by Roxie Ray
“These are all mine?” I asked, turning to Sophia incredulously.
“I took the liberty of bringing you a few pieces,” Sophia said. “But, of course, you can make your own purchases. Your wardrobe must be fully stocked.”
“This isn’t fully stocked?” I gasped.
“Not even close,” Sophia said, shaking her head.
I walked through to the end of the space, only to realize there were two more sections to my left and right. Each room was filled with an assortment of clothes in different styles. I turned right and found myself in a slightly smaller room that housed a range clothes that looked masculine at first glance.
There were corsets made of metallic armor, trousers made of thick, supple leather, studded belts, and bracelets that looked similar to the kind that Wonder Woman might wear.
“These clothes are typically worn during battle or war council meetings,” Sophia explained. “But you’d also wear them while out riding, hunting, or fighting.”
“Fighting?”
“The women on this planet learn to fight alongside the men,” Sophia said. “They learn archery, sword fighting, and even hand to hand combat. As Queen you will not be expected to learn unless you choose —”
“I choose to,” I said instantly. “I’d like to know how to do all those things.”
Sophia smiled. “I thought you might.”
“Did you learn how to fight?” I asked.
“I’m not much of a fighter,” Sophia admitted. “But I am an excellent rider, and I have become an expert archer, as well. We all have our strengths.”
My eyes fell on a tight, fitted vest that was adorned with tiny silver spikes. It came with an honest to goodness cape that billowed at the ends. I imagined myself wearing it, and just the image made me feel powerful.
“Come,” Sophia said. “There is more to see.”
We moved into the main space of the wardrobe where a number of dresses hung. They were similar to what Sophia wore: a selection of light, airy gowns in a range of colors. Some were belted, others were buttoned, but all were made of a fabric so thin that I knew they would leave little to the imagination.
I glanced at Sophia instinctively. I could see the outlines of her body through her pale pink dress, and I wondered if I had the courage to pull off the style.
“It took some getting used to,” Sophia said, patting the fabric of her skirts as though she had read my mind. “But once you get used to wearing them, you can’t imagine wearing anything else. They’re so comfortable. It’s like you’re walking around naked.”
I smiled. “You almost are,” I pointed out.
Sophia laughed. “Oh dear,” she said. “Then you’re not going to like your wedding dress.”
My eyes went wide with surprise. “My wedding dress?” I repeated.
Sophia nodded. “It was the Queen Mother’s dress,” she told me. “She wore it at her own wedding.”
“Where is it?” I asked.
“Right in there,” Sophia replied, gesturing to the room on the left hand side.
I held my breath and walked inside. In the center of the room stood a tall mannequin, and on the mannequin was the dress I was supposed to get married in. The gown was fashioned out of a rich, royal purple fabric. The deep color did nothing to take away from the almost complete sheerness of the gown’s bodice and skirts.
The gown’s corset was fully worked with an intricate arrangement of gold trim, black jewels, and seed pearls. The neckline was deep and adorned with floral accents, as was the flowing A-line skirt. There was a long train that sat just behind the dress, and it looked to be about twenty feet in length. I noticed that its edges were ornamented with the same tiny seed pearls that had been used on the bodice.
“Whoa,” I breathed.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sophia asked.
“It is,” I agreed. “I just… I don’t know if I’ll be able to pull it off.”
“Of course you will,” Sophia insisted, without hesitation. “You’re a beauty. You can pull off anything.”
I smiled. “It’s just so… sheer. There’s no room to hide.”
“Svantian style is exactly that,” Sophia smiled. “It leaves little to the imagination.”
I reached out and touched the skirt of my wedding dress gingerly. I couldn’t imagine myself in this dress at all, but then again, I had never imagined myself getting married, either. As beautiful as the gown was, part of me felt sad every time I looked at it.
I would have no family at my own wedding. I thought about my parents, sitting alone in their cells in separate detention facilities that were only a few miles apart. I wondered how they were doing, if they thought about me at all, if they missed me even a little.
I thought about my sweet baby sister, and my heart ached with longing. If only she were here to see this. If only she had lived long enough to develop a character I could hold in my heart and cry over at night. There was still so much Quatix didn’t know about me. A small, insecure part of me wondered if he would change his mind about marrying me if he knew the whole truth. I shuddered away from the answer.
“Why don’t you pick a dress for our visit to the market,” Sophia suggested, breaking me out of my downward spiral.
I nodded, and we moved back into the main wardrobe. I leafed through the gowns Sophia had brought for me and finally settled on a periwinkle blue gown with a thick gold belt that was intricately detailed.
While I slipped on the dress, Sophia brought out a selection of jewelry for me to choose from. I chose an armored bracelet and refused everything else she suggested.
“Sophia?”
“Yes, my Queen?” I raised my eyebrows pointedly, and she smiled. “Sorry,” she said. “Old habits. Yes, Rosa?”
“I was wondering if you could do my hair?” I asked shyly.
