2 Garden Meeting (1/2)
She forced her eyes away from the intimidating architecture and back to the gathered crowd. The members of Dark Kingdom's court were assembled before them. Isilla's eyes swept the crowd. Everyone wore dark colors, greens, purples, and deep blues. All the ladies had perfectly done hair. The Prince was not among them.
An older man stepped from the crowd, his voice high with a thick accent as he spoke in the language of her homeland, ”Greetings Prince Argia, Princess Isilla. Welcome to the Dark Kingdom! We are all so pleased to have you with us. I am the Lord Chancellor Harrin.I will take you to the Prince who acts on his father's behalf as you do to finalize the treaty and let your sister,” here he paused sneering slightly, ”tidy up.”
She looked down at her shoes gripping her board tightly.I've already made a fool of myself, she thought.
Argia smiled, ”Of course, you'll have to excuse my sister. I'm afraid she hasn't had much sleep and it shows. She's been so excited to meet her husband.”
She smiled weakly, agreeing with him.
”Oh of course! Yes, well the Prince is very keen on meeting her as well. Please, let us show you the palace,” he said bowing.
The crowd of people parted before her, allowing them entry. From the corners of her eyes she caught the ladies whispering from behind fans as she passed. She forced herself to pass without reacting. Her brother walked on one side of her and behind her she could hear the whisper of her handmaid's skirts as they passed.
Once inside the doors shut, blocking out what little light from the sun there was. The entry hall was dark and lit with candles. A cool draft wafted around them. Isilla shivered pulling her sleeves tighter. Around her she could hear the clicking heels of the court as they walked. The inside was made of the same dark smoke stone as the outside. The glass like grays were twisted with dark shadows that found their way to the ceiling to be lost. Everything was dark and empty.
The Chancellor was pointing out highlights of the palace as they journeyed deeper inside. There portraits of past kings, designs in tapestries. Isilla tried to focus on it but her thoughts raced, is this where I will be spending the rest of my life?
The Chancellor stopped in one of the winding halls before a large door, ”The Inner Garden,” he announced pushing the doors open. Light spilled out arching through the dark hallway. ”A commission that one of our past queens, three centuries ago, had built after a visit to your lands. Princess, please,” he said motioning her into the room.
She nodded and slid past her brother into the room blinking the darkness out her eyes. The space was small, the size of a bedroom, bursting with flowers. They were from the Light Kingdom, she recognized them, dropping red blood lilies, the delicate white petals of the winter's fall.She looked at the ceiling expecting to see skylights but found a painted sun. An enchanted space that mimicked the Light Kingdom's sky. Her home.
”I hope this room pleases you princess. You will wait here until the Prince is ready to see you,” the Chancellor said briskly bowing. Her handmaids moved to join her but he waved his hand before them, ”That will not be necessary. She will be waited on by ladies of our court.”
Isilla's eyes widened and she stepped forward holding her hand up. Before she could reach into her chalk pouch to scribble her objections her brother stepped forward.
”Sister,” he said grabbing at her hands and forcing them down. He let go a moment later, stepping back, ”Of course you're upset but don't worry, change is a natural part of life. You do a great thing here. I'm sure your new maids will be just as capable.”
She frowned as he stepped back and left the room. The Chancellor shut the door behind him.
Alone Isilla sat on the stone bench in the center of the room. She laid the board next to her. Gripping her hands tightly in her lap, she started taking deep even breaths to bring the rising panic in her down. The minutes passed slowly building on each other as the tears were building up in her eyes.
The trip had been taxing. She and her handmaids had been moving from inn to inn for a month making their way overland to palace. She was exhausted and now utterly alone. She closed her eyes and tears leaked from beneath the lids.
Oh let them fall, I'm a mess anyway, she thought as the hot tears rolled down her face and splattered onto her hands.
”You shouldn't cry, Princess, it's your wedding day,” a deep voice said somewhere to her left. The accent was much lighter than the Chancellor's had been but still there.
She turned quickly wiping her face with her hands, smudging chalk dust onto her cheeks.He was tall, his hair pitch black with loose, short curls. His skin was pale, his eyes a muddy green color. He held his head slightly to the side, examining her before he straightened and brushed his curls back from his forehead.
Scrambling for her board, she wrote, Who are you?