Every new person we walked by knew an entirely different language. They all looked strange. Color filled their clothing. Feathers stuck out of their hair. They had layers of fashionable clothing. Those who weren't covered with the colors were wearing all white and looked like they had just finished painting a masterpiece of art.
We walked through more fields, and there were many random sparse villages we crossed paths with.
Every time we passed one we lost more of our group to the great wonders of them. Finally, we saw the Main city of Radian.
I knew this was it because of the miles and miles of the city and how many people swarmed. Houses were everywhere wealthy and poor, and merchant shops were everywhere too. And this was where the majority of the art lay. Every wall was covered in paintings or carved into a scene. Even the simple road was covered with exquisite murals.
You could see the shining kingdom up ahead as you walked further. The castle looked like a dream with its beautiful scene it showed across its front. Houses were around it from every angle.
Children finally separated from our group to go find themselves a home. Everyone spoke a different language or knew a few.
People's hair was braided in weird patterns and colorful tattoos colored peoples skin. Everywhere you looked was a splash of color.
Soon I was the last one of our group not to split away not including Lady Pandie.
We walked up to the high castle gates. A couple guards stood in the way. There was a carriage being let in. The gates closed up, and we saw a person covered in mud and bandages come out. The person was wearing a mud covered cloak, and their clothes were torn to shreds.
The carriage drove out of the gates leaving them standing there. I couldn't see who it was because of the cloak covering its face. That was the only thing not torn.
I pulled my eyes away from the person and walked up to the guards. Lady Pandie followed me in silence.
“We have Paramount news for the king,” I said. The man looked slightly confused. Lady Pandie took a step forward and said something in a strange language.
The man nodded and said something back, It was a strange language, and I only knew English and Parayen, A language only Lumine knew, and all Lumine knew it.
Lady Pandie looked at me with big eyes. “He told me that royalty already came into alert of news to the king. About a danger” Pandie said.
I nodded. I grabbed Lady Pandie’s arm and spoke to the man in Parayen because he was a guard from Lumine. “This woman persists that she can tell the future and I'm an undercover guard for the Queen, and she asked me to bring this woman to the King of Radian immediately” I lied. But because I was an expert on lying he believed me. Plus nobody spoke Parayen but Lumine.
The man nodded and opened up the gates. I walked in quickly. I couldn't let whoever it was, tell their news first. I entered through the castles open doors and ignored the beautiful art that beckoned me to look at it. I found my way to the king's chambers and saw the person in the mud covered cloak get ready to knock.
I tackled them to the ground. They felt small underneath me, but I heard something metal. I jumped up as the hooded figure had a knife in its dirty bandaged wrapped hand.
They ran towards me, and I faked a right but instead went left grabbing their wrist. I pushed the knife towards them and the person behind the cloak gasped.
“Nate stop” I heard Amaryllis’ voice in say my head.
“You're just in my head!” I shouted. The person behind the cloak grunted.
“Nate it's me, please don't do this” I heard her voice say again and the person in the hooded cloak fought back. I heard it take a deep breath and then it let go of its grasp on the knife, and it plummeted towards their heart. The person in the cloak ducked and rolled.
I went to go after the person, but Lady Pandie grabbed my arm. “Stop it Kind, its Leben, don't go trying to kill her.” She said with a calmness I couldn't understand.
The figure pulled its hood away, and I saw the girl underneath it. Her hair was tied back in a messy black haired braid. Her face was covered in dried mud, but her dark green eyes shone truth.
“You're dead!” I said pointing the knife at Amaryllis.
I was mad but not at her, I was mad at myself for even caring that she was alive. I couldn't help the sigh of relief in my head.
“Who told you that?” She asked, but understanding shone through her.
“You never got to the boats, the ship sank, when the little girl got out you weren't with her,” I said.
She shook her head. “There is no proof in that.” But she looked torn at the thought. “I must be getting inside to tell the King then, If you want to believe I'm dead then go ahead take your time, but otherwise come with me to alert the king.”
I nodded. I knew Amaryllis was hurt that I still couldn't quite believe she was alive but I didn't make her feel better.
If I did, it would show I cared about her, and I really didn't. I only cared the slightest bit because she acted so much like Joy.
I put on my blank face and knocked on the chamber doors. Amaryllis stood behind me slightly.
The door opened and revealed a muscular man with a long brown-haired beard. He was wearing a colorful crown upon his head. He looked me up and down then looked at Amaryllis, and his face showed slight disgust. “Is this what the sound was coming from outside my chambers? I thought it was a scramble of the maids dropping my silverware.” The look on his face showed that he thought more of it but was too preoccupied to check.
Amaryllis stepped forward, and the king's eyes slightly widened.
“King of Radian, I am one of royalty in one of your well-known kingdoms, I am sorry about my poor attire. The news is needed to be alerted to you does not give me anytime for me to be cleaned properly. I have traveled a long journey to be in your presents.” She said in a fancy way I had never heard her speak in.
The King gave a slight smile. “Oh yes, you look like the King of Beral’s daughter, the one who wasn't stolen, and is twins with that boy, Does that happen to be you.”