Sophia looked delighted. “Sit,” she told me, gesturing to a chair that had been pushed up to an ornate table with worked legs. The mirror in front of it was larger than it needed to be and was framed with gold inlay. I sat down, feeling very much like royalty as Sophia brushed out my brown hair until it was glossy and only slightly curling at the ends.
She wove in three locks of hair from the left, right, and center of my head, much like a French braid, but she left the rest of my hair hanging loose around my shoulders. She fastened the braid securely with tiny pearl pins that shimmered every time I moved my head. She also added tiny silver bells along the braid lines, some of which fell into the waves of my hair.
“The bells are traditional,” Sophia told me. “They have been worn by Svantian women since for centuries upon centuries. I think it will be nice for the people to see you wear them.”
I nodded, staring at myself in the mirror and wondering where Rosa Mays had gone. I had never looked so feminine or so powerful. Maybe it was just the way I was holding myself, but for the first time in my life, I actually felt beautiful.
“You are ready,” Sophia said triumphantly as she finished my hair.
I thanked her, and then we made our way out of the royal chambers and back down to the ground floor of the castle through the hidden elevators. On our way out of the castle, Sophia summoned two guards to accompany us to the market. Both looked young; the first one had dark brown scales, which were slightly more visible than his partner’s soft grey scales.
“What are your names?” I asked.
Both looked surprised at the question. “I am Antallon, Your Grace,” the brown-scaled Svantian said. His slit-like eyes were so dark that his pupils almost disappeared into them, but his hair was a light, sunshine blonde that had been pulled into a short braid, which hung over one shoulder.
“I am Lexor, Your Grace,” the second guard said.
He had striking purple eyes and handsome features that bordered on pretty. His hair was a dark, earthy brown and was cropped short, close to his forehead and neck.
“It is a pleasure to meet you both,” I said.
Sophia gave me an approvi
ng smile as we exited the castle through an amazing arched, rust red door with black metal accents around the corners.
“Lady Sophia?” Antallon asked. “Shall I bring the Svetcors around?”
I turned to Sophia in panic. “Sophia, I don’t know how to ride one —”
“Don’t worry,” she said quickly, before turning back to Antallon. “We’ll walk to the market today. The breeze is soothing, and it’s only a short walk.”
I sighed with relief, and we started walking down the speckled marble staircase. Once we reached the base, it was a straight line to the massive, towered gates I could see in the distance. It took us several minutes to get there but I was so enamored of all the trees that were interwoven with the castle and its architecture that I barely noticed.
The guards manning the gate let us through with low bows, and I realized that the whole castle — possibly even the whole city — had been informed of my arrival. On the other side of the gate there was a gently arched slope, but I was delighted to find that I could see the bazaar from my perch. It was so close that I could hear the sounds of hawking and chatter.
“It’s so close.”
“The king wanted his people at his doorstep,” Sophia told me. “He felt that the proximity might be helpful to both sides.”
“Which king was this?” I asked.
“Yours,” Sophia smiled.
The climb down to the marketplace was a lot easier than I had anticipated. Sophia was right; the dress I was wearing was comfortable and apparently practical. The fabric gave me all the freedom I needed and made me feel light and unencumbered. Two impossibly large spears distinguished the entrance to the marketplace. They leaned against one another to create an open door that formed a perfect triangle.
Sophia and I stepped through it into the bustling space of the marketplace, and I was hit by a whirlwind of colors and noises. There were stalls set up everywhere in no particular order. Some were small and flashy, others were large and bustling; it didn’t matter where I looked — there was something new to see at every corner.
The vendors were all Svantians, but every now and again, I saw someone who looked a little different. There was one stall that was selling strange, button-shaped pieces of dough that looked unappetizing but smelled delicious. It was manned by a massive Svantian with red scales, and by his side stood an eerily thin woman who was even taller than him. She had large, slanted eyes, a sharp nose, and absolutely no hair on her perfectly rounded head. Her skin color was a dark, unnatural blue.
“She’s Garossi,” Sophia whispered in my ear when she noticed my preoccupation. “Her planet’s name is Garossa. Her people range from about seven to nine feet in height.”
As we walked through the market, several Svantians noticed either Sophia or the royal guards at our backs. They started bowing to me and offering me gifts from their stalls.
One Svantian offered me an exquisite gossamer shawl made of a silver fabric flecked with gold.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “But I can’t accept it unless I pay for it.”
Sophia leaned in a little. “Rosa, it would be offensive to the people if you refused their gifts,” she advised me.
I nodded and took the shawl from the Svantian’s hands. “I’m very grateful to you,” I said.
As we continued down the market, more and more people, both vendors and patrons alike, started coming up to me and offering gifts or words of welcome. Their smiles made me feel like I was floating. Was it really possible that they had accepted me so easily? It felt wonderful.
We circled around the bazaar, and I turned to catch a large Svantian male staring at me. His direct gaze was unsettling, and the fact that he was not smiling made him stand out amidst the welcoming crowd. His eyes were dark, and his scales were a deep purple. When I met his gaze, he looked away in a manner that felt almost disapproving and disappeared down the stone pathway.
“Rosa?”
I turned back to Sophia. “Sorry, did you say something?”
