Chapter 20: Fildira's Protection?
1815 Words
“Come see the dresses that just arrived!” Miralia bounced into the sitting room where Mother and I were.
“Dresses?”
“Yes, Isadora. For the ball in three days.”
The ball. I had completely forgotten about the ball. The ball where they announced my betrothal to the entire kingdom.
I took a calming breath, but Miralia bounced in anticipation. Her eyes danced with excitement. I couldn’t help smile. Miralia could always bring out the child within me, reminding me of the simple enjoyments in life.
I rose from my chair with Mother following behind. Miralia's eyes widened as she grabbed my hand and dashed from the room, dragging me along with her.
We ran into another sitting room where a seamstress and her helpers stood around.
Mother said, “You go first, Isadora. I would like to check on your dress before dinner.”
The seamstress pulled out a stunning deep blue ball gown adorned with intricate silver embroidery. It was a fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline, with sleeves that hung off my shoulders. The silver detailing formed elaborate, swirling patterns across the bodice and extended down onto the full skirt that flared at the waist. I noticed diamonds and other white jewels were sewn onto the dress, making it gleam against the setting sun.
Surprised, I looked at my mother. We couldn’t afford a dress like this, even as royals.
Mother said, “A gift from King Torrin.” I sucked in my breath.
With the aid of the seamstress's helpers, they undressed me and quickly put the dress over me. It fitted perfectly except for the length. The dress needed to be hemmed.
The seamstress walked around me scrutinizing the dress.
“Come more into the light, so I can see it better.”
I quickly looked out the window, seeing that the sun had not yet hit the mountain. Direction sun rays streamed into the room.
Mother said, “Move quickly, so Miralia can have a chance before dinner.”
Miralia was in the corner with barely contained excitement. Her eyes kept drifting to the other packaged dress.
I stepped into the direct beams of the sun. The seamstress continued to scrutinize me and the dress I was wearing. She snapped her fingers and her helpers quickly went to the floor to start pinning up the hem. I stood perfectly still feeling the sun hit against my skin. But after five minutes, the sun began to prick my skin.
I knew that the amulet could only do so much, it couldn’t change what I am. A vampire. The light started to sting the back of my arms and my neck. I shifted uncomfortably.
“Stand still,” Mother commanded.
Silently, I prayed the seamstress was about done. The heat against my arms and neck intensified, then began to burn.
The last pin was placed, and I leaped out of the sun breathing in relief.
The seamstress appeared frustrated with me, but said nothing.
“Jewelry.”
They took out a box. When they opened it, I felt fear clench my heart. It was a silver necklace large enough to fill up my entire neckline with matching jewels to the dress. One of the seamstress’s helpers reached for the red amulet around my neck. I wrapped my hand around it, taking a quick step back.
“Those are beautiful, but silver really isn’t my color. Gold perhaps?”
Mother stood. “This is a gift from your betrothal.”
“Why am I not wearing our kingdom's traditional colors?”
“You are betrothed to the Kingdom of Kilgindore and these are his. It is only right. Now let us see the jewels with the dress.”
I wouldn’t be able to wear them without them burning my skin. Erevus had already demonstrated with the silver dagger what happened, and I had felt the burning sensation several times when I was around Torrin.
“I would rather see it all together the night of the ball. We don’t have much time before dinner, and I want to see Miralia’s dress.”
Mother gave me a scrutinizing look. She nodded towards the seamstress who closed the box. I took a long breath of relief. I was safe for now, but in three days, what excuse could I provide then?
I stepped to the side, hiding my burned arms away from the room. Miralia nearly jumped forward. They pulled a pale yellow and cream dress from the box. It was a strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice was richly designed with intricate beadwork. The full skirts flared out with delicate floral patterns.
Miralia covered her mouth. It truly was beautiful. She jumped around and even hugged the seamstress.
“Thank you! You did magnificent work on this dress!”
The seamstress smiled. I felt slightly embarrassed about not thanking her for her work on my own dress. But leave it to Miralia with her golden heart to remember others.
They put the dress on her, and she spun around several times watching the dress extend. Everyone smiled and giggled at her obvious excitement. Without her even trying, her beautiful rays embedded into every soul, brightening their day.
