CHAPTER THREE Deceit & Dysfunction
REITH
I felt helpless then in that man's tightened grip as he dragged me quickly from Esrellia's unconscious form. The amount of power he had was alarming! Too easily I was controlled and steered further and further away from my princess. Not for the first time did I damn the bulky skirts that were items of Esrellia's switched attire. If only I were me—well, dressed as me at least; I could've easily hiked up a smarting knee to this idiot and made my escape for Alazay and the king! But as it was…
In his hold I twisted my wrist aggressively and threw the full of my weight into trying to push us over to the shimmering light of the dinner party instead of the dimly lit servant's route towards the front gate where he was so obviously intent on making off with me. When I was merely restrained further and pulled into a stifling hug, my only option left was screaming.
Clearly he thought so too.
I gasped as the prince's calloused hand was slipped under my chin and his lips smoothed over my opened mouth. In utter revolt I tried out that groin kick I'd been considering. "Mmmff!" Get— my knee shot up powerfully with clearly unfeminine strength and precision, off!
What the—?
His chuckle was a blow to my ego and embarrassed to find him holding my foot captured mid-strike, I gritted my teeth. He'd blocked off my attempt at escape. Damnit. Shaken I looked up into his clearly bemused face. Those weirdly lit eyes danced with deviant laughter at an act of stupidity I hadn't meant to be a joke.
"You're much more rampant than I remember, sister."
I just about punched his lights out hoping ridiculously to keep my balance when he still didn't release me. "Who the hell kisses their sister, you prick?!" Okay so I wasn't exactly keeping a very lady-like tone but the voice was still about as feminine as I could manage. Though I admit I wasn't keeping to Esrellia's character very well. Who could blame me? I was being kidnapped!
He was scowling at me. "Who taught you such language?"
Weirdly ironic as it was, my response came automatically. "Alazay!"
He still hadn't let go and I was running out of passive-aggressive ways to escape without injuring royalty with the risk of being charged for treason….
"Alazay…" He'd repeated the name so softly I knew he was committing it to memory. I prayed he wouldn't recall too much… then his attention was once again rapt on me and my veins froze at that smirk.
The change in his response was so abrupt that I was completely off guard when the transition occurred. Without a single hint as to his intentions the young prince jolted forward. If I'd been any less intelligent I would have taken the instant he released me to dash off back towards the dinner and left my turned back to the monster. Alazay, way beyond my reach, could not be any further help as I felt the stiffened fist of the man against my stomach through the hardened brief of my corset.
Breathless I was sinking to the dew kissed ground bonelessly pathetic in a state of shock from the impact. He actually hit me…?! As I crumpled gasping for air to fill my brining lungs, it was his distantly sympathetic face above me that I could focus on as unconsciousness consumed me.
The prince leaned down to catch one of the fluttering tendrils of the hair extensions Esrellia had gently added to my natural length. I wanted to squirm. I wanted to snatch my head away from his touch and screech for help.
I'm….not that strong….I guess.
CHAPTER THREE
ALAZAY
It annoyed him that Reith hadn't returned b the time the King and princes has begun their dinner. Sighing he focused on his tasks. Quietly conducting the courses of the meal he thanked each of the Househands for their outstanding services. Now that he thought about it, Reith wasn't the only one missing…
"I find it strange that our dear sister couldn't be bothered to join us."
He glanced up, refilling the King's glass with more white wine quietly. Of the two princes attending he'd come to realize that Lydis of Deporal was the more gently observant and inquiring of the pair. In comparison the prince from Galvesi was slightly less intelligible and far more distracted.
He withdrew placidly and looked momentarily at Lydis only to find the other man's amber gaze questioning his brief scrutiny. Flushing at having been caught, Alazay cleared his throat and moved from the table, snagging a wayward Househand by the forearm.
The young woman blinked at him sidelong carefully handling a silver plate of small cakes. "Alaz—"
He cut her off smoothly, "Where is Reith?"
