Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
ALINA
The next two days passed quietly in a never ending blur.
Lady Corliss kept her promise and no one approached me about choosing a suitor.
I only rested and tried to push some food into me.
It was not easy, I felt drowsy and weak most of the time.
Even thinking about food was difficult. Sally brought me some bone broth and crackers and I slowly chewed on them without any interest.
My large, well-lit room was all I saw day after day.
There was an enormous bed on a platform, draped in a heavy quilt with exquisitely designed patterns.
Three wide windows overlooked the city, and a tall, broad leafed plant stood in a pot on the floor in the corner.
There was a comfortable sofa, and four chairs carved from dark, polished wood with armrests made to look like scowling dragon heads.
There was also a cozy spot to write letters and stacks of untouched papers and books on a small shelf beside it.
Large mirrors in golden frames, and beautiful art hung on the walls.
“Milady, should we take a walk in the garden?”
I turned my head, watching the petite maid. She approached my bed and looked at me with a mixture of concern and quiet determination.
“I . . . don’t know.”
“Fresh air and exercise will help you feel better,” she insisted.
“I suppose.” I sighed.
“Milady, forgive me for speaking without permission, I think that there are some good men among your suitors.”
Sally helped me get up, and started removing my peignoir. I stood obediently while she helped me put on a modest, light pink, muslin dress, then sat as she braided my hair.
“You really think so?” I closed my eyes fighting a wave of fatigue.
“Yes. Lord Rutherford isn’t married and has no children. He’s handsome too,” she quickly added.
I glanced in the mirror and saw a frail, sickly figure with a purplish tint beneath her eyes, pale lips and pronounced cheekbones. I looked like someone I no longer recognized.
“Here, if you could move this way.” Sally navigated me to the door and pushed it wide open to let me go through.
The long corridor of the palace was empty. Except for the sentries stationed at every corner, there was no one else. Each and every one of them wore the colors of the blue clan. I kept my head high, well aware that all of them had their eyes on the sacred bride.
Sally talked cheerfully about mundane things as we descended the carpeted set of stairs. Moments later, she just stopped speaking as she slowed her pace, and lowered her gaze.
I caught her discreetly eyeing one of the guards.
We continued through the main entryway with two grand staircases situated side by side and moved to a spacious green house.
Hundreds of different types of trees, bushy shrubs and blooming plants filled the entire area with a mix of floral and woodsy scents.
I lifted my eyes to the ceiling, drawn to the cloudy sky shifting above.
In many ways, I felt like one of the flowers that was grown in the confinement of the glass room, too fragile to survive on its own, and too rare to be left alone.
“The doctor said that you should exert yourself more often. These walks may be the thing you need to restore you to good health.”
“Do you really think so?” I asked, fighting the weakness in my limbs.
“I believe that with care, and proper discipline, anything’s possible,” the girl responded.
“I think if I took less of the medicine, it would make me feel much better.”
“That would not do. Your awful nightmares could come back and then you’ll stop sleeping all together,” she reasoned.
I turned away. She was right, of course.
I could still remember the darkness, the void, the unspeakable terror that I felt when the dreams came back.
The mere thought of having those dreams again made me shiver.
And yet, I could not help feeling that the medicine took away more than it gave me. I glanced at my maid, but said nothing.
At last we approached the exit and Sally pushed the heavy, wooden door and waited for me to pass through.
Outside, the day was cloudy and moist, but it felt warm despite the dampness of the breeze. I filled my lungs with air and turned my face up, enjoying the soft light on my skin. A couple of droplets of moisture landed on my face and I squinted my eyes.
A sudden shadow of a feeling of something familiar hit me unexpectedly, but I ignored it.
I used to concentrate on the sensation and I tried so hard to remember what it was.
Then I just stopped trying, it got me nowhere.
Everything outside my quiet life seemed like a blur of unconnected flashes I could not comprehend.
I could not recall anything other than the palace, and waiting for a betrothal.
What was my life like before this? Where was my family? Did I even have any?
My head started to spin, and I took a deep breath.
“Milady? What’s wrong?” Sally was by my side in an instant.
“I don’t feel so good.”
“Here, let’s rest for a moment.”
She led me to one of the stone benches and we sat down. I grabbed the edges of the polished rock with my hands, exhaling and inhaling slowly.
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” Sally watched me with worried eyes.
When at last my heart resumed a steady rhythm, I managed to look around and noticed the rows of leafy trees, and an assortment of decorative plants situated on well-groomed, meticulously organized flower beds.
