-One Thousand And Ten Years Ago-
Elodie had been running away from her old home for two weeks when at last she found a sign of civilization. It was a large city, and so she hoped that someone would provide her refuge if she were able to perform some housework…
She stepped up to the first house that she saw. Full of fear, Elodie knocked, knowing that she looked ravaged, if not completely insane. Her clothes were torn and tattered, her shoes nothing but strips of cloth attached to her feet. She could hardly even feel her toes; her calves and feet were covered in thin, red lines from scratches of brambles and weeds. And although Elodie wasn't sure, she was fairly certain that her hair was clumped together with twigs and snags.
Her knock was answered; Elodie was greeted by an elderly woman with a kindly smile and deep brown eyes. Apparently undeterred by Elodie's horrid appearance, the woman exclaimed, "Hello, dear! What I can do for you?"
"If you c-could give me directions to someplace I can work in exchange for shelter, that w-would be greatly appreciated," stuttered Elodie. It was nearing winter, and she was freezing where she stood.
"Of course," the woman replied. "But first, come inside and warm up. You look weary, dear. Certainly you've been traveling for far too long."
Elodie knew that she could not stay—she had fled her home for a reason. She had to find the authority of this land and warn him or her of the dangers that lurked in their neighboring country…
At the same time, however, she was too haggard to continue on immediately: and so Elodie answered, "Thank you, madam, for your hospitality."
The woman smiled and held the door open. Elodie walked inside and found herself in a very homely house. On the wall furthest from the door roared a healthy fire—the woman ushered Elodie to sit in front of it, and the girl did so without complaint.
As Elodie sat and recuperated from her venture, the woman walked into the kitchen and asked, "Where are you from, dear? And what is your name?"
"My name is Elodie. I'm from the Hallowed City."
Astonished, her hostess said, "Why on earth did you leave? The Hallowed City is at the pinnacle of its success!"
"Perhaps for the majority of its denizens, but not for my family," replied Elodie, but that was all she wanted to say on the matter. What had happened to her family still left her numb; she had cried enough tears already. In fact, Elodie almost felt as if she were out of tears to shed whenever she had been starving, or freezing, or thirsting during her venture to Petal Meadows.
Sensing Elodie's retreat from the conversation, the woman said nothing except, "My name is Alexandra. It's a pleasure to meet you, Elodie."
"The honor is mine, Alexandra. I am in your debt."
Alexandra moved forward with a bowl of soup, outstretching it to Elodie, who stared at it with wide eyes.
"Go on," insisted Alexandra—and Elodie could not resist any longer than that. She seized the bowl and the wooden spoon and ate quickly, forgetting all manners for the reason that this was the first solid meal she'd had in two weeks. It was only halfway through her meal that Elodie realized her savagery; embarrassed, she cleared her throat and slowed her pace so she might eat like a civilized person.
Alexandra, however, did not seem to want to restrain her. "Oh, go on, dear," she sighed, though not unkindly, placing a warm hand on Elodie's shoulder. "It's obvious you've gone long enough without proper care. Don't worry about impressing little old me."
Despite her hostess's words, Elodie didn't want to seem like such a cretin. While she sped up her pace, she did not eat with reckless abandon as she had previously. As she continued, Alexandra murmured, "I believe you wanted directions to a place where you can exchange work for shelter. Lord Arthur may be able to take you in. I must warn you, though, he's been a bit temperamental of late… his poor mother caught an illness and has passed away this summer."
This news made Elodie stop short. He was not the only one to have recently lost a mother. Her silver eyes were wide as she whispered, "How awful."
"Yes," agreed Alexandra, her gaze upon the floor. "She was most beloved. But it is Arthur now who has ascended to Lordship, and it is his charge to take in those who need it. Tell me, Elodie—how old are you?"
"Eighteen, not a month ago."
"Then perhaps you can be an indentured servant, or a maid in his palace," sighed Alexandra. "I wish I could give you more information, but I've only seen the palace once."
Elodie swallowed the last bit of soup and carefully set the bowl upon the floor. "What direction is the castle?"
"To the west. You are in Petalburg right now, my dear. If you have come from the Hallowed City, you have actually traversed past Arthur's castle to get here. But worry not—if you follow the road leading west, you are sure to reach it."
Although Elodie was less than excited about the prospect of returning to the road, she knew it was necessary to warn him of the danger in the Hallowed City.
"Thank you, Alexandra," sighed Elodie. She picked up the bowl and placed it on the table before bowing. "You've been very kind."
"Hold on, now! You can't go to the castle without at least cleaning up a little first. You're a pretty girl—Lord Arthur might have more pity on you if he can see your face," advised Alexandra.
Elodie, knowing she was a horrid mess, flushed. The woman was probably right… she was not presentable enough to be summoned inside the castle of a Lord. It was only for that reason that Elodie allowed herself to be ushered into a bathing room; Alexandra heated water over the cauldron in her main room and left Elodie to wash herself once that was done.
Throughout the process of washing, Elodie used the looking glass to figure out where all the tangles in her hair were, and where dirt had accumulated upon her body. It was a long and tedious process, but at last, she was finished—the vast majority of her skin was clear, and her hair was recognizably golden-white again and was free of muck and shrubbery. Her silver eyes gleamed out from her pale face… she hoped she was now able to win access to the palace.
With a deep breath, Elodie exited the room and asked, "How do I look?"
Alexandra smiled warmly. "You shall be admitted for certain, my dear. Lord Arthur has always been a merciful man, but this shall only seal your certainty. But I will admit, my dear—I would be worried about you wandering alone. Allow me to come with you."
This was not said so much as a request as it was a statement; and Elodie, glad for the company upon the road, immediately acquiesced.
