CHAPTER IX #4
I hold his gaze with a slight nod and then glance back down at the cat. Alba is staring at me with the same unnaturalness as the Prince, their combined gazes making me shudder.
“What in the Old World were you thinking!” Alanna huffs, unpacking her travel packs from across the room. Our single beds are on opposite sides of eachother in the large cave-like chamber, the guest room extremely spacious and surrounded by the stone of the mountain.
I quickly snake my hand into the bag at my hip and unscrew Golem’s jar.
“I don’t think I was,” I let out a deep breath and hear her laugh.
“Ain’t that the truth.”
“Towards the end it just looked at me like it wanted a greeting,” I pull the bag over my shoulder and throw it on the bed, “how could I say no?”
“Politely,” Alanna rolls her eyes, “and with a step in the opposite direction.”
I shake my head at her as Golem’s padded feet move in from the balcony outside.
“She’ll get herself killed before she even makes it to the library,” Alanna greets him with a thumb pointing back at me. How she knows that I’m here to visit the library is beyond me, but I don’t even question it.
“It wasn’t that bad,” I smile at Golem, “we’re in the city of Red Falls and residing in the mountain at Fall Fortress. We have court tonight after sundown. Prince McQuoid greeted us earlier with a large, white cat-”
“-Snow tiger,” Alanna corrects.
“Snow tiger that decided it wanted to say hello to me. I said hello back. End of story.”
Golem looks at me and then to Alanna, then glances back at me. I roll my eyes with a smile and quickly take off all my layers, walking in my black lace towards the bath. Alanna watches me like a hawk as I step into the separate chamber, her cool grey eyes piercing into my back.
“I’ll be quick.”
I take off my top and bottom and dunk into the hot water, bones warming to the core after such a cold ride.
I dip my head under and rinse my hair quickly with a spiced soap I packed from Bardot, then leave the hot water behind for Alanna.
I wrap a grey robe around my body that was provided by the maids, and then turn my gaze towards the Discerni when I walk back into the room.
“What are you going to wear?” I ask, thinking of the only two options I have with me.
“A dress,” she replies simply, pulling a black satin out of her packs.
No shit, I scowl.
“Do you know anything of the court?” I press, “how the women dress?”
“Most of them wear long gowns that show the full of their arms and upper chest, but besides that I’m unsure.”
“That’s helpful,” I nod.
I pull out my gold shimmering dress and lay it on the bed.
While the emerald dress would expose my arms and chest as she mentioned, it’s a bit too tight around my body and the slit too revealing.
I get the impression that this Kingdom asks for traditionalism matched with subtle fire, and my gold dress will live up to that just nicely.
It’ll hide the full of my front in a nod to the traditionalism, but also let the court know that I agree with their showing of skin from the back.
I may even try a few twists in the front of my hair to match the women I saw in the city.
“Do you want to wander around before?” I ask Alanna just as she strips naked.
“Sure,” she shrugs, not seeming all that interested but also, probably, having nothing better to do with her night.
I sigh as she walks away and comb my hair straight and in front of my face, then make sure the soft grey robe is wrapped tight around my body before heading out to the balcony outside.
The sound of the waterfall splashes hard to my left, a sound that I realize will always be present no matter where in the mountain you are. It’s calming, and the view from above is gorgeous. You can see the full of the city from up here, its roads alight in water, snow and flames.
“She’ll get herself killed,” Alanna reasserts to Golem from inside, “if not by tiger then by chill.”
I turn back to the warmth of the room and scowl in response. Alanna ignores me and lifts her dress in front of her, the black fabric falling all the way down to the ground and making my brows lift in surprise.
No short dress for the Warrior tonight.
It’s simple in itself, with two straps on the top that dip down to the chest and back. It’s a safe choice to wear in a foreign court, and I can’t help but sigh knowing that the gold of my dress will stand out.
“Golem…” I turn from the mirror after getting ready.
My magical companion takes one look at the frown on my face and nods, almost as if he knows what I’m about to ask.
“I don’t think you should make an appearance tonight…”
Alanna turns from her bed and watches me with narrowed eyes.
“I want you to be with me in the library when I begin my search,” I continue, “and while there’s nothing off about you being seen with me at court, once your presence is known to the Prince and Princess, we run the risk that they may deny your entry to the library.
