Even through the lingering pain of her branded shoulder, Lilae was impressed when she entered the massive room. She shut her mouth and simply took it all in. There were dark stone walls and smooth marble floors that shined. Bright green vines stretched along the wall and elaborate flower arrangements were placed everywhere.
A large pool of clear blue water sat in the center of the room. Stone benches were situated throughout the room. They surrounded the pool and stood against the walls. A pallet of pillows and billowy cushions sat on a raised floor near the rear of the room where tall torches lit the shrine like an arrangement of art.
A beautiful cage, Lilae thought with a frown.
She had arrived just as the other girls were leaving. In two lines they filed out of the room. They walked past her, their heads bowed, stealing glances at the new girl. Lilae counted a dozen of them.
She wondered if they were the emperor’s servants, but she feared the worst. Lilae knew deep down inside that they were slaves and gulped at the thought of what purpose they served for the emperor.
Once the room was empty, the soldiers left her in the care of two young women. The women were cloaked in silk. The fabric was wrapped around their waist and draped over their chests, tied and secured at their right shoulder, displaying crescent moon brands of their own. They both had long black hair that was braided into two braids that were twisted together and secured by a brass band.
Lilae stood there unsure of what was expected. They smiled at her. They had bright gray eyes, the first friendly eyes Lilae had seen in a long time. She almost let herself trust them. She wondered if she would ever smile again.
They both reached for a hand and led her to a room where there was a smaller pool of steaming water. One of the girls poured a thick amber fluid into the hot water, making the room instantly smell sweet.
The girls worked at taking off Lilae’s tattered nightgown. She stood nude, covering herself with her arms, shivering.
“Step in slowly dear,” one of the women told her softly. Her accent was thicker than any Avia’Torenan she had heard so far.
Lilae did as she was told and slowly sat in the steaming water. It stung at first, nearly scalding her, but she got used to it quickly. It swirled around her. It was deliciously hot. She closed her eyes at the soothing feel of it.
It was bliss to get clean again, but never had she bathed in such luxury. When she opened her eyes she saw that while one of the girls was pouring oil into the bath, the other was pouring a scented purple salt of some sort. They stirred it with their hands and she felt instantly relaxed.
Lilae didn’t want to think of what had happened before this moment, nor of what would happen after. She just wanted to enjoy this one good moment.
Each girl took one of her hands and began to scrub her arms. Lilae nearly moaned in delight as she let her head rest on the edge of the bath. She savored the sweet relaxing scents and the feel of sponges that they used on her. They scrubbed her everywhere and then poured jugs of fresh warm water over her to rinse. They thoroughly cleaned Lilae's long mass of hair and gently combed through it. She was rinsed once more.
Lilae was wrapped in similar attire, starting with a long piece of silk that was wrapped along her body and tied at her shoulder. It hung loose to her ankles. Her hair was braided similar to theirs and they dusted her face and exposed flesh with gold sparkled dust. She had no idea of how she looked but she was glad that she now smelled pleasant.
Once the girls were done with her she was taken a long way from the harem. They went through corridors, through secret doorways, up a narrow stairwell and finally to a plush carpeted hallway that led to a large set of double doors at the end of the hall. The uniformed guards watched her intently as she walked past. Their whispers followed behind her.
Lilae was used to whispers. She ignored them, focused on what was behind those doors. She held her breath as the doors were pushed open by the guards.
To her surprise, there was a woman standing inside. She stood there with a friendly smile on her face and her hands folded before her as she watched Lilae enter. Lilae knew her face. It was an off color. Pale, with a slight purple hue as if she was sickly. Lilae’s eyes narrowed. She had seen this woman in Lowen’s Edge. She had met her eyes at the gates of the Garden District.
She had a youthful face, yet her white hair gave her the illusion of looking much older. Her hair reached the back of her ankles.
“Oh,” the woman purred. “How magnificent you are.” She walked around Lilae, examining her. Her eyes went up and down Lilae’s body and she nodded approval.
