Chapter 17 Iann #2
“Your workers will stay in the east wing, with mine in the workers’ quarters.
Beds, meals, and recreation, when they are not working, will be available.
Their only rule is to stay out of areas they are told to refrain from entering.
” Queen Cayleen talks as she leads us through a courtyard garden.
A few foxes chase each other through maze-like walls created by rose bushes.
“You two will be staying in the west wing. Vera and Ariah will show you the way. I unfortunately have a meeting with a few of my advisors, but we will come back together for supper where I can hear more about Saden. Again, I am happy you both have made the journey. Feel free to explore the grounds. What’s mine is yours. Please excuse me.”
“Thank you.” Marcel nods, and the Queen vanishes down a distant hall, adjacent to the courtyard.
“Shall we show you to your rooms?” Vera nods to someone who takes our crew off to the east wing, leaving our courtiers and a guard for each Marcel and myself.
Esha is hesitant to leave, but Deean doesn’t budge, and eventually he follows the others.
“Or is there something else you would like to do first?”
“The room sounds nice, doesn’t it brother.” Marcel taps my arm before following Vera.
The two of them take the lead, with Ariah and I following a few feet behind. They start by asking each other a few questions, joking and laughing between them.
“Was it a long trip, Prince Iann?” Ariah asks as we exit the gardens and head into a hall.
“It was.” I hear Deean clear his throat a little too loudly. It must not have been a satisfactory response. “As far as journeys go it was a smooth one.”
Her face brightens and her skin takes on a warm glow. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure as a prince you are used to traveling all over. I hear your last visit was to Diamondhead, where you found unique stones in the mountains.” She closes off part of the gap between us. “What was it like?”
“Finding the stones or the journey?”
“All of it.” Her eyes widen and the enthusiasm brings a smile to my face.
“Invigorating. Every journey. Every discovery. There is always something new. The stones turned out to be black diamonds and surprisingly, they weren’t on the mountain.
Thanks to local stories and several days of research, we pinpointed that the diamonds would have never been in the mountain, but somewhere near the border of Shadow Pass. ”
“Don’t bore the woman,” Marcel calls back, and Vera and him share a laugh and more whispers.
My face heats and frustration forces me to end my story.
“I am not bored, Prince Iann,” Ariah whispers, and the warmth of her body covers my right side. “Coming here was my first time leaving my village. A virgin to travel, some may say. You’re welcome to tell me any of your stories so that I may live vicariously through them.”
“It’s Iann,” I correct.
“Isn’t that what I said?” Her face scrunches like she’s said the most offensive thing in the world.
“Just Iann, Lady Ariah. You don’t have to call me Prince Iann.” I pull myself away from her gaze as we ascend to a new level.
“Well, that’s not fair. If I drop the prince, will you drop the lady?”
“Deal.”
The long hall branches off into two at the end; Vera takes Marcel, Harpen, and Marcel’s guard to the right, as Ariah leads the rest of us left.
“The castle is a maze but I’m sure you’re used to it,” Ariah says.
“I’m still trying to find my own way around.
If you ever get lost, remember it’s the west wing of the rose garden, down the hall with the excessive number of red items, up the stairs and down another incredibly long hall, and then left at the end.
If you don’t see the peacock, it means you’re down the wrong hall or possibly in the entirely wrong wing.
” She points down towards a peacock statue with actual feathers, and Deean lets loose a laugh that he smothers with a cough.
“Your room is the fifth door on the left.” She opens the wide doors.
It is smaller than my room back at home but it’s more than enough for my time here.
“Oh my!” Ariah walks around, peering out the window and then examines the bed.
“This room is bigger than…” She stops herself as she looks back at Deean and me.
“Sorry. Well, this is it. Is there anything you need from me right now? I can give you a tour of the grounds?”
Deean arches an eyebrow at me. “No, that’s okay,” I assure her.
“How about helping to unpack your belongings?”
“My courtier has that.” I pat Deean on the back. “Matter of fact, you might want to go direct the others on where they can bring Marcel’s and my belongings.”
Deean’s eyelids close in on each other, but don’t fully shut. “As you wish, Your Royal Highness.” He turns to Ariah and dips his head. “Lady Ariah.”
He mumbles under his breath as he walks past us but it’s too low for me to hear.
“Alright”—Ariah crosses the room, coming closer—“if there isn’t anything else I will excuse myself. I’m sure the Queen has a list of things for me.”
“Will you be dining with us tonight?” There is an eagerness in my tone that I hope she doesn’t pick up on.
She smiles. Damit, she heard it.
“I might,” she teases before offering a curtsy. “Pleasure meeting you, Iann. If you do think of something you need, please, let me know.”
Ariah leaves and I explore what will be my room for the next few weeks.
Besides the main door, there is an additional one leading to a washroom with an enormous bronze bath.
There are three steps on either side of the white bed with golden trim along the frame.
The best part of the room would have to be the balcony.
There is a hard thud on the floor and an exasperated breath from Deean.
“I’ve never had to carry my own bags, let alone someone else’s.” He looks around getting a full view of the room. “Not bad. A smidge too small for the both of us but it’ll do.”
“Both?” I frown, unpacking the trunk with all of my books. “This is my room. Your bed is in the workers’ quarters.”
“Ha.” Deean finds the liquor cabinet and searches for something he likes.
“I will pretend in public, but when those doors are closed, I am back to being a prince, and more importantly your older brother. I’ll be sleeping in here with you.
The bed is more than big enough.” He looks over at me with his hand on a bottle.
“Unless you would like someone else in your bed. Perhaps Ariah can assist you in other ways.” A grin pushes upwards of his face.
“You’re exhausting,” I mutter, and pretend to flip through one of the books as a distraction.
I don’t admit it to him, but there is something appealing about her, beyond just the looks, which were equally there. I’m not sure what it is, but one thing is sure, I will use my time in Haymel to find out.