I respond with my name and we chat for a minute. I find out she is just a little older than me and has always worked in childcare. First with the younger children, and now with pre-teens. I feel her softness, her spirit and it calms me.
I do not even notice the commotion around me at first. Everyone jumps up and either into a bow or a curtsy. I am a little slow to process what is going on and hopefully he hasn't noticed my late, and very clumsy, curtsy. The King makes his way to a little podium and beams down at us. Behind him you barely notice his wife. They made quite an odd couple. Where the King is a large man, she is a tiny lady. He has broad shoulders and she is so thin you could fit four of her in his body mass. He is quite the entertainer and uses his face and hands to demonstrate what he is saying. While, if she ever even speaks, the Queen hardly moves at all. The King has small red eyes and large brows. His dark hair is graying at the side of his head and although you would expect him to be clean shaven, he has a little more than a five o'clock shadow. The Queen is almost comparable to a mouse. She has thin hair and I can't really decide on what color it used to be. Now the color is mostly fully faded. I have never met a more boring, but probably once beautiful, looking person. Her eyes, although Elite green, feel dull. They droop a little and for a split second it reminds me of Aran.
Focus Mera.
"Welcome ladies and gentleman, what a wonderful sight you all are," says the King with outstretched arms.
All the Elite facing him stand a little taller, and beam their excitement towards the King. It is hard to hold back a snort. Am I the only one that sees through his act? This is not a likable man. He is continuing his father's work in distancing the humans from the Elite. How can they all be eating up his words?
But I am the only actual human here. Of course they love him, they don't care about what happens to the weak little humans. They only care what happens to them.
Anger rises in me. My hands become moist and warm. I need to control this anger to keep my cover. So I try to focus on counting and paying attention. There are two exits, one on the left of the King’s stage, and one behind me. Will they notice if I take off? Standing here between all these Elite makes me feel vulnerable.
I am only human.
I take a small step backwards, fighting the urge to turn and bolt. But it is not an option. I have to be here. With a small breath I force myself to stand still again. If I drop my cover, they will hurt my family.
The King continues his speech by congratulating on being part of the selected. He then makes way for another man who reminds us of the practical details. We have already heard most of these when we had to sign our contracts, but I try to listen to make sure I have not missed anything. It could be the difference between life or death. He tells us we are all going to be placed as interns in different departments at first. The palace is keen on using our strengths, so we are to be placed among other workers from our Houses. This means they will assign me to a Blue House job.
He goes on telling us that we all have met our etiquette teachers. Our schedules are set up with a daily appointment with them. Lady Debois is my teacher. She will give me daily etiquette lessons, and keep an eye on me at my job.
Lucky me.
She will also have weekly meetings with my work mentor to see my progress. This information will then be handed to the King’s assistant who is in charge of eliminations. The palace decides how many have to leave at once. Then after six months the leftover interns will be given more freedom and more responsibility within their jobs. This will also mean a nice pay raise and a meeting with our families. Not sure what this means for me though. There is no way they will let my family come to the palace. Not that I will still be here in six months. No way they will let me stay on that long.
I am glad Shanna walks next to me as I continue to take in the beautiful surroundings. Once or twice we nudge each other and point to yet another magnificent sight. It is nice to see I am not the only one in awe of this place. even the Elite are amazed.
Our bedchambers are located on the third floor. When we reach the top of the steps the man leading us turns to give us a quick overview of the building. The east wing is off limits. This is where the royal family lives. The other wings have guest bedchambers on the third floor. The second floor holds all the offices and the first floor has the ballroom, dining hall and other function rooms. The basement holds the cells and dorms for the humans that work in the palace.
Another urge to bolt overcomes me. This is mental, there is no place for me here. I am a human, I shouldn’t be in this part of the building.
They drop me off in a corridor with four doors, each leading to a guest bedchamber. Shanna is in this corridor too. Knowing she is close by gives me a weird sense of security. Even though we just met she is a friendly face. She winks at me before turning to open her door. I turn too and rest my hand on the knob. I take a little breath before opening the door, not knowing what to expect behind it.
The room is absolutely beautiful. Others might say it is rather small compared to the largeness of the rest of the castle, but it feels massive to me. My whole house back at home could fit into this one room. And this room does not have a sinking roof or broken windows. The bed is so high I might have to actually jump to get in. The vanity has a few familiar items on it, someone has unpacked my small bag. The room has several doors that are begging me to investigate them. I start with the two large doors on my left. They open into a bathroom complete with large shower and a bathtub big enough to swim in. I have never been in a bath before and I should use it as much as possible before they kick me out. Or..
Sigh. Don’t think about what might happen.
Live in the here and now.
Back in the bedroom I brush my fingers over the bed while walking to the other side of the room. There I open two other doors. This time it is a closet filled with outfits, shoes and accessories. I run my hands past the clothing and try to remember what these fabrics are called. I feel silk and shiver at the idea of wearing it, I have never held anything this soft and beautiful. It must be so expensive. I spend a moment looking through the items. None of them look like anything I would have picked for myself. No jeans and t-shirt. Only dresses, skirts and slacks.
