The Princess Who Went to War

Chapter 14 - Kalah, Sorceress of Fire

[Calysta]

"Caly!" Atticus exclaims as soon as I enter the door. I prepare myself for the argument that may follow, should he have found out about the injury.

"Where have you been staying?" He asks me. I tilt my head, confused at this question.

"The other room is completely empty." He tells me gesturing to the door leading to one of the two rooms here. I then understand what he means. 

"It's fine, Atticus. I've stayed in the same room that I've used the last time I was here." I reply. He looks at me, shocked at the information.

"You have not been using this room at all?" He asks. 

"It is much easier to work with people when I am not living separately from them, constantly reminding them of the line that divides us." I tell him. 

"Regardless of where you sleep, Caly. People are bound to get uncomfortable working with a Princess." He tells me. I sigh.

"It is just much easier if I live just as they do while I work with them." I tell him. 

He looks at me for a while, before sighing, and handing me two envelopes. They are sealed with wax that bears the Royal sigil. Letters from our father and Lilianna. 

"Liliana have been complaining at how you always forget to write that she insisted I deliver this myself. This one is from our father." He tells me, motioning to the black envelope decorated by golden leaves. The white envelope with three small snowflakes at its lower left corner is Lilianna's. 

"Please do write to our dear sister. She keeps on sulking by her window." He tells as he starts to take off his cloak and let it hang over a chair. 

"Is this all?" I ask, still nervous that he might have found out about the injury. 

"What else would there be? I can't stop you from coming here, I surely won't be able to stop you from taking residence anywhere." He says, sounding defeated. 

I simply manage a small smile, "I'll see you at dinner." I tell him. Atticus smiles back before I turn to leave, glancing over at Fenwick as the door is opened for me and I exit with Gwen. 

My brother might not have a good rest after all. Surely, Fenwick will be reporting the events that had transpired earlier. 

"Will the Prince not be joining us for lunch?" Gwen asks me as we walk back down the stairs, probably confused as to why I said that I will be seeing my brother at dinner. 

"He'll most likely have lunch in his room." I reply, knowing Atticus will be likely too tired to join the rest of us for lunch. 

I head into our quarters only to leave the envelopes on my desk. I shall read them later. I have much urgent matters I need to attend to as soon as I can. 

Once out of the quarters, I turn to check if Gabriel and the rest of his team is still by the infirmary. I find no one there. 

"We must apologize to Uly." I tell Gwen as I scan the whole area for them. 

"Fenwick overreacted."  She tells me. But we both know that any other member of the Royal Guard would have reacted the same way Fenwick did. 

When it comes to soldiers, in my opinion, there is no other title below nobility more arrogant and short-tempered than the members of the Royal Guard. 

Gwen and I head over to the training grounds, thinking that it is the most likely place that they would be. We get there, and find Gabriel and Ulysses sparring together. 

The put their swords down when they notice Gwen and I watching them. I immediately approach them,

"I am very sorry about earlier, Uly." I tell him, sincere. 

"I-It's okay, Your Highness. I was out of line." Ulysses replies. I shake my head at his response. 

"No, please. I insisted that you call me by my name. If there was anyone out of line it's Fenwick." I reply. Ulysses looks up, looking unsure. 

"Really, you can still call me Calysta." I assure him. 

"And the Prince?" I turn to Gabriel when he suddenly asks. Gwen and I look at each other, knowing full well how strict Atticus can be.

"He will not like what he will hear. But my brother cannot dictate every single detail of my life. I am allowed to do as I please." I reply. 

"Your brother is the Crown Prince." Gabriel tells me, alluding to the fact that it is probably not easy to not do as he says. 

I scoff at this, "He didn't want me to be here, and yet here I am." I tell him. Gabriel only stares at me and does not say anything.

"Your Highness, you must talk to Ser Remnand as well." Gwen reminds me.

"Why does Gwen have to address you by your title now?" Uly asks, wondering. 

"Fenwick is technically higher in rank than I am. Our commander also happens to be his father. I cannot risk being pulled out of the Princess' service." She replies. 

"It will only be until Atticus leaves." I assure them. 

"I hope that's soon." Gabriel says as he turns to leave. Ulysses immediately follow. 

Gwen and I look at each other, understanding full well their frustration, but also knowing that there really is not much we can do. 

Lunch bells start ringing, but I don't eat as I've lost my appetite, still worried that Atticus finds out about my injury. I have been watching the guards and the soldiers and who they talk to, hoping that they are not asking for information. 

I have told Gwen that she can eat without me but she also insists that she wants to accompany me around. 

Finally, a few hours after lunch, I find Ser Remnand by the armory, commanding squires that weapons are organized and polished. 

"Ser Remnand." I call his name as I approach him. He turns to me and he immediately bows.

"Your Highness." He says as he lifts his head back up.

"May I have a word?" I ask. He takes a glance at the armory before leaving all the task to Ser Rem who was standing right beside him.

We walk towards a quiet area just by the armory to talk. 

