CHAPTER 09 - Thing of Nightmares
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Summer was around the corner, with one month left until the Royal Hunt. And neither my High Elvish nor my embroidering skills were where I needed it to be.
Nearly six weeks had passed since I'd begun stitching, yet the thread still slipped wrong in my hand. Every attempt at a pattern collapsed into uneven lines and twisted knots.
I took a breath, glancing down at the design I'd been trying to replicate. My canary looked more like a sickly pigeon.
"Hold your needle at the base, Princess," Lady Talia whispered gently beside me. Her soft, mousy hair fell in wisps over her forehead as she leaned in to demonstrate. "It won't slip as much if you keep a steady hand."
I adjusted my grip, struggling to follow her careful instructions. Talia's movements were deft and quiet, and I found myself wishing for her calm poise. Though I could barely hear her over Lady Virella's exasperated sighs.
"Honestly, Raine," Virella muttered, eyes narrowed over her own delicate stitches of black roses on a green silk handkerchief. "Are you trying to make that canary look like it's been mauled?"
A helpless snort escaped me.
Virella's words could cut, but her sharpness resembled more that of a thorned rose these days. Prickly, yes, but still pleasant to be around.
"What if I pretend its sorry state is intentional?" I suggested, lifting my tragic canary for her scrutiny. "A battle-worn bird, returning from some harrowing ordeal?"
"Oh, for the love of— here." Virella yanked the fabric from me, a huff escaping her thin lips as she demonstrated a few firm, clean stitches. "The emperor's off crushing yet another rebellion and I doubt he'll return half as mangled as this bird."
I soured at the thought of Sylvos returning.
The inner court had been blissfully quiet in weeks of his absence.
Whispers rippled through the ladies on the day of his departure, claiming he lingered near the bridge to Clover Castle. Why, I'd rather not know. I'd been careful to stay in my room that day, willing him gone.
If only some courageous rebel would rid the world of him, I mused.
Alas, such fortune would never come my way.
That, I already knew.
I focused instead on Virella's hands as she stitched — every movement of her needle deft and determined.
Talia's gentle voice broke the silence.
"Don't worry, you've improved so much, Princess. Look here," she murmured, pointing to the curve of the canary's wing where the stitching was, admittedly, a little less horrid than the rest.
"One good line won't get me promoted," I groaned, sinking back into the chair.
Talia's warm brown eyes softened.
"I'll miss you when you leave..."
I glanced over at her, my brows raised. Though her cheeks had filled out in recent weeks, and her once-sallow figure had begun to regain strength and return to a naturally tanned color, she still avoided meeting people's eyes.
"Don't be silly, Talia. You're every bit as skilled as Virella. Both of you will reach Daisy rank long before I do."
Talia shook her head with a small smile.
"My father was beheaded for treason. I doubt His Majesty has any plans for me beyond Clover Castle..." She tried her best to hide her sadness as she spoke. "Though, you're right about Lady Virella. She has the best chance. Her brother's a Briarbound Knight too, you know."
Virella waved her off.
"I've no intention of climbing ranks," she replied dismissively. "If I'd wanted to, I could've at least been Rose rank by now."
I furrowed my brows, surprised by her disdain of the inner court.
Though I would've liked to ask about her reasons, I held back with so many ears around us.
Instead, I took the handkerchief back and added a border to the canary — a golden circle similar to a pie crust.
After lunch, while the other ladies went off on their walks, Talia, Virella, and I took the steep path down from Clover Castle to the willow forest below. Though we'd been making this trek for nearly a month, Talia still trembled with each step, her grip tight on her faded green skirt.
"Could we petition for proper stairs?" she asked, a hint of desperation in her soft voice.
"They still haven't replaced our windows," I grumbled.
"We're not even supposed to be down here," Virella pointed out dryly. "How do you expect them to build us stairs?"
In preparation for my eventual promotion, I had offered to teach the ladies of Clover Castle how to set traps and catch their own dinner. It was a small gesture that offered the women a sliver of independence from the meager rations we were given.
So far, only these two were bold enough to join me. I mostly supervised now, correcting any mistakes as they became more confident with each snare and trigger.
"I'm thankful there are no wolves here," Talia said, forcing a nervous smile.
"This is talon-toed fox territory," I explained, gesturing toward the shadows beyond. "They don't cross paths with wolves."
As if summoned, two foxes skittered over the nearby branches, their chittering calls echoing through the willows as they leaped from limb to limb.
I grinned back at the creatures, tossing them a few dried plums from my pouch.
"I'd love a fur coat from one of them..." Lady Virella murmured, her gaze lingering on the foxes' sleek, russet coats.
Talia shot her a horrified look.
"You can't hurt them!"
"Yes, yes, only jesting," the blonde woman replied, waving her off.
I laughed at the exchange. Despite their differences, they made for surprisingly good companions.
And they reminded me of my sisters back at Drakfjord...
I shook my head as guilt threatened to weigh me down yet again.
Once we'd caught enough rabbits to supplement our dinner, we trudged back up to the castle. After retrieving the washing we'd set out to dry, we prepared dinner and ate with all the other ladies in the dining hall.