“Remarkable. Oh yes, you will do just fine. I cannot believe the elf ever doubted you.” Her smile widened. “He wants you dead. I disagree. I see the good in all things. There is something positive to be found in every situation.”
Lilae stared at the woman. She was unable to think of something to say. Was she like Dragnor? Could she speak to this woman?
The woman’s green eyes sparkled. She laughed. “Oh yes. How rude of me child. I am Sister Eloni. I am the head of the Sisterhood of the Fallen. It is lovely to finally meet you.”
Lilae felt awkward standing there as the woman gave a slight bow to her. She wanted so badly to ask what exactly the Sisterhood was and why they always took the girls in each village.
“Believe me, it has been quite the task searching for you.” She shook her head as if she were annoyed by the thought. “Extremely tricky.” Her smile returned.
All white teeth, and yet there was nothing in her eyes that said it was genuine. Sister Eloni’s smile was one that Lilae wasn’t sure if it was in fact friendly, or if something was hidden behind it. Lilae wanted to trust that smile; but that nagging feeling in her stomach that she had grown to trust warned her not to. So, she stood there. She would listen, she would analyze, and then she would react.
It irritated Lilae that everyone seemed to think that she was naïve.
Lilae put on a blank face. She would fill that role…be less threatening…pretend to be as empty headed as they assumed she was. For now.
“But, all of the searching, and waiting, was well worth it.” Sister Eloni stood before Lilae. She held her arms and looked into Lilae eyes. “All right, I know you are probably scared sick. You’re probably still grieving your loss, and unsure of what treatment you will receive here.” She kissed Lilae’s forehead.
Lilae held her breath. She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop the words that spilled from her mouth. “Who are you really and why are you touching me?”
Sister Eloni covered a giggle. “You are a funny child, aren’t you?”
Lilae wasn’t smiling.
“I am the only one in this empire that comes with good news. I want you to be treated like a princess. I want you to be pampered and spoiled. You will spend your days with the girls of the harem, and they will teach you the ways of Avia’Torena.” She held Lilae’s face in her hands.
Lilae shivered beneath her fingers. The woman was wearing high heeled shoes. She was short, but her shoes made her almost as tall as Lilae. Odd, she thought. She tried to pull her face away. Sister Eloni only held her tighter.
“Eura must be united. So I want your brother to see that although a prisoner, you are treated well. He must see our goodwill. Isn’t that worth all of the trouble? Isn’t this realms safety and security the most important thing in these dark times?”
Lilae slowly nodded. Sister Eloni had begun to squeeze Lilae’s cheeks with her words.
Sister Eloni seemed to realize what she had done and she quickly dropped her hands. She smoothed her purple robes and that friendly smile returned.
What is this woman hiding? Lilae wondered.
“Good girl. We will be allies you and I. Let us unite Eura, and face this new threat of Tryans and Silver Elves together. How does that sound love?”
She was confused. Sister Eloni was right, Lilae was afraid, she was still grieving. She grew anxious as she thought about everything that had happened, a
nd what was yet to come. Then, Sister Eloni took her hand and placed her own above it.
“It is the right thing to do, Lilae.” She looked down at Lilae’s hands. They were still healing from her fight in Lowen’s Edge. She had sliced her hand on a soldier’s blade and it had become infected from lack of care aboard the ship. Almost absent-mindedly, Sister Eloni swirled her finger along Lilae’s palm and the wound began to heal before her eyes. As if it took no effort at all, Sister Eloni looked off and sighed.
She scared Lilae. Lilae decided not to further antagonize her. This woman, who looked like barely more than a child, held power. Not just the power to heal, but power over Avia’Torena.
“But remember Lilae, you don’t really have a choice. After all, Dragnor has stolen your power. I’m afraid you are no longer of the Chosen class. You are nothing more than a silly girl who thinks she can question me. No Lilae, you will mind your tongue. You are a slave until your parents give us what we want.” She pulled a stunned Lilae along by her newly healed hands. “Come; let’s introduce you to your new master.”
