The Books of the Shadows III- Silver Tiger

6

-Are you not going to help us if the king will not protect us?

-Can you not speak in your defense?

-We need help... who else will speak in our name in front of the king?

-You can speak for yourself and the king will decide. 

-You said so, but if the king will not listen and will send us back? What do we do then? We do not go back, do you understand?

-I understand, Silver answered.

-Then, are you going to help us, hide us, if your king will not let us stay here?

-Are you asking me to go against my king?

-No. The girl felt ashamed as her cheeks colored in rose tones and she lowered her eyes when she heard his question. 

-Then think about what will you say and worry about that rather than thinking about things that did not happen yet. Fair? 

-Fair. I am just nervous, she whispered almost intimidated while taking the first steps into the shadow mirror castle.

The architecture was so amazing. On the way, she admired the wonderful arches supporting columns clad in gray marble, wide corridors, and illuminated with torches fastened to supports on the walls, from place to place. There were no colors, everything was just gray and the shades were dancing on the walls when they were moving the air passing by the torches. Beautiful shadow plays accompanied them on the walls.

Somewhere on the way, SHE appeared. A beautiful young girl with beautiful long hair, big blue eyes with long lashes that could steal the heart of any man. Her slender body was embraced in a leather uniform just like Silver's, the prince, but she had some swords in her hands. A woman with weapons? In her world, no one has heard about it. There were no woman soldiers there. But apparently, here they were.

She was so beautiful, Senere thought. She almost could not take her eyes off her, when she got close to the prince. Was she his female? probably. They were looking too familiar one with another. Standing too close to each other, whispering and she was smiling all the way ear to ear, and she seemed to get to him. He was leaning towards her every time they spoke, and he even touches her shoulder with his sometimes, and then they would laugh together as the world belonged to them only. 

It felt so strangely right and at the same time wrong. How was it even possible to feel like that? And why did she care about that? She did not know who that young girl was. Maybe she was his family. Wait, he said he had no family. Yet. Then, maybe she was the one family to become? Who knew. 

Senere was looking at them both and did not mind the way she stepped, and her foot just slipped out of the sudden. She tripped and fell to the ground and she felt a sudden pain in her ankle, so sharp that made her scream in surprise and everyone turned their eyes to her to find out what had happened. 

They were just inside the city, and everybody around stepped back to give them room. 

Senere was in pain but the ankle was not broken, so Silver just helped her get up and keep walking, leaning on him, while the beautiful young woman looked at her with curious eyes, examining her as if she had barely caught her eye.

-Hi, I just realized we have not been introduced, the young woman addressed Senere.

Hearing her speak, Silver just realize the same thing. 

-True, we apologize, we forgot our manners. Princess Senere, I would like to introduce my sister, Princess Silver Moon. Moon, this is Senere, he pointed towards Senere with his hand. 

-Princess, Silver Moon addressed Senere. It feels like I have met you and got to know you already, I am sure we can find time to spend together and learn new things. Like, I have heard you do not want to go back home?

-I do not!  Hello, Senere bowed her head.

-I heard that. You will have a chance to speak your mind in front of the king, and you can apply for political asylum.

-I can? How?

-You just speak with the king about it when you are asked. 

-But what will happen to me if the king will not grant me asylum?

Senere was really worried and she looked anxious too. Silver Moon smiled and her presence felt like a warm embrace for Senere. 

-You will make it happen. Just state your mind and speak your feelings. You will be listened to, you will see.

-Yout think?

-I do think.  Yes. 

The princess looked so confident, that Senere felt empowered by her presence. She felt like everything was possible for her and for the first time in her life, she felt this is her chance to get people to listen to her. This was her chance to make her voice heard. 

She began to prepare a speech that she thought would convince the king. If the king was a lady, she should understand how it feels for any woman to have a forced marriage. She did not want to be forced to get married. She just wanted to live and find her love. She understood that she would have to work for it here. She was not a princess on these lands. So these people owe her nothing in the first place. 

So they will not treat her like one. she understood she needed to cover her needs somehow. She needed to eat and needed shelter, she needed to sleep somewhere. She had nothing but her two maids. She was responsible for them too, because she snatched them from their world only to wake up all three here, alone and without any resources, without any protector and without any help. How will they manage on their own in this world?

Slowly, limping, they entered the castle, struggling to practically jump the steps. And there were many steps ... She realized that this squeaky thing was proof that she couldn't do it alone ... if she couldn't even stand up ...