"Princess, I nearly forgot to hand you this," one of the women said, passing an envelope.
I used Raincatcher to slice it open and read the letter inside.
My smile grew.
"It seems the windows are finally approved for replacement," I announced, earning cheers from the ladies around me.
"It's about time," Virella scoffed.
"We should decide what we'd like replaced next," I said.
"I would love new bed sheets," Talia spoke up cautiously.
Several of the others murmured in agreement, and I nodded my approval.
"I'll meet with the Seneschal in the morning to request new bedding, pillows, and curtains. Better to ask for more and negotiate from there."
"Agreed," they replied.
After dinner, Virella and Talia stayed to help me list every sheet and curtain in need of replacement. By the time we were finished, most of the ladies had already bathed, leaving the bathing chamber for just the three of us.
I sank into the steaming water, sighing as the ache left my shoulders. Virella and Talia joined on opposite ends of the stone bath, their faces softening as well.
"Though the work is harder these days, I feel better," Virella sighed, leaning her head back. The warm glow of the embers from the pockets around the bath cast a soft light over her golden skin. "Far better than sitting around, waiting for nothing."
I thought back to her earlier comments as I scrubbed my arms.
"Why do you not seek promotion?" I asked in a lowered voice. "Do you hate the emperor?"
Virella rolled her eyes, combing through her dark blonde curls with long, thin fingers.
"The emperor's hardly a concern after you meet the high-ranked concubines," she scoffed. "They certainly didn't earn their places by being nice."
"Didn't you say you had a friend in Lavender?"
A bitter laugh escaped her.
"Yes, well, I wasn't as resourceful as you when I arrived. The only way to keep the ladies here fed was by making 'friends' and accepting whatever pitiful leftovers they sent us."
I already knew that the higher the rank, the more ruthless things became. Ladies would stop at nothing to gain an advantage over each other.
"Princess, why do you want a promotion?" Talia asked. She was much shorter than Virella and me — her shoulders barely above the water's surface.
"I would love to reach Lavender rank soon," I said slowly. "With the ultimate goal of Nightshade."
"But you don't seem all that interested in the emperor," she pressed, her gaze earnest and pleading. "Wouldn't it be better to stay here with us? It's not as luxurious... But it's peaceful at least..."
Her words stirred something painful within me, and if this had been my first life, I might have been swayed.
I glanced down and traced my finger over the jagged scar above my heart. It was still only visible to me alone. But it was real. My hands went lower... to the scar across my stomach. The child I carried was real too...
Every night since I arrived, I witnessed a different death in my dreams. And with each cruel memory, my resolve only hardened.
If I stopped now, Sylvos would likely conquer all of the Fayndor continent...
And I already swore I would rip his empire apart. Just as he had done to me.
"I wish to be by his side," I said, the words cold.
It was true, though.
I truly wished to be by Sylvos' side as everything he built crumbled before him.
I needed a good view of my work after all.
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I returned to my chamber later that night, greeted by my dagger mewling like a cat.
"How dare you abandon me here while you indulge in your bath alone!" Ryn hissed from where I had left him near the hearth, his reflection pacing restlessly. "Did you ever consider that perhaps I, too, deserved a cleansing?"
"Cleansing or perving?" I muttered.
"What did you say?"
I rolled my eyes as I shrugged into my cloak.
"Stop your incessant whining," I replied. "We have far more important matters at hand."
Ryn sulked but relented.
"Are you certain this is wise? You've managed to learn only five sentences and a handful of words..."
"I'm not freeing the creature tonight," I assured him, steeling myself against the creeping dread. "I'm merely introducing myself. It's essential to make it familiar with me in order to increase my chances of survival when the time comes."
"I suppose that's true... But if it shows any sign of aggression, even from behind its bars, don't hesitate to flee."
I brushed aside the elf's worry, attempting an impish grin.
"And what if I die? I can always start over," I teased.
Ryn found no humor in my joke.
"No more dying!" he insisted, his eyes flaring a vivid green. "I won't help you next time. This is the last! I swear it."
"Uh-huh," I smiled, not taking his outburst seriously.
Pulling the hood of my dark gray cloak over my head, I stepped into the warm night, torch in hand.
The path I took was the same treacherous route I navigated down from the castle daily, yet tonight, I veered away from the familiar willows and plunged deeper into the chasm.
Vines larger than the castle's defenses twisted grotesquely around jagged rocks, their sword-like thorns promising death with a single misstep.
Guided by Ryn's hushed whispers, I followed the precise path to the cave. The air grew colder here than anywhere else in Dornhold, each breath visible as a ghostly plume. I entered the cave, the flames of my torch flickering against ancient stone walls.
With each step deeper into the abyss, my heart thundered like a war drum.
At last, I halted in a chamber where the moon's silvery gaze pierced through a crack in the cave's roof, casting a chilling light that danced upon the ground.
My legs trembled.
I could feel it...
The vylnir...
Swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, I forced myself to move forward, torch extended to pierce the encroaching darkness.
Before me rose massive wrought iron bars, as thick as my legs, sealing a pocket of the cave that was darker than the shadows surrounding it.