Her pause was promising as she turned to face him fully. It wasn't hard to identify each one of his fellow employees and remembering the proper name for this wide-eyed, crimson haired beauty, he smiled to himself in fond recollection. "The last I saw, he was wandering off into the gardens with m'lady."
He sighed. "Of course he was." Idiot! At a time like this… politely he chose to dismiss Nattlia, stopping her one final time to direct her to serve her small tray of sweets with the next course. At her friendly nod he uttered final thanks and grabbed a tray of deviled eggs himself. Moving back to the king's table where the conversation had halted he made small, unobtrusive directions and gestures to conduct the serving of the main course.
The more the thought about it the more it bothered him to have Reith out of his sight. That little fool was always finding a way to skip out on work!
"A drink, please."
Startled from his train of thought Alazay felt his automatic 'Yes, of course' float from his mouth before he even acknowledged who it was he was serving. Mindlessly moving around the table he gently took up one of the three glass pitchers at the center of the table on his journey to the kingdom Deporal's honey-gazed heir.
The instant he was at his side the atmosphere changed. It felt lighter, less formal, but at the same time weirdly violating. He was forced to make brief contact with the younger man as his shoulder brushed his—the minor cost of leaning in to fill the prince's glass. It seemed to take forever to complete the transaction of fluids to the faceted glass. He could almost taste the youth's existence; a sweet spice that fondled the tip of his tongue with each drawn breath. Perhaps it was just an imagined reaction.
Finally, after what felt to him like an eternity, he was able to shift back. A half audible sigh escaped him and relieved to have the task done he moved backwards mindlessly in silent celebration…
And ran into a distinctly female frame.
A bit startled once again he whipped around only to meet Nattlia's spaced brown stare. Muttering an apology he accepted the personally comfortable hand that was laid at rest on his shoulder and the sloe contact between them as she moved closer to him to whisper gently in his ear.
"Alazay, Reith…"
He frowned, touching her waist politely to urge her exchange, fully aware of the three sets of eyes upon them. "What is it? Is everything alright?"
"Jason returned and told us he'd found Reith unconscious in the—"
He stopped listening at 'unconscious' pushing desperately past her. It was common knowledge that Reith was not always the most graced individual in motion but…
Already his nerves were on end and his patience worn pathetically thin with the labor slacking and the dinner guests missing. The last words he ever needed to hear in such a time as this were callings of Reith's misfortune in the middle of the damned night!
Halfway to the outdoor corridors he tapped one of the young men more commonly seen in Jason's presence. "Where is Jason?"
The man didn't seem the least bit surprised by the random inquiry, opening his mouth to respond without hesitation. "He's in the—"
"THE PRINCESS HAS BEEN STOLEN!"
It was semi-nostalgic to him for some reason—the announcement was so abrupt but at the same time weirdly expected. A ripple of amusement touched each face of the royal guests as they barely looked up from their own, petty conversations. In effect the silence was brutally defined. Alazay watched the young princes sip idly from their faceted goblets. Aggravated by the response he whipped around to meet a truly shaken Househand as she stumbled into the garden courtyard from the palace east wing-medical quarters for the servants.
"Velissa," he muttered catching the smaller creature's wrist before she made further attempts to cause a scene. As the servant's gently blue eyes marked him, he was startled by the sheer panic in her gaze. "What's wrong? Where is the Daiga?"
Her already mouse-like voice only seemed to weaken further. "R—Reith said he and the Daiga were ambushed in the garden by one of the princes sporting Deporal flagging!"
Deporal? There could only be two princes from Deporal kingdom…he looked wildly over his shoulder only to meet the gently entertained amber attention of Prince Lydis as the young man began to rise with languid grace from his seat. "Whatever is the matter?" he called to them in taunting tones.
No. Alazay subconsciously allowed his grip on his captive to loosen. "Go back to the main house and alert the staff of the situation," he murmured.