All of a sudden a wave of exhaustion hits me. I have not slept in days and the tired feeling in my bones makes me weak in the knees. I kick off my terribly high heels, then climb the small step towards the massive bed and sink in. It is quite ridiculous to have a bed this size, but it is so unbelievably comfortable. I should remain on edge, I want to be aware of my surroundings. But the comfort of this large ridiculous bed takes over my mind. It is so soft, so beautiful, so wonderful. My eyes close and I am lost in a world of sleep.
Chapter 5
Two large eyes. They are dull and brown. They watch me curiously from the side of my bed and I shoot up straight.
I break eye contact and look around. It was not a dream. I really am in the palace.
The person with dull brown eyes stares at me. Her lips form a small smile. She must be around thirty years of age, and looking at her outfit, a maid.
Before I can ask her what she is doing here, Lady Debois comes in with a folder. She has an even sterner look on her face than before.
Is that even possible?
She moves closer, I can't help but swallow hard.
"Miss Mera, this is Amber, she is here to help you dress properly. I expect you to follow her instructions when I am not around. She is also informed of your little situation," she says the word with pure disgust but then continues, "she will help you look the part of an Elite, and I will help you act like one too. Oh help us Gods." She adds the last part dramatically.
I quickly look down, trying to hide the hurt look on my face.
“Oh, and you forgot this,” she says pushing the folder in my hand.
I must have forgotten it on the plane, good start Mera, good start.
She then turns on her heels and heads back to the door. The look she
sends me over her shoulder says it all. She hates me, nobody can really blame her.
I am hopeless.
“Oh, she hates you,” Amber says as the door closes.
“Yes, yes she does,” I say, laughing a little. I like Amber already.
“Well, let’s prove her wrong, shall we?” she says, holding out a hand.
I take it gladly. I can use a friend.
Amber is a wonderful surprise. She is kind, helpful and good at her job. I mostly like her because she is human though. The fact that she knows my secret helps as well. She feels like she could be a true confidant. Knowing I am not alone in this is comforting.
While she works on my outfit, my hair and my makeup for tonight's dinner she tells me about palace life. It is quite embarrassing to tell her that I know very little about our royal family and she snickers at me when I tell her the Prince and Princesses must be early in their teens.
“Not exactly,” she says.
She tells me the Prince, Prince William the fourth is actually twenty-seven years and has been learning the ropes of his father for years now. Apparently he is not very good at it though, the King still does not let him do much on his own and is always checking his work. The Prince has two sisters, twins. Apparently they are twenty-five. This means they are not only older than teens, but also older than me.
That is embarrassing.
Amber tells me the sisters are spoiled brats and do whatever pleases them. Apparently they are more often traveling than actually at the palace though, so I might not see them at all.
Once she is done helping me get ready she pushes a button by the front door, letting whoever is out there know we are ready. Not long after a guard knocks on the door.
"Good evening miss, I am here to give you a security walk through,” he says. He notes the confusion in my eyes, “the kingdom has been at peace for a long time, but sadly the rebels have gotten a bit more bold and have come closer to the palace walls. I am here to make sure you are completely aware of all security protocol."
I think back to the rebel attack at home. It might have been naïve, but I had really hoped it was a once in a lifetime event. Nobody ever told me that the rebels were operating elsewhere.
Living in Springlake I had never considered the fact that we were living in a bubble. Only the rich had ways to communicate with other villages and cities. Only the richest had the news that went beyond our region. It makes me wonder how much more is happening out there. Are we in danger just by being here? And what do these rebels want? They must have a specific goal, a plan?
The officer shows me the emergency exits. There is also a 72 hour emergency pack hidden in the closet. If anything were to happen, I should try to get to one of the safe rooms. If I somehow get locked out I should grab a pack and hide.
He speaks very matter-of-factly, it makes me wonder if he has ever seen any real danger. I have, and somehow knowing I run towards danger instead of away, makes me feel a little braver.
I nod when he is done and Amber ushers me to the door after him.
"Time to go miss, you do not want to be late for dinner." She gives me a little nudge, not the rude kind Lady Debois gives, but a loving and careful motion.
I glance back at the woman and see a soft smile and encouraging human eyes.
Dinner is completely dreadful. It is more of an etiquette lesson than anything else. I hardly have time to enjoy the exquisite food the kitchen staff has prepared for us, I am too busy being told on.
Apparently I slouch too much, I use the wrong utensils, I should not eat before the royals. I should not use this fork for this meal, but I should use that one. It is all so completely overwhelming.
My head throbs with the effort of remembering all the different rules. Luckily I am not the only one that lacks this level of etiquette. Many of the Elite struggle with keeping up and I giggle once or twice while looking around. At least we’re all in the same predicament, no matter who is human and who is Elite.
When I get back to my room Amber helps me strip off my layers of clothing and makeup. It is quite ridiculous. Why would someone dress up like this just to fill their stomach? It is so overdone.
“I filled the tub for you miss,” Amber speaks as she works.
Is she some kind of miracle mind reader? Gosh, I love this woman already.