Finally, they got her to stop dancing and spinning long enough to add a few pins to her. They undressed us just as a maid entered announcing dinner was ready.
Miralia wrapped her arm in mine as we exited the room after I made a point to remember to thank the seamstress.
Miralia slowed her step. “Isadora…” I heard the hesitancy in her words.
“What?”
“Lately, I have been having dreams every night. Weird dreams. Like dreams where I see the same events again and again but in different variations. Like some are good and others turn out wrong.”
I tilted my head, interested. I was having weird dreams as well, but not like what she was describing. Erevus knew the other night. He acted as if when I saw him in Elithor it was real and not a dream. Both times he called it dream walking.
“Tell me more.”
“Like several nights ago, I dreamed that you went to the ocean with…” she lowered her voice, “With King Torrin.”
She had my full attention.
“Yet it changed all night long. You still went to the ocean with King Torrin, yet one scenario you went home safely, another is King Torrin took you as his…” I gulped feeling my stomach knot. “Another is he tried, but you fought back with unreasonable strength and killed him, another is King Torrin was murdered by a man in black clothes, brown hair, and pale skin.”
I stopped walking. I could easily see how all those alternatives could really have happened.
“When did these dreams start?”
“Soon after your disappearance when I was sent to the High Duke.”
When I became a vampire. Why would me becoming a vampire affect Miralia? Maybe Erevus would know.
I continued our progression towards the dining hall. “I believe you, Miralia. Those are strange dreams. I wonder why they started happening. But I have a feeling we had better keep this between us.”
Miralia nodded. She pointed to my necklace.
“I’ve never seen it before. Where did you get it?”
I wrapped my hand around it and put it underneath the neckline of my dress.
“A gift. From a friend.”
“Friend?”
Miralia knew I had no friends. That was why we needed each other, we were each other's friends.
I leaned towards her. “It was given to me by a stranger I met at my spot.”
Her eyes grew wide. She leaned closer, whispering as quietly as she could.
“A man?”
I nodded slightly.
“Handsome?”
“Extremely.”
“Tall?”
“Yes.”
“Charming?”
“Very.”
“Gentle?”
I had to think about that one. “He is with me, but I think when he has to he isn’t.”
“Do you feel safe with him?”
Again, I hesitated more at how interesting her question was. But when I saw the fading bruise marks on her upper arms, I suddenly knew why. She had not and would not be safe with the High Duke, and that was important to her. I realized she asked me that question because that is what she wanted for herself.
“Yes, I do.”
She sighed. Then she straightened.
“What about the king?”
Torrin didn’t know and he wouldn’t.
“He doesn’t know, and won’t. Besides, it doesn't matter. I am to be married to him.” However, that would work with me being the very thing he hated.
I shuddered. Were there any easy solutions?
A rock came crashing into the side window. Miralia screamed, and I pulled her away protectively behind me. I pressed her up against the wall as I stared out the window. I saw a figure running through the grass, soldiers chasing him.
I picked up the rock. Red words were written across it. Where is our protection?
I grimaced. Torrin with his guards came racing down the hallway. Torrin entered the room, looking out the window and down at the broken glass shards.
Quickly, I hid the rock behind me.
Torrin approached me. “Are you alright? Hurt?”
“Just frightened us.”
Miralia grabbed the rock from my hand as Torrin grabbed my arm, looking behind my back.
“Come on. I’ll escort you.”
He kept his hand tightly on my upper arm as he pulled me towards the dining room. Miralia silently followed.
At dinner, she slipped the rock back into my hand. I gave her a grateful smile.
Where is our protection?
The riots and mobs at our front gates and in the streets had not ceased. Over the last several days, they had started to become more brave in trying to show us exactly how they felt. The rock was only one of several items thrown at the castle.
Where is our protection?
My father’s idea was Torrin. Torrin’s idea was war. But who was protecting the individual? War would sacrifice lives all for a misunderstanding. All the Dark Kingdom wanted was for people to stop threatening them. And all my citizens wanted was for their mines to stop being shut down. Yet they went hand in hand all because of Torrin. Yet, Torrin couldn’t be eliminated because I needed him to protect my sister from the High Duke.
I chewed my lip thinking about Erevus. The people needed jobs. No one in the castle would help me findsolutions, so I simply needed to go find them myself.
- Writer
