A poll was taken and instead of posting early, I am posting both chapters 4 and 5 this week! As always, let me know what you think! I promise an actual plot is coming haha.
Metal chains clanked as guards turned the wheel, pulling the chains, and opening the large gate to the palace.
Upon seeing the palace in the distance, Helia joined the front of the line, leaving Krystal and Flora in the middle, surrounded by both guards of Hademort and Linphea. Flora looked out on the horizon, and she struggled to hold onto a gasp. She had never seen such an imposing building before.
The Linphean palace was a warm terracotta, ivy growing through the cracks in the walls and draping down over large paintings in the hallway. There were observation towers where Flora would spend whatever free time she would have after Krystal had retired to bed. She would look up at the stars and try to remember the stories that her father told her for every constellation.
But the palace in Hademort was gray in color due to the stone. Every corner of the palace was perfectly squared off, unlike the organic architecture and design of the Linphean castle. There were observation towers, but the windows were small, used for peering out in the distance and attacking any adversary rather than for observation of the stars. In fact, Flora did not see many windows on the large castle rather than a few large and tall windows situated in areas that Flora assumed to be practical in location. To block out the sun? To keep the warmth in?
As the company passed through the large gate, the unease that Flora felt about being in a very inorganic space grew stronger. She snuck a glance up at Krystal who did not seem phased by the stark architecture and design of the palace. Flora took a deep breath and tried to remember the advice that she had given Krystal just a few hours earlier, that she could make the most of her time here. She would be a resident of this palace for the rest of her life, there was no sense in being miserable.
Shouts were heard around them as people scurried into place to welcome back Prince Helia and to set their eyes on the woman who would one day become their queen. Whispers of Krystal's beauty filled Flora's ears as she walked alongside which made Flora's heart swell with pride. While Krystal wasn't her daughter and only a year separated the two, Flora always felt a sense of pride as Krystal's handmaiden and friend when accolades and compliments were thrown Krystal's way.
Soon, two parallel lines of palace guards and servants created a path for Helia, Krystal, and their respective parties to make their way to the front door, where, standing in the doorway was a large man. Tall and shrouded in the shadows of the palace. His eyes were nearly black in color and his hair matched the darkness that appeared to surround him. His thin mouth was turned down into a frown and his brow sat low on his brow. He looked as if he were thinking, no, analyzing, as Prince Helia and Princess Krystal made their way up to the doorway.
Helia was silent as he rode up further and closer to his father. It was always so hard to read his father and this time had not been an exception. Should he prepare to say something? He had never been greeted by his father like this but then again, he had never brought a princess back. Princess Krystal would become family and the people of Linphea would be their people like the people of Hademort would one day become Princess Krystal's. Perhaps he should say something. But before he could say something, his father spoke.
"She will do."
Azrael turned on his feet and exited back into the cold palace with his men. Helia's face hardened as he looked ahead, mad and embarrassed by his father. Had he nothing else to say? Helia clenched down on his back teeth, the sharp lines of his jaw becoming even more pronounced. Well, he did suppose that it could have been worse.
"Don't worry, Your Highness," Helia could hear Flora consoling the princess, "he did look awfully busy, and he might have not had the time to express himself appropriately."
Helia glanced over to see Flora place a soft hand on Krystal's shin, Krystal looking downcast. Flora wore a light smile on her face, but just like her body betrayed her in the cold, her green eyes flashed with worry.
"I am also sure that we all look very worn out from our travels and His Majesty might have been trying to keep the conversation short. I will find out where the head of the palace is and find out where your quarters are. I will then get you ready for dinner tonight."
Flora left Krystal's side as she began to search out Saladin, the head staff at the palace. She found him quickly after asking a few of the maids and greeted him with a smile. Saladin also smiled as the younger woman talked with him. Helia felt his breath stop as he saw Saladin reach forward and touch the edges of the cloak around Flora's shoulders. Helia knew that Saladin knew that the cloak was his and he was not ready to hear Saladin confront him about it. It was just a cloak and it meant nothing. She was cold and he would not have her bring a wild animal from the mountains of the path of the palace nor would he have her bring sickness into the walls of the palace.
"Your Highness," Helia's attention was brought to his captain when he had called him, "I must return the guard back to their barracks before training. The horses also need to be placed back in their stables."
Helia nodded his head, "Very well."
Swinging his leg around the horse, Helia dismounted and handed the reins over to a young stable boy. Helia looked up at Krystal.
"The horse needs to go back to the stable." Helia flatly remarked.
Krystal furrowed her brow as she looked down at Helia. Surely he did not expect for her to get off himself. When Helia made no move to help her down, Krystal took a deep breath and lifted her leg, attempting to not catch her foot on the fabric of her dress.
"Your Highness!" Flora exclaimed, leaving her conversation with Saladin to run over to Krystal. "Please," she held out a hand, "hold on."
Krystal took Flora's hand and with her help, climbed down from the horse.
