his head hangs down, his neck at an odd angle. She's still looking after his unmoving frame which is being dragged out of the room when her words hit me. Her hand is rough on the cuticles in a way that is add for an old woman, especially a queen. I shake myself out of those intrusive thoughts.

"Granddaughter?" she whispers, it's then that Emma pulls back from her, almost jerking her elbow out of her hand. That smile turns more severe as she look at her directly again, Emma can see it now. The same pointed chin, the same blue eyes. She looks just like her mother. Or, Emma guesses, her mother looked just like her. The weight of that thought brings a heat inside of her that she didn't know she had inside of her. A darkness leaking into the corners of her vision, a childhood trait that Emma thought she had squashed between her pointer and her thumb like a bug. The audacity of this woman to act like she's family.

"Take her to her rooms and get her cleaned up. This is no way for a princess to look," she says to the guard, grazing her finger across the line of her jaw. Emma wants to jerk away but something about the gesture is kind even if it is a little unnerving. Her eyes are warm and her smile, while smaller now, feels more genuine. "I can't believe you're here," she whispers between us, her voice too small for the guards behind us to hear. "Welcome home, Emma."

The queen turns away sharply, making her way up the large stone, sweeping steps. She glides gracefully with hips swaying slightly, she can't help but be mesmerized by here. A second staircase mirrors the one the queen is ascending, both meeting at the top and spiraling down in delicate arches. The second guard steps up to her left side, like he is afraid Emma might bolt. They direct her up the staircase to the right, the opposite one of the queen. She feels the small press of a hand on her back, gently pushing her forward. Emma takes each step slowly, trying to think of a way to escape. As we reach the top, the guard sweeps a hand toward the right, down a long, dark hallway. I cut my gaze to the left but the queen has already abandoned the hall and is out of sight. All I can see is a hallway lined with intricately carved scones and a sharp corner where the hallway disappears.

There are servants rushing in front of us, lighting sconces to brighten the space. In the distance Emma sees a somebody holding open a large wooden door with a stiff back. Her eyes are straight forward, never straying away from the fabric covered wall opposite the door. She is beautiful and fierce, her dark brown eyes a warm brown but something burns at the edges, she does a small curtsy as a near the door, stepping back to make way for me to pass into the room. The guard places his hand on her back, giving a small nudge forward. Emma wants to growl at him, as if I'm going to try running away. She barely know where I am at, possibly able to point out on a map of Aiwan the general area. The room before her is huge. The ceilings are high and white, Emma can see a canopy bed along the far wall, the sheer pink curtains drawn back revealing a large white bed. He nudges me toward the opening on the right where a warm bath is steaming. She spins on him, upper lift lifting in a sneer that causes him to square his shoulders at her. He postures before Emma sees a small hand curve over his upper biceps and pulls him back.