The Guardians of the Forest: Book One

by Kelly Napoli

  ***

  Kiethara blinked in the blazing morning sun. With a soft moan she rolled over, entangling herself even more with the blankets. Her hair was fanned out around her face, dry, but messy in loose knots. Despite the bright sun, she could feel that the air had a crisp autumn chill to it.

  This was exactly why Kiethara had no desire to leave the pleasant warmth of the bed.

  She then spotted her liquid courage sitting on the desk across the room, a fresh glass of water that someone must have left. It took all of her strength for her to stumble out of the bed, but the water drew her out like a magnet. She was somehow thirsty again, and she certainly didn’t want a repeat of what had happened last night.

  After she gulped down the water, she took a peak out the window. Nothing had changed, really. The people below still hurried through the streets, carrying baskets of apples on top of their heads, leading animals by the reins, or rolling barrels down the cobblestone. Bulky carts pushed annoyed people off to the side and children chased balls that their friends had kicked. Would she really be a part of that today?

  Kiethara did not know what to do next. Go downstairs? What if no one was down there? Or, even worse, what if many people were down there? She didn’t want to walk into a breakfast without an invitation, and certainly not dressed like this. She had come to realize, by Navadar’s evasive commenting, that there was something wrong with the short, white dress that she wore. She had worn nothing else all her life and, for the first time in her memory, she would be changing out of it…well, maybe not. She still didn’t believe that she would be getting something to wear from Trinnia. Trinnia!

  Well, she couldn’t just stand here for the rest of her life.

  So with that encouraging thought, she opened the door warily and quietly walked down the hall, recollecting the way that Navadar had taken her. Down the stairs and then to the left…and alas, there was the door.

  It really shouldn’t be this difficult to walk through a door.

  She raised her hand to knock, lowered it, and then raised it again. No, that was foolish; no one had ever knocked before. With a deep breath, she timidly pushed the door open and, to her utter relief, she found only Navadar was seated at the table. He had a breakfast plate before him and he was chewing with a thoughtful expression. But that cleared away as soon as she walked into the room.

  “Kiethara!” he said, standing. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better,” she told him with a smile. It was true, her whole body felt rejuvenated.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he responded. “Now, sit, you must be starving.”

  That was also true.

  She decided to take the seat opposite him as too see him better. It made her slightly uncomfortable that it was Trinnia’s old seat.

  “Tina!” Navadar called, and in came bustling the female servant. “Fetch Miss Kiethara some breakfast, please, but don’t place any flesh on her plate.”

  A bit confused at his directions, she nodded and left.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “My pleasure.”

  She still didn’t like this room that they dined in. The formal air seemed to cling to everything inside it, to every word that was spoken. It was a little more relaxed than before, but she could still sense it. It made her fidget uneasily in her seat.

  Tina came back in with a plate in hand and placed it down before her. On it were, to her relief, were familiar fruits, as well as three slices of bread. Each was spread with something purple, though, something that looked oddly familiar…She looked up at Navadar with a quizzical expression.

  “Its jam, made from grapes, not to worry.”

  “Right.”

  They ate in silence for a moment. She enjoyed the bread immensely. It seemed she was missing out on a lot in the forest when it came to her diet.

  But she would have rather never to have tasted any of it if it meant returning back. The longing for her home was beginning to become unbearable.

  “What are we doing today?” she asked, trying to distract herself.

  “Tina will give you a wash”—Kiethara shuddered at the word—“and then Trinnia should come with that dress. After that, well, the kingdom is yours.”

  “Are you sure, Navadar?” she asked. “I’m really not all that familiar with your customs and rules. I could quite easily make a fool out of both of us—”

  “Nonsense,” he interrupted. “We’ll be fine, I’m sure of it.”

  “Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you,” she sighed, taking a bite from her apple.

  “This isn’t you worrying again, I hope?” he asked disapprovingly.

  “See, I have this habit of getting into situations I shouldn’t be in, so…”

  “Only when you are by yourself. Never when you’re with me.”

  “That’s not completely true,” she pointed out. She had barely gotten him out of a very bad situation, once, one that involved a sweet kiss and a cruel awakening…

  “Well, you’re in my territory now. This is, after all, my forest. So I better have your trust.”

  “Fine, you may drag me around today. And then tomorrow, you will drag me in only one direction: home.”

  “Deal,” Navadar said with a grin.

  They hurriedly finished their breakfast. Kiethara’s thoughts roamed elsewhere, on the journey they would be taking tomorrow. How long would it take to reach the forest? Aaron, oh, how she missed him. She could almost see the forest now, with all of its sights and smells. More importantly, it was a world that she was in complete control over.

  But longing for it would not make it happen any faster. She needed to focus on the present. Today was going to be something she had never experienced before, with Navadar. This is what she had always dreamed of. Exploring the kingdom’s to see what they were like; sampling everything they had to offer, on the arm of the young man who knew every trick of the trade.