"Why did you-"
"I was told the horses needed to be brought back to the stable." Krystal cut Flora off. "I could have gotten down by myself."
"I am sure that you could, Your Highness," Flora placed her hands on her hips, her elbows sticking out under the cloak, "But I will not see you snap your neck! Not on my watch!"
Krystal pouted and folded her arms over her chest as she glared at Flora.
Flora's face softened and sighed, "I only worry about you, Your Highness. Now, let's get inside and get you cleaned up for tonight's dinner."
She wanted to give him a piece of her mind. How dare he not help her princess down from her horse. Was he trying to harm her? Was he trying to get her killed? She was going to be his wife and he should at least try to act as if he cared about her. While he and the princess had only known each other for a few hours and had barely said anything to one another, Flora thought that he would have some kind of manners. But he had given her his cloak, maybe his neglect of Krystal's safety was an oversight.
Flora reached up to her chest and undid the metal clasp of Helia's cloak and held it out to him, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Helia grabbed the cloak back from Flora, the faint smell of peaches and vanilla floating up to his nose. His dark cloak now smelled like spring, and he felt his body warm up from the smell. He stared as Flora wrapped her arm around Krystal's shoulders and brought her into the palace and followed two maids as they led them to the princess's chambers.
"Welcome back, Prince Helia," Saladin's voice quietly greeted behind Helia, "she is beautiful, isn't she?"
"Yes," Helia kept his eyes fixed on the pair of women as they retreated into the shadows of the castle, "Princess Krystal has lived up to the description of beauty that was promised."
Helia felt as Saladin walked past him, a smirk across his old face.
"I wasn't talking about Princess Krystal."
Flora took the pins out of Krystal's hair, letting it fall down from the bun that it had been in for the journey to the palace. They had settled into Krystal's room Krystal was sitting on a padded stool in front of a vanity, Flora getting Krystal ready to bathe.
"Is it bad that I am already missing home?" Krystal sighed as the last of the pins were pulled out of her hair.
"Not at all, Your Highness," Flora placed her hands on Krystal's shoulders and gave her a smile through the mirror, "No place will ever be as good as home. Especially a home like Linphea."
"I don't think that Hademort will ever become my home."
"It is only the first day, Your Highness." Flora removed her hands from Krystal's shoulders before turning around and picking up the pins that she removed from Krystal's hair. "Everyone is probably nervous. This is not only a change for you."
Krystal turned around in her chair to face Flora, "I just thought that the reception would have been not so...so..."
"Cold?" Flora finished Krystal's sentence.
"Yes," Krystal laughed, "both physically and emotionally. When Princess Bloom of Domino had married Prince Sky of Eraklyon, all she could talk about was how kind he had been. How he had kissed her hand when she had arrived. How they had talked the whole way back. She even said that they rode together side by side in a carriage."
Flora placed the pins in a small silver container and placed it behind Krystal on the vanity, "Well, Prince Helia is not Prince Sky, and maybe the snow made the roads too dangerous for a carriage. Maybe His Highness was concerned for your safety and needed to focus on getting back to the palace safely."
Krystal groaned and threw her head back, "I know he doesn't like me, Flora. You should stop making excuses for his behavior."
"I am not, Your Highness. We just don't know him and I don't want you to have a sour opinion of him based on first impressions and ruin any chance of happiness. Maybe he had a bad morning or he was thinking about a council meeting he has to go to?"
"Ha," Krystal scoffed, "I think that I would be miserable too if I had King Azrael as a father."
"Helia's father will soon become your father, Your Highness."
Flora walked over to the wardrobe where Krystal's gowns had been hung a short while ago. Flora pulled out a pale green gown, more in the lighter style of Linphea but still warm enough that Krystal would not catch a chill while in the cold palace.
"Some father," Krystal huffed, "I can't believe it. 'She will do.' What is that supposed to mean?"
Placing the gown on the edge of Krystal's bed, Flora made her way back over to the princess where Krystal, following the usual routine, stood up and allowed for Flora to begin stripping her for her bath.
"Well, look at it this way, Your Highness. At least you won't have both Prince Helia and his father fighting over you." Flora giggled.
"What a disaster that would be. I heard that happened with Princess Aisha of Andros. Prince Nabu, Prince Roy, and Prince Nex all fighting for her hand. I could not imagine father against son."
"Do not worry what His Majesty has to say, he is not the one who is marrying you. And he will soon be gone and you and Prince Helia will rule Hademort together."
"With you by my side." Krystal gave Flora a small smile as she lifted her arms for Flora to remove the wool gown.
"Until you and Prince Helia have children, I then become your child's caretaker."
"Then I shall have no children."
"Now, Princess..." Flora gave Krystal a reprimanding look as she draped Krystal's gown over her arm.
"It's true. I won't have any children because then you will always be by my side." Krystal sauntered into the washroom, Flora following behind.
"I will always be by your side, Your Highness. I might not be your handmaiden in the future, but I will always be a guardian and I will always be your..." Flora trailed, not wanting to make any assumptions.
