She holds my hand for a few seconds, then her hazel eyes scan over me and then behind me at the rest of the bodies waiting.
“Thank you both for coming.” Her vivacious tone has the people behind her smiling at us, and she speaks with precision, knowing exactly what she wants to say. “I would like to introduce you to two of my ladies who will gladly be escorting you throughout the week.”
She steps aside, revealing a woman in bold colors who looks like a divinity who’s returned to walk this earth. I keep my eyes on hers, which is hard, and I also catch the subtle perusal my brother gives her frame. “This is Lady Vera. She has served mea great deal of time and will be here to show you, Prince Marcel, all the finest things Haymel has to offer.” Vera curtsies and gives my brother a smug look. I hear Deean whisper something behind me but ignore him.
The Queen takes another step to the side. “And this is Lady Ariah. One of my newer ladies but I’m sure she’ll be able to show you a great deal, Prince Iann.” Ariah curtsies and I swear I’ve heard her name spoken somewhere before. I know I haven’t seen her, surely, I would have remembered a face like hers.
Although she’s not of royal blood, that I know of, I would argue she is the most put together. I would even go as far to say her style choice surpasses the Queen’s. She has the tiniest coils that are collected in a beige ribbon, where a few curls break loose and hang at the sides of her ears and over her shoulders. She too, wears a long-sleeved dress but the material running up her arms and at her neck is lace, teasing me with pockets of her brown umber skin. Her lips are a plush pink and glossy like they have been coated with oil.
“Are you ready?” Marcel whispers under his breath before he nudges my arm.
“What?” Confused as to why he’s trying to get my attention.
That’s when I see the Queen extending an arm up the steps. “I asked if you both are ready to explore the grounds.”
I hadn’t even realized she was speaking to me. Clearing my throat, I find an answer for her. “Um, yes…Yes, I am.”
The Queen leads, with Marcel and I following behind.
“Your workers will stay in the east wing, with mine in the workers’ quarters. Beds, meals, and recreation, when they are not working, will be available. Their only rule is to stay out of areas they are told to refrain from entering.” Queen Cayleen talks as she leads us through a courtyard garden. A few foxes chase each other through maze-like walls created by rose bushes. “You two will be staying in the west wing. Vera andAriah will show you the way. I unfortunately have a meeting with a few of my advisors, but we will come back together for supper where I can hear more about Saden. Again, I am happy you both have made the journey. Feel free to explore the grounds. What’s mine is yours. Please excuse me.”
“Thank you.” Marcel nods, and the Queen vanishes down a distant hall, adjacent to the courtyard.
“Shall we show you to your rooms?” Vera nods to someone who takes our crew off to the east wing, leaving our courtiers and a guard for each Marcel and myself. Esha is hesitant to leave, but Deean doesn’t budge, and eventually he follows the others. “Or is there something else you would like to do first?”
“The room sounds nice, doesn’t it brother.” Marcel taps my arm before following Vera.
The two of them take the lead, with Ariah and I following a few feet behind. They start by asking each other a few questions, joking and laughing between them.
“Was it a long trip, Prince Iann?” Ariah asks as we exit the gardens and head into a hall.
“It was.” I hear Deean clear his throat a little too loudly. It must not have been a satisfactory response. “As far as journeys go it was a smooth one.”
Her face brightens and her skin takes on a warm glow. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure as a prince you are used to traveling all over. I hear your last visit was to Diamondhead, where you found unique stones in the mountains.” She closes off part of the gap between us. “What was it like?”
“Finding the stones or the journey?”
“All of it.” Her eyes widen and the enthusiasm brings a smile to my face.
“Invigorating. Every journey. Every discovery. There is always something new. The stones turned out to be black diamonds and surprisingly, they weren’t on the mountain.Thanks to local stories and several days of research, we pinpointed that the diamonds would have never been in the mountain, but somewhere near the border of Shadow Pass.”
“Don’t bore the woman,” Marcel calls back, and Vera and him share a laugh and more whispers.
My face heats and frustration forces me to end my story.
“I am not bored, Prince Iann,” Ariah whispers, and the warmth of her body covers my right side. “Coming here was my first time leaving my village. A virgin to travel, some may say. You’re welcome to tell me any of your stories so that I may live vicariously through them.”
“It’s Iann,” I correct.
“Isn’t that what I said?” Her face scrunches like she’s said the most offensive thing in the world.
“Just Iann, Lady Ariah. You don’t have to call me Prince Iann.” I pull myself away from her gaze as we ascend to a new level.
“Well, that’s not fair. If I drop the prince, will you drop the lady?”
“Deal.”
The long hall branches off into two at the end; Vera takes Marcel, Harpen, and Marcel’s guard to the right, as Ariah leads the rest of us left.
