Breakfast was a quick and quiet affair. As soon as everything was repacked, Odette, Derek, Leda, Angel, and Fiera started off for Elmswell. The forest was brighter that day, for the sun had come out. Odette and the others were thankful it had not rained while they slept as the weather had been carried over from when they met, two days before.
As Angel had promised, they arrived at Elmswell before noon. It was a shining city, like a diamond among rocks. After being asked to do so by Fiera, (who explained how rarely horses were used by Guardians – they were simply not needed, and Odette would soon see why)Odette and Derek dismounted, still in awe.
The white walls that protected the city were immaculately clean and the gatehouses were grand to walk through. Although the castle at Swan Lake was her home and had been since she married Derek, Odette could not help but think that Elmswell was much more amazing. Peering over the top of the walls, she could see a great white tower with a red clay shingled roof. It was gorgeous.
Fiera allowed little time to gawk. "There will be time for it later, trust me," she said in her smooth, calm voice. Odette, of course, complied with her. She trusted Fiera to give her the chance to roam about as soon as the matters and business at hand were taken care of.
As they walked, Leda at the front, Angel and Fiera behind, and Odette and Derek following them, several people stopped what they were doing and inclined their heads as Fiera and Angel passed. Obviously, the two were very important among these people - even if Leda didn't seem to be. When they saw Odette, a few of them stared in wonder, causing Odette to be self conscious. Fiera dropped back behind Angel so she could be beside Odette.
"They see the resemblance between you and your mother, those of them who are old enough to remember her. They know you must be her daughter, but they won't acknowledge until – or unless – you claim the title of princess."
"And don't worry," Angel added, hearing their discussion, "you'll have plenty of time to decide what you want to do, so don't feel compelled to do anything you're not ready for."
"Where are we going now?" she asked, wondering if they were going to meet some kind of high council or similar group. She knew she wouldn't be ready for that. As if sensing her nervousness, Derek took her hand and squeezed it, enveloping her hand in the warmth of his. She looked at him and smiled, silently thanking him for his support.
"Right now, you're still human, so I think lunch is in order," Fiera replied, grinning. Odette was glad she had said something about it. In fact, now that she had mentioned it, she was pretty hungry. "After that," Fiera continued, "there's someone who you'll want to meet."
Lunch was a very different affair at Elmswell than it was at Swan Lake. At home, there would be a huge spread in the dining room, with anything and everything one could ever need laid out on the table before the person dining. Here, lunch was very light, consisting of a salad and however many rolls one could eat all laid out on a communal table in the center of the room with smaller dining tables and chairs circling it. It was simple, and yet it tasted amazing. The vegetables were fresh and the bread was hot. In fact, every few minutes, Odette could see a new batch of rolls being taken out to the dining area by the cook's helpers, and the old batch was taken away by servants and brought out a back door that no one seemed to enter – only exit. Somewhere outside, there were quite a few dogs barking.
"And they wonder why just about every dog in Elmswell is as fat as a cow," Fiera joked.
The room itself was quite large and immaculately clean, like the rest of Elmswell. The floor was a mosaic, Odette noticed after looking at it in wonder for a few minutes. It depicted pictures of winged people fighting demons. Odette wondered why they had wings. Were they just heroes, or maybe these people had seen angels… Realizing Fiera still had someone she wanted to meet, Odette quickly returned her attention to her meal.
After lunch, yet another short event, as Odette and Derek were excited about meeting whoever it was Fiera had spoke of earlier, they were once again led outside into the bright sun. It was a beautiful day. There were children everywhere, chased by their parents who doggedly tried to keep them out of trouble.
The city was huge on the inside, despite its appearance. Odette could hardly believe the size. And everything was skillfully made. All the buildings were in pristine condition, brick and stone buildings that were kept clean by the inhabitants. There was not a thatched roof to be seen anywhere. Now that she thought about it, the city smelled clean. There were no scents of smelly horses or people, for that matter. The people were absolutely amazing, no two looking alike, but every one of them beautiful. Few women wore dresses, instead sporting clothes that resembled Fiera's, making Odette feel out of place. When she looked, Odette could see swords glittering at their sides, making them look fierce even as they smiled welcomingly at her.
Suddenly, Fiera turned to Leda, her congenial grin gone. "Shouldn't you go and tell the elders that we made it back safely?" she suggested, the same edge in her voice as before. Leda quickly obeyed, having learned a lesson of dominance from the day before. She made her way back to the castle wordlessly, the respectful inclinations of heads and welcoming smiles gone as she passed by the other city dwellers.
"This is none of her business," Fiera said scornfully. "She had no right to follow me around and no right to try to listen in on what we're about to talk about."
Odette and Derek said nothing in reply. What was there to say? Derek knew there was something off about Leda, and Odette knew Fiera couldn't stand her. So they didn't mind when Fiera verbally chased her off.
Fiera led the way out of the town, through the gate, – a different one from where they had entered – and onto a cobblestone path that led into the woods. Odette wondered why, but all was made clear when some of the trees broke, revealing a house that stood on a hill that overlooked Elmswell. Continuing along the path, they began to walk up the somewhat steep hill. As they drew closer, Odette could see just how large the house was. They soon reached the front door, through which they entered without knocking.
