14. Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
A loud knock on the door pulled me from sleep the next morning. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head, hoping whoever it was would go away. I’d spent most of the night tossing and turning, my brain unable to power down after everything I’d experienced.
The knocking continued, and I sat up so I could shout at whoever it was to fuck off. Before the words came out, the door swung open and the blonde sisters entered.
I buried my head under my pillow again. “Hey guys, can I get a few more hours of sleep?” I knew they couldn’t understand me even if my voice wasn’t half muffled, but I was hoping my tone would convey my desires.
It didn’t.
They went bustling about the room, opening curtains, turning the shower on, and stoking the fire in the hearth.
I groaned louder. What was the point in being a princess if I didn’t even have the power to decide when I woke up?
One of the sisters pulled the blankets off me and I surrendered. They clearly had marching orders to get my ass up, so I slid off the bed and dragged myself into the bathroom.
After luxuriating in another perfectly hot shower, I wrapped the huge, fluffy towel around me and went in search of the new clothing that was dropped off last night.
The towel almost slipped from my grip when I stepped back into the room and saw Dey lounging on my bed, casually leaning back against the headboard as if he belonged there.
“Good morning, Princess,” he said, smiling brightly and looking like he just woke up and stepped off the cover of a magazine. “I am pleased to see that you are finally awake.”
God I hated morning people.
I stalked over to the pile of clothing and grabbed a pair of navy blue breeches and matching short-sleeve tunic. I started toward the bathroom, pausing when I noticed Dey's expression had gone from chipper to slightly wary.
“What?” I barked.
“Are you well?” he asked, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Fucking dandy,” I muttered, cursing the lack of coffee in this stupid world, then trudged back into the bathroom. I never did apologize to Dey for my earlier behavior, but I doubted my foul, sleep-deprived mood was the best for attempting a ‘sorry I’m such a bitch sometimes’ conversation.
I spent over five minutes fighting with the weird lace-up bra before I finally got it secured, then pulled on the pants and tunic.
As ready to face the day as I was going to get, I left the bathroom, casting up a silent prayer that caffeine of some kind existed in this place.
We entered the dining room, and my father was sitting in his usual place at the head of the table, once again shirtless though his loose pants were burgundy today.
“Good morning, Raynella,” he said cordially. “You were missed at dinner last night.”
“Yeah, sorry,” I said, sliding into my chair. “I wasn’t really up to a big fancy meal. In fact, I meant to tell you that I was kind of hoping to keep things a little low key during my time here.”
He waved a hand to the servants who promptly disappeared then turned back to me. “Raynella, you are the princess. The entire court is most excited to meet you.”
“I get that,” I said, avoiding his disappointed expression by tracing one of the swirly designs carved into the table. “But I'm not going to be here for long, and I’m not super comfortable with big groups of people, especially ones that are all staring at me
“You are still planning to leave then?” he asked with a heavy sigh. “What about your kingdom, Raynella? Rivella is your home, and your people need you.”
I didn’t say anything, not wanting to get into this same argument again. A servant set a plate of food in front of me, and I tore into it, grateful for an excuse not to talk.
The three of us ate in silence, until Dey commented, “I heard that you had a bit of an incident before bed, Princess.”
I thought back to the attack in the hallway, and the guy who reminded me of dark nights on a turbulent sea. “Oh yeah, I had a bit of a run in with a supreme asshole.”
Dey’s fork halted halfway to his mouth. “What are you talking about? Did something else happen last night?”
I glanced between him and my father, both staring intently at me. “Uh, yeah? I sorta ran into this guy in the hallway. He pushed me around a bit. Isn’t that what you meant by incident?”
“No, Princess,” Dey said, “I was referring to your encounter with Jeylana. One of the servants mentioned you were in her room.”
“What?!” my father bellowed, and I cringed at his oddly explosive anger.
Dey was out of his chair in seconds, kneeling before his king. “Apologies, Your Highness, I thought surely you had been informed as well. I can not imagine that a servant would tell me before discussing it with you first.”
My father clenched his teeth, then waved a hand sharply at Dey. “Leave us. I wish to speak with my daughter alone. Go find Cennux Dreisin. He was supposed to join us for breakfast.”
Dey stood and briskly exited the dining room.
“You didn’t have to treat him like that. It wasn’t his fault,” I pointed out.
My father’s features softened as he slipped back into the kind male I met yesterday. “You are right, Raynella. I should not have been so curt. I was… unavailable this past evening so it displeased me to hear about your encounter with Jeylana. I had hoped to be with you when you met her.”
