Bride of Alvar (Redemption Saga, Book 1)

Chapter 5

My footsteps against the spotless marble floors echo into the high ceilings of the expansive living area I'm to call home.

The whole room glows a heavenly white and gold. The lighting, the ornate furniture, the embroidered curtains... all of it glitters in the arlite lanterns.

No expense was spared when he prepared this place for me. My whole apartment could fit in this living room twice.

"Good sylph, Leeza!" Fletch calls into the expanse. "The bride of Alvar has arrived!"

The sound of nails clicking on the floor indicates Leeza doesn't have human feet and also isn't wearing shoes.

The person who enters through a door at the back of my living room is one of the bird-like people I'd seen in the paintings.

A crest of vibrant yellow feathers grows from the bridge of Leeza's human-like nose and up over her forehead. Black feathery hair, falls down her shoulders with hints of yellow feathers in her tresses. Her feet resemble bird feet more than human feet, however, she's not chicken-legged. There is the thickness of human calves and thighs that make up her legs. She walks on four toes with curved talons at the end of each, and on the back of her heels is one longer toe with another talon. She wears a yellow dress that opens up in the back for the angel-like wings coming from between her shoulder blades. Her wings are the same vibrant yellow as the feathers coming from the crest on her head. In form and face she is human-looking. Her skin is a rich milky chocolate in color.

She bows to me.

Fletch gives my hand a reassuring pat. "I'll leave you to it then, Lucy."

"As the good regent, Fletch, said, my name is Leeza, I am a sylph," the bird woman tells me in a voice with a lilted accent after Fletch takes his exit. "I have prepared your room for you. Would you like to sleep?"

"Uh—" I can't get anything else out.

"You are unfamiliar with the sight of me," Leeza says, she extends her wings out. Now I see there is a mixture of purple in her base feathers. It's breathtaking. It makes me think of a tropical bird, like a parrot or bird-of-paradise.

"I'm a sylph," Leeza continues, "Our people rule the skies. We come from the Skylands of the south. When Alvar set our people free from the tyranny of Saul some of us decided not to return home. We stayed to work for the king."

"I'm not meaning to stare," I say apologetically to her. "I'm sorry. I did the same with Fletch." I laugh nervously.

"Tis alright. I am to instruct you in our history, peoples, and customs," Leeza explains with a warm smile. "But first, you must be tired. Come with me I shall prepare you for bed."

She motions and I follow her.

"Your first lessons tomorrow will be on proper etiquette as a queen of Underland," Leeza continues. "I will teach you how you are to behave during the wedding ceremony too. It's in a few days I hear?"

Leeza walks me down the hall and into an expansive, elaborately decorated bedroom. The bedding and linens are gold and white in color. A fireplace with a glistening white marble mantel glows warmly and a huge white fur rug lies across the floor. The bed is so massive I figure I'll get lost in my sleep.

"Alvar will join you in here on the wedding night. He directed that you are not to go to his quarters unless summoned," Leeza is explaining everything so fast, but that last statement has me afraid.