A Betrayal of Storms by Ben Alderson

Chapter 12

"Encouraging," I muttered under my breath as a shuffling of footsteps behind the door caught our attention. Someone spoke atop them all and the noise of the crowd beyond stilled to silence.

"Do not leave Erix's line of sight," Althea warned, voice full of tension. Something was bothering her, but I had no time to ask as the doors swung open and her face split with the most enchanting of smiles.

Before us waited a balcony which overlooked a grand room, one so large that I could not see where the walls nor ceiling came to their end. My lips parted in awe as the scene before me blew away the cobwebs of nerves with one, strong breath. Althea stepped forward first and I quickly followed. Around the balcony was a banister, posts of interwoven wood, on either side a staircase flowed down like the rivers of a waterfall, carpeted by a runner of deep red material that complimented the polished wood of the flooring beneath it. It was all so... expensive.

I overlooked the banister to the room far below and the scene turned my stomach inside out.

Countless faces looked upwards, each a mirror of my own bewilderment. And they all looked to me. Not a single pair of eyes flirted with the notion of looking at anyone else. Not even Althea who glowed brighter than I.

It was I who commanded their attention, their awe. Disbelief rolled off the crowd in gargantuan waves that I could almost taste it across my dry tongue.

Gods, I needed a drink.

The crowd of fey were dressed like a bed of resting autumn leaves. From my height it was as though I looked down upon the bed of foliage, where red, oranges, golds and brass tones melted together as one.

I gripped the banister, catching a glimpse of the grey of my shirt and felt even more like a thorn among roses.

"Robin," Althea whispered through a smile, eyes widening as she flicked them toward the stairway. It was as though my name was the loudest noise I had ever heard, as the silent crowd still watched me. She extended a hand, her skin shimmering beneath the sheer gloves that went up to her elbows. "Take my hand."

I did as she commanded, slipping my shaking fingers into her warm hold. Althea gripped onto me with support, so grounding that I felt she could have held me up by that one hand alone. Then she guided me towards the staircase and we began our descent into the crowd.

I hardly looked down to make sure I did not miss a step as I studied the guards waiting for us at the bottom. They had formed a path of such through the crowd. And with each step downwards, the conversations and whispers begun to grow until the crowd no longer stared in silence.

In a single breath it was like I was no longer here. Instead, they stared out the corners of eyes as they forced conversation with those around them. Hiding their interest. Concealing their thoughts in hushed murmurs to one another.

"Not so bad, was it?" Althea said.

"Was it not?" I asked, a nervous grin tugging at my lips.

"Nothing wrong with a little attention. You are going to have to get used to it. And quick."

My mouth was dry and mind a whirlwind of thoughts. "I need a strong drink."

"You deserve a drink." Althea looked over my shoulder to where Erix waited. I did not need to turn to confirm it. He was taking the personal guard claim very... well, personally. "Think you can handle the hungry looks alone?"

A shiver spread up my spine and across my neck. I was trying my best not to engage with anyone's eye contact, focusing solely on Althea. It was exhausting. Whereas she seemed so at ease among the bustling crowd, which set me at ease, somewhat at least.