Awoken (Ilea, Book I) (COMPLETED)

Chapter 29 (part 1)

Kaye's ball gown >>>>

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I roused myself out of my meditating state at around four o’clock. I knew it would be too late to find any proper food so made my way to the palace kitchens, being greeted there by an extremely shocked cook. I scavenged some bread and cheese and ate them in rather an unladylike manner on my way back to my room.

The dressers were due at five and I arrived there just a few moments before them having walked at a leisurely pace around the castle. They helped me wash and clean myself before they allowed me to climb into the dress again, however, this time they would not let me look in the mirror until they had fiddled with my hair as best they could, applied a red balm to my lips and pinched at patted my cheeks to give me a constant blush.

Eventually when I was allowed to look at myself in the mirror after hours of pampering I was pleasantly shocked again. The dress fitted me like a glove and there was a certain sparkle in my eyes that seemed to make my expression shine. My hair was smoothed back and had a sophisticated slide on it, in a matching blue to the dress. I looked at myself and smiled, I could live with this. And more importantly, Rowan would love it.

I didn’t have to wait long for Rowan to turn up at my door. He inhaled sharply when he saw me, causing me to smile. “You look simply stunning.”

“Thank you.” He kissed me passionately, which was surprising considering that the two dressers were still in the room. “Rowan.” I indicated towards them and he apologised sheepishly.

We made our way down to the main ball room which I had never seen before. Lord Rico greeted me as I entered the room and I looked around to see that out of most of the women there, my dress was easily the most understated. “May I say Ilea, you are looking very elegant tonight, a real young lady.” Lord Rico smiled kindly at me and I couldn’t help but return it. I had wished Senkrad was there to see me though; I think he would approve of the way I had managed to accustom myself to this environment.

A few people turned to look towards the doors and I did the same to see Kaye walk through them in a beautiful gown of cream and gold. The front split showing layer after layer of different materials with the bottom layer of a soft golden lace. There were golden roses along the top of the split and the bodice of her dress was intricately embroidered with golden flowers. I smiled at her and her returning smile was affectionate and seemed to light up her entire face in a beautiful innocence. I thought back to the seamstresses’ words from this morning and realised that I was wrong to jump to conclusions, it clearly couldn’t be this Kaye. She made her way over to us and her dress seemed to rustle as she walked

“Kaye you look beautiful.” I said as soon as she was close enough.

“Thank you, I love your dress, it suits you so well.”

“Thank you.”

It wasn’t long before Orion came into the room and we were ushered through into a slightly smaller room where we sat and had a formal meal around a large table. The servant served me specific non-meat dishes and Orion caught my eye and gave me a smirk, knowing that being singled out would get under my skin.

Once the meal was over we went back into the ball room where a large orchestra had set up and was played a slow waltz. Orion asked for my hand and we led the first dance, it felt so different from the first dance I had been asked to perform with my sword that I found it almost comical. However, it unnerved me that I had gone from an independent elf, to simply another woman in the castle, in only a matter of days. But for that moment I didn’t want to think about it, I wanted to dance with Rowan.

I did not get my wish. I could not see Rowan at all and Lord after Duke after Lord kept asking for my hand in the dance so that I did not leave the dance floor for nearly an hour. Eventually I begged a respite and slowly wandered out of the hall in the quest for fresh, cool air.

I walked outside and passed a leafy arch which I had not noticed before, inquisitive as ever I walked though it and found myself in a secluded garden with the moon shining down and illuminating the grass. I stayed in the garden for a while hearing the rustling noises of animals in the bushes and the occasional hooting of an owl, and just as I was about to leave I heard a small whimper coming from the bushes. I walked towards them and caught a shimmer of gold.

That is when I realised that the rustling I had heard was not the sound of animals, it was the noise of two people making love. That is when I noticed him lying on top of her, in between her legs and her sighing in pleasure as he massaged her breasts with his tongue and thrusted deeply in and out of her. That is when Kaye caught my eye and smirked as Rowan made love to her.

I felt the fire in my eyes as I forced my consciousness into theirs, making it stab at their minds like a knife. I searched though their brains and saw how often they had done this, how often he’d betrayed me. It was like fire and ice ripping through my body when I felt the love he had for her, and the utter loathing he felt towards me.

I left them writhing on the ground as I searched deeper, trying to find out why he had done that to me. Orion had made him; he wanted to control me and was using Rowan as his tool. Orion wanted to use me as a powerful weapon and he needed mu co-operation, Rowan was his self-made bargaining tool. They were manipulating me. All the promotions Rowan had been given was for leading me on, for making me love him and all the times I believed we had made love was a lie.

The pain exploded from my chest and they screamed as they felt it tear through their minds. My heart felt as if it had been broken in two and I could feel the fire burning in my eyes when I looked at him. He actually looked at me and smirked, pushing through the pain he spoke to me, “Do you think anyone could ever love something as disgusting as you? All you were was a good fuck.”

I threw him against the wall with my mind and ran out of the garden as he collapsed to the floor in a heap, blood gushing from his temple. I couldn’t control my pain and emotions; as I ran I set fire to the things around me, leaving a smoking trail of destruction as I went to my room.

When I got there I ripped off the pathetic dress,  pulled on my training clothes, belted my sword and walked back though the palace, the tears streaming down my face as the hurt echoed through my mind, sending out magical vibrations so strong that they shook the walls and floor when I stepped. I made my way out of the palace and when I got to the gates I started to run through the streets to the gate into the forest. When I got to the gate I simply set it on fire and watched it burn to ash in front of me as the sentries stood there in horror.

I walked thought the burning debris and started to sprint to Mount Cadavain.