Wardens of Elysia

Chapter 10 • The Knight of the Night

It was an hour past dinner and there were a few of those braided knights from Sephyria again. They stood under the shade of the castle entrance, bulked and rigid.

Lucie was waiting for Tierra at the doors of the castle. She looked worried and disheveled. The horse neighed and the carriage stopped in front of her.

She sighed, "Princess."

Tierra gave her a weak smile and went down; she was assisted by her handmaiden.

"Where's father?" Even by the thought of possibly being scolded for coming home late, Tierra wanted to see a manly figure to reprimand her, for she felt bad. She felt like a guilty offender. And she needed her father to confirm this, a punishment.

"He went early to bed. It has been a tiring two days for him," Lucie said feeling Tierra's wistfulness as they walked away from the deafening drops of the rain.

Tierra remembered something, she turned towards the carriage, only the porter was there, heading to the west side of the castle grounds where the stables were located. She looked to her left, there he was, Salovin, speaking with a Sephyrian guard. They turned to her.

Tierra made a curtsy, "Prince Salovin, I appreciate what you did there a while ago. Please make yourselves comfortable in the castle."

Salovin smiled and gave her a nod, "An honor, Princess."

"Do you already know where your quarters are?" Concerned, Tierra turned to Lucie, "Do they know where their quarters are?"

But before Lucie could answer, Salovin replied, "Yes, kind of you, Princess. But I shall join my men for supper in the mess hall for now. They waited for me to arrive before grabbing a bite." He smiled to his fellow-knight, "Most loyal these warriors are."

Tierra was happy to hear that. She gave another curtsy and trotted with Lucie towards the main stairs. Tierra could hear a whistle from Salovin and several footsteps marching towards the kitchen.

--

"Your food is in the table, Princess, and your tub is ready for your bath. Are you sure you need no further assistance?" Lucie said hanging Tierra's robe to a wall before leaving for the door.

Tierra sighed, "Yes, Lucie. Thank you, as always. Good night, Lucie."

When Lucie left, Tierra sat on a cushioned chair beside her little round table. The cloche covering her food reflected her in shapes ranging from fat to flat-headed to ferocious. She sighed, un-amused.

There are so many questions unanswered. Why am I seeing this little girl? What is the mystery of the sword of...of whoever owns that blunt sword? Was I wounded from it in the market? Where does this Servius really live? Will Eros be alright? How will father react when he'll know I'm joining the academy? What am I going to do now? She thought, closing her eyes.

There was only one response her stomach gave - a deep growl. Eat, it ordered.

Tierra lifted the cloche and warm steams moistened her face. A delicious aroma of roasted ham and stir-fried vegetables tickled her nostrils. She always insisted on never being served with food she won't be able to finish, so this hearty meal is usually the amount she gets instead of a feast like when in the dining hall.

Also, there were four tumbleberry cookies at the side. She smiled, Madame Jenkins.

Tierra found herself gobbling down her late night meal. She ended with a satisfied burp and walked towards her washroom.

She was taking off her upper garment when she noticed her reflection having a reddened patch of skin at the back of her right shoulder. Tierra's brows furrowed, An insect bite? No, those two hoodlums must have been too harsh on us. She touched the surface - no itch, no sting, no bumps - just a patch of red skin. Tierra heaved; she took off her clothes and stepped into her warm bubble bath...only to find herself dozing off in a few minutes.

Squawk! Squawk Squawk! We know you, Squawk!

Splashes of bubbly water sprinkled to Tierra's face as she grabbed the railings. She opened her eyes, alarmed. It was a dream. The princess lowered herself on the tub, the water only an inch below her eyes.

The washroom's mirror reflected her wall clock from her bedroom. It was a quarter to ten. She has slept for an hour.

Tierra stood up from her tub and pulled the stopper. The water drained from underneath her. She turned on the shower to rinse herself.

Before wearing her bathroom robe, Tierra inspected her back shoulder again, the red patch was no longer there. Am I imagining things again? She went on brushing her teeth, then combing her hair as she walked back to her bedroom. The moon rose high in the night. The rain has stopped and only wispy grey clouds danced in the sky.

Tierra slipped into her night dress and into her bed, ending her eventful day once again.

--

(photo from wolfgal04.deviantart.com)

Do you think she's imagining things?

That's a lot of questions you have there, Tierra. Any guesses?