I went to speak, but I got cut off by Amaryllis, “You haven't heard of her passing. It was said they found her body at the bottom of the castle, such a poor thing. So obviously I'm not her. I happen to be her cousin in a way, though.” Amaryllis said speaking quickly. The King nodded.
“I'm sorry about your loss, is that his important news you wanted to speak of?” He asked. Amaryllis gave a small frown at the mention of the death of her “Cousin.”
“It's fine, I didn't know her much. And no, the news that you must receive is way more important.” She said. The King nodded.
“Why doesn't my dear friend Nate tell you the story in your sitting room, so I don't make a mess of your fine kingdom.” She said looking around in an admiring way. The King looked at me as if he forgot I was there entirely.
“Oh well, of course, Nate come this way, The cousin of the last prince may stay in the halls.” He said.
He showed me to a large sofa and sat down at a small relaxing chair beside me. “What is this grand news, boy,” He said looking quite impatient.
“I'm here to warn you of the Lumine, They are going to try to take over all the kingdoms control you all. I need to warn you to be ready for war, train your ordinary townspeople. Just don't let them die.” I said.
The King looked at me with fear in his eyes but a face of disbelief. “Why should I trust you, an average person with no power.” He said with defiance.
I nodded with agreement, “it's not me you should trust, Trust the truth” I said pulling out the small hand mirror.
I slid it across the little coffee in front of us to the king. It was face down.
He picked up the mirror a little confused. “It's just a Mir-” he dropped the mirror with a slight gasp. His face turned bright red. He looked baffled at what he saw, “what kind of sorcery is this!” He yelled pointing at the mirror with a shaken hand like he was almost bitten by a snake.
“
No sorcery, this mirror tells you the worst future,” I said in a staring at him solemnly.
He nodded, “I will train my people I promise, but I was told to give this to the man who showed me the mirror to my worst future, I thought it was a metaphor.” He said getting out of his chair and wandering around the room then pulling out a small box.
“This will make you feel no emotions, but I must warn you when you take it off all the emotions you didn't feel while wearing it will come back all at once.” He said handing me the small box.
I nodded taking the box from his hands.
I opened the box to reveal a necklace that's chain laced together in thin gold. It had an oval-shaped pendant in the middle with a small heart-shaped purple gem. It was painted with beautiful patterns and designs nobody could master again.
I put it on my relaxed neck, and my already emotionless state fled to a hollowness that felt like a black hole in my heart.
I pulled it off, and my breath whooshed right out of me.
The slight emotions that I would have felt came warming my head and clearing the black hole.
I sighed in relief and put it away with the mirror, in the satchel, by my side.
“Stay a night enjoy the city, you can't leave until tomorrow anyways, guards are crawling all over this place looking for two fugitives much like yourselves, and if you wait until tomorrow then I can get you out of here when the guards do their shifts.” the King said. I nodded.
“That would be perfect, Thank you,” I stated with a slight nod.
“No, Thank you, you saved my kingdom from this war. We are forever in your favor. Take care of the girl will you, she is a nice one of sorts.” He said. I nodded and then he set me off back into the hallway.
Lady Pandie stood in the corner unseen throughout the entire exchange of words. Amaryllis stood straighter with a look of question in her eyes. I nodded and a small smile set upon her face.
“We must stay until the next sun,” I told her. “You can dawdle around the castle walls but don't wander far,” I told her. She nodded.
I lady appeared in a colorful dress. “The King had the nicest rooms prepared for you, Would you like assistance to find them for when the night comes?”
“Yes please,” said Amaryllis. The woman gave them a slight bow then led them down the hall. There was a large living room with 3 doors connected to it.
“There is a washroom right down the hall when needed,” The woman said looking Amaryllis up and down. Then she left the room.
“I really do need to clean up,” Amaryllis said looking up and down. She quickly scurried to the washroom.
Another lady wearing bright clothes with beads hanging down her bright blue hair walked in. “The King has invited you to a ball. He says it's important to have some fun in your journey once in a while. And it would be a pleasure to have you. It's in our main dining hall, and he has clothes ready for you when needed.” She said.
“The King of Animaux would also be there, and you can stress your issues to him at that present time. The ball starts when the sun starts to sink from the sky.”
“That would be fun” Lady Pandie said before I could protest.
She startled the maid after she had come out of the hidden shade of the corner.
She started speaking to the lady in a German tongue that I couldn't understand. The woman smiled and gave a small bow before walking out of the room.
The snakes slithered around, and I spent time avoiding stepping on one, I knew that wouldn't grow a liking to Lady Pandie.
I set my satchel down on the bed in the room I would sleep in for the night.
There was a small stack of clothes lying on the colorful bed.
I picked them up and headed off to the washroom. There were many doors with the same type of restroom. Only one of them was closed.
As I walked by I heard soft sobbing. I knew it was Amaryllis. But I shouldn't care. I don't care.
But in my head, it sounded more like I was trying to convince myself that.
I wasn't in charge of emotional girls who didn't have to come with me in the first place.
