Shaylo comes barging into my room. “Taylan, get up.” She sounds annoyed and I have done absolutely nothing.
I roll over, “What time is it?”
“Mid-morning, you need to dress and eat; you’re meeting King Wolfrim with me at noon.”
I sit up and rub my eyes open. Shaylo has drawn open the sheers, letting in as much light as possible, which does not really change the lighting because they are sheers, but it lets the breeze in a bit more. She plops a dress on my bed and other clothing for me to wear. I get dressed. She lays a pair of shoes down for me to step into and wear. It is a simple blue outfit nothing over the top fancy, but a dress with straight cut lines and the shoes have a heel to them.
“Shaylo I can''t walk in these.”
“Practice,” she barks. I start to walk around, managing awkwardly.
“Not like that.” She sighs. “Like this,” Shaylo is bare foot, standing next to me, “Balance, like you are balancing on your tiptoes. When you step, your shoe will hit heel first then toe. When your shoe is completely touching the ground, you must remember in the back of your mind that you are on your tip toes, but you can use the heel to rest some of the weight so that your feet don''t get sore.” I hesitate and she urges, “Practice” and leaves the room in a rush, her blue hair trails behind her.
I walk around in these heels stopping at my window to see if I can see anything new since it is now light out. Just beyond the wall in the horizon is the ocean and sky. The water is full of different sized boats and ships. I wonder where Ashlea is. I turn just as Shaylo returns to the room with a bag full of different grooming products and makeup.
“Come here.” She demands and I sit where she gestures.
“Close your eyes.” Shaylo commands.
“Why?” I ask.
She sighs, “Taylan your meeting King Wolfrim today. I need you to look good, groomed, and polished, and most importantly credible so that you can be taken more seriously. I’m going to put some makeup on your eyelids and maybe a bit of powder and blush, but not too much, just enough to make you look more polished.” I close my eyes and allow her to do whatever it is that she needs to do.
“Shaylo tell me again, why can''t he just take your word alone for everything that has happened? You and your husband have been loyal to him for many years. I don''t see why that wouldn''t count for anything?”
“He respects me. It is not about the need for him to believe me; it is about my word versus Rosaleen''s. Over the years as twisted as this sounds, he has come to love her like she was his own daughter and even up until her departure Rosaleen and Wolfrim have a strong bond. He trusts her just as he trusts me. My fear is he views our loyalties on an even playing field and that is where you come in, to solidify my truth.” The makeup brush leaves my face, and she is back in her bag digging for something else. She pulls out a bottle of perfume some tinted lip balm and some blush, then turns to me, and continues with my grooming. She brushes my silky hair into some sort of up-do and pins it in place.
“There, much better.” I am not sure why, but I am reminded of the day that I put her husband to death. I remember now, it is because Princess Rosaleen said the exact words and made the same gesture when she fixed that red scarf around my neck to cover my wound. I sit there and instinctively touch my neck. It has completely healed now.
“We have some time to kill would you like me to show you around?” I startle at Shaylo’s choice of words, kill, but realize that there is no hidden meaning behind them.
“I would like that. I have gazed down at the courtyard that my window overlooks. Can we see it?” She nods, leading the way through the airy hallways down the winding stairs and into the great room. Instead of crossing the room to the kitchen, like we did in the night we make a turn to the right and open a glass door to the yard.
In the courtyard, everything is symmetrical. The gardens and pathways are all straight lines, the ground is level, and the grass is cut perfectly. We casually walk down the pathway towards the pool with the waterfall.
On the way, Shaylo says, “For a while, when I was held at Newlyn''s I didn''t think I would ever set foot in this place again.” She smiles as we stroll down the path, and that is the first one I have seen since waking up in this place.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
I ask, “After we all talk with King Wolfrim today what happens to me? Do I stay here with you, or do I return to my mother?”
“That will be the King’s decisions not mine.”
We approach the pool; there is a group of ten, or so attractive women. Some are swimming in the pool; some are under the waterfall soaking their heads in the steady stream and some are resting on the outdoor lounge beds. Apart from all being stunning, they are all nude. As we walk up, I ask, “Who are they?”
She smiles at me, “Some of King Wolfrim’s servants.” As we approach, the women recognize Shaylo, and she is greeted with warm welcomes. I hear them say things like, “We thought you were never coming back!” “How is Shrago?” and “Has Princess Rosaleen returned with a decision on who she will wed?” Shaylo fabricates lies for answers. These women are clueless to everything that has happened, and it is something that Shaylo feels that the king should know first. She sits on one of the lounge beds and a group of them get comfortable by her side as she brings them up to speed on her trip. I can''t listen to her lie or be there to affirm them. I can''t play that part of the game well. I decide to leave the social circle and investigate the pool area. The pool catches a lot of the sun, but it is also surrounded by a lush and tropical garden full of flowering plants that vary in different shapes and sizes, the waterfall is artificial, it’s water that is pumped out of an artificial rock mound. It looks like a miniature mountain. I had not noticed this from my window, but the pool is not just a square shape with a waterfall. On the other side of the waterfall is a fabricated lazy river. It weaves its way through the garden, and it rejoins on the opposite side of the pool? I decide to explore, but first take off these stupid high heels and tuck them under a lounge chair. I walk bare foot along the water’s edge. I duck under branches and carefully step over and around flowerbeds, making my way to a spot that is still surrounded by lush vegetation only there is a bit of space that I can sit and dip my feet into the refreshing water. It is nice here, quiet and I am just out of earshot of the discussion Shaylo is having with those women. The trickle of water is always so relaxing to me, and I sit and close my eyes, letting my feet dangle in the mild currant. This must be the calm before the storm. Maybe the talk with King Wolfrim will go well, I don''t know, it''s just I have been envisioning it to go bad for so long because I know how Shaylo reacts. Anyone who is not with her is against her and she has a temper. I think of home, my family and Sitrus. Relaxing and reflecting, that is all that is on my mind, all that I can think of, and it is weighing hard on me.
