Attaly could only stare at him. Eventually, he sighed, and said,
"Attaly, go. It was too much to tell you at one time. Go. But come back. I
will train you. You need to be trained. Come back when you are ready."
Attaly fled. She ran into the palace, barely seeing where she went. She was scared. Being told that she alone could save the world…She was only a country girl! She knew nothing of magic! She knew nothing of the God either. She ran as fast as she could, headed for her room in the palace. She bumped into something hard, and was knocked backward a few steps. She looked up and saw the king. Already shaking, her trembles grew shakier. Eyes wide, she ran past him, without apologizing for knocking into him.
"Attaly!" he called after her. She ignored his call. Reaching her room, she closed the door behind her, then dropped onto her bed, and cried. Her life had been so simple before she had found the man near the forest, before she had fallen into the river, before the king had saved her, before he had seen her naked. Now everything was alien to her, strange, frightening. She drifted in and out of sleep, dreaming of charming smiles, roving hands, blurry faces, and rivers.
A soft knock on the door woke her. Afraid she knew whom it was, she didn't answer, but sat with her back to her bed, facing away from the door. The knock came again, louder this time. Attaly put her head between her knees, not making a sound.
"Attaly," came the king's soft voice. "Attaly, open the door." That was a royal command. Attaly didn't know whether to obey it or not. She decided not to. She heard a sigh.
The doorknob turned. Attaly slapped herself in the head.
Why didn't I lock it? She thought.
Raleigh walked in.
"Attaly, come out here this instant."
Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Attaly stood, and slowly turned to face him.
"What's wrong, Attaly?"
She turned away. For some reason, she did not want to tell him what the wizard had said.
"Nothing, sire."
"Obviously that's a lie. Now what really is the matter?"
Attaly's eyes watered as she sat on the bed. "Nothing is wrong, your Highness." She said, her voice unusually high. "Please, just leave!" She faced away from him. He settled himself on the bed, and put his hand on her shoulder. She tensed at his touch, not moving, not breathing.
"Attaly. You and I both know something is wrong with you. Otherwise you would not have been running blindly through the palace. Tell me."
She turned to face him. She studied him carefully with her eyes, seeing him – really seeing him. The smile that had seemed so charming now looked haunting, evil. The eyes that had been so caring, and worried, were now cold, and hard. She shook her head.
"No. Nothing is wrong. I am absolutely fine." To prove it, she gave him a lukewarm smile. Raleigh sighed, shaking his head.
"I know something is wrong, Attaly. But, as you so desire it, I shall leave you alone." He got up to leave. When he reached the door, he turned, and asked, "Your birthday is tomorrow, is it not?" Attaly had forgotten it.
"Yes, it is."
"I believe your family will arrive tomorrow as well. You will be able to celebrate with them."
He left Attaly to lie on her bed, thinking.
Raleigh thought, Meeting her father will be enjoyable. Perhaps I can convince him to have Attaly be my queen. If they are so desperate for money, he should jump at the chance. Laughing, he walked into his rooms.
Attaly fled. She ran into the palace, barely seeing where she went. She was scared. Being told that she alone could save the world…She was only a country girl! She knew nothing of magic! She knew nothing of the God either. She ran as fast as she could, headed for her room in the palace. She bumped into something hard, and was knocked backward a few steps. She looked up and saw the king. Already shaking, her trembles grew shakier. Eyes wide, she ran past him, without apologizing for knocking into him.
"Attaly!" he called after her. She ignored his call. Reaching her room, she closed the door behind her, then dropped onto her bed, and cried. Her life had been so simple before she had found the man near the forest, before she had fallen into the river, before the king had saved her, before he had seen her naked. Now everything was alien to her, strange, frightening. She drifted in and out of sleep, dreaming of charming smiles, roving hands, blurry faces, and rivers.
A soft knock on the door woke her. Afraid she knew whom it was, she didn't answer, but sat with her back to her bed, facing away from the door. The knock came again, louder this time. Attaly put her head between her knees, not making a sound.
"Attaly," came the king's soft voice. "Attaly, open the door." That was a royal command. Attaly didn't know whether to obey it or not. She decided not to. She heard a sigh.
The doorknob turned. Attaly slapped herself in the head.
Why didn't I lock it? She thought.
Raleigh walked in.
"Attaly, come out here this instant."
Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Attaly stood, and slowly turned to face him.
"What's wrong, Attaly?"
She turned away. For some reason, she did not want to tell him what the wizard had said.
"Nothing, sire."
"Obviously that's a lie. Now what really is the matter?"
Attaly's eyes watered as she sat on the bed. "Nothing is wrong, your Highness." She said, her voice unusually high. "Please, just leave!" She faced away from him. He settled himself on the bed, and put his hand on her shoulder. She tensed at his touch, not moving, not breathing.
"Attaly. You and I both know something is wrong with you. Otherwise you would not have been running blindly through the palace. Tell me."
She turned to face him. She studied him carefully with her eyes, seeing him – really seeing him. The smile that had seemed so charming now looked haunting, evil. The eyes that had been so caring, and worried, were now cold, and hard. She shook her head.
"No. Nothing is wrong. I am absolutely fine." To prove it, she gave him a lukewarm smile. Raleigh sighed, shaking his head.
"I know something is wrong, Attaly. But, as you so desire it, I shall leave you alone." He got up to leave. When he reached the door, he turned, and asked, "Your birthday is tomorrow, is it not?" Attaly had forgotten it.
"Yes, it is."
"I believe your family will arrive tomorrow as well. You will be able to celebrate with them."
He left Attaly to lie on her bed, thinking.
Raleigh thought, Meeting her father will be enjoyable. Perhaps I can convince him to have Attaly be my queen. If they are so desperate for money, he should jump at the chance. Laughing, he walked into his rooms.