It looked like the Supreme Court building, only more intricate. Vines were scattered here and there, but it still looked lived-in and new. There was a garden in the front, complete with fountains and statues.
"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.
"Thank you." Klaus said, "This is where we stay every winter."
"So you don't stay here all the time?!" I asked. I was shocked that anybody would ever want to leave this place.
"We have palaces all across the Amazon rainforest. We move around a lot." She explained.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because the Evil Eye follows us everywhere we go. We cannot stop all the sadness, obviously, so we like to give the neighboring tribes a break. If we stayed in one place all the time, everyone in the neighboring tribes would be either sick or dead." Klaus said.
"I see." I replied.
"Well, come in, then. We will give you a room for your stay. You can't leave right away." She said.
"Why?" I asked again.
"Because we need you. You are part of our prophecy." She responded, sounding calm.
"What prophecy is this?" I asked. I hoped I didn't have to do anything crazy.
"Just come inside and get situated, I'll explain to you tonight. We cannot speak the words of the prophecy during daylight." Klaus said.
She led me inside, and it was just as beautiful. When I walked in, there was a huge room with a fountain in the middle. There were potted plants everywhere, as well as around 20 cats running around and sleeping on luxurious benches. It was three stories high, and there were about 25 doors on each floor. Each floor had a balcony overlooking the front place, like a hotel.
"This is stunning!" I said.
"I'm glad you like it. Now come, child, let me get you situated." Klaus led me into a room off of the first floor along with Philana. "This is where you will stay. Please make yourself welcome to explore. Be at the dinner hall by sundown, though." And she left, leaving Philana and me in the beautiful room together.
It was amazing. It looked like the bedroom of the Imperial suite in the Ritz Hotel in Paris. The whole place radiated luxury. The bed was bigger than a king sized, and it was soft as ever. There was a sitting area, a huge bookshelf covered in literature, and a bathroom that my entire bedroom back at home would have fit inside.
"It's spectacular!" I said, flopping down on the bed.
It is quite the sight, said Philana.
"Have you ever been here?" I asked.
No, I have not. The Amazons have been tracking me for centuries, but we have never had the luck to cross paths.
"Oh, wow! So this is, like, huge for them?"
You have no idea.
I lit a fire in the fireplace and Philana spent the day reading me ancient tomes about the history of the Amazons. Their history was rich and amazing.
I was pulled from the story by a knocking on the door. I opened it. "Hello, miss Zenia. I am Atlanta, and I am here to escort you to dinner."
It means a swift runner. Philana translated, sensing that I was confused that she was named after the city.
Atlanta helped me wiggle into a beautiful white toga with gold trim and a gold sash. She braided my hair around my head and led me into the dining room. It was a long stone table that looked like the ancient Greeks ate at it. They probably did. I took my seat at a stone chair, and I was served capybara. Atlanta and I made small talk about the cats in the entryway, which were apparently ocelots seeking refuge, until Klaus walked in. We stood to greet her. She was wearing white and red and gold robes, tied with a gold rope belt. It was weird seeing everyone wearing so much after they were so scantily dressed in the woods. I tried not to be worried about the fact that Orion was not present. She took her seat.
"Good evening, everyone. In case you have not yet heard the news, Zenia, woman of the prophecy, has finally come." She said. There was wild cheering, and I became to be more curious than ever as to what this prophecy was.