Lydis hasn't once left the table...so that could only mean…
CHAPTER THREE
REITH
Ouch…
God my body ached all over. My poor stomach especially throbbed with some remembered abuse. My head rolled against something soft and warm but I was in too much pain to give a damn as to what. Somehow through and above the insane ringing in my ears I heard my own groan of discomfort. Jeeze what a weird dream. I could have worn I'd been with Esrellia. But now…
It took every ounce of willpower I had to force my eyes open even to pathetic slits but I managed. Something jolted beneath me and again I felt my head lop bonelessly to one side until I was looking at a very close display of violet material. I gathered some of my wit and after a long moment determined it to be silk. Violet silk. I felt that should be significant to me but couldn't focus in my physical state.
I watched the color of the sheened material glisten to a brighter hue as it seemed to move. How idiotic was that? Moving bits of silk? I felt a bubble of groggy laughter part my lips with its fragile sound.
"Oh," tender, borderline soothing vibrations murmured against my cheek and throat, "good, you're awake."
I'm in someone's lap lying down like a child. Why that didn't bother me I don't know but I was happy not to be sitting up straight with the way my stomach was churning. I curled instinctually towards the soft heat of a living, breathing person and smothered my nose against the soft silk of what I'd begun to distantly identify as a stranger's torso.
Oddly enough they didn't seem to care, and elegant fingers were soothed through the extensions in my hair. "You seem much more docile half-awake, dear sister."
I agreed without really listening, intent on keeping them talking just for the relaxing vibrations their powerful voice sent buzzing though their body to me. A chuckle from the person continued to fulfill my wish.
"Perhaps I should knock you out and kidnap you more often, Daiga."
I closed my eyes. Yes. Perhaps you shou—!!
Not daring to waste even a millisecond, I burst upright in what I'd only just realized to be a chocolate leather coach seat. Fascinated amethyst eyes followed me patiently while I continued to scrunch myself into the corner as far from my self proclaimed kidnapper as I could manage.
Now I remembered! The garden…Esrellia… "Prince Calin!"
The other man shrugged and folded his long legs fluidly. "You remember my name at least," he mused aloud. But it was that agile smirk as he maneuvered his head away to gaze out the window that was the only harmless action the creature made. Even the night beyond the looking glass seemed threatening.
I wasn't paying attention looking out the window as well. Trees flushed by the small portal. Every blare of emerald that skipped by made my gut leap in every unpleasant way thinkable. The ceiling above my head felt too low. I swallowed and pretended not to feel symptoms of claustrophobia knowing, reminding myself that Esrellia was fine in constricting spaces.
Unlike me.
My quiet must have been unnerving. gold orbs upon me suddenly clouded with concern, the prince frowned. "—Relia—? Are you…"
The coach hit another bump in the road and I couldn't restrain my feelings of stomach-churning illness anymore. I lurched forward and—
CHAPTER THREE
ESRELLIA
I was…so tired. My head was throbbing crazily and my mouth was disgustingly dry. The more I worked my jaw trying to solve and soothe the source of its cramps the more pain I caused myself. Gosh I didn't like the medicinal stench of the palace infirmary. But what bothered me the most was that this space was for Househand use and clearly showed such. Which meant that…
The Househand that had been tending to my injuries stepped back to bow politely to the green-eyed monster that had just walked through the door. "A—Alazay."
Alazay…? I…I remembered Reith mentioning the name before but had assumed there was no significance to the reference. I couldn't think of any way to really find the words to describe the way that thing moved towards us but it rose my pulse rate up by hundreds of beats per second. The sudden gasp that escaped my mouth attracted excess attention and I found myself in emerald and gray spotlights. Yet only one of the servants moved to aid me.
"My goodness! Reith, please try to stay still!"
I opened my mouth to correct the young woman and stopped myself, remembering whose place I was filling. Still, I wasn't about to just lie down and submit. I was understanding my situation all over again. Reith…I—I! "I have to help hi—" I snapped my own mouth shut and performed a mental correction before proceeding, all too aware of the already visibly suspicious green attention fixed upon me with brutal clarity. "I have to help her," I amended smoothly.