They walked across the room to a set of doors. Lilae glanced back at her with a frown. Sister Eloni simply smiled and pushed the door open slightly, then left the room.
Lilae stood there in silence for what felt like forever.
“Come in,” a deep voice called.
Lilae gulped and hesitantly reached a hand out. She didn’t want to meet the emperor. She wasn’t ready. She wanted to turn and run, but she had nowhere to go. Instead, she pushed the door open all of the way, and stepped inside.
It was some sort of study. There were large bookcases that stretched high to the vaulted ceiling. Long, squat, tables were lined up along the wall with piles of paper scattered on the shiny, polished, surfaces. Open flamed torches lit the room.
Lilae stepped from dark hard wood flooring onto plush ruby carpet. Her toes sunk into the soft fibers and she smoothed her feet over it curiously. It was nice. She’d never felt anything like it.
A man stood in the shadows. She couldn’t make out any of his features until he stepped into the dim light.
Lilae felt her eyes widen as she beheld the emperor. Her throat went dry. Her lips parted.
He leaned against a table with his arms folded in front of him “Well. Well. Well.” He seemed pleased by what he saw before him. He stood to his full height and towered over her like no man had ever done.
She’d rarely seen a man as tall and muscular as the emperor. His face was unique. He appeared to be a mixture of the swarthy eastern folk and the pale westerners. The emperor’s skin was a perfect olive color.
Lilae realized that she was staring in disbelief and checked herself. She looked away. He was not what she was expecting. She couldn’t help glancing at him again.
He stepped closer and she felt her body tense.
“Emperor Kavien.” He gave a slight bow with his head. “Now, what is your name?”
“Lilae.”
“So finally, I meet the notorious Flame.” He paused in front of her. “Oh wait; you may no longer claim that title. No matter. You don’t need such distractions anymore.”
She flinched when he ran a finger along her bare shoulder and sniffed her hair.
“Splendid. They did warn me that you were pleasing to the eye. But, no one told me you were this beautiful.”
Lilae grew tense as he lingered near her neck. She could feel his warm breath on her exposed flesh. Having Kavien so close, made her heart race. She waited silently, afraid to move.
Emperor Kavien took one last breath of her scent. “Here's how things are going to work,” he said softly, pulling away from her. He held her by her shoulders, turning her to face him.
Lilae nearly gasped when she looked straight into his face. He was younger than she had envisioned, and handsome…handsome in a way that was frightening. He had striking gray eyes that made her heart quicken. Before that day, Lilae had never seen gray eyes before, and his seemed…abnormal.
They were such a bright gray that they were nearly all white. His hair looked soft. It was a short, wavy, bronze that had a shiny sheen. To Lilae, Kavien looked to be as near perfection as the man from her dreams, and yet he was utterly different.
There was something else about him. Something that made her wish she could hide from his gaze.
“You are now mine. I own you and you shall do as you are told. You will spend your days with the other harem girls and learn the ways of Avia’Torena. And hopefully, King Ayaden will meet my demands and come to Avia’Torena to personally fulfill them. Either way, you are mine and you will do whatever pleases me. Forget whoever you were before this moment, for you are now my property.”
Lilae looked away from his eyes. Her heart thumped in her chest. She tried to keep herself from blushing, but his presence made her feel out of control. She tried to focus on the open window that looked out to the city. The sky was so blue. The clouds were so white. Still, she couldn’t help but glance back at him. She bit her bottom lip and looked away again. She had never felt so powerless. It seemed as though her body refused to listen to her orders.
Kavien smiled and used a long finger to turn her face to look at him again. “Pay attention dear.” His eyes searched hers and she could feel herself holding her breath. “You needn’t worry. I have a great many slaves, and I assure you, I treat them all quite well. However, there is no excuse for disobedience. You disobey me, and you will be disciplined.”
