A Kingdom of Wrath and Ruin

chapter six

Solana lifted her chin as the carriage began to rumble to a halt outside the palace. She allowed herself a quiet intake of breath as she stood up, her shaking hands curling into fists by her sides. Although she was never usually nervous, she was willingly wandering straight into the most dangerous place that she could think of.

Her bag had already been plucked from the floor of the carriage by one servant. Another offered her a hand to help her descend to the soft lilac carpet that had been rolled out. Effortlessly slipping into the role of a noblewoman, she uncurled her fingers and took the servant's hand, offering them no more than a passing glance as she stepped onto the carpet. The pleasant smell of flowers hung in the air and Solana breathed in deeply, letting the familiar floral scents wrap around her.

"Right this way," the servant said timidly, their voice barely above a whisper. She shook herself out of her daze, nodding as she followed the servant. They looked incredibly young. Solana guessed that they were around Mahina's age, and she felt a pang of homesickness as she thought of her sister.

Solana bit the inside of her cheek as the carriage rolled away to make room for the next one. Her one form of escape was slipping through her fingers, sealing her fate. To hide the subtle gesture, she smoothed down her dress, which sat loosely against her skin and flowed down to her feet.

She was ushered along the carpet and into the palace. In awe of the luxury of it all, her eyes darted around as she surveyed her surroundings. The servant led her into an entrance hall, where people were already forming small groups and laughing together. Introductions passed between some, while others met with old friends and acquaintances.

The room lacked any kind of warmth, Solana thought as she looked around. In a way, she was glad. It prevented her from forming any sort of attachment to the palace, or even the people in it.

A grand staircase was the main feature, positioned in the centre of the room. The white quartz stairs gleamed; polished to perfection by one of the servants, Solana assumed. She squinted up at the bright light radiating from the chandelier, where candles had been placed precariously close together. Thousands of tiny glittering diamonds cascaded towards the ground, glinting every time they caught the light.

Servants weaved silently between those of a higher status, distributing drinks and light snacks. Crimson banners hung from every available space, bearing the seal of the Rivera bloodline. They taunted Solana, bringing her crashing down to reality as they reminded her of what she was here to do.

"Straight to my room," Solana instructed quietly, fighting the urge to show the servant any form of kindness. She wanted to think things through before she made her first move. 

The servant nodded without saying anything, beckoning to Solana for her to follow. She obliged, passing the crowd as she was led up the staircase, hitching up her skirt slightly: she didn't want to trip and draw attention to herself. A few people threw her a glance, though the majority of them barely even noticed her.

The buzz of conversation grew fainter, peals of laughter becoming more distant, Solana made her way up the stairs and down one of the many corridors. Solana made a mental note of the path that she was being taken on, trying to memorise the route. She wasn't intending on getting lost anytime soon.

"Your room, Miss," the servant said suddenly, abruptly halting outside one of the rooms. They gave a hurried curtsy, their head bobbing up and down as they opened the door for Solana.

"Thank you," Solana murmured, nodding to them. Their eyes widened at the polite words, clearly not used to such a courtesy. They hesitated, opening their mouth to say something, but they decided against it before darting away. Solana watched them leave, waiting until they had disappeared around the corner before entering her room.