Alazay. What was that expression as he moved into the fair sized room? "Leah," I heard him mutter while he reached out gently to detach the servant from me as I felt her tender hands check the throbbing knot on my head. "I'll take care of him. Please go tend to our guests. I'm sure they're concerned about the Daiga…"
I gritted my teeth at that flat tone of voice when he referred to me. Such disrespect! This lowlife scum! The very perception of being so critically observed by someone of significantly lower rank in such a way was enough to make me wish to consider capital punishment for such a disobedient, disrespectful cur. So consumed by my personal rage at the man I barely noticed the progress he'd made towards me as the other, more kindly Househand dismissed herself politely.
It wasn't until I was cornered and alone in the quaint infirmary that I when recognized the danger I was in. Bewildered I backed as far from him as I could on the uncomfortable cot I' so rudely been confined to. His pierce of emerald light violated every corner of my mind and being until I found trouble just trying to breath. He had to be some make of demon.
A smooth, sneaky motion put the servant directly before me. Gently—too gently I watched him shift forward so that he all but hovered over me. The sweet, foody scent emanating from him told me whose hands prepared my favorite desert cakes. But that unkind expression…was that the way he looked at Reith?! I scowled at him and tilted my chin up proudly.
No warmth reflected in this gaze whatsoever at my challenge. "A servant's tunic is most unbecoming of you," he murmured with a feigned sort of innocent humor as he leaned in close enough to kiss, "…princess."
I couldn't stop my jaw from unhinging. "I—I…" How did he—?
My dumbfounded expression merely brought an exasperated sigh to the man's soft lips. "Save it," he muttered, easing back from me with a look of aggravated stress. "Now where's the real Reith?"
I closed my mouth with a semi-audible click and avoided the suddenly alarmed glare he was directing at me. Something about this man frightened me. To tell him what had happened… no, I couldn't risk that with this one.
Unfortunately my silence was quickly interpreted into the true delve of its meaning. "Tell me," the servant was snarling coldly as he abruptly reached out to brutally grip my forearm, prying me from the cot viciously. "Tell me you had at least an ounce of humanity and didn't sacrifice him in your place!"
The world held its breath for my reply which never came. I twisted my face from his sight and was afraid for my soft skin he was so thoroughly bruising. I stumbled clumsily as he dragged and whipped me about, all but throwing me out into the garden. I felt captive by brutality and wished with all my might to be back in Reith's place where such heinous treatment was spared me.
CHAPTER THREE
REITH
"M'lord Calin!"
I stumbled almost drunkenly from the coach and looked up just in time to see a young maid blundering forward to receive the still-graced lord with a look of surprise, disgust, and pity. I swayed uneasily on my feet. OOooh. That did not feel good.
"Gracious, M'lord! What happened?! Your new overcoat, sir!"
Secretly I took a little pride in the shudder I saw tremor the prince's tall back. Serves you right, asshole. Beneath me my legs gave out abruptly and I tripped over my long skirts. The movement cost my still uneasy gut greatly.
Maybe it was the retching sounds of me emptying my stomach all over the cobblestone walkway that drew the maid's undivided attention back to me. "M'lady!"
I glanced up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. That bastard… Without so much as a backwards look at me, Calin had continued on to the truly monumental palace of Deporal. I noted his movements were stiff and gangly; no doubt from discomfort towards the puke I'd all too happily retched all down the front of his lap. A bubble of laughter threatened my condition further still.
Comforting hands touched my back in quiet little circles as I was helped up into a wobbly stand. "Lady Esrellia…"
Nervously I laughed and fanned her away kindly. "I—I'm fine…thank you." She smells good. I glanced sidelong at the Househand and was a little surprised to see just how pretty my new aid was. She reminded me a lot of a younger version of myself with her semi-awkward way of helping me. I studied the flutter of crimson framing her softly expressive face in neat waves. She had rich brown eyes that made me think of the syrup Alazay and I harvested from the bulk fields in the spring.
The memory sort of bothered me.
Alazay. I'd left him without a single word. "How could I have been so heartless?"
Beside me I heard the woman chuckle as she began to lead me towards the massive kingdom's grand palace. "It's not your fault if you got a little ill on the ride here," she was reassuring me, proving completely oblivious to the real topic I'd been privately addressing aloud. "And M'lord Calin has plenty of nice clothing, so I'm sure he doesn't truly mind."
