Chapter 14
2323 Words
Carefully, the two men led Ashta and Lashanna through the kingdom of Oligarchy Slayers. The slayers called their land Nemiph, and it was dead land, just like Taitum was. It had the same dead plant life, and there was still a slight scent of sadness in the air, but it wasn’t as potent as it was in the last kingdom.
Noticeably, the Slayers came out of their houses and stared at Ashta in disbelief. Ashta looked up at Damian and noticed that he was a bit taller than Roman, but he was just as handsome. Damian's hair was shaved up the sides, and he kept it long on the top with a few small braids that hung down. He looked down at Ashta and smiled at her.
"So, you are really her, the one the legend talks about?" he asked, as they walked next to each other.
Ashta thought it was weird that she was walking with a guard that wasn't trying to push her and make her go where they wanted her to go. These people were different, they were much kinder, and Ashta liked that about them. Ashta nodded, and she looked over at Lashanna. She noticed that the guard she was walking with was kind to her and told her that they would get her cleaned up. Ashta was glad that her friend was able to come with her, and she had struck up a pleasant conversation with the other guard.
"Well, may I say with no disrespect, the pictures they have of you do not do you justice. You are prettier in person," Damian said, shyly.
"Pictures of me?" Ashta asked, surprised, and he nodded.
"How would they have pictures of me? No one has ever seen me before!" Ashta thought out loud, and Damian laughed.
"You were born with red hair and blue eyes, that is all they needed to know, I guess."
"Will you show me the pictures sometime?" she asked, and he smiled and nodded.
"I can't wait to see them!" she said, and Damian laughed.
Unwillingly, Ashta thought about her and Lashanna and she wondered what was going to happen to them now. Thoughtfully, Ashta looked at the man walking next to her and he looked at her in question.
"So, are you taking us to your dungeon?" she asked timidly, and Damian looked down at her with a surprised look on his face.
"No. Not at all. You and your friend do not deserve to be treated like animals. I am sorry that happened to you,” he said, sincerely.
Ashta searched his beautiful brown eyes, and she saw that he was being honest with her. She smiled at him and nodded.
"Thank you. So, may I ask where you are taking us?" she asked, and Damian smiled a handsome smile at her.
"Your uncle Gale would like to see you and then Xavier and I will show you to your rooms,” explained Damian, as they continued their walk.
In response, Ashta nodded. She hoped that Gale was a lot nicer than her aunt, because her aunt seemed to act like she was threatened by her. Ashta felt very confused, and Damian must have seen the look on Ashta's face, because he nudged her shoulder with his arm as he chuckled.
"Don't worry so much, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay, now that you are where you belong,” he said easily.
Worried, Ashta looked up at Damian.
What if this was a trick? What if he was just playing mind games with her? Was he trying to trick her into thinking their king was a nice person and they were nice, but in reality they were going to do terrible things to her and Lashanna?
"What?" asked Damian, as he noticed her staring at him hard.
She shook her head and smiled at him.
"You are a little weird, you know that?" he asked, as they approached an enormous white castle.
Astonished, Ashta looked up at the castle as she nodded her head.
"Weird is good. You should try it sometime,” said Ashta, as she glanced at him sideways.
He looked down at her and laughed. He had never met someone like her before, and he wanted to know more about her.
"Maybe I will. Come on, time to meet your uncle,” he said as he and Xavier opened the enormous doors.
Xavier was about Lashanna's height and shorter than Damian. He had dark skin, black hair, and green eyes.
"Hello, I am Xavier,” he said, as he looked at Ashta.
"Ashta,” she said with a nod.
"Oh, that's your name!" joked Damian.
Ashta shook her head as she smirked at him, and Lashanna and Xavier laughed. The men led Ashta and Lashanna to an enormous room with two golden throne chairs. A tall older man with graying brown hair turned toward them. Damian and Xavier bowed their heads to the man.
"We brought her home, sir," Damian said in his deep voice, and the man looked at Ashta.
"Oh, my dear niece. You look so much like your father and mother. Hello, I am your uncle Gale,” the man said cheerfully.
Ashta nodded and Gale turned his attention toward Lashanna.
"Who is this?" he asked Damian, as he studied Lashanna.
Ashta walked up to Damian and placed her hand gently on his arm. Damian looked at her for a moment, but she left her hand on his skin. He noticed that her hand was warm and soft, and he didn't mind.
"This is my friend, Lashanna. When we came through the Forbidden Forest, this nasty Selvempt had kidnapped her. He did terrible things to her, sir,” said Ashta, and Gale put his hands up.
"You are the princess, and my niece, you do not have to address me as sir," Gale stated, as he looked over Lashanna.
"My poor dear. Not to worry. You have free rein of the castle, and there are private bathrooms in your rooms. No harm will come to you while you are here,” said Gale.
"My room?" Lashanna asked, surprised.
"Yes, you and Ashta have a room each, directly across from each other in the west wing. Damian and Xavier will take you to them, momentarily,” said Gale, as he turned to Ashta, and Ashta looked at her uncle in question.
"I just need you to do one thing for me, Ashta,” he said.
"Sure."
"Would you be so kind and show us a subtle elemental dance?" Gale asked.
Realizing she still had her hand on Damian's arm, she pulled her hand back as she nodded to the king. She stepped away from Lashanna, Xavier, and Damian closed her eyes and let her emotions run through as she danced fluently in the middle of the room. Gale and the others watched her in amazement as a ball appeared in front of Ashta with four of the elemental symbols inside. Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Everyone clapped their hands as her dance ended.
"You, my dear, are something very special," Gale said with misty eyes.
