I’m imagining it’s the woman who was kidnapped before me and Elias probably killed her or something, needless to say, my imagination runs completely wild as they freeze without saying a single damn word.
“Girls?” I whisper.
Jasmine, as obviously the woman in charge, is the first to snap herself out of her shock. She jerks her body, her eyes lifting to mine in the small mirror’s reflection.
“This was the dress, as are the others that have been placed in the Queen’s quarters, of the previous king’s paramour.”
Blinking, it takes me a moment to register the word that she’s just used. “Do you mean his mistress?” I hiss.
Jasmine’s eyes shift to the side, then come back to meet mine. “Yes, madam.”
“But not Elias’?”
Ellyn is the one who answers me. “Oh no, Miss Sybilla. King Elias is not the same sort as his father. Well… at least we didn’t think he was.” She realizes her words and immediately lifts her hand to cover her gasp.
Pressing my lips together, I realize that she thinks of me as the same. As some kind of mistress and I bite the inside of my cheek.
“Is Elias married?” I almost demand.
“Nay, madam, he is not. Ellyn has spoken out of turn. I can have her whipped if you would like,” Jasmine offers, her face appears as though she would like anything but that to happen.
Shaking my head, I release my pressed lips. “No, I would not like that. I wish that the three of you would please speak candidly with me. I don’t know anyone here. I also don’t know the rules, what’s normal and what isn’t. I’m completely lost,” I admit on a whisper.
Even if this is some kind of cosplay kidnapping thing, no matter how I got here, I am indeed completely lost.
“Will you do that for me, please?” I ask, pleading, almost begging.
Jasmine looks from one woman to the other, they both look at her and then something passes between them. They all three turn to me, their gazes finding mine in the small reflection.
“We can do that, madam,” Jasmine murmurs.
“What was his father like and how does Elias differ, why do you think that he could share some attributes?” I ramble.
My hair is finished, I’m in my dress, and all three women step back from me so I take the opportunity to stand and turn to face them.
Katrina is wringing her fingers together in front of her lap. Ellyn is frowning as she stares at the stone flooring and Jasmine’s eyes have shifted from me and are looking out of the window.
“Well he, um, that is to say that King Elias’ father, he well…” Katrina stumbles.
“He was nothing short of a cad, madam,” Jasmine states abruptly. “He kept his paramour while his wife was sick, then moved her into the Queen’s chambers the day after her passing. King Elias was a small boy at the time. The paramour took over the Queen’s duties and yet he never married her.”
“How awful for Elias,” I breathe.
The three women dip their chins in matching nods. “There was no love lost between the men. Elias left at the age of ten to train and only came home when demanded by his father. Otherwise he spent his time as he saw fit, as a warrior,” Jasmine continues.
“As a revered knight,” Ellyn chimes in. “The best in the land.”
I know now where he received the scar on his face, in battle, and something about that makes my stomach clench. I don’t know if it’s all real, but the man that held me in his arms, he was almost sweet.
To imagine that he is some hardened warrior, it does something to me. It makes me feel, and I’m not sure that I want to feel any of these emotions for him.
“We’ve said too much,” Jasmine snaps.
Reaching for her, I take her hand in mine and give it a small squeeze. “No, please,” I beg. “I don’t know anybody. I’m scared,” I admit.
I can feel the pity pouring off of all three women and I should hate it, but I don’t. I am so terrified that I’ll gladly take their pity. Jasmine lifts her opposite hand and covers mine with it, her finger squeezing me gently.
“Elias is not his father, you have no need to be frightened, milady,” she murmurs. “We have other chores to see to. When it is time for dinner one of us, or one of his men will collect you.”
“What do I do until then?” I ask.
Jasmine’s brows rise and she shrugs a shoulder. “I do not know, milady, as I’ve never had the luxury of being a king’s guest.”
Without another word, all three women curtsy and turn away from me, leaving me alone, yet again. Turning away from the door, as soon as they close it behind them, I try to make my way to the window again.
I don’t know what I expect to see when I arrive, but I’m still as surprised as I was the first time that my eyes take in the bright-blue leaves of the trees in the distance.
Something is really wrong here, but maybe it’s exactly as Elias has been saying, maybe he’s not some cosplay guy that’s lost his mind, perhaps I am in some different world.
But how?
I stay staring out the window, watching the people walk around in the glittering snow as they do whatever it is they’re doing.
There are horses, carriages, those weird birds, along with people dressed like every other movie I’ve seen of medieval times. Women are in long brown and dark-colored dresses. Men are in tights much like Elias and his men, but instead of thick, deep-colored, long tunics, they have drab colored ones that match the women’s dresses.
After taking in my surroundings, I can tell that there is a stark difference between the rich and what I assume are, peasants.
There doesn’t seem to be much of a middle class. Maybe I’m just not seeing enough of the area. I decide not to hold any type of judgment, not until I’ve seen more of this… land.
“Milady, it is time for sup,” a deep voice calls out.
My spine straightens and I slowly turn around to see the door creaked open and one of the two hot guy soldiers from earlier peeking his head in. His eyes are on me, but they are searching my face. His brows knit together in a frown as he watches me.
“Okay.” I nod as I begin to make my way toward him.
Without a word, the men flank me as I’m guided toward a dining room.
ELIAS
Merek walks into the dining room, his eyes focused on me. “The geographer has been found and he is researching the names of the lands that you mentioned to me. Though, he did not look as if he recognized any of them.”
Nodding my head, I lean back in my chair slightly, thinking. I’ve been doing naught but thinking this entire afternoon. After supper, I plan on making another visit to Aleida to see if she has conjured up any information for me. Other than that, there is naught all I can do but wait for news from Kelna.
“You leave for Kelna in the morning?” I ask.
“Sunrise,” he says with a dip of his chin.
Nodding, my body jerks when I hear Rowan clear his throat. Shifting my gaze from Merek to the entrance of the dining room, my breath is stolen from me at the sight of Sybilla. She’s wearing the same dress as earlier. It is a few sizes too small, her breasts spilling from the top, but she is a vision in the colors of my coat of arms.