"This is where you'll be staying, if you have any questions just ring the bell." Ben points to the long string that's attached to a gold bell at the top of the ceiling. "Someone will be in shortly to help with cleaning you up." He walks over to the door and shuts it softly.
I'm left in the room alone; the silence turns around me. I take in what will be my room for a couple of days. It's beautiful tall ceilings, grand bed with golden pillars, roaring fireplace and alcove window with accent pillows. On the other side of the fireplace, I see an opening with gold trim, damn there's so much gold in here. Connected to the bedroom is a small living room. A grand coffee table with fake flowers sits on an Egyptian accent rug. Two love seats sit on either side, with cream-colored pillows on them. A wide window with long rectangular glass let's in tons of sunlight that could give someone skin cancer. A dining room table sits on the far side of the room.
It's like something you would see on "The Crown", elegant and regal. Remembering how weak I am, my body launches onto the soft, regal-like duvet. Its sucks me in like a vacuum, soothing my aching body with the caress of its softness. I was only in jail for a couple of hours, I can't do it again.
Hopefully the girl comes soon, I need a bath. Turn out they don't have proper bathrooms up here, so a bathtub gets brought to them, don't even ask me about the toilet, I don't want that knowledge. Katana, Kai and I are on opposite sides of the castle. Kai's in the west wing, Katana north and me on the south. It was easier to have us all on different sides so we don't conspire against the honorable and noble King himself.
I groan once the conversation we previously had comes into my mind. My promise entails that I would go to the ball, rat out Moena, and then he would give me the cure for Alexander. I've never been to a ball, have never worn a crown in a room full of royalty. What am I getting myself into? I hope the King keeps to his word.
My body turns over, now I'm facing the ceiling. What is up with these castles having people on it? This one is of a woman, skin the color of chocolate, hair curly and thick as a golden harp tickles against her fingers. Small baby werewolves fill in around her, their majestic eyes glued to the beauty before them. Who are these people? Were they passed rulers, or gods amongst the werewolves?
Sniff, Sniff.
My nose scrunches up as I try to find where the beautiful smell is coming from. On the window sill sits a platter of food. Block of small cheese, grapes, salami and crackers. I climb off the bed like a scared cat and scurry across the room. The cheese is immediately devoured by my dry mouth. I didn't realize how hungry I was, how weak my body feels once all the food makes me nauseous. My eyes start to get heavy, limbs weak. Before I knew it, I was gone.
🌺🌺🌺🌺
"Ma'am? Ma'am, are you alright?" I hear someone say in front of me. Roses, Lavender and Vanilla fills the room. My vision is blurred, colors don't mean a thing. I wipe vigorously at my eyes, long blonde hair sways in front of me.
"I-I don't- I must have fallen asleep or something." Can cheese make you nauseous, then put you to sleep? Once my vision clears, I get a good look at her face. She's beautiful. Button nose, green eyes, pale skin and hair so long someone might mistake her as Rapunzel.
"Did you eat the cheese, ma'am?" She asks. Her hand grabs onto my arms to lift me on the windows ledge. For a tiny thing she really has strength. I say yes. Her pale skin turns even more white, her cheeks are no longer rosy, and a sense of panic encapsulates those green eyes. "That cheese has Ramelteon in it, it puts people to sleep." Oh crap, maybe that's what the card said on the tray. I thought it said, "Ravenous". Hell, it could have said Poison and I still would have eaten it.
"Oh god, the room is swaying." I clutch onto my head; it feels like jelly. I might be going back to sleep in a few minutes. My eyes are heavy, limbs are weak.
"Ma'am?" I hear the women's voice go high pitched. "Let's get you in the bath, it'll make you feel better." She lifts me up, her nails grip in my skin creating small crescent moons. I stumble around, but she doesn't let me go. I hold onto dear life to the bedpost, as she walks over to the white tub that sits in the front of the roaring fire. A tan cloth cradles the inside of the tub as hot steam leaves it with the smell of rose and lavender. Oh! That's where the sweet smell was coming from, the tub. She must be the vanilla then. Her fingers tread through the water, making sure the temperature is ok. "Do you need help getting out of your clothes, ma'am?" She asks.
"Uh no. I-I think I can manage." She smiles softly and heads into the room connected to mine. While she's gone, I take off the black jacket that's clinging to my body, followed by the leggings and boots. The only thing I'm left in is my underwear and bra. The cool air of the room hardens my nipples and makes the hairs on my body rise.
Look-alike Rapunzel comes back into the room, she doesn't even blink an eye when she says, "Can you take your bra and underwear off so I can get you clean?" I nod, reluctantly taking off the undergarments. I can't believe I'm starch naked in front of a random stranger, from the look on her face, she has no problem with it. Her hand directs me to the tub, and I step on in. The steaming water seeps into my frozen skin unthawing me from the outside in. I lay back, stretch out as much as I can and close my eyes.
"This feels so nice, really nice." I coo.
She laughs, "I'm glad you like it ma'am. Would you like me to brush your hair?" I crane my neck to look at her behind the tub.
"You would do that? For me." I asked astonished.
Her feet patter over to the gold chest on the side wall near the door, opens it and pulls out a purple hair brush. "It's my job ma'am. To attend to you while you're here, if you ever need anything just ring that bell and I'll be down here." I tell her OK. She sits on the stool I now noticed that's near the tub, and runs the brush through my brittle curls. After a few tugs, the hair complies. I sit back and let her do wonders.