“Are you alright?” Sophia asked.
“I just… there was this man — sorry, Svantian — that was staring at me,” I said. “He didn’t look too happy about me, either.”
Sophia frowned. “Where?”
“Uh, he’s gone now,” I said, feeling a little silly for even bringing it up. “It’s silly, please forget I said anything.”
Sophia nodded. “You’re starting to look a little tired,” she said. “Let’s not overdo it, shall we?”
I bit my lip. “Perhaps we can get something to eat, and then head back to the castle?” I suggested, unwilling to leave the marketplace so soon despite my growing fatigue.
“As you wish, my Queen.” Sophia nodded. I glared at her pointedly, and she laughed and corrected herself. “As you wish, Rosa.”
I sighed with contentment, brushing away the discomfort I had felt under the purple-scaled Svantian’s gaze. Based on everything Quatix had told me about Svante, I had expected to like it, but I had never expected to fall in love with the planet quite this fast.
An intoxicatingly sweet aroma wafting over to me, and I followed the scent through the bazaar as Sophia and our guards hurried to keep up.
12
Quatix
Despite my anticipation at being reunited with Rosa again, my mood was somber as I walked into my chambers that night. I had a lot on my mind, and Rosa’s safety was at the forefront of it all.
It didn’t escape my notice that I had practically coerced Rosa into signing that contract back on Earth. At the time I had convinced myself that she had done so willingly, but the reality was a starving animal was likely to do whatever it needed to do in order to survive. Rosa had been drowning in her life on Earth, and I had been the better of two evils.
I hadn’t cared at the time, but the imminent danger at my doorstep was starting to bring certain truths to the forefront. I was starting to see my father’s mistakes hidden within my own decisions, and I hated feeling like I was anything like him.
The chambers were well lit and seemingly empty when I walked in, but I could sense Rosa’s presence. Her scent was all over the grand solar, and despite my guilt in dragging her into my dangerous world it soothed me to know she was close. I walked inside and removed my vests, the belt around my waist, and the thin shirt I was wearing. Starting tomorrow, I would don the more traditional Svantian clothes that I felt most comfortable in.
I had just placed my clothes across the painted chest by the bookshelf when Rosa appeared from the bedroom. I stopped in my tracks when I saw her. She was wearing a traditional Svantian gown in a soft blue with gold detailing and a thick, gold Fergana belt that cinched in at her waist. She wore a Cooroo bracelet on her right wrist, and her hair had been done up in a simple knot braid that still allowed most of her hair to be kept loose and falling softly over her bare shoulders. She looked breathtaking, a true Svantian princess.
“Well?” Rosa asked self-consciously, when I didn’t immediately say anything. “What do you think?”
She did a little twirl in place, and I felt the smile fall naturally on my face. “I have never seen a more beautiful creature in all my existence,” I told her.
She blushed scarlet, and the effect only made her look more beautiful. I walked over to her and took both her hands in mine.
“I’m sorry I left you to your own devices today,” I told her, kissing both her hands tenderly. “I had pressing matters to deal with.”
She nodded. “That’s okay,” she said easily. “I actually ended up having an amazing day. I went out with Sophia.”
I frowned. “I thought you would want to stay in and rest.”
“After seeing this castle and this planet?” Rosa said. “No, I wanted to explore. We went down to the marketplace.”
My expression froze. “Did you take a contingent of guards?”
“Two.” Rosa nodded. “Lexor and Antallon… Lexor has lived at the foothills of Vandor his whole life, but Antallon told me that he comes from the
Western continent. I didn’t know Svante has only two continents.”
“Two guards is not nearly enough to accompany a queen to the marketplace,” I said, still reeling from the news that she had gone past the castle gates with only two guards. “Did the people recognize you as my queen?”
Rosa’s expression changed slightly. I saw her become more careful, and I wondered what she was thinking in that moment.
“Well, yes,” she nodded. “But it was fine. They were so lovely. Many of the vendors gave me gifts.”
“Gifts?” I said, my eyeballs nearly jumping out of my sockets. “They need to be checked for —”
“Stop,” Rosa said, putting her hand on my chest. “Lexor and Antallon already inspected each gift I was given. I thought it was unnecessary, but they insisted, and so did Sophia.”
“Sophia should have kept you within the castle’s walls.”
Rosa’s neutral expression sparked with fire at my words. Her eyes flashed, and she dropped her hands from my chest. “No one is keeping me anywhere,” she said. “Am I a prisoner in this castle?”
Her words hit close to home. “Of course not,” I said, stumbling over my words.
“Then I should have the freedom to go where I choose,” she said.
“My love,” I sighed. “I only want you to be safe at all times, and Svante and its people are new to you. I left you with a dozen guards.”
“I dismissed them,” Rosa said.
“You dismissed them?” I repeated.
“If you think I’m going to be followed around my twelve hulking Svantians then you’re sorely mistaken.”
I took a deep breath, but I knew instinctively that reasoning with her would get me nowhere. I had detected her stubbornness back on Earth, and not for the first time, I wished I could read her mind so that I knew how to get around her.