GRAY

CHAPTER TEN: LOWBORN

(This chapter is dedicated to xxRazmatazxx and _SugaryMoon_)

Igneafus, west of the Ironlands.

Tera's hands trembled beyond her own control. Her chest struggling to hold down her pacing heart. It was her first time ever seeing the royal castle interiors, yet nothing around her held any significance. Not the beautiful sculptures that greeted every hall way they had walked by, or the beautiful gold roses and historical paintings that were placed at vintage points around the prestigious castle. None of them mattered. The only thing she held to heart was the unknown faith about to befall her and her children.

Her hands were clenched around Selina and Sansa's wrist, as she struggled to keep up with the three royal guards that escorted them. On the queen's order, they had been taken out of their home, and brought into the royal castle. The guards had refused to give her any explanation on why the queen requested her presence, or where her husband, Erik, was. She hadn't seen him since she arrived in the castle, and when it concerned the royal family, she was forced to assume the worst. Were they here to be trialed for disobedience to the crown? Were they about to be thrown into a deep dark cell for the rest of their poor stricken lives? Had Erik done something to offend the queen? In Igneafus, a man's wife and children would called upon to answer for his crimes, if they were offensive enough. The idea seemed like the most likely choice since the queen had earlier requested her husband's presence in the royal castle before calling upon her and the children.

She struggled to stare into the face of one of the guards. His face was almost completely hidden beneath his gold painted helmet. He appeared to be cold faced and angry, or maybe it was just what she imagined. She couldn't really tell. Her face dropped down to her children, Sansa and Selina. They were giggling and murmuring to each other, eyes shimmering with excitement at any beautiful thing their adolescent eyes laid upon. Sensing their gullible innocence, she sighed briefly, shifting her gaze forward, towards the hallway they had now walked into.

A number of old and young women scurried towards them. They were dressed is white scuffed robes and blue scarves which gave them the formal looks of handmaidens. The guards stopped, as one of the maidens walked towards her, she appeared to be the oldest among them.

She smiled at Tera.

Tera blinked.

In a steady motion the old maiden leaned her head towards the twins. "And who are these beautiful little girls?" She said. Her voice weary, yet gentle beneath its audible tone.

The twins blushed.

"My name is Sansa." "My name is Selina." The twins replied almost at once.

The maiden raised an eye brow, she wasn't quite sure who had said what. Feeling embarrassed, she gave them a warm welcoming smile, leaned back while turning towards Tera."You look so beautiful my lady."

"No please, I am no lady, just call me Tera." She respectfully corrected.

"Nonsense," she held Tera's hand as if to take her away. "Any wife of my dear Erik is a lady, no matter where she may come from."

Tera replied with a fake smile. The old maiden's objectively scrupulous manner towards her only raised suspicion.

The old maiden looked over at the guards. "The queen insists we take it from here."

The three guards matched away, carrying with them their cold silence. As she watched them leave, a chill of relief crawled down her spine, but even then, she was yet to see how their absence made her presence in the royal castle any less terrifying. For in her heart, there was no feeling worse than not knowing what was worse.