If only I could run straight to the water, but she slows me down. As she finishes my hair, she finally lets me move closer. I softly close the bathroom door behind me and walk to the tub. It is large enough for me to fully sink into. I lean over and move my finger through the warmth. A shiver goes through me. My body craves the heat and the comfort.
I kick away my underwear and edge closer, sinking my feet and then my legs into the water, emerging my body.
The smell is divine and for a moment there is nothing but my own breathing. My body finally relaxes, allowing the water to consume it.
My fingers absentmindedly trace the side of the tub. A finger lingers on the side of the tub, running over several buttons. My curiosity gets the better of me as I press. The water comes alive and I jump up. A small yelp escapes my lips and my heart beats out of my chest.
Amber rushes in, panic on her face. A panic that soon turns into a large smile. “Oh, It’s just bubbles miss,” she says, trying to hide the laughter in her voice.
I giggle, feeling a little embarrassed and sink back in, allowing the bubbles to swallow me whole. That night my dreams show my parents saying goodbye, Aran kissing me one last time, rebels, the palace. Then my dreams take a turn for the dramatic. The royal family turns out to be a bunch of vampires, trying to suck my blood out. I am running, trying to hide. But they follow me like bloodhounds. There is blood everywhere and as I die, I wake up.
I sit up straight, my breathing heavy and forced.
Breathe Mera, just breathe.
My heartbeat calms down, and I lay my head back on my pillow, closing my eyes. The images return immediately. My mind relives the nightmare over and over again.
Going back to sleep is going to be impossible. My feet stretch, finding the floor. I get up and put a robe over my soft pajamas. I find the slippers provided for me and quietly open my bedroom door. Perhaps a walk outside will do me good. Silently I make my way down the corridor and down the two flights of stairs. Guards stand silently, almost hiding along the corridor walls. None of them look up, enabling me to keep walking all the way down to the first floor.
Were the gardens to the left, or the right?
I decide on left.
At first the hall has lights, guiding me. But after another turn I find myself in a dark hallway. Perhaps going back is the best option. But I am sure this is where the gardens were. Next time I go wandering off in the middle of the night I really should bring a flashlight.
My eyes try to focus in the darkness, squinting I make out the walls. I try to walk in the middle. That should keep me safe from…
I bump into something large and sturdy. My eyes try to adjust enough to see what I have hit and half expect it to be a suit of armor, since I have seen many set up as decorations just earlier today. Still, that would be strange, I could have sworn I was in the middle of the hall.
My eyes slowly move over the dark shadow. Why is this armor wearing pajamas?
Looking higher I find myself standing face to face with the Crown Prince. A spoon hangs from his mouth. A big bowl of ice cream in his hand. His face is in shock, and with the spoon hanging from his lips he looks quite funny. I force myself to look away and try to be as elegant as possible when I curtsy.
While bending through my knees I feel a wave of sickness rise. I have just walked out of my bedroom without my contacts in. How could I have been so stupid? Am I really going to blow my cover the very first night. In front of the Prince nonetheless.
"I am sorry your Highness,” I inhale sharply, “I shall return to my bedchambers immediately." I want to run away from him but I force myself into one more curtsy and then turn to walk away.
/> "Don’t be alarmed my Lady, it was a pleasant surprise," his voice husky and deep. “Want some ice cream too?”
I want to look back at him so badly, but I cannot let him look at my eyes. “No thank you, I really should go back to bed.”
How could I have been just this stupid? Hopefully it was dark enough. He was startled too. He must not have noticed. Right?
This time my dreams do not contain the Prince as a vampire, but the Prince as an ice cream monster. He fights off anyone trying to get close to his ice cream and I wake up with a giggle.
I get ready for a new day with the image of the Prince engraved into my mind. It is quite helpful to calm my nerves. Today is a big day, we will be getting our assignments right after breakfast. So I try to sit patiently as Amber does her work. My midnight adventure stays a secret. Not being sure if the Prince saw my human eyes, it is better this way. I don’t want to get her in trouble. So I listen to her chit chat and allow her to do all her magic.
Once she finishes she presses the button by the door. Last night she explained that a little light outside the room turns green as we press the button. This will let the guard on duty know it is alright to collect the person staying in the guest bedchambers.
Within a minute a guard knocks on the door and escorts me to the center of the corridor. The other Elite in our corridor slowly gather around me. Once we are complete, we move our way down the stairs. Shanna walks next to me. Poised and elegant. I try to mimic her movements as best as I possibly can.
We reach the dining hall and take our assigned seats. This time I have no view of Shanna. I wiggle in my seat, I am so nervous.
Lady Debois sends me scrutinizing looks from her end of the table.
Sigh.
My eyes focus on the food in front of me. Grapes. They are making me eat grapes with a fork. It is a disaster. The stupid grapes keeps rolling away on my plate.
I peek up from my job and notice Lady Debois shaking her head. Does this mean it is possible?
Ok, one more time. I focus and with the most precise movement I pierce the grape. Only, I did not actually pierce it, it takes a swan dive off the plate, down to the floor.
I Am Elite (A Colors novel Book 1) Page 5