And then, the darkness stirred.
Panic twisted my insides, a tightening coil threatening to burst my heart. Every single hair on my body stood on end. My fingers buzzed. My neck tingled.
Run, a voice in my gut begged me. Run far away.
This is a terrible idea...
The shadow, impossibly large, moved with a disquieting grace.
"Rainey... We should leave," Ryn urged in a hushed voice.
I shook my head.
As terrifying as this darkness was, it hadn't killed me nearly as much or as cruelly as Sylvos had.
"H???σ," I greeted in Elvish.
The shadow shifted once more, and I pressed on.
"M? ?α?? ι? Raine Stjorme... I ?α?? ?σ ??? ?συ ????."
It stilled and my heart beat even louder.
Did it understand me?
Suddenly, a massive blue eye opened.
Startled, I stumbled backward, my torch tumbling from my grasp and rolling toward the creature. In the flickering flames, it came into clearer view, and my heart plummeted into my stomach.
This creature was indeed a thing of nightmares...
The vylnir was a horror of twisted black fur, its form a jumbled amalgamation of wolf and bear, as if it longed for a shape but did not quite get it right.
Its dozens of wicked teeth gleamed like jutting daggers, as large as my forearm.
And those massive blue eyes glinted with a light that was both mesmerizing and terrifying.
The creature rose to its feet, revealing the true nature of its imprisonment. The iron bars were mere ornaments compared to the thorned vines cruelly burrowing into its flesh, binding it with an iron grip.
Despite the terror that gripped my body, my heart ached for the creature.
Furrowing my brows, I scrutinized those wretched vines.
It was one of the curses of the thorn sword. Briarvex could summon such thorned vines, capable of binding and controlling lesser minds. This was how Sylvos commanded the beasts he ensnared.
"But you're not a lesser-minded creature..." I murmured to myself, fury igniting within me at the thought of Sylvos using this magic against our dragons in Drakfjord.
I stood tall, meeting the vylnir's gaze with resolve.
"I α? ??ɑρρ?? ι? ??ι? ρ?α?? ?υ?? ?ι?? ?συ," I declared, my voice unwavering. "Dσ ?σ? ?υ?? ??. I ?α?? ?σ ??? ?συ ????," I repeated, though I longed for the words to flow more freely.
The vylnir growled low in its throat, a sound unlike any I had heard. Deep and complex.
"I ?ι?? ?σ?? ?σ ???ρ ?συ ?α???," I concluded with the last phrase I had mastered.
I wished for more words. I wished I could express the depths of my sorrow for the pain it had endured.
Unsure if my words had reached the vylnir, I cautiously approached the bars to retrieve my torch.
"Rainey, leave it!" Ryn urged.
"But what if a fire spreads and the creature gets hurt?" I protested.
"Wouldn't it be a mercy if it did? That way, Sylvos can never wield it, and you won't have to gamble your life to free it," he retorted, his tone bitter.
I scowled at the very thought of harming this creature.
"The vylnir is innocent," I insisted, my resolve hardening. "I won't abandon it to suffer for another's cruel ambitions."
Cautiously, I inched closer to my torch, each movement slow and careful, aware of the creature's unease. Its black tongue flicked out past its dozens of teeth, tasting the air. I gulped at the sight of its claws, each one nearly as large as Briarvex.
"Dσ ?σ? ?υ?? ??," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Dσ ?σ? ?υ?? ??... P??α??... M? ?α?? ι? Raine Stjorme... I ?ι?? ?σ?? ?σ ???p ?συ ?α???... Dσ ?σ? ?υ?? ??..."
I reached for the torch, my heart hammering in my chest.
The creature stirred.
But remained watching.
An icy breath escaped me as I pulled back without incident. Straightening, I offered the vylnir a grateful smile.
I wish I knew how to say thank you...
"I ?ι?? ?σ?? ?σ ???p ?συ ?α???," I declared instead, hoping my tone conveyed my gratitude.
The vylnir huffed before turning away.
And with that, I hurriedly left the cave behind.
Once outside, my strength evaporated, and my legs buckled beneath me. I slid to the ground, breathing in the warm night.
"That was the most terrifying thing I've ever done..." I whispered, breathless. "And I grew up among dragons..."
"Well done, you silly mortal girl," Ryn chuckled, equally breathless beside me. "I don't even know of any elves who dared to approach a vylnir... let alone talk to it."
I rolled onto my back and gazed at the stars.
Despite this small victory, uncertainty lingered in my mind. There was no guarantee that the beast would spare me when I attempted to free it from those vines. It would be painful... And the vylnir might bite my head off for it.
Closing my eyes, I fought the urge to cry.
One month... I had one month left before the Royal Hunt.
"If it eats me, don't let me try talking to it in my next life," I joked weakly.
"I already told you, I won't help you," Ryn replied.
"Right," I laughed softly into the night. "If it were my younger sister in there, I bet the vylnir would've rolled over like a dog by now," I joked.
At mention of Skye, my mood dampened slightly.
I wonder if Claude had talked to her yet...
I wished there was another way...
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