Ashta smiled as Lashanna ran to her and happily threw her arms around Ashta. Both girls hugged each other and laughed.
"Damian, Xavier. Please show the girls to their rooms, and have the maids bring them some clothes. Tonight, we feast and celebrate,” stated Gale, as he clapped his hands together, and Damian and Xavier nodded.
Willingly, Ashta and Lashanna followed them up a giant staircase and down a wide, elegant-style hallway with closed red doors. Suddenly, Damian stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it. Xavier opened the door directly across the hall from it.
Seemingly, Ashta walked inside her room and stared in amazement. In the center of the room there was an enormous, four-post wooden bed with cream-colored bedding and red sashes strewn across the top.
Around the room, wooden dressers, tables, and a large vanity with a mirror were strategically placed. The closet was enormous, along with the bathroom in colors that matched the bedroom. Ashta turned to Damian with a suspicious look on her face.
"You are kidding me, right?"
Damian shook his head.
"If you need anything, my room is three doors down,” he said, and bowed his head to her.
"Thank you,” said Ashta gratefully, as she bowed her head back to him.
He grinned and nodded. Suddenly, they both heard Lashanna squeal, and they ran across the hallway. Ashta laughed as she saw Lashanna and Xavier sitting on the bed.
"Is everything alright?" asked Damian, and Lashanna nodded her head.
"Yes, we were just horsing around," Lashanna laughed, as she bumped her shoulder into Xavier.
"Well, if you two are done, ladies, it was a pleasure, but we must go help the king plan tonight's celebration. The maids will be here soon with your clothing and we will let you get cleaned up,” stated Damian with a smile.
Abruptly, Xavier stood from the bed and nodded. After the girls watched the two handsome men leave the room, they turned to each other.
"Oh my, that man is so hot," Lashanna squealed, as she grabbed Ashta's shoulders, and Ashta smiled at her friend.
"Did you find yourself a boyfriend, already?" she asked, and Lashanna looked at her.
"Oh, I wasn't talking about him. I was talking about your new friend,” said Lashanna, and Ashta laughed at her.
"He is one of my uncle's guards,” stated Ashta, and Lashanna gave her a knowing look.
"And, yes, he is very handsome,” she laughed, and Lashanna smirked, as Ashta looked at her thoughtfully.
"But, I already know who is on your mind,” said Lashanna, as she waved her finger at her.
"I'm off to go take a shower,” said Ashta, and she left the room.
She closed her bedroom door and went into the bathroom.
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Happily, Ashta showered, and then wrapped herself in a thick, plush towel when she was finished. Suddenly, she stopped as she walked into her room. Damian was standing there with a stack of clothing in his arms. He stared at Ashta and swallowed hard.
"I..uh..sorry. I brought you these, and the maid put your evening gown in your closet,” he stuttered.
Quickly, he put the clothes on her bed and turned around. Ashta watched him closely as he made his way out of the room. On his way out, Damian took one last glance at her before he closed the door behind him.
Irritated, she shook her head as she walked into the closet, and her eyes widened when she saw the gown. It was a strapless, long, solid black dress. She slipped on the dress and she was amazed how perfectly it fit her.
"Excuse me, miss?" called a girl's voice, and Ashta poked her head out of the closet. A girl about her age, with curly dark hair, looked at Ashta.
"I am here to do your hair and makeup,” said the girl.
Ashta nodded and let the girl fix her up. Evidently, Lashanna was also being papered as well. This was way better than that dungeon, Ashta thought to herself, and then she looked at the girl.
"Do you like it here?" Ashta asked, and the girl nodded.
"King Gale treats us well, and we get to live in the castle. My room isn't as elegant as yours is, but that is to be expected. After all, you are the princess,” said the girl, calmly.
"But that is just a title, that doesn't make me better than you, and it doesn't make me who I am," Ashta stated, firmly.
"Please don't get angry with me, your highness. I just brought it up, because you are highly looked at here in Nemiph. I overheard my brother talking about you, and he has never talked about someone like he did about you."
Ashta looked at the maid in question.
"May I ask, who is your brother?" Ashta asked her.
"Yes, ma'am, of course you can. My brother's name is Damian,” said the girl, and Ashta smirked.
Did Damian already have a crush on her?
Suddenly, her thoughts went to Roman. She wondered what he was doing now that she was gone. Was he happy she was gone now? she wondered, as she sighed a heavy sigh.
"There,” said the girl, and she pointed toward the vanity mirror.
Amazed, Ashta didn't recognize herself in her reflection. Her hair was pulled up and back, and copper waterfall curls fell down her back, and her makeup was done perfectly. The maid had put an opal pendant with a silver chain around her neck and small earrings to match. There was a silver tiara at the top of her head as well.
"Now, you look like a princess,” said the maid, and Ashta nodded.
Happily, Ashta smiled at the girl thankfully as they heard a soft knock on the door. The door opened, and Lashanna stood there in a cream-colored dress and her hair was in curls.
"Wow, you look amazing!" Lashanna said, and Ashta blushed.
"So do you," Ashta said, and Lashanna smiled.
"Hey, Cara, I didn't know which..."
Damian walked into the room and he paused in his tracks. Ashta grinned at him as he stared at her for a moment.
"Now, who is being weird?" Ashta joked, and Cara and Lashanna both laughed.
Irritated, Damian sighed and hurried out of the room without a word.
"I'll get your shoes, ma'am,” said Cara, as she quickly left the room, and Lashanna grinned at Ashta.
"This is so cool!" she exclaimed, and Ashta nodded in agreement.
A moment later, Cara brought back a pair of black shoes for Ashta and cream-colored ones for Lashanna. The ceremony was about to begin, and the girls were ready.
- Writer
