Author's note: Thank you for reading! Please vote, comment and like! Sworn To Raise is the first in my YA series - Courtlight. With that, I'll be publishing the entire book on Wattpad but if you don't want to wait you can grab a copy for $0.99 on Amazon today.
Copyright belongs to Terah Edun.
Chapter 5
She woke to find a stranger bustling about her room. "Rise and shine!" the woman said cheerfully as she dusted the armoire.
Ciardis sat up in alarm, rubbing her eyes carefully. She frowned at the woman, who was wearing what was clearly a maid’s uniform and wielding a stick with a bunch of feathers tied to one end. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.
The woman cast her an amused glance and said, "Why, I'm dusting, obviously." Ciardis decided not to question it further, and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. "There's breakfast for you in the common gardens," the woman said.
"Thank you," said Ciardis. "How do I get there?"
"Go out the door, turn right, walk down the hall, turn left, go down the spiral staircase, and you'll be right in the gardens. Can't miss it!"
Ciardis dressed and followed her directions, as well as the aroma that led her straight to a laden breakfast table. As she wandered over to it, she admired the beauty surrounding her. The garden was laid out in a quadrant pattern, with low-cut grass and small rocks as boundaries. A high hedge surrounded the whole garden except for a long opening opposite the staircase.
Grabbing some fresh fruit and fried bread, she stepped toward the opening in the garden hedge. It looked down onto the beach she'd noticed yesterday, and she gasped aloud as she took in the striking sight of the turquoise waves lapping at the sand. After a while, she returned to the table, picking the chair nearest to the ocean.
Soon, a girl with thick braids looped across her head and down her back joined her at the table. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes," replied Ciardis softly, "It is."
"No matter how long I'm here, I know I'll never tire of this view," the girl said. "I'm Terris, sponsored by Vana," she said, offering her hand.
Ciardis turned to her, surprised, and shook her hand. She recognized the sponsor – the one Serena had called a harridan. "Ciardis, sponsored by Serena. Are you from the Summer Isles?"
"Yes," said Terris, smiling a shy smile. "You know that my sponsor hates yours, right?"
"I got that impression," Ciardis said tentatively while munching on a piece of bread. They looked at each other and burst into giggles. They started chatting and barely noticed when others joined them. Their conversation stretched on until the sound of a bell rang throughout the garden.
A woman stood at the head of the table, clearly waiting for their attention. After a few minutes of waiting she announced, "Welcome, young recruits, to the Companions’ Guild. Your tutorials will begin in five minutes. You can meet your sponsor in the main hall."
The recruits eagerly got up to go to the main hall. As soon as Ciardis saw Serena, the first thing out of her mouth was, "What's the difference between a wife and a consort?"
Ciardis clasped her hand over her mouth. She'd been wondering all night, but she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. Fortunately, Serena seemed amused. "Good question! You're jumping right in, I see. Walk with me."