Narrow, gravel pathways slashed between the borders of greenery creating an intricate labyrinth I was dying to explore.
A flash of blue made me turn my head, and I saw the sentries stationed further down the walkway.
“Sally, how come there are so many soldiers from the blue clan?” I asked.
“Milady?”
“Every person we saw today was wearing blue leathers.”
“Yes, you’re right. It’s because the blue clan is the largest. They simply have more men, and I suppose it helps them to apply some pressure on all the other clans.” Sally had lowered her voice, as if she did not want to be overheard.
I sighed, suddenly feeling too tired to talk.
“Should we go back? Milady, you look pale.”
“Just a little bit longer, Sally.” I leaned back and closed my eyes.
Five minutes later, we headed back to the palace. The light breeze had turned chilly, and a couple of rain drops landed on my cheeks and eyelids.
Sudden noises from further ahead made me stop.
The next moment, I saw something I could not fully comprehend.
A figure, wearing a lengthy gray cape, stepped from behind one of the trees.
It was a figure wearing a mask under the hood and holding something in their hand.
It took me a long moment to process what was happening, but after Sally screamed beside me, the realization suddenly hit.
The stranger was looking straight at me.
I took a step back as Sally tried to drag me behind her.
“Run!” she yelled.
I tried to follow her, but my legs refused to move. I was too weak, too sick. I could not run, even if my life depended on it.
The masked man walked toward me with its arm raised, a steel blade clearly visible in his grip.
The intruder was after me, and there was nothing I could do to save myself.
I wanted to scream, to fight, but everything was restrained behind the thick veil of whitebane clouding my mind. I was a sheep ready to be slaughtered.
In no time, the attacker reached us and pushed Sally away. She fell to the ground, screaming for help, and I just stood there, stupefied and unable to move.
I saw his eyes; light blue or gray, the eyes of a young person, perhaps someone my age, but there was no malice in them. Then his eyes moved to something behind me. I turned.
One of the guards was rushing toward us. He was tall, and well-built, his dark blue leathers accentuated the muscles of his shoulders and strong arms. The blade of his long sword glimmered in his hand.
Sally managed to push me away, when the fight broke out.
The sentry attacked first, and the masked man stepped back, blocking the strike.
Then both of them slowed to size each other up.
The next strike was from the assassin, who slashed the guard’s arm.
The latter kicked the other man in the stomach and caught the edge of his cape, slashing it before the man managed to move away.
The man in the gray, hooded cloak took two quick steps back, and lunged at the guard one more time with speed and ferocity.
The sentry was prepared for the attack, and blocked the dagger’s strike before punching the man in the face.
The assassin took two steps backwards. Knowing he was defeated, he sprinted back into the safety of the garden maze.
The guard turned to face me and stilled, as if unsure what to do next.
“Milady?”
Only then did I focus on his face. My heart took a dip in my chest, and for a moment, I forgot who I was.
Nothing around me made any sense when I looked into the eyes of the warmest shade of chestnut brown, with thick, black eyelashes.
The unknown sentry was breathtakingly handsome.
I took a long moment to take in the perfect lines of his dark, straight eyebrows, the strong angle of his jaw, his beautifully shaped mouth, and the almost golden tint of his skin.
He had an open and direct look on his face as he waited for me to respond, but I continued to stare at him without saying anything.
“Milady?” Sally touched my shoulder, and I could finally pull my eyes away.
Voices, and the sounds of footsteps on the gravel came from every direction. More sentries were running toward us from the castle.
“Take the maiden back to the palace!” someone shouted.
The strong arms of the stranger who saved us cradled my shoulders. As we walked back, I suddenly realized that Sally was still whimpering by my side, but I was too exhausted to comfort her.
“Five of you in the garden, and only one managed to get there in time!” the same voice shouted behind us.
I wrinkled my forehead, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. Weakness overpowered me all at once, and I stopped, too exhausted to take another step. In one confident motion, the sentry picked me up and hurried through the long galleries and up numerous sets of stairs.
“This way,” Sally directed him.
My eyes had already closed. My forehead touched the man’s freshly shaven cheek and the warmth of this touch brought me more peace than I had ever known. I just wanted to be held like that forever. Nothing else mattered.
“Kent? Explain yourself!” someone called from further down the hall.
I could not keep my eyes open, and barely heard Sally’s voice and the low baritone that followed.
Finally, I was carried back to my room and gently placed on top of the covers of my already made bed.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel his presence in the room. He lingered for only a moment, and then, as his footsteps faded, the incredible sense of security disappeared with them. The sound of the door opening and closing confirmed that he was gone.