1 Chalk Dust and Insults (2/2)

There was a knock on the side of the carriage. One of the guards was leaning over from his horse, a creature that delighted Isilla, she had never seen one before their arrival in the Dark Kingdom. His face filled the window ”We'll be at the palace within the hour,” catching sight of Isilla he frowned, ”The Prince has asked that you make sure his sister is presentable.”

Isilla nodded running her hands over her hair and dress.

”You're getting chalk all over everything,” Gazta pointed out.

She stopped and folded her hands in her lap, over the board. Haribit wiped at her hair and dress, attempting to clean it up but they all knew it was no use.The third girl giggled again but after a look from Haribit they all went to work on her, using delicate squares of silk to clean her off as best they could.

”Well, I think that's as best as we can do. We'll get the rest when we get to the palace,” Haribit said settling back in her seat.

Gazta snorted, ”I don't know why you bother. She's not a proper princess anyway. She can't do any magic.”

Isilla looked down at herself letting the insult slide. The girl was right. That's probably why Father was so eager to be rid of me. Cursed to silence, no magic. I can't even keep my clothes presentable, she thought. The streaks of chalk were still there on the orange and gold gown but they were far less noticeable. She stopped her hands from reaching up to fiddle with her hair.

I'll have time to change, she scrawled on the board.

Haribit, smiling, nodded in agreement.

The clean-up effort had taken longer than expected, the carriage was slowing to a stop. She could feel butterflies in her stomach. This place will be my new home, she thought to herself feeling her nerves spike, the butterflies turning into nervous aches. It was cold but she felt hot, sweat poured from her. I'm going to meet my husband today, she reminded herself as she attempted to sooth her nerves by shifting her focus to the kindness of his letters.

The girls were chattering among themselves, this was everyone's first trip to the Dark Kingdom. The lands had been forbidden during the war but that was over now.The Prince's letters had described the kingdom to her. He wrote in meticulous detail about the lands, its charms, enough so she could imagine it but she had never seen it.

His words had not captured what it was like once they passed through the chasm between the Kingdoms. A land twisted by Nightmares, it was darker and colder than her own desert lands, the Light Realm. The plants were deep colors and everything was cast in shadow. Unlike her homeland, the buildings were all of stone and metal, the people were paler as was the sun itself. But Isilla had found a sort of beauty. At night, the flowers sparkled and some glowed. The stones and metal gleamed under the moon. Not home, but maybe she could get used to it. She would have to.

The door swung open, her brother's smiling face met hers. He looked nothing like her, where she was messy he was perfect. Where she was gaudy he was refined. His hair was a deep auburn over smooth face. He frowned for a moment then sighed. Holding out his hand he whispered, ”Come on, Chalky. I suppose we can get you cleaned up in the palace.”

She frowned and took his hand, letting him lead her out of the carriage. The look of dismay was quickly replaced as she set eyes upon the towering dark spires of the palace. The castle was made from smoke stone, the dark material glittered in places, like glass. It stretched impossibly high against the dingy blue of the sky.She knew from the Prince's letters that inside it twisted like a maze, the halls lined with false windows that showed a world outside where none existed or suddenly ended in large untended gardens. Ceilings and floors dropped away suddenly, without warning. This is it, she thought starting up at the castle, this is my new life.

She looked, her eyes passing over the crowd to catch glimpses of the outside world that would soon be closed to her. She was thankful for the long trip to the palace, she hardly felt ready to face things even after it.

”Welcome to the Dark Kingdom, dear sister,” her brother whispered to her, his voice cruel in her ear.