In The Name of The King (#Wattys2016)

The Decision

The atmosphere changed from heavy and depressed, to lighthearted and radiant. It felt like such a long time since I laughed that hard, It actually felt really good.

After awhile, all of us finally sucked in a big lungful of air and sighed in delight. Neela was pacing back and forth, disliking the small area we were in. Silence filled the room, all you could hear were Neela's nails clicking on the wooden boards. Gavin spoke up,

"Mary, I would be delighted to help you on your journey," My brown eyes widened, shocked that this man was willing to help someone he barely knew. A huge smile was plastered onto my face. Arthur mirrored my actions with even more enthusiasm. The chair Gavin was seated in slid across the floor with a loud creak as he got up.

"All you need is some decent clothes and by the sound of your stomach, some food." Gavin smiled and winked, making my head duck in embarrassment. He headed out of the small hut, leaving Arthur and I to ourselves. I placed my arms in front, arching the kinks out of my back.

"I never knew you went through all of that...," Arthur murmured, his smile vanishing. I sighed, not wanting to relive the memories of the past couple of days. I'm surprised I didn't pass out from starvation, let alone dehydration.

"Well, you can't change the past. No matter how much you want to," I stared directly into his eyes, frowning. The candle that was burning brightly just a minute ago, was now a pool of hard wax. Arthur stared back, not breaking eye contact for what felt like an eternity. It was hard to tell what was going through his mind at that very moment.

"What's your plan?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. I folded my hands over the rusted candle holder. What's my plan? To avenge my father? To bring down Caldwell and his mercenaries? Or to find out what this secret my father kept? There was so much I wanted to know, so much I wanted to stop being ignorant to.

"My plan is to find out why my father deceived everyone, including his family." I jutted my chin out in determination. Before Arthur had a chance to reply, Gavin sauntered into the doorway with a handful of silk and satin dresses. My jaw dropped at the sight of how beautifully handwoven they were. I was used to wearing such garments only a little over a month ago. But, for some reason, it felt foreign.

"I asked Adriana for a simple garment and she thrusted all of these onto me," Gavin dropped the elegant garments onto the table, sighing loudly. Arthur chuckled in amusement, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Do you expect anything else from our puella?" Arthur asked, recovering from his laughing fit. Gavin scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"She didn't have to give me the whole store!" He whined, throwing his hands up in the air. I plucked one of the dresses off of the table, examining it. It was lavender with complex gold designs at the shoulders. It was the most beautiful dress I've ever laid my eyes on.

"Do you want to try it on?" Arthur asked, detecting my interest in this particular dress. I nodded enthusiastically, wondering where I was going to switch clothes in such a small space. I wasn't about to drop drawers in front of Gavin and Arthur. Gavin finally picked up on my contradiction.

"We'll be outside so you can change, if you need us just yell," Gavin laughed at his own joke, making Arthur laugh in unison. When the door slammed shut, I pulled off the stained and tattered dress. Parts of the garment stuck to my skin, the dried dirt making it hard to peel off.

If mother ever saw me like this she would've thrown a fit. My mother was always poking and proding every little movement I made as a child. If I was playing with the horses and got some mud in my hair, her face would turn an angry red while the sounds of her screams bounced off the walls. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bowl filled to the brim with water. Inside it was a tattered piece of cloth. I smiled slightly, knowing exactly who put this on the table.

I placed my hands into the bowl, shivering from the sudden temperature of the water. I rubbed the washcloth over the parts of my body that were caked with brown dirt and sweat. The water was so cold, I flinched every time it came in contact with the sensitive skin below my belly button. After I finished cleaning myself, I stepped into the soft fabric. I started shimmying my hips into the dress, when suddenly the door creaked open.

"What's taking you so long?" Arthur poked his head into the doorway, widening his eyes in horror. I shrieked, trying to cover up the top half of my body. His frame became stiff, not moving a muscle. My cheeks flamed with humiliation. How could he?! I grabbed the nearest object and hurled it at him. The bowl crashed against the door, snapping Arthur out of whatever daze he was in.

"Get out! I said, get out!" I shrieked, trying to cover myself up with the lavender dress. Arthur immediately slammed the door shut in such a frenzy, I was scared it would fall off its hinges. I plopped into one of the wooden chairs, staring at the wall in a daze. What just happened?

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Hey readers! Long time no see! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating. I know, excuses, excuses. I'll be trying my best to update more frequently without it being taxing on my grades. I started using some small Latin in here so forgive me if I mess it up. I'm taking Latin but it's so hard and I'm only just learning it so forgive me. I hope you guys like this chapter, there's a funny little scene I added at the end for your enjoyment. I hope you guys stick with me and don't forget to vote!

Cheers!
Natalie