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Who was Nykor to these people?
I turned my head in a huff. What did I care? He’d made it perfectly clear that he held no interest in anything to do to me. I would move on and focus on myself instead. Patiently, I waited for the man to turn back to me before I followed. Nykor went off on his own, apparently familiar with the castle enough to guide himself.
Dickhead.
“This way, my lady,” the man said.
“I’m Ella,” I offered politely.
“My name is Cedric. It would be an honor to serve you,” he replied, leading me into a great hall that looked much like the one in the north except with one critical difference. This castle was full of people and full of life. The roaring fire in the grand hearth was chock full of large pieces of wood. Men and women were laughing and drinking together. There were groups of children gathered together on the floor, playing board games, with dice and marbles and something that looked a lot like knucklebones.
The entire hall echoed with their shouts of victory and moans of defeat.
As I entered, a hush fell over the crowd. A series of whispers followed, and I was only able to pick out something about “the king”, “his return”, and something about “the war in the north.”
I noticed something else about the inhabitants of the castle. While there were a large number of humans, there were also elves, dwarfs, fae, and all manner of other creatures.
If I still had any question about it, this would have proven that I was no longer on Earth. This was a strange fantasy land, and I was a stranger among them.
Cedric led me into a small side room with its own roaring fireplace and directed me to take a seat in the leather armchair beside it.
Another attendant walked in with a covered platter which he set down on the table next to me. With a whoosh, he lifted the lid as he bowed his head. The aroma of freshly cooked food hit me, and my mouth watered at once. There was a massive juicy drumstick of meat beside a still steaming biscuit. There were several vegetables on the plate as well, although I didn’t recognize them. One looked like a potato, but the inside of it was dark brown with blackened grill marks.
There was a glass of water and a mug. Cedric lifted it up and placed it in my hands. “Careful, it’s still very warm.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, taking a small, tentative sip. The spices hit me first, a delicious mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar mixing with the berry flavors, all of it coming together to make me feel at home for the first time.
“Please enjoy your meal. I will return in short order to show you to your quarters,” he added.
“My quarters?”
“Yes, my lady. Steward Valtimir has asked that you retire in the guest wing closest to his chambers.”
“Thank you,” I replied, with a soft smile. Maybe this was for the best. Nykor clearly wanted to be rid of me. I would lean on the steward to either find my place in this world or a way back to my own.
Cedric bowed his head and took his leave. I could still hear the happenings of the great hall from my seat, but the privacy was nice. I ate my fill, delighted with the delicious flavors of my meal until Cedric made his return. He had a fresh mug of wine in his hands which he handed to me before leading me off into the depths of the castle. The foyer had emptied with the late hour, leaving only a few stragglers behind. It looked like other attendants were clearing them out too.
“This way,” Cedric stated.
“Coming,” I replied lightly.
By the time we arrived in what was to be my lodgings for the night, I was beyond excited. Maybe this was my chance at a new beginning, to finally make a name for myself in a world where my life wasn’t at the whim of my stepmother, and I was completely my own. As I walked through the doorway, I gasped at the bedroom waiting for me.
It was far more luxurious than I could have hoped for.
The four-poster bed at the center of the room was built out of mahogany, painstakingly carved with swirling designs that emulated the snowy mountains in the north. Snowflakes were interwoven with rose petals, carried away on gusty winds that seemed brought to life right in the wood. Every piece of furniture screamed opulent wealth, from the dark navy velvet on the bed to the silver embroidered pillows on top of it.
“Tomorrow, the steward will take tea with you at high noon. He will send clothing for you in the morning,” Cedric stated.
“Thank you.”
“You are to remain here until he calls for you,” Cedric said next, and I couldn’t help but notice that there was a very slight thread of warning in his tone.
“I cannot explore the castle?” I asked carefully, trying to home in on what I’d sensed, and he smiled, his expression just as much of a mask as mine.
“You are to remain in your quarters until the steward summons you,” he repeated, and an uneasy feeling simmered in the pit of my belly.
I didn’t ask again. Instead, I nodded with measured politeness and clasped my hands in front of me.