"Here," declared Alexandra, shuffling forward and draping a woolen shawl over Elodie's shoulders. "It is nearing winter, and the winds are growing colder."
Elodie thanked Alexandra again—and once the elderly woman had donned a cotton coat and a shawl of her own, the two set out of Alexandra's house and off to the west.
It only took a few hours to reach the castle; the women engaged in deep conversation regarding the state of Petal Meadows, and how Lord Arthur had done well so far in such a speedy transition of Lordship. Alexandra needed a few breaks to stop and catch her breath or lean upon her cane, all of which Elodie was glad to give her.
By dusk, the women were stumbling up to the exceptionally large drawbridge of the Petal Meadows palace. A river was below the bridge; the sound of swirling water stirred Elodie's nervousness. She looked around and suddenly realized how very impressive the castle was… The only structure bigger than this was the palace in the Hallowed City—the newly titled Palace of Shadow.
Elodie shivered, her mind wandering to dark memories. She wanted to never think of that infernal place again…
At an encouraging nod from Alexandra, Elodie seized the humongous brass knocker on the door and announced their presence with a loud BANG.
The sound echoed throughout the valley that the castle sat in. Elodie cringed and wrapped the woolen shawl tighter around her shoulders, squeezing her eyes shut. She hoped she hadn't knocked too obnoxiously.
A minute or two passed before she heard someone storming towards the door. Before she could wonder what was going on, the entryway abruptly swung open, and a man's voice began shouting, "Who is it that would disrupt—"
But that shout immediately stopped.
Elodie, hearing the sudden silence, opened her eyes and withdrew her head from hiding inside her shawl. She blinked once or twice as she looked at the man who had answered the door.
The man was a few years older than she, but not many. One of his hands was running through his curly brown hair, a look of shock on his face. His other hand was loosely poised toward the silver sword at his belt… but what captivated Elodie's attention was the color of his eyes.
They were sky-blue and incredibly bright: as bright as her own.
Realizing that they were both just staring at each other, Elodie cleared her throat uneasily and asked, "Are… are you Lord Arthur?"
"It depends on who is asking," replied the man, raising an eyebrow. He looked towards Alexandra and bowed lightly, stating, "Is this woman your daughter, Alexandra? Was there something I could do for you?"
Alexandra smiled warmly and shook her head. "No, my Lord, but I wished to accompany her here. She has traveled far from the Hallowed City and is seeking shelter."
The Lord Arthur raised a delicate eyebrow as he scanned Elodie's face.
Noting that it was her time to speak, she curtseyed lightly—never mind the ragged clothing—and somehow managed to stammer, "My Lord, there is something I must warn you about, and something I must ask."
The look on the man's face softened considerably. He seemed to notice that Elodie and Alexandra were shivering in the cold. With a small smile, he stepped toward them and bowed, saying, "I am pleased to say that Lord Arthur is at your service. Now come inside. I will not have two lovely ladies like yourself freeze to death at my doorstep."
Elodie couldn't help but smile, as the Lord Arthur's was infectious. As she stepped forward, she felt the slightest brush at her elbow. She looked down to see his fingers graze her arm—Elodie felt herself flush.
Immediately she scolded herself. She might have been a lady in her village, but that was before her father had passed away. Now she had no business consulting with a Lord of the neighboring country.
"I am well acquainted with Alexandra—a saint among sinners, truly. Might you tell me your name?" he asked as they walked inside.
Alexandra chuckled somewhat at the Lord Arthur's quip, but gestured Elodie on so she could answer his question.
The young woman, however, was silent for a good amount of time. She had just entered the most majestic foyer that the world perhaps had to offer. A fuzzy white carpet was beneath her feet, which felt amazing after miles of cold, frozen dirt. There were fires burning in braziers so that she was blasted by warmth. And the ceilings were made of a light colored stone so that even in winter, the palace retained a great amount of color.
"This is beautiful," she murmured. Her voice echoed throughout the room.
"This?" questioned Lord Arthur. "This is nothing compared to the woman accompanying me."
Elodie blinked, a smile forcing itself onto her face. She avoided looking at the Lord's face for fear of appearing easily impressionable or lovesick.
Alexandra, meanwhile, was looking mightily pleased with herself—or either with Elodie or the Lord Arthur—or perhaps all three.
"I highly doubt that," Elodie finally replied, gazing at the far end of the room. "My name is Elodie Lancaster, my Lord."
"Elodie. A lovely name," said Lord Arthur. He walked toward her and gently gestured her towards another door. "Now, Elodie Lancaster, I believe you mentioned a topic of importance and a question you'd like to ask me. Would you like to ask the question and discuss matters over dinner?"
Again, she blinked and attempted to protest—but Alexandra nudged her somewhat in the ribs with her elbow, and Lord Arthur himself would have none of it. And so it was that Elodie eventually gave in and meekly declared, "Oh, very well, then. I… my Lord, I was going to ask if perhaps I might become a servant in your palace in exchange for a place to stay."
Lord Arthur seemed surprised. "Was that all? My lady Elodie, feel free to remain here until the end of time. And no payment is necessary, either. Being a friend to me in difficult times shall be enough service as it is."
Elodie smiled once again, though she said nothing.
Hearing the silence, Arthur seized the opportunity to say, "Let us eat now. You both must have traveled long to get here, and it would be dishonorable of me to not treat you well. I shall not have either of you fall ill whilst in my care."
He smiled at them once again—and Elodie could not help but smile in return, lost in the warmth of his sky-blue eyes.
Good evening, everyone, I hope you're doing well at the start of the new year! I just wanted to say thank you for reading this far; it's very appreciated! If you like, feel free to leave comments down below. Have a good day- until next time. :)