  Tina walked into the room and cleared their empty plates.

  “Anything else?” she asked Navadar.

  “Yes, if you don’t mind helping Miss Kiethara through a wash. I need to wait for Trinnia, who’s coming with a suitable outfit for her.”

  Tina curtsied and then turned to Kiethara.

  “If you’ll follow me, miss,” she said politely, beckoning to the door.

  Kiethara got up from the table and, after receiving a reassuring look from Navadar, followed Tina out the door. She led her back up the stairs and past the room she had been sleeping in. They entered a room at the end of the hall.

  This room wasn’t like the one she was using, that was for sure. It had no bed, but on the left wall there was a grand fireplace, which already housed a roaring fire that heated the room. A silver basin was only a foot from the fire, filled to the brim with water. The basin was of decent size, but was she really expected to wash in it? She was used to taking her baths in a lake, or, more recently, a river.

  “Looks like the bath has already been drawn up, Miss,” Tina said. “I hope it’s warm enough for you.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” Kiethara said, trying not to sound too shocked at the fact that the water had been warmed for her bath. Once she took a bath in a frozen lake in the dead of winter—nothing felt cold anymore.

  “I’ll get a towel and a brush while you get in,” she said.

  “T-thank you,” Kiethara replied as she left.

  As soon as the door closed behind Tina, she began taking off her garments, everything except, of course, for her crystals. She folded the white fabric into a neat square and laid it on the nearby table. She could absolutely not forget them. Aaron had informed her that they had been passed down from generation to generation, set to fit no matter what.

  She walked over, her bare feet reveling in the feeling of the soft carpet, and stepped into the basin. The water was warm! A smile lit her face. Without hesitation she submerged her entire body, sloshing some water up over the sides and onto the carpet. With a soft moan she sank lowered
and closed her eyes. This was heavenly.

  Tina reentered the room and placed a towel and a brush on the mantle.

  “Do you need anything else, miss?”

  “No, thank you. This is lovely,” she murmured.

  “You’re welcome,” Tina replied with a warm smile. She backed up into the corner and clasped her hands together.

  Kiethara gazed at the woman through the corner of her eye. Why in the world was she standing in a corner? Was it normal for servants to do that? Why not sit on one of the couches?

  Would it be rude to ask?

  After a few minutes of internal debating on the point, she decided asking wouldn’t kill her. And it was bothering her to no end.

  “Won’t you…sit down? It can’t be comfortable standing for so long,” Kiethara suggested.

  “If you wish, Miss,” she said, curtsied, and sat down.

  “Er…would it be rude of me to ask you to stop doing that?” Kiethara asked. It bothered her, too.

  “No,” Tina said slowly. “But it is awfully strange. You’re not from around these parts, are you?”

  “Never been here before,” Kiethara admitted.

  “Where are you from, then?”

  “The forest.”

  Tina was silent for a while. Even though Kiethara couldn’t see her expression clearly, she could feel the waves of shock rolling off of her.

  “The forest? As in…?” she asked.

  “Yes. The legendary forest.”

  “How in the world…?”

  “My mother is the guardian, yes.”

  Tina was silent again.

  Why was she even telling Tina this? There was nothing wrong with keeping quiet. For some reason, however, she felt as though she shared some connection with Tina, as though she had found in her a similarity. Which was foolish, really, she was just as everyone else here was. Shocked to find out where she was from, unnerved by her mannerisms…What she really needed was someone who actually used magic to hear her out, but that was impossible in the kingdom of Redawn.

  “What are you doing here, in Redawn?” Tina asked quietly, timidly, as though she was afraid to ask the question.

  “Let us just say that I did not come to be here on my free will,” Kiethara replied with a quiet sigh.

  Tina fell silent again, and Kiethara could not help herself—she had to turn to look at her. She had her hands in her lap and she was biting her lip fretfully, looking down.

  “Where are you from?” Kiethara asked.

  “I’ve lived in Redawn my entire life,” she answered matter-of-factly.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I find myself very blessed, too.”

  “Oh, yes,” Kiethara agreed. “Redawn is a remarkable kingdom.”

  “Definitely, miss.”

  Silence again, and she could think of no other questions to ask the girl. She stretched herself out in the tub and tried to relax.

  After a few minutes, or so she thought, Tina stood and crossed over to the mantle. She grabbed the towel and unfolded it with a muffled snap.

  Understanding that she was meant to get out, Kiethara stood up in the basin, her back to Tina. Tina walked forward and put the towel to her back, wrapping it around her torso. Kiethara stepped out of the basin and onto the soft rug.

  Tina then grabbed the brush and began running the bristles through Kiethara’s waist-long hair. Kiethara had the strange urge to purr like a cat. It felt so good compared to the usual brushing she gave her hair, either with her fingers or choice twigs. Redawn was simply pampering her.

