30 sHow Theysll Crave Yous (1/2)

She touched the dress, the fine fabric, the color of the sky the moment before a storm, soft against her fingers. Careful beading on the corset formed strange, horned beasts that Isilla did not have words for.

Originally she had planned to spend her day working more with Ilun, testing what the animal could and couldn't do. So far, she had learned that he could travel through the shadows on command. She told him to wait before leaving the the apartments, thinking of the hall where she spoken to the Grand Avatar and her brother, the castle guiding her through the long walk. Finally there, she called Ilun to her and a moment later he was there too, wagging his tail. Together they had looked out the windows for a while before she climbed on his back and he walked her to her rooms through the long halls.

She looked at Hanna, the question on her face but the woman didn't answer. ”Come on, we've got to get her ready, quickly!”

She frowned, even as she lifted her arms so they could remove the plain dress she wore. Hanna pushed her down in the chair and begun working on her hair, pulling it into braids, pinning it down.

From experience Isilla knew that the women wouldn't bother to answer her questions. She clenched her teeth in anger as Sele began working on her face, applying dark lines around her eyes, red to her cheeks and thick, waxy color to her lips.

”None of these are quite right,” Sele complained.

”It's the best we have,” Hana said frowning at Isilla's reflection. ”She looks alright.”

Her eyes appeared huge and wet in the mirror, her cheeks, as if she had a fever and her mouth almost bruised.

”Do you think this dress is alright,” Sele asked staring at it as she picked it up.

”It's her finest one,” Gerta replied.

The three women carefully lifted it over her head and settled it on her body. While one fussed with the skirts, the other tied it, the laces so tight they cut off her breath. Hanna touched up her hair.

Satisfied, the women stepped back.

”This is the best we can do with her,” Hanna said before leading them out of the door andinto the waiting room where Elixabete sat, her expression bored. Vil stood nervously at her side and Isilla smiled at him. He returned it, his lips curling at the edges for just a moment before his expression returned to a nervous mask. From behind Isilla, Ilun growled. In the three days since they had come, Ilun had not gotten used to her presence.

For Isilla's part, she tolerated the woman. When the maids took her to the garden, Elixabete came and they laughed and spoke with her. They doted on her, bringing her books and treats, things they had never done, or done begrudgingly, for Isilla. She didn't mind their attention to Elixabete as much as she minded the increase between the four of them in biting remarks and veiled insults.

She had considered, briefly, speaking to Arren about it all but decided against it. When he came to visit with her, only once since they had spoken he seemed so tired. She sat and played cards with him on her bed. The deck was different than what she was used to and he taught her a game with them. He did not kiss her, or even touch her but his shadows pooled around her, pulling gently at her hair and wrapping themselves around her wrists whenever he was focused on his hand.

”You would think with such an important meeting she would show just a little bit of hurry. But what can you expect from someone like here,” Elixabete said pulling herself from the chair.

Meeting? She wrote.

Elixabete sighed, ”I told you yesterday that we were having lunch with the King.”

So this is how things will be then, she thought as the woman walked into the hall where a guard waited. There had been no mention of a lunch.

”Ilun, you should stay hidden,” she said to the animal.

He barked, startling the guards and dove into the nearest, darkest shadow, disappearing from sight. The group began to move forward.

”It's a shame we have to walk so far, but everyone can't use magic,” Elixabete said to no one in particular, letting the comment hang in the air. Isilla knew as well as she did that it would travel through the castle, affirming what everyone suspected about her, that she was weak and powerless.

Vil slowed slightly to match pace with Isilla who walked behind Elixabete, another subtle insult.

”She scheduled the lunch with the King as soon as we got here, I'm sorry, I couldn't tell you. But why are you letting her do this? She's insulting you!”

Isilla nodded. It's fine, she wrote, this meeting, walking in front of me, changes nothing.

Vil, nodded, still clearly confused but sped back up to walk behind his mistress.

The king will not harm me, this is just something I'll have endure, she thought to herself.

A small sense of calm came over her. I cannot call on him, he will be angry if I trouble him again she thought as they walked, coming to staircases and down halls that she had never seen before.

Finally the guards stopped in front of a set of large doors. Opening them they bowed as Isilla and Elixabete entered leaving the guards and Vil outside.

”The Princess Isilla and the Lady Elixabete have arrived, my Lord,” an attendant said next to the King.

The sun pierced twisting shadows, weak gray light filtering into the room. The King sat alone at a stone table, a full meal spread out before him. Two chairs sat opposite of him, empty and waiting. He seemed as he had before, his eyes covered in the nightmare darkness of his power, a stern expression on his lips.

Isilla bowed low but Elixabete crossed the room, hands out to the man who stood to greet her.

”My lord!” she said in a sing song voice as he took her hand and laid a kiss on her knuckles.

Isilla stood and watched the pair.

”Wait a lovely woman you've grown into,” King Ero said, inviting her to take a seat. ”And this,” he said directing his attention to Isilla, ”Is the dreamweaver.”