Chapter One
Outside, rain raked against the houses and filled the streets with its lulling staccato resonance. Clouds floated leisurely in the crisp, moist night air causing the moon's light to dim on such a stormy night as this. The small rural town, Ravina, was isolated in a very inaccessible mountain range. However, not remote enough to keep out Selendrile and Alys.
"A-are we a-almost there?" whispered Alys who trudged in the mud alongside Selendrile with some level of difficulty. Selendrile, who marched through the mud created by the severe thunderstorm, elegantly strolled on while Alys struggled through it with clattering teeth and a low fever.
"Close." Selendrile replied flippantly, then cast a look down at her. Her condition caught his attention and he raised an eyebrow superiorly. "Having problems?"
"N-n-no." Alys stuttered defiantly, then attempted to stomp faster as she rubbed her palms together hurriedly. She knew they were already in the small village, but her exact whereabouts weren't clear. So, she tagged alongside Selendrile in hopes that he could see effectively through the sheets of stinging rain. Despite the onslaught of rain, Alys thought Selendrile appearance amusing. His golden hair was wet and held to his face. His clothes were drenched and sprinkled pellets of water with every step, and his cloak wasn't deflecting the torrent at any rate. His boots squeaked, alerting that water had built up in them, and had probably ruined them. All of this didn't diminish his regal, self confident composure which Alys thought went together like a prince in a beggar's outfit.
"Here." Selendrile announced, halting in front of the wide, wooden door of the Pauper's Inn. Even through the murky mist of rain, Alys could tell it was rundown and elderly though, at the moment, it was still desirable to her to make it out of the rain without catching hypothermia. Holding the door open, Selendrile pressed Alys into the Inn quickly. The place was silent with the exception of the gentle hum of rain and the crackle of a burning fire.
"Good evening, dears." Called a warm, gentle voice belonging to a quite large women dressed in a brown, dirty tunic and black, dusty skirt underneath. She had a pudgy face, dull red hair, and subtle brown eyes along with tanned skin. "What can I do for you?" she addressed Alys with a kind smile.
"We'd like to stay here. A day or two, please." Selendrile informed, handing over a pouch of golden coins as compensation. The women opened the sack, looked the amount over, and nodded mutely before walking through doors that lead to a greasy, sludgy kitchen. From there, she called, "Third room on the right upstairs, dears."
Alys collapsed onto a chair in the lobby area near a blazing fire in the fireplace hearth as Selendrile looked expectantly at her.
"Aren't you going to sleep upstairs?" he inquired.
"In just a minute." She replied, distractedly looking into the flames of the fire as she reveled in its warmth. "I'm too tired and cold to move." Selendrile sighed and bent forward, abruptly collecting her from the flimsy chair and shuffling up the stairs then down the corridor.
"Let me down!" Alys protested, rather energetically from someone would claimed she was immobile minutes prior. As commanded, Selendrile dropped her heavily on the wood floor of their room with a loud thud, making Alys scowl at him. "I'll get you back." She pledged bitterly, and Selendrile chuckled at her as he started to strip off his soaked shirt.
"You should lie down, Alys." He advised, concerned. "You're burning up." She shrugged leisurely, then plopped on the bed in the corner of the room. After rolling over and draping a thin blanket over her, she fell asleep. Selendrile, still awake, retains his urge to transform into his dragon form restlessly, and paces the room.
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Awaken by the relentless chirping of crows, Alys sits up groggily and stumbles out of bed with her rain soaked clothes clinging to her small, demure form. She grimaces before wringing out the water and waits patiently from Selendrile's return. Knowingly, Alys guessed that he had went into the forests bordering town and transformed, probably flying around for exercise. Occupying herself, she fiddles with the closed window until it finally springs open, and sticks her head outside. The cobblestone streets that had flooded with water and mud last night were now shallowly submerged but wet and shiny also. Black birds twisted in the air, whipping around by the wind's bidding. Down in the streets, two columns of young ladies formed under the command of a royal appearing man on horseback.
"What's going on down there, I wonder." Alys murmured quietly to herself, and jumped when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder.
"Alys…" Selendrile sighed exhaustedly when she jolted noticeably. "Come on, let's go into town." With a nod, they both escaped the Inn without being intervened by the host. Yet, they didn't travel far because soon the lines of young, chattering ladies clogged up the pathway, and they became stuck in the midst of them. Alys clutched Selendrile's hand so she wouldn't get lost, and he looked down at their hands with a sideways glance and tolerated it.
"Dear ladies! Oh, please, form lines." The stout man on horseback, donning expensive, silken clothes chimed with delight, "I may only take fifty of you, sadly. I'm sure Lady Elizabeth would house more of you poor souls, but there's hardly room at the grand castle for all of you." Alys gave Selendrile a baffled look. "I'm sorry ladies, but Miss Elizabeth requires only fifty of you!" he shouted firmly when a few girls started to plead. Alys scanned the crowd and spotted the Inn keeper close by. Grabbing Selendrile and dragging him along, Alys made her way to the keeper's side and inquired, "Excuse me. What's this line for? Why are these ladies waiting?"
The Inn keeper looked surprised and answered, "Dears, that man, "she informed, pointing a fat finger towards the stout, royal man atop a mahogany horse, "is from the castle! He's recruiting ladies to be chambermaids of Miss Elizabeth! She owns these lands, and is a very refined, well respected lady. Her maids are taught etiquette as well, and turn out to be a fine young lady."
"Peasants changed into court ladies?" Selendrile questioned. "Sounds odd."
"It is! It is! That's why we're all begging for a chance! This is a rare occasion, and you'll be lucky to make it! You'll stay at the castle!"
"Then what?"
"You'll be taught and trained, then you'll serve Miss Elizabeth personally! It's so grand!"
"Don't these maids ever visit home?" Alys asked, disbelieving.
"…I don't think I've heard of these maids returning, dears." finished the Inn keeper, appearing to mull over her own words in confusion. She just realized that these ladies never return, Alys thought as the Inn Keeper moved forward warily in line. At the front of the mob, the man on horseback examined all the ladies, mostly rejecting the old and homely, but accepting the youthful, beautiful few.
"Alys," Selendrile said darkly, "I don't like this. These women never come back. It's strange, isn't it?" Alys nodded in agreement, and they pushed through the crowd in an attempt to weave their way back to the Inn for the rain clouds were about to roll over Ravina.
Just as they strode past the royal messenger on horseback, he climbed off and skimmed the remainder of the horde with disinterest. Except, when he spotted Alys…
Abruptly, a hand grasped onto Alys' arm. She halted to peer to her side, and found herself looking at the suavely dressed messenger with wide eyes.
"Miss," he started in a velvety voice, "Come with me." When Alys politely refused, he started to be more and more forceful. First, he argued that she must, then he began to drag her over to the large carriage blocked partly from view by his stead.
"No." Selendrile hissed angrily at the messenger, pulling on Alys' other arm, "she said no. Leave her alone." The messenger turned a menacing glare at Selendrile, who, in turn, glared back with florescent purple eyes glittering dangerously in the stifled afternoon light. Out of nowhere, guards seized Selendrile's arms and hauled him off the ground with an attentive look at the messenger restraining Alys who writhed wildly to escape.
"Lock that man up. He's obstructing our business. There's cages in the cart. Come back for this one." Instructed the messenger, and as the guards fled off with Selendrile, he hissed threateningly in Alys' ear, "Little girl, don't be a fool. You're going whether you want to or not, wretch."