I speak up after 20 minutes of silence, she's now cleaning the dirt that's under my fingernails. "What is your name, I never asked."
Her green eyes look at me, "My name is Xenia."
"That's a beautiful name." The fire crackles in the air, sparks of it fly out, but gladly doesn't hit me. "My name is Quin-
"Quinneth Worthingshire, the Zastitnik. I know, well everyone knows really. My friends wanted to pay me money to get a picture of you, but I said no. You're not some statue at a museum." Her laugh is wry.
"Oh." I say, dumbfounded. The sleepiness has worn off, my eyes are alert and so is my brain. I'm never eating anything unless I know what's in it. "I'm guessing you're mad at me to."
She frowns, "No, not like everyone else. While everyone didn't understand your motives, I did. I, too, would do anything to save the person I loved, I think what you did was brave, we need more women like you." After that, we say nothing more. I hold in the tears that threaten to leave my eye ducts. She thought what I did was brave, no one has ever said that to me. A part of me festered under the thought that maybe what I did was wrong, but another side wasn't guilty, I saved the man that I loved and right now, I'm doing it again, here, in Nygaard trying to get this cure for him.
Xenia helps me out the tub. I dry off as she walks out the door, then comes back in with a grey satin nightgown. It hugs my body like a glove, it flows at my feet like water from a stream.
"Do you need anything else, ma'am?" Xenia asked.
"No, I just want to lay down, for now. If I wake up hungry, which I probably will, are you available?" I don't want to wake her up if she's asleep to get me something to eat, I'd rather starve.
"Oh, yes! I work until midnight and then someone takes over." She walks over to the long string that's linked to a bell high above. "Don't forget to ring this bell, someone will come down here and help you with whatever you need. I'll let you retire to bed." She waves me off, shuts the door, her feet patter down the hall.
Now, it's just me and silence. Darkness illuminates the room; the only color is the orange-red hue coming from the fireplace. I might as well get some sleep while I can, my body trudges over to the bed. The covers are tightly woven into the it, so it takes an arm and leg to untighten them. Once I get it loose, I hop into the bed, tucking myself far beneath the covers.
I stare up at the ceiling as my mind runs amuck. Then, I fall asleep.
🌺🌺🌺🌺
BOOM
BOOM
My body becomes erect once I hear the loud sounds. The fire is now gone, the room is painted all in darkness. My hands are clamped around the sheets, chest is pumping a great deal. What was that? I stay still, wondering if the sound will happen again. Maybe it was all in my he-
BOOM
Ok, so it definitely wasn't all in my head. It sounds like it's coming from outside my window, checking the alarm clock on my nightstand, it's 3 in the morning. Who the hell is banging, whatever, against the walls at 3 in the morning? If the birds aren't chirping, then neither should people.
I wiggle the covers from between my legs, grab my nightgown in hand and walk over to the window. Clamping down on the leaver, the window easily opens up. My neck cranes out, looking to the ground. I see two guards standing erect with a spear in hand. What century do these people live in? No showers or guns.
Since were so high up here in Alaska, the people in town are way down below. All I see are roof tops and lights, put up for the week of Selene. A cloud of dust falls down just adjacent to my head, then another boom sound. Looking up, I see a figure climbing out a window two floors above me. His foot slips, I gasp, but he doesn't fall.
"Uh hello! Hello!" I scream. I wonder if I'm hallucinating from eating the sleepy cheese. Is this man really here?
The person looks down at me, the only thing I can see is the body's figure. It was definitely a man, lean shoulders and short hair. To get a better view, I turn on the lamp next to me, his face comes into full view. He's. . .beautiful.
Dark skin, sharp jaw, black sparking eyes with a scar on his right cheek. A leather jacket swaddles his body, big combat boots on his feet. That's where the boom sounds were coming from, him hitting his boots against the wall.
"Don't mind me little lady, just trying to get somewhere." A deep, rustic voice says. His boot steps down on a ledge, I tighten my hands on an accent pillow, hoping he won't fall. He's successful.
"Can't you just take the stairs or something?" I suggest.
"Negative. If my family knew I was sneaking out, they would punish me. Can we keep this between us?" He climbs down so quickly, that he's near my window. He smells like candy and looks a bit like Caleb McLaughlin.
"I guess it can, where are you going. May I ask?"
"I don't mind." He grunts. "Going to see a rather special lady, if I'm late she'll kill me. Literally." I laugh. "What are you doing up, isn't it late?"
"I was asleep, until I heard booms against the wall, came out here and saw that it was you." I sit on the windowsill, the wind blows against my body, triggering goose bumps. "And shouldn't you be in the bed?" I question.
"I'm a night owl, I prefer to sleep during the day."
"So, you're basically a bat?"
"Yea, I guess. Look, I'm about to jump on that ledge. Can you watch for the guards below." The guards are way, way below us. If they noticed us, I'd be shocked, the fact that they didn't hear the banging is concerning, and they're werewolves.
"Uh, sure." He counts down to one, then jumps onto the ledge. His body collides with stone, I'm surprised he didn't break his shoulder. All he has to do now is climb a few feet and he's home.
Before going down, he looks up to me. "Thank you, Quinneth Worthingshire."
"What! How do you know who I am?" It's too late, he's already climbing down, running past the guards down the snowy terrain.
I shut the window, climb into bed and fall asleep. Forgetting about what happened only a few minutes ago.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QsiOXNRvg