"Have you told the Prince?" I ask him. He furrows his eyebrows, confused, before quickly realizing what I mean. 

"He has not asked, Your Highness. I have not told him anything." Ser Remnand replies.

"And if he asks?" I ask him. Ser Remnand thinks for a moment, not answering. I sigh. 

"Ser Remnand, it looks like some of the ingredients for dishes you've requested for dinner are not available." A cook assistant says, panicking as he approaches us. 

Panicked, Ser Remnand glances at me, and then looks back at the assistant cook and glances back at me. 

"You may attend to it." I tell him, seeing how he is not sure if he can leave the conversation or not. 

"Thank you, Your Highness." Ser Remnand replies, all flustered as he and the assistant cook walk hurriedly towards the kitchen. 

I sigh, watching them walk away as I take a moment to watch all the other people hurrying about to make sure that Atticus' stay is as perfect as possible.

Knowing how Ser Remnand will most likely tell the truth should Atticus ask, I pray to the gods that he does not ask at all. 

For the mean time, I head back to our quarters and start reading the letters Atticus has carried with him. I open Father's first, carefully breaking the wax seal and pulling out a neatly folded piece of paper. 

It mostly contains reminders to keep safe and keep my body healthy, and the promise that should I wish to come home, he will be waiting with open arms. 

There are also updates on how he is doing, how Liliana has been sulking and how he wishes so badly to visit me but cannot. He reminds me to keep my mother's necklace safe and always with me. 

At the bottom of his letter, he pleads with me to write to him and tell him how I am doing, and says that he worries about me a lot. He reminds me how much he loves me, and how proud he is of having me as his daughter. 

I wipe a single tear that fell down my cheek as I open Liliana's letter next. It is mostly about how upset she is that I have not written to her, and how she wishes that I come home soon. 

She demands that I bring her home a gift to make up for not communicating. I laugh at this, imagining Liliana mad. I then take all my time to write back to the both of them, knowing that they are expecting my reply very soon. 

A soon as I seal the envelopes, I head out to ask for a messenger raven to take my letters back to the Palace. I marked the raven with my sigil as I let it fly away. 

"Your Highness." I look to my left to see Fenwick bowing to me. 

"Prince Atticus has requested that you enter the dining halls together." He tells me. I agree, immediately following Fenwick. As we walk, the dinner bells ring a bit earlier than usual. 

Fenwick leads me towards the kitchen. There, I find Atticus waiting by a door that leads into the front portion of the dining halls. 

"Will they be announcing us?" I ask Atticus as I realize why we met here. 

"It is my first night here. Ser Remnand insisted. I wanted to make sure you were with me. You are a Princess after all." He replies, emphasizing "Princess". 

Ah, Fenwick must have told him, and this is how he wishes to go about it. He knows nothing good will come out of talking to me, so he chooses to remind everyone who I am instead. 

"Prince Atticus de Raziem, Crown Prince of Raziem. Princess Calysta de Raziem, First Princess of Raziem." I hear Ser Rem announce from the dining halls as the door is opened for us. 

Atticus walks out first and I follow right behind. I glance at the tables to see everyone standing. I immediately avert my gaze, looking straight forward, kind of embarrassed. 

Of course, I am used to being announced as I enter a room. I've been doing this since I was a child. But I've been living and fighting with these people and have become accustomed to being treated as one of their own that being treated like this almost feels foreign to me. 

I roll my eyes at the sight of a special table prepared right in front, knowing full well that is where we will be sitting. 

"Great," I thought, "Right in front of everyone."

Atticus pulls out a chair for me, smiling, as if mocking me. I glare at him as I take a seat and he immediately takes a seat right next to me. 

There are three chairs and I am seated at Atticus' right hand side while the left seat is empty. I assume it must be for Ser Remnand as he is the commander. 

Right then, the brightly lit dining halls become dark all of the sudden as the candles sitting on candle holders on the tables and on the walls and the ones hanging from the ceiling all turn off. 

I hear people immediately on their feet, and the sound of unsheathing of weapons. I immediately stand as I get ready to use my magic and I feel Gwen immediately taker her place on my left side as Fenwick and his partner take their places right by Atticus' side. 

"Relax, it's just her." I her Atticus say beside me, even as I cannot see him. 

Right then, we hear a woman laughing, and the immediate shuffling on feet. All of the candles are simultaneously lit as we find a woman with red, glowing eyes, surrounded by around five soldiers, Ser Rem and Gabriel with their swords all pointed to her neck. 

From the glowing eyes, I immediately realize who she is. Her smile is visible under her brown cloak as she seems unbothered by the position she is in right now. 

"You wouldn't want to kill your help?" She says, still smiling. 

"Put your swords down, men." Atticus commands, and they all follow. 

The woman in front of us pulls the hood of her cloak as she reveals her dirty, blonde hair. 

"A pleasure to meet you all. Kalah, Sorceress of Fire." She introduces herself as she smiles and her eyes give a faint red glow.