It would be smart to keep you hidden until I’m actually inside its depths, and then I can let you out. ”
I walk towards him in apology, “I’m sorry, Golem. The thought didn’t even cross my mind until we entered the throne room earlier. I don’t want to risk it.”
Golem gives me a rare, small smile in understanding.
“I really am sorry,” I say again, reaching out for a tentative hug.
The magical creature wraps his arms around my back just as Alanna walks to the door.
“Come on, Alexis.”
I give him a final squeeze.
“We’ll be back tonight,” I tell him quietly.
Alanna holds open the door and waits for me to walk out, her cool grey eyes shifting from me and Golem. I sigh and stroll into the guest hall that hosts our room, my gaze catching Golem’s one last time before the door closes behind me.
Alanna and I take off down the hall in silence, passing by a few maids and different travelers that also have rooms on this floor.
I use the time to study the different flames on the people around us, and quickly note that they really are unique unto the person.
Some of the flames are smaller and move under the skin before disappearing, while others are strong in their red swirls and reach out in multiple directions.
The Prince’s flames on his chest were the strongest I’ve seen so far, which almost makes me wonder if the strength of someone’s flames alludes to the power of their summoning?
“Can you summon, Alanna?” I ask curiously.
Alanna keeps her cool grey eyes ahead as she nods, “I can.”
Does she want me to pry it out of her?
I plan to, but then I spot a friendly looking girl in the hall and wave my hand in greeting.
“I hate to bother you,” I smile, “but where can we find a drink around here?”
The girl takes in our attire and gives a small grin.
“You’re from the Disce delegation, right? Keep walking down the hall and take a right at the hanging chandelier. Head down the steps and they’ll lead you back to the throne room. The balcony to the left of the room will have drinks set up for you there.”
“You’re the best,” I reply as Alanna rolls her eyes.
We walk until we reach the hanging chandelier.
It’s a magnificent piece that sparkles in silver, the hundreds of crystals hanging from it dripping in obvious wealth.
To the right of the chandelier and just as the girl directed are a set of stairs that cut down into the mountain.
Alanna and I descend to the bottom and are immediately met with the bustling throne room.
Numerous people are rushing between the massive pillars and setting up for the night, so we quickly weave out of their way and walk towards the open-aired balcony that’s hidden off the side of the room.
The cold air from outside whips across our faces, but it’s not the coolness that has Alanna stopping in her tracks.
“They’ve summoned the fire here like Barnes…”
I move to stand next to her under the dark sky and look across the balcony. Stationed at different areas are large crates that are filled with the undying fire, the flames roaring to life without burning the logs underneath.
“Was it supposed to be a secret?” I ask her.
Alanna scowls and starts walking to the far edge of the balcony where a few barrels are resting behind a counter. A Pyrenese man stands in front of the drink, his gaze watching us both before he starts to grin.
“You’re with the Disce delegation?” he smiles.
He’s wearing nothing but a nice maroon shirt and black pants, the ensemble complimented by the red swirls skimming under his pale arms. He has long brown hair that falls just above his shoulders and the hint of a beard coming in to a deep stubble along his face.
His smile is spirited and happy, greeting us with open friendliness.
“We are,” Alanna replies coolly, tucking her hair behind her ear, “what do you have?”
“Well,” the man gives us a look of small apology, “we’ve attempted to recreate your toddy, though I don’t know if it’ll live up to your standards. We have a brown ale that is my favorite, as well as whiskey, which I believe you have in some of your Courts.”
“Three toddies filled halfway and two full whiskeys” I quickly order for us.
The man glances away from Alanna and gives me another spirited grin, grabbing a few glasses before moving to the barrels behind him.
Alanna turns to me with questioning look.
“Just go with it,” I laugh.
We watch as the man places the five glasses on top of the stone counter, three filed with the amber liquid and two with the deep gold.
I take a half-filled toddy and hand it to Alanna, then grab another and offer it to him with a grin.
He looks back at me in surprise but accepts nonetheless, the smile on his face hinting that he’s a drinker too.
I take the third glass and raise it to the two of them in cheers.
“We’ll down the toddy. If it’s shit, oh well, we don’t have to think twice about it. But if it's good, we’ll order another and attempt to drink it in typical fashion.”