Sleep-Like Death [ON HOLD]

Chapter 2

Kaly's POV

The next morning, I woke up and saw Tiana creeping quietly past my door, which was open just a crack. Normally, I wouldn't have been bothered by this, but Tiana never, ever crept in the sixteen years of my life that I had known her.. She, as the eldest of the Sisters, was always the most level-headed and rational. She was always elegant and composed. She never crept.

I narrowed my eyes and sat up. What was she up to? It had to be big if she was going and creeping around like a mouse.

I silently threw off the blanket and creeped (crept) towards the door. I heard voices coming from one of the other rooms, probably the kitchen, and heard someone say, "Be quiet, Tiana! We don't want to wake the girl up yet!"

Smiling, I took another step forward. That must have been Siana, the youngest of the three sisters that took care of me.

"Well she'll wake up if you're too loud too," Tiana responded haughtily.

I giggled and clapped a hand over my mouth as I saw a shadow come down the hallway. I leapt back to bed and rushed to cover myself with the blanket.

Someone sighed. "Kaly, I know you're not asleep." That was Liana.

Groaning, I flipped, pretending to be sleeping.

Liana walked closer and ripped the blankets off of me.

Rolling my eyes, I rolled onto my back. "Hello."

"Morning, my aurora."

I smiled at the nickname. "Morning, Liana. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful... Did you, um, hear the racket we made this morning?" she asked nervously.

"Nope," I answered honestly.

She sighed with relief. "It's a good thing you sleep like the dead."

I laughed. "What did you do that you were scared you woke me up?"

Liana grinned. "Well, you'll just have to come and see."

She pulled me out of bed with me still in my pyjamas and dragged me out of my room and down the hallway.

Because we were not extremely wealthy by any means, we did not have a big home. It was a cozy one-story cottage with just six rooms: one for each of us to sleep in, a kitchen/eating area, and the fireplace area that we used for relaxing and talking.

I saw the fireplace was on and frowned. We never had it on in the mornings; we didn't have the money to buy enough wood to have a fire in the morning and in the evening, when it was coldest.

"Why's the fire on?" I asked. I turned to Liana, but she wasn't with me anymore; she had disappeared into thin air. "Liana? Where'd you go?"

No response.

"Tiana? Siana?" The house remained quiet. "Is there anyone here anymore?"

When no one replied, I sighed and walked down the hallway into the kitchen, hoping to find them there.

All at once, I saw the cake and the candles, the ribbons and streamers, the box wrapped in coloured paper.

I gasped as the sisters all appeared behind me.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KALY!" they screamed.

I clutched my heart as I spun around to face them all. "Oh!" I looked around myself and grinned widely. "You... You did all this for me?"

The three grinned widely. "Of course! It's your sixteenth birthday! What wouldn't we do for you?"

I grinned even wider (if that was even possible) along with them. "It's so beautiful!" There were white streamers hanging off of the ceiling and decorating our wooden table. There was a box wrapped in red wrapping paper, with a beautifully done bow on the top, which sat next to a large cake. "You guys are the most amazing guardians I could ask for!"

"Go ahead, open the present!" Siana encouraged.

I walked over to the table and picked up the box, feeling the weight of it. It was fairly light, and there was nothing rattling around inside. I carefully tore open the wrapping and opened the box. When I saw what was inside, I gasped. "You didn't!"

A few months back, I had gone into town to sell some of the clothing that the Sisters made, which was how they made their living. I had come back and was telling them about a dress I had seen in town that was being worn by one of the noblewomen. I had described it the best I could to them: a floor-length, cobalt blue dress with white lining and embroidery.

I pulled the dress out of the box and held it up to my front. "It... It's gorgeous!" I looked down at the bottom of the skirt and saw that it had an "S", an "L", and a "T" embroidered in beautiful script.

"So, you like it?" Tiana asked, anxious to hear my answer.

"No, I don't like it," I replied, and I watched all of their faces fall immediately. "I love it!"

They all grinned and brought me in for a hug. "We thought that since it's your sixteenth birthday that we should give you something extra special. After all, you're a gorgeous young woman now, and we think that you should have the opportunity to flaunt your beauty."

I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes and I hugged them all individually. "Thank you so much!"

Tiana smiled. "How about we take some time to eat before we see you try on the dress?" I nodded.

In not too long, we were laughing by the fire and eating the layered cake Liana had baked.

It was vanilla (my favourite flavour) and was covered in red frosting (my favourite colour). There were only four candles on the cake, but I was ecstatic that I had anything for my birthday at all.

It was all so beautiful. I felt so loved. They had done so much just to make my birthday the best. I couldn't have asked for more. 

Just as I was finishing my slice of cake, there was a knock on our door. I frowned. "Are we expecting anyone?"

"No... We're not," Tiana said slowly. "I'll get it."

I heard her walk to the door and answer it. There was a gasp, and I turned to look. Instantly, I recognized one of the king's soldiers by the royal crest emblazoned on his armour.

The soldier nodded to us. "Hello. Is this the residence of Tiana, Liana and Siana?"

Tiana nodded. "It is. How may we help you, sir?"

He cleared his throat before declaring, "I've come for her royal Highness, Princess Kalya Kacia Aisling."