Chapter 14.
Cerys ran down a corridor lit with candles. She saw a door at the end a pushed it open. Cerys kicked off her satin slippers and slammed the door behind her. "Arranged marriage? I'll give her arranged marriage!" Cerys stormed over to the window and stared out, clicking her tongue at the irony of it all. Angry thoughts were tumbling over themselves in her mind. How her mother may have lured her there under false pretences, how maybe that was the only reason she has to be in Aranosia. She heard a hand rest on the doorknob. Using her powers, Cerys made the key in the lock turn and the bolt slide across the top. "Cerys? It's Nia, please allow me to come in?" "Go away from me. Leave me alone." Cerys dug her fingernails into her palms in anger. She heard a sigh outside the door. A familiar tinkling noise behind her told her that Nia had gotten into the room without using a door.
"I didn't invite you in." said Cerys, through tightly gritted teeth. "I know you didn't, but I decided to come in. Elaina just told me what you found out. And I know what you are afraid of." Nia said this in barely more than a whisper. "I'm not afraid." Cerys yelled defiantly. "Yes you are. You are afraid that we have, how shall I put this? Lured you here under false pretences just to use you? That is how you feel isn't it?" Cerys felt a familiar burning sensation in the corners of her eyes. "No, that isn't how I feel actually. I'm not afraid of anything right now so leave me alone." Cerys wiped the back of her hand furiously across her eyes. She screwed up her eyes in concentration and her gown dissolved into a pink velour tracksuit. Her hair came down out of its elegant knot and fell down around her shoulders. "Cerys, why'd you go do that?" Nia asked exasperatedly. Cerys shrugged and sank into the window seat. "Erm, do you mind if I get your mother?" Nia enquired. Cerys glanced at her. One look screamed NO. Nia blinked and turned away. Cerys could hear footsteps along the corridor. She counted to three in her head. Just as she counted three, there was a sharp rap at the door. "Cerys," came a deep voice. "Cerys, let us in please. I don't want to have to use force, I'd rather have your consent." Cerys closed her eyes. She knew it was Sam and her mother outside, but she was torn between talking what she'd heard over with them, and telling them where to go. Cerys clicked her fingers and opened the door. Sam strode in, Elaina hurrying at his wake. "Cerys, I am so sorry. Your mother just told me what you found out and I am sorry to say that it is true, but this is not why you are here today. You are here for your initiation, as I told you." Cerys glared at him. "I want to go home," she said through gritted teeth. Cerys sat down on a high, straight-backed armchair. She felt completely betrayed, not because her mother had bought her there, but because nobody had had the decency to tell her that she had an arranged marriage ahead! As Sam was about to answer her question, the door burst open. Cerys didn't look up, but sat staring at her fingers. Sam, however, turned to see who had burst in without knocking. A low, male voice interrupted Cerys' thoughts. "Er, Sam? Where's this Cerys girl I'm supposed to meet and greet? She hasn't been brought into my quarters yet, is she even here?" Cerys stared at her fingers, not lifting her gaze. Sam walked briskly over to the lad standing there and guided him over to where Cerys sat. "This, Cerys," he directed at her, "Is Craig. He was supposed to meet you today and show you around the grounds but clearly you want to leave. Wouldn't you rather go with him instead?" Cerys glanced up and before she could retort, she caught sight of a very tall, very good looking someone. Concern filled brown eyes that studied Cerys' face. Cerys goggled back and looked him up and down. "Are you okay, Cezzy?" he asked. Craig stared at Cerys and Cerys knew she was staring back with her mouth open. Trying to get a hold of herself, she closed her mouth. "Um, er, h-hi. Erm.why are you supposed to meet and greet me?" Cerys stuttered her way through her sentences. Craig smiled warmly and she felt her stomach do a flip. He turned to Sam. "Would you mind if Cerys and I spoke alone? I mean, so I can get to know her?" asked Josef. Sam nodded and taking Elaina by the elbow, they made a swift exit. Craig sat down on the sofa opposite Cerys and Nia backed away, and then disappeared. "So," said Craig, "Why do you want to go home? I got the impression from the way you were dressed earlier that you wanted to stay here! I mean, you looked great in that gown.where is it by the way?" Craig leaned forward on his knees and waited for Cerys to answer. Cerys looked down at her tracksuit. "What? This? Oh, I was kind of upset so I decided to change. Who are you anyway?" she asked curiously. "Well, I'm sort of a guide, you know, to show you around, help you become familiar with the surroundings. If you like, we could go for a walk along Lilac Lake and I'll tell you all about me." Craig looked hopeful and Cerys thought it rude to refuse, so she nodded gingerly and got up. "Hold on," she said. Cerys screwed up her eyes and a pair of white trainers and a jacket appeared over her tracksuit. She un-tucked her hair from the back of her jacket and straightened up. "Ok, lets go." said Cerys. Craig smiled slightly and put his arms around her shoulders. Cerys pushed him away. "Erm, what are you doing?" she asked. Craig laughed. "I have to hold on to you or we can't travel. Unless you want to use the main door that is, and be greeted with stares and stuff." Cerys stared at him, curious. "What d'you mean travel? How do we travel?" Cerys' questions came quick and fast. Craig laughed again at her eagerness to know what was going on. He stepped towards her. "Basically, I put my arms on your shoulders like this," Craig wrapped his arms around her. "Then, in a moment, you'll feel a slight pull at the top of your head and you'll feel a little dizzy. Ready?" he asked. "Ready," Cerys replied. She felt her shoulders lift and a wave of nausea coursed over her.
