The Dragon's Call

Chapter 9

-Laelia-

It was not a prison cell I was brought to, as I had expected, but the most beautiful room, with a big bed with white and golden sheets, close to a big balcony that looked over a big garden with palm trees, fruit trees and flowers. There was even another room connecting to the bedroom. In there there was a small pool filled with warm water. The rooms were divided by a small red curtain. I walked back to the bigger one. Close by the balcony, there was a small step before the floor flattened out. On the ground there were a lot of pillows and thin blankets that had been put up against the wall, to make it a comfortable place to relax. In the middle of the room, stood the bed and at the other end there were bookshelves and red and golden benches. The ceiling was high and painted in a white color. I had simply not seen anything like it before, and it almost scared me. Was I really going to stay here and not in some dirty dungeon? But why? I walked back to the doors, but before I reached them, two young girls emerged, their heads bowed slightly.

“My lady,” they said, and made a small curtsy.

They had their hands folded in front of them and kept their eyes on the ground. What on earth?

“Who are you?” I asked and took a step back.

“We are here to serve you, my lady,” the girl on the right said.

She had water-blue eyes and blond hair. She was very tall and lean, and wearing a yellow stola. The other one had a dark shade of blond but the same blue eyes and wore a white stola. They looked so similar to each other; I could only believe they were twins.

“Serve me?”

They both nodded.

“You must be tired from your journey. Allow us to help you bathe and change.”

“No! No, I can do all that by myself,” I said.

My governess had always insisted I had help with everything, but sometimes when she didn’t have time to go watch me change, I would do it myself. I hated being treated as if my own arms didn’t work, and I didn’t like having people wash my body when my hands were working perfectly fine as well.

“Please, my lady. We’re here to help.”

“Then help me go see the king. I want to know what he is planning to do with me and my people!”

“The king wants to see you when dinner is ready. Until then, we are here to help you.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to have dinner with the king. I wanted to get answers!

“No. I said I wanted to see the king.”

“That is not possible, my lady.”

“I don’t care!” I yelled, and stormed past the two copies.

“My lady!”

I didn’t listen to them but walked over to the doors and forced them open. Two guards with spears in their hands turned around, having confused looks on their faces. I gulped but refused to be intimidated.

“I want to go see the king,” I said as I straightened my back.

“You’ll see the king later tonight.”

“No! Now!”

I crossed my arms.

“That is not possible.”

I shifted my gaze between the two of them, before looking back at the two servants that had come to my room. I tried to take a step forward, but the two guards made an x with their spears and blocked my path.

“Later tonight, princess.”

I looked up at both of them, before groaning loudly and turning around. I closed the doors and sighed deeply, while leaning my head against them. The two girls still seemed to wait for me to tell them to help me.

“What are your names?” I asked, seeing their surprised looks on their faces. “What? Do you not have any?”

“Of course, we do, my lady. It’s Libelle and Kayda,” Libelle with the lighter blond hair, said.

I nodded, before I walked towards the room with the pool.

“Find me a new stola please. One that isn’t see-through.”

Kaya nodded, before she left the room, and Libelle followed me to the other room. The dress I wore had a small golden clip on the top of my right shoulder that held the whole dress together. I pulled it out and slowly unwrapped myself from the dress. The stola pooled at my feet. I then walked into the small square pool that was only so deep it would cover my legs and stomach, when I sat down.

Libelle went over to the other side, where I sat and dipped a cloth in the water, before raising it to my skin, but I pulled away and took the cloth from her.

“I can do it,” I said, and started to wash all the dirt and blood away.

I had to admit the water was nice for my aching and dirty body, but I couldn’t let go of feeling guilty. While I was being bathed and prepared for a dinner with the king, I had no idea what was happening to my people. It was haunting me, and until I could sit in front of the king and ask him, I would be worried.

When I was finally done washing, the water was a darker shade and dirty. I slowly got up from the water and walked out of the pool. Kayda was standing ready with a deep green stola that had golden edges and roses embroidered. It was really beautiful and a much thicker material this time. Something led me to believe Prince Ashes had given me a dress that was not really suited for a lady. Not even the girls in front of me had worn something so see-through.

“What are those?” I asked, suddenly noticing the small golden necklaces around their necks.

They were wrapped tightly around their skin and did not seem to have any opening. I couldn’t help but wonder why they wore them.

“Slave bonds,” Libelle answered.

Slaves?