"Friend?" Krystal turned her head around to face Flora as she stepped into the basin of hot water.
"Yes, Princess. I will always be your friend."
Helia was quick to remove his formal, black attire and change into an outfit for training. Glad to be rid of the pins on his chest and the dark colors that told the world who he was. Every pin on his chest was a constant reminder of the pain that he had inflicted on someone else and the screaming of his father commanding him to "be better", "toughen up", and "show them no mercy". The less time that he had to wear them, the softer the voices became.
Keeping the warm leather pants and boots, Helia slipped on a light tan-colored shirt and put his hair up into a topknot. He picked up the discarded clothing and placed them in the corner for a servant to pick up when he was out of the room. He moved over to the edge of his bed where he had draped his cloak when he came back and paused when his fingers touched the warm fur.
His mind was brought back to the tan woman in pink, her bright green eyes and pouted lips. He could see strands of long, brunette hair that stuck to the cloak, weaving through the fur. Helia picked up a strand and held it between his fingers before letting it go, watching it float through the air and down to the floor. Once again, the sweet smell of peaches and vanilla invaded his senses. Helia picked up the cloak and held it to his nose, the strength of the sweet scent intensifying.
A sharp knock on his door caused Helia to bring down the cloak from his nose and throw it into the wardrobe.
"Come in!" Helia called out and the door swung open to reveal Saladin. Helia's posture relaxed slightly as the older man walked into the large bedroom.
"What is it?" Helia asked as he walked over to his sword, leaning against the wall in its hilt.
"I just came to inform you that dinner will be served at seven. Princess Krystal will be joining as well as His Majesty and Captain Duncan."
Helia let out a low groan, not ready to have Krystal thrown to the wolves on her first night in Hademort.
"I see that you have changed, Your Highness," Saladin remarked as he looked over Helia's loose, tan shirt and the change in his hair.
"I'm going to train," Helia replied cooly.
"Very well, Your Highness. I will take your clothes with me as I leave. I will be back here after you are done training."
Helia gave Saladin a nod of understanding before motioning with his head to the small piles of pins and fabric that he had made in the corner of his room. Saladin walked over and bent down to scoop the pile into his arms.
"And the cloak, Your Highness?" Saladin asked as he noticed the thick, fur-lined cloak had been missing from the pile.
Helia fastened the belt that held his sword around his waist before walking past Saladin and heading towards the door. He turned back before walking out the door, "Just take what is in the pile and do your work. Don't worry about things that don't concern you."
Saladin did his best not to smile, "I just asked you about the cloak, Your Highness."
"You know what you were trying to ask and it would be best that you remember that nobody cares about what you think. Not anymore."
Helia turned and slammed the door behind him, adjusting his shirt and making his way to the training grounds.
"Well, how do I look?" Krystal asked as she stood in front of Flora.
"Amazing, Your Highness," Flora answered, "some of my best work."
"Good," Krystal exhaled, "I would like for the king to see me more as 'she will do'."
Flora made her way back over to the vanity, putting away the small silver container that once held Krystal's hairpins that were now, after her bath, back in her lavender-colored hair.
"I wish that you would not let what His Majesty says get to you, Your Highness." Flora sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair.
Krystal ran her hands over her pale green gown, smoothing out any wrinkles that appeared. She then raised her hands up to the sides of her sleeves and adjusted them down her arms so that her clavicle was now exposed.
"Your Highness..." Flora scolded as she pulled the sleeves back up to their intended position, "you know that Hademort is more..."
"Prude?" Krystal rolled her eyes.
"Practical." Flora corrected, giving Krystal a stern look.
"Fine, but what about you?" Krystal crossed her arms.
"What about me, Your Highness?"
"Will you be wearing that to dinner?" Krystal motioned up and down Flora's body, indicating her state of dress. Still in the blush pink dress that she wore on their journey. Flora was about to speak but Krystal cut her off. "You have to join me for dinner, we always eat together."
"I don't thi-"
"At least be there with me." Krystal softly pleaded, "You are all I have here, and I don't think...I don't think that I can do this on my own."
Flora placed a hand on Krystal's arm, "I don't think that I will be permitted to eat with you."
"But you will be there? Can you talk to the head of the palace servants about possibly serving at the dinner? I just...I just can't..."
"I will go talk to Saladin," Flora gave Krystal a small smile, "and I will do my best to be there, Your Highness. If not, I will be back here waiting for you to hear all about your dinner and provide all the comfort that I can."
"That's why they call you a guardian." Krystal giggled as she looked up at Flora.
"You know that is not the reason, Your Highness."
"I know, but I would like to think that providing emotional support is the reason why and not because you h-"
Flora cut Krystal off, a rare practice by Flora but an interruption that she saw necessary, "I should go find Saladin, Your Highness."
"Yes," Krystal grabbed Flora by the arms and turned her around, nearly shoving her out of the door, "be quick so that if he says yes, you can come and change into something more suitable."