Cerys ran down a corridor lit with candles. She saw a door at the end a pushed it open. Cerys kicked off her satin slippers and slammed the door behind her. "Arranged marriage? I'll give her arranged marriage!" Cerys stormed over to the window and stared out, clicking her tongue at the irony of it all. Angry thoughts were tumbling over themselves in her mind. How her mother may have lured her there under false pretences, how maybe that was the only reason she has to be in Aranosia. She heard a hand rest on the doorknob. Using her powers, Cerys made the key in the lock turn and the bolt slide across the top. "Cerys? It's Nia, please allow me to come in?" "Go away from me. Leave me alone." Cerys dug her fingernails into her palms in anger. She heard a sigh outside the door. A familiar tinkling noise behind her told her that Nia had gotten into the room without using a door.
"I didn't invite you in." said Cerys, through tightly gritted teeth. "I know you didn't, but I decided to come in. Elaina just told me what you found out. And I know what you are afraid of." Nia said this in barely more than a whisper. "I'm not afraid." Cerys yelled defiantly. "Yes you are. You are afraid that we have, how shall I put this? Lured you here under false pretences just to use you? That is how you feel isn't it?" Cerys felt a familiar burning sensation in the corners of her eyes. "No, that isn't how I feel actually. I'm not afraid of anything right now so leave me alone." Cerys wiped the back of her hand furiously across her eyes. She screwed up her eyes in concentration and her gown dissolved into a pink velour tracksuit. Her hair came down out of its elegant knot and fell down around her shoulders. "Cerys, why'd you go do that?" Nia asked exasperatedly. Cerys shrugged and sank into the window seat. "Erm, do you mind if I get your mother?" Nia enquired. Cerys glanced at her. One look screamed NO. Nia blinked and turned away. Cerys could hear footsteps along the corridor. She counted to three in her head. Just as she counted three, there was a sharp rap at the door. "Cerys," came a deep voice. "Cerys, let us in please. I don't want to have to use force, I'd rather have your consent." Cerys closed her eyes. She knew it was Sam and her mother outside, but she was torn between talking what she'd heard over with them, and telling them where to go. Cerys clicked her fingers and opened the door. Sam strode in, Elaina hurrying at his wake. "Cerys, I am so sorry. Your mother just told me what you found out and I am sorry to say that it is true, but this is not why you are here today. You are here for your initiation, as I told you." Cerys glared at him. "I want to go home," she said through gritted teeth. Cerys sat down on a high, straight-backed armchair. She felt completely betrayed, not because her mother had bought her there, but because nobody had had the decency to tell her that she had an arranged marriage ahead! As Sam was about to answer her question, the door burst open. Cerys didn't look up, but sat staring at her fingers. Sam, however, turned to see who had burst in without knocking. A low, male voice interrupted Cerys' thoughts. "Er, Sam? Where's this Cerys girl I'm supposed to meet and greet? She hasn't been brought into my quarters yet, is she even here?" Cerys stared at her fingers, not lifting her gaze. Sam walked briskly over to the lad standing there and guided him over to where Cerys sat. "This, Cerys," he directed at her, "Is Craig. He was supposed to meet you today and show you around the grounds but clearly you want to leave. Wouldn't you rather go with him instead?" Cerys glanced up and before she could retort, she caught sight of a very tall, very good looking someone. Concern filled brown eyes that studied Cerys' face. Cerys goggled back and looked him up and down. "Are you okay, Cezzy?" he asked. Craig stared at Cerys and Cerys knew she was staring back with her mouth open. Trying to get a hold of herself, she closed her mouth. "Um, er, h-hi. Erm.why are you supposed to meet and greet me?" Cerys stuttered her way through her sentences. Craig smiled warmly and she felt her stomach do a flip. He turned to Sam. "Would you mind if Cerys and I spoke alone? I mean, so I can get to know her?" asked Josef. Sam nodded and taking Elaina by the elbow, they made a swift exit. Craig sat down on the sofa opposite Cerys and Nia backed away, and then disappeared. "So," said Craig, "Why do you want to go home? I got the impression from the way you were dressed earlier that you wanted to stay here! I mean, you looked great in that gown.where is it by the way?" Craig leaned forward on his knees and waited for Cerys to answer. Cerys looked down at her tracksuit. "What? This? Oh, I was kind of upset so I decided to change. Who are you anyway?" she asked curiously. "Well, I'm sort of a guide, you know, to show you around, help you become familiar with the surroundings. If you like, we could go for a walk along Lilac Lake and I'll tell you all about me." Craig looked hopeful and Cerys thought it rude to refuse, so she nodded gingerly and got up. "Hold on," she said. Cerys screwed up her eyes and a pair of white trainers and a jacket appeared over her tracksuit. She un-tucked her hair from the back of her jacket and straightened up. "Ok, lets go." said Cerys. Craig smiled slightly and put his arms around her shoulders. Cerys pushed him away. "Erm, what are you doing?" she asked. Craig laughed. "I have to hold on to you or we can't travel. Unless you want to use the main door that is, and be greeted with stares and stuff." Cerys stared at him, curious. "What d'you mean travel? How do we travel?" Cerys' questions came quick and fast. Craig laughed again at her eagerness to know what was going on. He stepped towards her. "Basically, I put my arms on your shoulders like this," Craig wrapped his arms around her. "Then, in a moment, you'll feel a slight pull at the top of your head and you'll feel a little dizzy. Ready?" he asked. "Ready," Cerys replied. She felt her shoulders lift and a wave of nausea coursed over her.