And I don't worry about them either.
Yet the noise of crying reminded me too much of Joy.
XIV Trail To Spirit
Amaryllis
I wiped my eyes once more. I looked in the mirror making sure that my face was scrubbed clean of tears. The last time I had been in a washroom with this much blood and mud covered over my skin was the day my sister got taken away from me.
A lot of children get kidnaped before the age of 6 and many get snatched at the age of 6. Nobody knows where the young children go or why nobody over the deadly age of 6 gets hijacked.
I saw the blood and mud sink to the bottom of the tub as I scrubbed my skin raw from memories more than dirt. I got out of the tub and saw a dress hanging up on the back of the door. The dress was green with a black lace that covered my chest and curved when needed. Once it hit my waist, the black lace and green of the dress stopped to show the long skirt of the dress. It puffed out, fit for a princess. And the skirt of the dress was black.
The dress draped across the floor only touching it slightly. It had long sleeves that were the same dark emerald green as the top of the green lace dress. The soft green shoes almost like slippers fit perfect.
I grabbed a comb and brushed my overly curly locks of hair. It didn't do much but let it poof, but it was enough for now. I looked around for the small ribbon I used to tie up my hair, but it was nowhere to be found. A maid walked in the room but turned around immediately with a blush on her face, when she saw me.
“Wait!” I yelled at her, and she stopped and turned around.
“Yes ma'am,” She said.
“Um, do you have a ribbon for my hair?” I asked her. She nodded quickly then turned around. Then she swiftly turned back to face me.
I felt my locks curl back up in its natural state. “You should keep it down it looks pretty that way,” The maid said. I looked in the mirror then nodded.
“Alright, I guess so.” I walked out of the room as she did the same.
She stopped in the hallway. “Let me lead you to the ball, it will be starting soon.” The maid said. I nodded, and she led me down large colorful hallways, we moved at a decent pace, but I still couldn't take it all in.
We stood by 2 grand doors that I knew led into a large room where the ball was being held.
“This is where I'll leave you to it,” She said. She turned around and walked away, and I opened one of the large towering doors. A room with hundreds of people looked at me. I felt the blush cover my cheeks.
I stepped through the door, many turned away and continued their conversation, but many others stared with wide eyes at me.
I turned my face down and looked at the floor. A man stepped in front of me. “Oops sorry, I didn't mean to get in the way,” I said looking up at the man.
“No need for apologies ma'am, I wanted to tell you that you took the breath out of every person in this room and I would be pleasured to dance with you, if you will.” He said I looked up at his face; his bright blue eyes were creased from the big confident, charming grin on his face.
I nodded “I would love that,.” I looked around the room. Many people stared at us, and I realized everyone was wearing bright colors other than my dark green and black. Even the man had a simple black suit with colorful patterns throughout the entire suit.
The room had a dark lighting from candles, and people stood around the room making conversation, in the middle of the large room people danced. And food lined the wall to the left of the doorway. Where people crowded around and ate on tables in the corner.
The man led me to the dance floor, and we danced to the music from the large band in the corner. After the song, someone else asked me to dance, and another. Soon I traveled all the way across the room dancing with many men, all which asked.
I soon grew hungry and escorted myself to the food. I grabbed a few caspberries from a s
mall basket. I wandered the room while eating the delicate sweet but sour fruit.
A tall man with large muscles came up to me. “You're the girl that everyone wants to dance with but doesn't fit in.” He said.
I frowned a little at the part where he said I didn't fit in. “Oh that's not a bad thing,” he said noticing my frown, “You stand out in a good way of course.” He leaned against the wall.
He grabbed a strand of my hair and rubbed it between his fingers. I wanted to pull back. For some reason I didn’t though. I felt threatened and disgusted.
I was secure enough not to make a scene and walk away. I had 2 knives strapped to my leg so I wasn't that worried about my safety. I leaned back slightly so he had to let go of my curly black hair but not make it look intentional. He showed me a grin full of charm. He started to talk, and I smiled and drowned out his voice with my own thoughts.
I came back to reality when his hand touched my arm. His arm moved up and caressed my cheek, and I had to fight back the strong urge to kick him in the shin.
“So young and beautiful, all the things you could accomplish.” He said.
“Sorry, I have to use the restroom,” I said my voice small and hoarse, and I turned around and walked around in the crowd for a while.
I saw a small door unnoticeable with all the people. I opened it and saw that it led to a small balcony that had a great view of garden sculptures.
I shut the door behind me and leaned on the rail. The balcony was close enough to the walls of the castle that someone could quickly jump to the outer walls. I saw houses and merchant ships lined up in an undeviating line.
I saw a shadow move across the other side of the fence. I leaned over to see what it was and saw a white fox stop pacing and stare up at me. I smiled it was Spirit. I climbed over the balconies rails, and jumped. I rolled over on the other side of the fence after I landed. “Oomph” I said. I stood up and wiped off my dress from any dirt.
Spirit trotted in front of me. I followed him down many streets. People looked at me strangely, and many stared at my formal attire.
Without Joy Page 9