Not exactly what I was referring to but I smiled nonetheless. "I—I see."
"I'm sorry," she muttered suddenly as we approached two other Househands near the castle entrance, "you must despise us for playing part in your abduction, princess."
Well…I didn't look directly at her, nodding discreetly to the two young men as we passed into the Royal State. "Not at all…I'm just the Daiga."
I didn't notice the startled look she gave me, suddenly struck dumb in awe of my new surroundings. Deporal castle was easily three times the mass of Restold! And this was just the antechamber!
Staggeringly tall stone worked walls led up to fantastic, arching rafters what seemed like hundreds of feet above my head. Polished limestone floors just made the place seem even bigger. A master stairway of black velvet steps curled up towards a second, third, and I realized after a short detour from the original path, fourth level. I was ushered through one of the five black marble archways into a short hall that branched off into more directions creating an intricate maze of corridors, cloisters, rooms, and heaven only knew what else!
"This is the second largest castle in the four allied kingdoms," my lovely escort began to educate me as she directed me flawlessly through the labyrinth, "followed by Restold, and then Galvesi; the first largest of course being the Military State in Himtal."
"Himtal," I repeated. Alazay and Meridith had once told me about the Military State. It was on the front lines of the Imperial Border that separated the allied states of Restold, Deporal, and Galvesi from the warring provinces like Arroge and Stolic.
We turned a corner and a lingeringly sweet smell wafted through the new section of corridors. Puzzled by the timid scent I glanced at my guide who smiled and stopped at a set of duel doors. "M'lord Lydis maintains an indoor greenhouse here in the west wing," she said. I watched her ease open the heavy-looking doors.
A potent wave of the aroma hit us full on, and stepping forward I peeked into the room through the broad allowance she held open for me. Humidity kissed my face and within I caught sight of dozens of neatly maintained rows of platforms, each one host to a different species of exotic blossom. A vaulted ceiling allowed a flood of moonlight into the notably large enclosure and turned all it touched a mystified white or blue.
I stepped back as she shut the door and resumed onward.
Behind her I frowned a little. "This is very nice of you to do," I muttered following her up an inconspicuous stairway to a well maintained loft, "but I still don't exactly understand what it is I'm expected to do or be here." Is this my room?
She turned to face me, stopping dead center in the quaint, spacious loft. "Princess Esrellia," she sighed, "you are the only one who can grant M'lord Calin, or M'lord Lydis the throne of the allied states. Just having you here raises the morale of the kingdom! So please…please try not to hate us."
I blinked at her as she moved to fluff the already bulging pillows on the lavishly sheeted queen-size near a paneless window. I could hear the loud symphony of the denizens of the night through the open portal. The effect was nice…
"Please rest for the night."
Attention drawn back to her I struggled with her request. In the flourishing lantern light of the room she looked so proud of me…no…of Esrellia. I avoided her gaze. "Y—yes," I submitted finally.
My response only seemed to thrill her more as she rushed forward and caught both my hands in her warm pair as she gazed lovingly into my eyes, clearly oblivious to the ruby flush I felt coloring my cheeks.
Pretty…
"Thank you so much for understanding, Lady Esrellia!" Released I turned to see her heading for the door where she paused a moment before adding softly over her slender shoulder, "I'll be your lady-in-waiting. My name is Bell…Bellgimine."
Bell. And then she was gone.
Reaching up to begin taking out the uncomfortable extensions Esrellia had pinned in my hair I sighed and began towards the bed. I stuffed the fake locks under the pillow and got to work on the dress. All the while I couldn't get Bell's words or smile out of my head even for a second. Great, now even if I wanted to escape back to Restold, I'd have a guilty conscience for dashing all of Bellgimine's high hopes!
"URGH!" I collapsed backwards onto the bed and kicked off the rest of the gown irritably. I burrowed under the first silk sheets I'd ever slept in. "Now what am I going to do?!"
END CHAPTER THREE
J. DANIELS