I took a sip of the pink kinna juice and eyed my father, wondering if his Jekyll and Hyde routine was normal. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have been snooping, but her door was open and I was curious.” I bit my lip, trying to think of the best way to phrase the question I was itching to ask. “Is she, um… is she your daughter also? Because I thought they all died.”
Well that didn’t come out quite as smoothly as I hoped.
A look of pain washed over my father’s face as he lowered his fork. “Raynella,” he began slowly, “when I told you that my children succumbed to the plague I was being truthful. I had hoped to spare you the unpleasant details, but the disease is not a physical one. It is a plague of madness, driving those infected to take their own life or…” he paused, and I couldn’t bear the sadness in his eyes. “Or we are forced to take it for them.”
“You kill them?” I asked, horrified. “Couldn’t you tie them down or something?”
“We tried,” he insisted, meeting my gaze so I could see the painful truth in his eyes. “We attempted to restrain them, but none of our efforts to force them into sleep worked. It was as if the madness had taken control of their entire body, forcing them to seek out death as the only escape from their torment.” His head drooped. “You did not have to see their agony, Raynella. You may think it was monstrous to end the lives of my people, of my family, but it was far kinder than allowing them to suffer eternally.”
“What about Jeylana?” I asked. “She doesn’t seem trapped in madness. I mean, not much anyways. She did say something to me, but then she went back to sleep.”
My father’s head shot up, his eyes widening. “She spoke to you? What did she say?”
I bit my lip, trying to recall the Rivellan word. “Um, she said 'selvarea,' I think. What does that mean?”
My father's eyes flickered off to the side, then he placed a hand over mine, sadness on his face once again. “It means 'save me.' I am so sorry you had to experience that, Raynella. Jeylana has not spoken since she was afflicted, has not even stirred until now. Her magic had not yet manifested when the madness took hold, and that was the only reason the healers were able to suspend her mind. They have been unsuccessful with any who have already formed their link with the Source.”
“So why did she speak to me?”
“Perhaps because you are the only one who can save her.”
There it was again—the prophecy. For some reason, it didn’t hit me like it did before. I rubbed my hand over my face, fighting back the rising bile in my stomach. If it were Jenn lying in that bed, I would do whatever was necessary. I’d crawl through burning coals and crushed glass to save her.
I didn’t know Jeylana, though. I didn’t grow up with her, didn’t spend nights holding her while she shivered from cold and hunger in a drafty orphanage.
And yet, she was undoubtedly my sister as well. I couldn’t bring myself to just abandon her.
“Okay,” I said, straightening with a confidence I didn’t actually feel. “I will try. That whole thing with the ley lines. I can’t stay here forever, but since I’m stuck here for a bit, I guess I can try at least. What do I need to do?”
I waited for my father’s joyous reaction to my acceptance. Surprisingly, he merely gave me a small smile and dipped his head in a nod. Not that I expected a parade in my honor, but given his vehemence in convincing me I thought a little more excitement was due.
“This is perfect,” he said, picking up his utensils as if nothing much had happened. “Cennux Dreisin should be here shortly, and we can discuss preparing you for the challenges ahead. Foremost, we will need your abilities to manifest.”
“Cool,” I said, digging back into my food. I might be absolutely terrified about this whole situation, but there was no denying that I was excited to experience real magic.
“Now that that has been settled,” my father said, stabbing a piece of fruit, “tell me more about this individual who pushed you around in the hallway. I cannot imagine any reason someone would want to harm you.”
“I don’t know who he was,” I said around a mouthful of bacon. “He grabbed me when I left Jeylana’s room and shoved me against the wall. He shouted at me a bunch in Rivellan then left.”
My father swallowed his bite and frowned. “That is very concerning. Everyone in the castle has been alerted to your presence and should treat you like the princess that you are. What did he look like?”
“He looked like…” I trailed off as the door opened, and Dey entered the room with a male in head to toe black leather following close on his heels. I sucked in a sharp breath. There was no forgetting that face. Those hard lines and dark edges that were made even more prominent by the light of day.
“Him,” I said, pointing to the newcomer, my face blanching. “It was him.”
“Are you certain?” my father asked, glancing between me and the scowling male beside Dey.
“Yes, completely,” I said, without tearing myself away from the intense gaze of the one who had accosted me. “Who is he?”
Dey stepped forward and proudly announced, “Princess, I am pleased to introduce Cennux Dreisin. Although most of us just call him Sin.”
A vicious smirk rolled across Sin’s face, and he gave a small bow without lowering his head, those mint colored eyes never leaving mine for a second.
So much for the grumpy old commander.