Falling
By: AmySerenityRaye
I followed as the guards dragged Meliara Astiar up the marble stairs and into the throne room of Athanarel. Standing before the king, I kept my eyes carefully slack lidded and my expression bored. But I couldn't help but glance at her as I walked past, a glance she thankfully didn't notice. It was hard to believe that a figure as small and scrawny as hers held so much courage.
Galdran waved a hand and the four guards standing in front of her stepped to the side, giving the Court a clear view of her. He quickly looked her up and down, then turned to me.
"So you won your wager, Shevraeth, eh?" he said. The tone was merry, but there was a hostile edge to the voice that made my skin crawl.
"As well, Your Majesty," I drawled, hating the mask I was forced to wear in order to keep myself alive and relatively free. "The dirt, the stretches of boredom…really, had it taken two days more, I could not have supported it, much as I'd regret the damage to my reputation for reneging on a bet."
Galdran picked at his moustache, then waved at Meliara. "Are you certain someone hasn't been making a game of you? That looks like a scullery wench."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glint of anger in Meliara's eyes as she stood a little straighter and lifted her chin a fraction of an inch. Her proud spirit was indomitable, even now.
"I assure you, Your Majesty, this is Lady Meliara Astiar, Countess of Tlanth."
Galdran stepped down from his dais and approached her, examining her from head to heels. The cruel smile widened. "I never expected much of that half-mad old man, but this is really rich!" He threw back his head and laughed.
And from all sides of the room laughter reverberated off the walls, echoing from the rafters. While I knew that at least half of it was forced, I still shuddered at the thought that the other half wasn't, that some people actually enjoyed seeing this brave young woman dragged before them like a common criminal.
I watched as Meliara stood before Galdran, surrounded by what she thought were enemies, and glared at him without a trace of fear. Her expressive blue eyes screamed her rage at the insults to her and her family and I knew that if she could walk, the guards would be having a very hard time of it right now.
When the laughter died, Galdran said, "Cheer up, wench. You'll have your brother soon for company, and your heads will make a nice matched set over the palace gates." Once again he broke into his cruelly condemning laughter and gestured for the guards to take Meliara away.
She opened her mouth to yell a parting insult but was jerked to one side, which turned her retort into a pain-filled gasp for breath.
My heart sank as I watched the guards march her away and slam the heavy doors shut behind them. How could Galdran do it? How could he look at this girl and not see the blazing fire, the indomitable spirit of a person that knew who she was and what she believed in? How could he destroy this fiery countess who only wanted the best for her country? Everything that despicable man touched withered and died. It was for this very reason that I swore an oath to see him removed from the throne of Remalna, and I suspect Meliara and Branaric had done the same.
I turned back to face the king and inwardly cringed at the gleefully cruel expression on his face, though I maintained my carefully neutral court mask. He flapped his hand in my direction and told me to leave his throne room. My proximity to the "scullery wench" had resulted in a soiling of my person, apparently. I was only too happy to oblige.
As I walked to my chambers, my thoughts continued to dwell on the barefoot countess of Tlanth. What was wrong with me? I couldn't get her out of my head. How could this scrawny little girl so completely fill my thoughts as she did? Yes, I admired her and her brother for what they were trying to do, even though they had managed to completely destroy every single one of my plans each time I turned around. I sighed, not looking forward to rearranging everything yet again.
Inevitably, my thoughts returned to Meliara and her presentation to Galdran. Her courage and ability to win people to her side amazed me. Even in the short time she had spent in the throne room, I could tell she had half the Court in her pocket. She truly was amazing.
As I continued to remember every moment I had spent fighting her and her troops, and every expression to cross her face as I carried her back to Athanarel, I made a vow. I vowed then and there to see her safely reunited with her brother, no matter what it took. Meliara Astiar would not meet her end at the hands of Galdran's executioner. This I swore.