  The silence and peace was broken by a sharp rap on the door.

  Kiethara started, holding her towel more securely around her. Tina put the brush back on the mantle and hurried to the door, cracking it open to see who it was.

  “Miss Trinnia! Please, come in!” Tina said.

  In walked Trinnia, in a beautiful silk yellow dress. Her golden hair was neatly braided, and, as always, her chin was held high. She carried a woven basket on one arm.

  “These must be Miss Kiethara’s clothes,” Tina said, relieving Trinnia of the basket.

  “Tina,” Trinnia acknowledged dryly. She almost sounded bored.

  Tina put the basket on the table and began pulling out its continents. Most of the articles she pulled out Kiethara had never seen before in her life. Only the last did she recognize.

  It was a long, flowing gown, consisting of a deep, deep blue and an unblemished white. The sleeves were elbow length, each adorned with a white bow at the end. At the waist of the dress, white, intricately designed lace made its way up the stomach of the outfit, all the way to its top, where it was lavished with a thick blue ribbon. The skirt was completely blue and rather full, pulling out a good few inches on either side. She was taken away by its gorgeousness. She couldn’t see herself in it.

  “Lovely!” Tina complimented.

  “It’s old,” Trinnia said bluntly. “And I don’t want it back.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Tina said. “Do you wish to stay while she dresses?”

  “That will be all, Tina,” Trinnia said loudly, ignoring her question. Tina curtsied quickly and left the room.

  Trinnia walked over to the table and picked up one of the unfamiliar articles. It was short and just the shape of her torso. It had no sleeves, with enough fabric at the bottom just to reach her legs, and it had lace crisscrossing up its back. Could not one piece of this wardrobe be without lace?

  “Here, come here,” Trinnia ordered. “I can’t dress you from over there.”

  Kiethara went to where Trinnia stood cautiously, all too aware of her sharp tone. As soon as she was in arm’s length of Trinnia, she grabbed her and spun Kiethara around, stripping her of her towel. Kiethara gasped.

  “Step into this,” Trinnia demanded, handing over the item in her hands.

  “Ah…”Kiethara said while stepping into it. “What is it?”

  “You’ve never worn a corset?” she asked with a laugh. “Well, it doesn’t surprise me.”

  Kiethara pulled her arms through the sleeves. It was extremely comfortable. The cool silk was a nice antidote to the warm water.

  That is, until Trinnia began knotting up the lace in the back.

  She pulled and yanked the ribbons expertly, moving her fingers quickly and skillfully. Each tug constricted the corset tighter around her torso. Kiethara inhaled sharply.

  “So, how long have you known Navadar?” she asked in a brisk tone, yanking even harder.

  “A few months, say.” It sounded like a question.

  “We’ve known each other since we were children.”

  “That’s…lovely,” Kiethara said slowly, unsure how to respond to that.

  “This is your first time in the kingdoms, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “And how many times has Navadar been to the forest?” Trinnia asked.

  “I-I can’t say…exactly…” Kiethara was becoming confused. Partly because of the questions themselves and partly because of the rapid speed at which Trinnia was delivering them.

  Trinnia’s hands moved further up her back as she pulled the lace tighter. It was squeezing her so hard it was almost painful now. Kiethara placed a hand on her stomach, attempting to take a deep breath. It didn’t work.

  “Is it…supposed to be this tight?” Kiethara choked out.

  “Yes,” Trinnia answered shortly.

  Trinnia finished lacing the corset and spun Kiethara around. She scanned her over with her cruel, pretty brown eyes.

  “All right, then, into the dress.” Trinnia said, holding it open for her to step into.

  “Thank you,” Kiethara said earnestly as they pulled it over her corset.

  “Mm,” Trinnia replied as she tied the ribbon on the back of it into a bow, doing the same to the ribbons on her sleeves. Sharp hands ran through her hair, pulling it and twisting it. It hurt, nothing like the soft petting that Tina had given her, but Kiethara kept her mouth shut. She had the feeling that vocalizing
her discomfort would only make things worse. After a few minutes, her hair was back in a tight bun.

  “So what is your relationship with Navadar?” Trinnia demanded suddenly.

  Her relationship with him? She remembered every word he had spoken to her, recalled every fond touch they had ever shared, and saw every smile he had flashed her as though it had all happened only yesterday.

  Kiethara turned to Trinnia and looked her in the eyes, spotting for the first time a hidden fear behind the coolness.

  “Very good. We’re extremely close,” Kiethara answered smugly.

  Trinnia’s eyes narrowed. She snatched up her basket and strode towards the door.

  “That dress fell out of style a year ago,” she snapped, slamming the door behind her.

  Kiethara smiled. She twirled around in her out-of-style decor, feeling simply heavenly.