She tried to straighten up and walk as normally as she could, but the pain was still on her face. They arrived in a large hall, with massive carved wooden doors, and on each door was a dragon in relief, as if sleeping. They were so realistically carved in wood that they seemed to breathe

When they reached these massive gates, the guard standing on both sides of the doors bowed before Silver. One of them opened the door on his side and made way for them to enter the council room.

They all entered in a small compact group and the people gathered looked at them. Silver Tiger, the prince, was holding one of the three missing women by the armpit as she limped visibly, Silver Moon following behind them, and immediately after her came the other two young women, holding hands and looking worried and overwhelmed by the world they saw.

-Senere? Just as I said! She can not even take care of herself here!! A voice just burst out in anger, and Senere's brother just stepped towards them in a hurry, to check on his sister. 

-Kai?! I am fine! she barely whispered, responding with some obedience to her dominant brother. Nothing happened, I just slipped, I wasn't careful.

-That's exactly why we need to go home. How do you think you will manage on your own in this world? What are you looking for here? It's not even your world, who will help you here?

-Please stop now, a female voice came from the back of the room. You have spoken. 

They all looked at the people who just came in, waiting for them to state their business. The maids bowed in front of the council, proving their low rank and acknowledging the shadow ranking. The princes only bowed in front of the king. She looked at the woman standing on the throne and she was so beautiful. 

Her hair was long and it was braided into small tails, only on the right side, revealing a long scar, which started between the eyelid and the eyebrow and continued towards the temple, above the ear and was lost in the tails that tightened somewhere at the nape of the neck, while on the left side the hair fell free. That scar made her look like a warrior, which made her look frightening, even though her gaze was warm but penetrating.

Her eyes were blue as the sky clear and her gaze on you seemed to put you in a trance. She wore a long navy linen shirt, and on her wide belt were two silver sheaths in which she wore two short swords, and along her hips, she wore a long sheath, in which was a curved sword. Did she know how to handle so many weapons? Alone?

Her boots were long, hiding a pair of black, simple, tight pants, and did she look a little fat? Hmmm... maybe kings are to be fat after all, Senere thought about her father trying to compare the attitude and the person. But the woman in front of her, could not compare with her father. 

Her father was a man who would lose his temper fast, who would yell and demonstrate his power. This king, this lady stopped Kaion with only a few words spoken clearly enough to make him understand not to cross the line. And her voice did not need to be laud. She was speaking very clear, and her attitude was saying: 'obey... or else... you will obey anyway".

A strange game of words, Senere thought about her own thoughts.

-You may speak! 

A man stepped forward from the king's right, perhaps it was even her right hand. His clothing and weapons were similar, only his stature was massive and his hair was braided just like the king's, only that it was completely white, almost silver. 

His eyes were as gray as steel, and his white hair gave him a mystical, otherworldly air. There was a shield-like energy around him, intimidating those in front of him.

-Well? Have you finished researching the King's Shield? 

-Yes, she felt her cheeks burning and already assumed that everybody noticed her embarrassment. 

-And? Are you going to just stand there or speak your mind? 

-I ... apologize...

She was embarrassed because her eyes took their time. This king's shield was a perfectly carved man, and she could say out loud he was such a beautiful man like she has never met before in her world. His presence intimidates her. But she also noticed the king's eyes narrowing in a dangerous look, and she could recognize that look because every time her father was watching someone like that, the bell of the danger was ringing in her mind and there would be an execution programmed. So she felt that danger.

-I have never met a... white shadow? I do not mean to offend.

The man smiled at her, while the king lost any expression she had earlier on her face. Senere realized that whatever she was doing, she was doing it so very wrong. 

-I am not a white shadow. Just a shadow like you or any other. Now breathe and speak what are you doing here.

-My name is Senere. I... am Senere of Warchild, daughter of... well, I guess it does not matter anymore, we are here. I come from ...a portal.  My world is called Zicon. I left my home because we can not live there anymore and I have come here to ask for political asylum. 

-A what??? Are you insane, Senere!!! Kaion jumped near her trying to repair anything she said that would seem unreasonable for him. 

-Yes, this is what I want.

-Do you know what a political asylum means, young lady? the king herself asked her.

-Yes? Senere answered her but her voice trembled unsurely.

-Are you in any danger of persecution? 

-Yes!?

-No!!!! She lies! Kaion became desperate and was trying to contradict his sister's words.

-Your brother is not so convinced.

-That is because he is not persecuted. 

-No? 

-No!

-And how are you persecuted then?

-I can not and will not go back home anymore. Please, do not make me go back because I will run away with every chance I will get, I am very serious and I did think it very well. I can not live there anymore!