The Promise of the Dawn

Chapter Ten: Polish

Cael leads me up to the Estate by the hand as I shake from shock and cold, immediately taking me up to the drawing room, where he sits me in a sofa near the fire place.

"Wait here" Cael says, leaving me alone in the luxurious room.

I huddle on the floor near the fireplace, reaching towards it to warm my hands while I admire the room around me.

The floors were made of a yellow and white marbled stone, and the decor is fashioned from a mix of golden, beige, and cream fabrics, all made with expensive looking textures. A golden chandelier supplies the room with the most light, but early morning sunbeams cast a golden glow throughout the room. I begin to admire the smooth carpet just as Cael reenters, carrying a large blanket.

"Take this" He says, draping the blanket over my shoulder and sitting down next to me.

He removes my wet hair from beneath the blanket, draping it over instead so the wet ends don't soak my clothes.

"Thank you" I reply softly.

"Shh" Cael replies, placing a finger on my lips to quiet me and ringing a small golden bell he brought with him.

Two maids immediately enter the room, curtsying formally as they approach Cael.

"How can we assist you My Lord?" one asks.

"Bring a tray of tea in. Extra sugar and cream. And tell my father to meet me in the Study later tonight" Cael replies.

"Yes, My Lord" the same maid replies, curtsying again before exiting with her friend.

"I really don't-"

"I don't want to hear it. You'll stay here at the Estate until we can find more suitable quarters for you. I never should've trusted those men in the barracks anyway. They're beasts. All of them. I'll be sure to have Arthur and his friend removed from the Guardians immediately. I'm so sorry for the trauma they've caused you" Cael apologizes.

"Please, don't expel Arthur. He didn't do anything. It was only his friend" I explain.

"If you say so... but I'll be sure to discipline him before he returns to training." Cael replies.

"You really don't have to do this. I'll be fine. Really. It was just a little-"

"I don't want to hear another word from you. Take a break. Relax a little. You can stay here however long you need until you've recovered enough to go back to training" Cael interrupts.

The maids reenter with the tea, setting the tray down in front of us on the floor.

"Your father is expecting your presence in the study My Lord. His schedule only allows him to see you now" A maid explains.

Cael glances over at me in concern.

"I'll be right back. I promise" Cael replies.

I nod and smile at him softly. He exits the room with the maids, once again leaving me alone. This time, I just sit and stare at the flames as they flicker within the fire place, patiently awaiting his return.

I quickly grow tired of waiting with only the crackle of the flames within the fireplace to keep me company and I stand up, wrapping the blanket tighter around myself as I exit the drawing room, beginning to wander down the hallway outside the doorway. The hallway is lined with a cream carpet embroidered with golden designs that gleam when the sun hits them at the right angle.

I set my eyes on a beautiful birchwood table set at the center of the hallway, across from a doorway, where an expensive looking vase made of marble sits, filled with daisy's and sunflowers. I walk over to it, running my hands along the side of the vase in awe. It has a smooth texture, which tells me the vase has been polished, and probably recently.