“You are sad.” A high pitch, mousy like, but sweet-sounding voice startles me out of my daydream. I look towards the sound of the voice and there is a woman in the lazy river. She wades up and grabs on to the ledge just in front of me so that she doesn’t float away. She is naked and her hair is undone, but the water has skillfully placed it so that all the strands have been pulled back, as though she is wearing an invisible headband.
“You are sad, and you shouldn''t be.” She says again.
“I''m not sad.” I whisper.
She ignores my reply “I have learned that there is no point in being sad or dwelling on things of the past.” I stare blankly at her. What does she know? Who is she? “I used to be like you, and I know what you are going through. You need to let go of the past, embrace the present and look toward to the future.” I say nothing and just stare at her confused. “You don''t understand, but you will. I love my life, and you will love yours. You will see.”
I get up the courage to say, “you are mistaking me for someone else. What is your name?”
She lets go of the ledge so that the light currant can move her along, she replies, “My name isn''t important, your happiness is.” She disappears out of sight beyond the bend of the river. I sit there for a moment dumbfounded and then I am pulled back into reality. I can hear Shaylo’s laughter. I need to do what is best for me and go back to where Shaylo is socializing with the other women.
Shaylo looks at home here, and the woman that had just spoken to me a few minutes ago is nowhere to be found. She has not joined Shaylo by the poolside as I had thought. How strange, but then again, I did take my time with returning and she could have very well gotten back to the main pool, got out and returned to the Palace.
The women who are socializing with Shaylo glance at me and smile politely, but don''t say anything and some of the others have retired to resting in the lounge beds taking no notice of me, or anyone else for that matter. This is socially awkward, and I feel so out of place. Shaylo gestures me over. In a whisper for only me to hear she asks, “Shall we?”
“Yes, sure” I answer. We walk back together through the courtyard and into the great room. Directly across the entrance is a fireplace with some sofas that are arranged around it. From a distance, the set up looks so tiny and to be honest I never noticed the arrangement. I know that I have walked past it a couple of times since I woke. I sit on a sofa and Shaylo on a single seat sofa. I am unsure of the time, but we wait and wait some more. The guards have time to exchange thoughts amongst themselves while Shaylo and I sit in silence not because we must, but simply because we have nothing to share. We both know what we need to do. A guard comes through the closed doors next to the lounging arrangement, but it is a false alarm. He was not calling us in; he was just looking for a fellow guard. We continue to wait, and I fidget with my pearl pendent. Touching it triggers the not so long-ago fond memories. I close my eyes, and I am brought back to the North Shore the day my sisters and I found the pearls.
Startled by the creak of a door, I am not sure why, but I always imagined that when first meeting King Wolfrim, he would have been announced upon arrival instead, the palace guards are distributed around the room like silent statues keeping guard. He enters the room, and I set my eyes on this short fat; let me re-word it; he isn''t overly short for he is a wee bit taller than I am, but for a man he is short. His hair is curled which is odd. It looks un-natural. Maybe someone curls his hair? His locks are a golden brown, which is strikingly close to the elaborately embroidered gold colored robe that he is wearing. His skin has a pink tint to it and his eyes are black. He waits for no one and marches up with every footstep making an echoed tap as he moves to the loungers. Shaylo immediately stands to greet him; I copy her and shake his hand.
He gestures to Shaylo, “We have lots to talk about, come with me.” He explains, leading her back through the doors that shut in one loud sharp sound like the cover falling hard over the keys to a piano. Standing there dumbfounded, was I supposed to follow them?
I look around at the guards and decide to approach the closest one, I ask, “Should I go in?”
He answers curtly, “No you wait until he calls you.”
“Okay thank you.” I murmur and return to the sofa to sit and wait. I really hate waiting and it doesn’t matter if it is for a King, it is still awful. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I am fidgety and decide to stand and walk around the room, counting all the guards that I see inside and outside and glancing at all the artwork and sculptures’ that boarder the room. I wonder if these guards were all called to serve, or if they applied for the job. I want to ask, but I find my shyness taking over, I will have a chance to ask later.
I am startled by the creaky sound of the large door and pivot on my heel to face the sound. Shaylo is in the doorway. She says nothing and I know that King Wolfrim is ready to hear me speak. I follow her and a small gust of wind is felt along my back as I step through the entrance and the door shuts behind.