Then, appearing on a grand staircase that led into the foyer of they house, was probably the most gorgeous woman had ever seen. She looked a lot like Fiera and had dark hair, high cheekbones, and the same athletic build. From the corner of her eye, Odette could see Fiera smile as the woman descended the stairs, quickly, but gracefully. As she drew closer – to Fiera, Odette could see – the woman's smile grew as well.
They immediately embraced the moment the woman was close enough to Fiera. "I've missed you, dearest," the woman whispered.
"I missed you too, mom," Fiera replied, sounding as if she was so happy so would cry. But before joyous tears could be shed, the two remembered where they were and broke off the hug, however Fiera's mother kept her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Odette, this is my mother, Galatea Bivar*
Odette smiled as Galatea bowed and followed suit, though she felt strange after doing so. Derek did the same, but Angel and Fiera remained upright.
"There's no need for that," Galatea said warmly. "It is the two of you who deserve respect, especially you, Odette."
"My mother can tell you everything you need to know about your mother," Fiera explained proudly. "That's why I brought you here. I knew you'd want some background. Anyway, my mother and Queen Cassandra were best friends before we were born. So, she knew her better than anybody."
"Come," Galatea beckoned, motioning for everyone to follow her, which they did. "I'll tell you everything."
The group followed Galatea and Fiera – who knew exactly where they were headed – up the stairs, through a set of white washed double doors, and into a long hall with many doors. They chose the first oak door to the left. Galatea swept into the room and opened a heavy curtain as everyone filed in.
Light flooded into the room, making visible the expansive shelves of books that lined every wall. In the center of the room was a long table, at the head of which Galatea sat. Fiera took a spot to her right with Angel next to her. Having no other choice than to be seated next to Galatea – it wasn't that she feared Galatea, it was just that the woman had such a strong presence and it was almost intimidating to be around her – Odette sat in a chair to Galatea's left with Derek taking a seat next to her.
For the first time since meeting her, Odette saw that Fiera was calm and serious. She said not a word as she waited for Galatea to speak, which, after collecting her thoughts, she did so.
"You must forgive me if I jump into things, but time is of the essence, as we don't know how much of it we have left," she said apologetically. Odette couldn't help but feel nervous about the last part of the sentence, but she ignored it for now, promising herself she would ask Fiera about it later.
"It's alright," she assured Galatea.
"Good. Now then, down to business. Your mother was Queen Cassandra the First. She was very brave, very strong, and very beautiful. It makes me smile to see you look just like she did."
Odette couldn't help but blush. She'd heard over and over that she was beautiful – and it was the start of all the trouble with Rothbart – but she rarely heard from anyone that she looked like her mother. Uberta had mentioned it once, but a chastising glance from William, Odette's father, put a stop to that.
Galatea went on. "About twenty-three years ago, your mother was crowned queen, succeeding her father. She traveled all over the world, meeting all the Guardians that lived in various kingdoms. But she once visited a country across the sea, and met a man named William. From then on, she made every excuse possible to see him, and soon she fell in love, as did he. Although it wouldn't bring your father much advancement in the lands of his kingdom or financial progress, he married Cassandra, as his heart would allow no other option.
"He was older than your mother, by appearances. But a Guardian's longevity is far greater than that of any human, so, in truth, it was she who was older – by about a hundred years or so. But that age gap meant nothing to them, as they were completely happy with one another. Then, about eighteen months after they married, you were born. However, your father was not here. They had been living in Elmswell, as it was safest for the King, but he had been called home to attend to some important matters. A storm at sea kept him away longer than he thought, and your mother gave birth while he was away.
"As heartbroken as she was that her husband was not there to see you the very day you were born, she was so proud of you. You were the most important thing in her life, which is why you were so fiercely protected for the first years of your life."
Odette smiled, remembering all the tiresome guards that accompanied her everywhere she went. She felt her heart warm when Galatea said how much her mother loved her. It made her wish she had known her.
Galatea continued after letting that sink in. "Your mother loved you, never doubt that. But word came that Sabian, King of Demons, was planning to attack Elmswell, your mother didn't want you anywhere near. She sent a letter to your father, telling him to stay in his kingdom. Soon after, when it was safe enough for you to travel, you were sent to him.
"When you were safely away, your mother was free, although once again brokenhearted, to lead the Guardians against Sabian. There was a huge battle, and many men and women on both sides were slain. Your mother went to fight Sabian, but he managed to defeat her. Unfortunately, no one was there when they dueled, so no one knows exactly what happened to Cassandra." Odette could hear the sadness in Galatea's previously proud voice.
"However, we did have her last wishes before the battle took place. I, and anyone else I would trust with the job, was to protect you. Should a demon attack you, we were to come to your immediate defense, which was made easy because we were given the ability to sense when and if you were attacked. Other than that, we were given strict orders to stay away from you, for your own protection."
Odette nodded in understanding. "Fiera explained all that to me."
"Which is why I trusted her with looking out for you when she was old enough." Galatea smiled proudly at Fiera, who blushed and looked down at the table. "Well then, you know the rest, but I promise, you are free to ask me any questions, and I will answer to the best of my ability."
Surprisingly enough, Odette had no questions. Surprisingly enough, she felt almost fulfilled as she thanked Galatea and left. She thought of her mother as she and the others walked back to the castle. She wanted to take her rightful place as queen, but she didn't know if she could.
"Could I be as great as she was?" she asked herself.
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*Pronounced Bee-VAR (Spanish last name, I believe) for those who were wondering.