Her lips trembled when she looked at him. Despite his calm voice and face, Lilae sensed something frightening from him.
“Ah, fear.” He rubbed his cheek against hers and sighed. “I can smell it on you.”
Lilae continued to look away. His presence made her mind all fuzzy.
Kavien smiled again, a handsome smile, yet it couldn’t compete with the man from her dreams. “Oh Lilae,” he said throatily. “It's such a pleasure to find that for a filthy Northerner, your beauty is without rival. I admit, I expected you to be a savage like your people, but it seems your travels may have refined you.”
He grabbed her by the back of the neck and led her toward a large shiny door. There were figures of women with large headdresses ingrained into the gold. “You will be an excellent slave. I just know it.”
Her feet lightly scrambled across the floor as he forced her forward. “I am going to keep a close eye on you; so I need you to be by my side.”
Lilae looked at the large double doors in terror and he removed his hand from the back of her neck. Her eyes grew large, fearing the worst, as the emperor pushed the doors open.
Inside was yet another massive room. There was a large ivory and gold canopied bed that sat high from the floor with plush furnishings. Beside it was a large chest, adorned with rubies and a brass lock. A tiger skin rug lay before it; the tiger’s head was still intact.
The stone walls were hung with colorful drapes and tapestries so expensive that she suddenly realized that she was standing at the doors of his private quarters. Lilae couldn't imagine sleeping in the same bed as the emperor, but she had a feeling that that was where the conversation was leading.
Lilae glanced at him, noticing that he was watching her reaction.
“Don’t flatter yourself, slave. I assure you, I do not want you in that way.” She shot a glance at him, expecting to see him smiling. Instead, he looked at her with a serious face, one that observed her own emotions. “I will keep a close watch on you until the Aurorian king sends word.” Kavien led her towards the bed and her eyes darted to his when he stopped her before the chest. He opened the lock and held the lid open for her.
Lilae’s eyes widened. She realized that he wanted her to stay in the chest. There was nothing but a pillow and a quilt inside.
“Climb in. It's small, but it's perfect for my little treasure.”
Chapter 30
Kavien walked the outer corridor of his private quarters. He frowned at his thoughts. He was confused. Lilae wasn’t what he expected. She wasn??
?t what he was told. Vile creature, bent on destroying him. He had been told since he was a boy about those evil Chosen, and yet he thought back to the look of fear in her eyes and felt as if he’d been lied to. She looked at him as if he was the monster.
He shook his head. He shook off that feeling. There was a plan. Kavien would stick to it. But…the fear, in Lilae’s innocent eyes. It bothered him, even though he knew it shouldn’t.
“Are you becoming soft, Kavien?” The voice asked. “Are you going to let a little girl ruin our plans?”
Kavien shook his head. He tensed. The voice had returned. He felt his body grow cold.
“Leave me alone,” Kavien said through clenched teeth. “I told you. I can handle it without you.”
He heard a low growl and fell back into the stone wall of his torch lit corridor. His pulse quickened.
“I command you. You do not command me.”
Kavien stood with his back to the wall, his mouth agape as a thick, foul smelling, smoke rose from the stone floor. Kavien wanted to run. There was nowhere to go. He could be reached, anywhere…at any time. Instead he froze against the wall, and waited for what he was sure was the end. Had he done enough to earn favor, or had his failings condemned him?
A black silhouette of a man emerged from the ground before him. He nearly reached the ceiling. He held a spear. He had no face, only eyes. He dripped black blood and shifted closer to Kavien, ever so slowly.
It was rare for Kavien to feel fear, but now he felt it encompass his body. Yellow eyes opened and glared at him. “I grow stronger. Every day. When I rule this world, do you want me to remember you as a supporter, or a traitor? You are my heir. Do not make me choose another.”
Kavien held his breath. “You know I am at your command my Lord.” His words came out like a stuttered. Kavien bowed his head in embarrassment.