After calling for servants, Aetrian had told her to follow Laris. The head maid had been instructed to show the guest to a new – and most importantly, blood free – bedroom but to Elanthin's surprise, they passed all the shut bedrooms of the guest wing and moved on to a simpler door in the very corner of the corridor. Behind it, Elanthin could see the unstable glow of magic runes. The blue hue seemed to flow towards the doorframe and gather around it.
Laris had noticed her curious glances and gestured for her to step through. „Her Majesty has no reason to worry; the palace portals are regularly tested and improved."
Although the idea of using magic to move through the palace didn't sound particularly safe to Elanthin, she grit her teeth and nodded. There was no need to show how unfamiliar she was with these simple devices the Gratians used.
They stepped through as they would've had with any other door and entered a surprisingly wide staircase covered in night blue carpet and made out of marble; even its railing resembled golden vines with pearls in the middle, which started to glow faintly as the women passed by. But none of this beauty made Elanthin overlook the quick symbol which Laris drew on the railing with her fingers, before they continued to climb up. It seemed as if this area was protected by a different spell than the guest wing, requiring a password of sorts to step through without being detected – or knocked out.
After ascending these final stairs, they found themselves in another white-dominated hallway and Elanthin started to ask herself if the layout of the building was not simply confusing but magically modified. She was utterly unable to construct a floor plan in her mind, which was unusual to someone who'd grown used to finding her way through indistinguishable debris and empty Plains in the Deep's darkness.
"There are no guards", said Elanthin out loud, after she'd scanned her surroundings carefully. Nothing about this hallway seemed too different from the guest wing. The doors were double-winged and decorated with runes. Additionally, large windows presented them with a view of the scenery outside, hidden in darkness. Just a few distant spots of light indicated taverns or street lamps in the city below them.
If Elanthin had to name a difference, it was that this part of the palace didn't seem quite as deserted and sterile. On closer inspection, Elanthin could detect a few worn-out spots on the carpet and fresh flowers were bound to the railing of the staircase.
"And that won't change. His Majesty isn't fond of too many eyes in the private area of the royal family."
Elanthin had already nodded in silent understanding, when she raised her head abruptly. "Didn't you say I was staying here?"
Surely there'd be guest rooms in another wing for diplomatic visits that she could use?
The head maid bowed her head towards Elanthin. "Yes. His Majesty ordered for you to be placed in the Silver Ivy Rooms."
Elanthin had no clue what the Silver Ivy Rooms were but she felt strangely uncomfortable about the fact that they were inching closer and closer towards the large doorframe at the end of the hallway. There was little doubt in her mind, that behind this door lied Aetrian's personal rooms, since the door's heavy gold embellishments in the form of ivy vines reminded her of the embroidery on Aetrian's official robes.
"Here we are. This is the room Her Majesty will be staying in. I'm supposed to relay that His Majesty's residence is right beside it, in case something comes up again", said Laris, pointing at the gold-decorated door and confirming Elanthin's assumption.
When she saw Elanthin hesitate, the head maid opened the door for her and made a gesture to invite her in. "Please don't worry. His Majesty must have put you into this room, because he's worried about another attack taking place."
After a quick nod towards Laris, Elanthin stepped into the spacious room, which greeted her with the low chiming of magic runes she'd experienced before. But in comparison, the guest room seemed like a crumbling abode.
The difference, noted Elanthin defeated, is as large as it is between my own palace on the Plains and the Gratian's guest room.
Every piece of furniture was either covered in silver vines or had a similar pattern carved into its wood. It wasn't hard to tell why these were called the Silver Ivy Rooms.
Elanthin noticed that she wasn't followed by the head maid – and neither was Myrel to be seen anywhere. So when the door shut behind her with a silent creak, she allowed herself to collapse onto the four-poster bed with a decided lack of grace.
With her face buried in the sheets which were as soft as a cloud, Elanthin barely noticed the warmth of the fireplace or the sound of approaching footsteps. When she did, the stranger was already close enough to put a dagger in her back. Even the runes hadn't reacted to the intruder's arrival at all.
Twice in one night?, Elanthin thought, less exasperated than exhausted. She'd unwillingly grasped her swords but when she smelled daisies, the tension fled her shoulders. Aetrian was back.
Nevertheless, she rolled onto her side and pushed herself into an upright position to check. The movement caused loose strands of her braided hair to fall forward and Elanthin pushed them back without much care. As nice as her thick dark hair looked if Myrel spent all day caring for it, it easily became a bird's nest if disregarded. After months on the battlefield, a wild ride over the Forlorn Plains and two days sleeping in a carriage, Elanthin wasn't surprised that a single evening of care wasn't making up for it.
In contrast, Aetrian's hair seemed to oblige his every wish. Even after using magic on an intruder and running around past midnight, trying to solve the situation, his appearance was well-groomed, from the straight silver strands down to his night blue slippers. Only his behavior struck her as a little mellower than before, as if he was reaching his limit – which wouldn't be strange. After all, they'd been traveling for two days and he'd rode on horseback.
"It's all handled", he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Elanthin considered his placid attitude and the swiftness with which the servants had begun to take care of the mess created by the assassin.
"This has happened before, didn't it?"
Instead of giving her an answer, Aetrian smiled, but the lightness of his expression couldn't fool her. As someone who'd also faced death from a young age on, she recognized the exhaustion behind it.
"Of course it has. That's why the guest wing has been specially surrounded with mana traps to alert the guards and myself of intruders", explained Aetrian with the hint of a frown.
He's probably trying to wrap his head around the fact that this happened on his watch, guessed Elanthin. At least she'd be concerned about that in a reversed situation.
"It's just a hunch, Your Majesty, but some of your magic seem's to be defective."
He grimaced. "At least the warning runes are working."
"Well, then I'm happy to leave my subjects in your care. Those are great standards to be ruling a country with."
She'd spoken without thinking and, more dangerously, without taking her disrespect into consideration. Old Gratia, the house from the tales of her childhood, wouldn't have accepted doubts about their ability to rule – regardless of whether they came from an enemy, a subject or even a friend.
Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket pressing down on Elanthin's chest and made it hard for her to breath. When she defiantly raised her eyes to shoot Aetrian a silent challenge, she found that he was already looking at her. Although there was no emotion in his expression, Elanthin didn't breath out in relief yet. She felt whatever lay behind the warm amber of his eyes scrutinize her in cold deliberation.
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Verita - The Guardian of Darkness
الخيال (فانتازيا)300 years ago, a bloody war was ravaging the continent. People were divided between the two houses of Gratia and Verita, who fought each other for resources, land and glory. Built upon the rubble of those days, the kingdom of Gratia stands tall. It...
