Chapter 9.
1166 Words
Larissa of House Whitby.
That was Summer's new identity. Hydra and Lord Earn spent quite a while preparing her for Queenstrial. But they planned to unveil her on the night of the opening ball.
Summer was terrified, she was not only becoming a totally different person, she was changing her identity, she was contesting to be Queen, in a place she had no business being.
It was wrong. Worse, if her true identity was discovered she certainly would suffer dearly for it, there was no way she wouldn't.
Everything it had taken to become Larissa was stressful.
The process of dying her hair alone had taken a toll on her.
But the results were splendid. White blonde hair, just like the Lady Larissa had.
She didn't know who Larissa was, but if the painting on the wall in the room she was put in happened to be her, then Larissa was a very beautiful and special noble. She was an albino, something the locals called the white ones.
Summer changing her hair did little to make them look alike, but Silver Falcon did say the castle had not seen her in years, so it was possible they forgot how she looked like but will always remember the colour of her hair.
Summer felt uneasy wearing her clothes knowing that Larissa was dead, but Hydra and Silver Falcon gave her little choice in the matter.
She knew enough about court etiquette since she had been around people like that so that was one skill that she didn't have to brush up on.
Even though she wished that altogether she was excluded from it.
But Hydra was there to correct whatever error she was going to make. She was well aware of that.
She looked at herself in the mirror again, suddenly remembering that she was going to be in Queenstrial with Astra. She doubted Astra would recognise her. She couldn't even recognise herself.
From her hair, to the jewellery and the gown she looked entirely different. Her lips were painted rouge, it was said that Larissa had naturally rouge lips, something they had to achieve with a little crushed berries colour for Summer.
At least her eyes were still hers, they even stood out more and stuck out of her face proudly. They were a part they hadn't managed to take away, it wasn't as if they could either.
Her gown was a deep midnight grey with with powder blue sashes. Every inch of her body was covered and her hands were covered in gloves. The only thing she could see was her face in the high neck gown.
Her small waist had to be further taken in with a corset and Summer was beginning to feel it digging into her ribs.
It was pain. Everything she was putting on seemed like a torture device.
From the tight shoes, to the even more tight dress to the hair where her scalp still slightly burned from the dye.
It hurt everywhere for her.
Hydra walked in at that moment.
"Come come! We must make haste if we are to reach the King City before nightfall."
"That should give us enough time to get an audience with the queen."
Hydra said as she started tidying up Summer's hair. She looked perfect.
"Why do we have to have an audience with her?"
"Every girl brought for Queenstrial has to see the Queen first. Your case would be no different."
"Now, stand up straight like I told you and go and wait in the hallway, I'll send someone up to help you with your stuff."
"Alright."
Summer said as she did as she instructed, Hydra's sharp eyes on her the entire time till she was out of sight.
In the hallway, Summer stood nervously contemplating her fate. So far, Silver Falcon didn't give her too much information about what she was going to do. He didn't even tell her anything. She was going into the mission totally blind!
"Oh great! There you are!"
Silver Falcon said from down the hallway and Summer forced a bow. The old man terrified her, but she pretended not to be.
"Oh! What a sight you are! You do look like Larissa."
He sounded more pleased than she expected which was odd, his granddaughter was dead, he shouldn't be happy someone else looked like her.
She waited until she was close enough to hear him before she started talking.
"How will I know if this special gem you seek is in the castle? Or taken by someone else already. What do I do then?"
"Listen Larissa, everything has been planned. You need not bother yourself with the tiny details for now."
"What if I get caught?"
Silver Falcon raised his eyebrows.
"There's no way you will..."
"But what if I get caught?"
She repeated the question strongly and he sighed.
"Then you better be careful enough not to get caught. You know the punishment that awaits you if you do."
He was walking through the umber-brown, ancient forest of Abbot. It reeked of age. It's woody incense was from centuries of snapping branches crashing to the forest’s floor and rotting silently. The composting, organic smell rose up in waves like a miasma.
Every sprawling tree he passed under reminded him of a watchful guardian, a silent sentinel of the groves.
He decided to venture deeper into the tangled heart of the primeval forest. He hoped that it would help him find Summer.
But the further he went, the more mystical and spellbinding it became.
It was huge and he couldn't possibly cover the whole forest in time. Besides he was already tired and weary yet he chose not to give up.
But there was little he found that could help him find Summer and it bothered him.
Sal had been searching and wandering the forest of Abbot for hours and yet he still found nothing. The only thing he was left with was the former location where the bandits had settled.
But their camp was already deserted in the mid day, they must have left to continue their operations.
As their camp was deserted, he searched every tent but he couldn't find any trace of Summer.
He feared the worst already.
If she was nowhere to be found it could only mean one thing, she must have been sold already.
But, to whom?
Who would want an ordinary handmaiden while they had every opportunity to take Astra, the daughter of General Wells who was a famous nobleman.
What did they want with Summer and why?
He couldn't understand it and he didn't want to at least pretend to understand it.
He looked around the messy tent and sighed.
If he had any chance or hope of finding Summer he was going to have to wait till Nightfall.
He believed that when the bandits came back at least they'll be able to tell him what happened with Summer.
He wasn't leaving the forest without her.
- Writer
