Satin Rose and the Witch Hunters

28. Stealth Machine

I thought it was harder to keep out of sight in the tight corridors, yet they were lined with potted plants, decorative vases, and dusty suits of armor that served to break anyone’s line of sight. It was almost like a game. Someone would pass and I would have to dash to the nearest shadow, waiting as they passed by. If this was a game, it was terribly designed.
What caught my eye first was how large everything seemed to be. Of course that could have just been my height, yet even still, the ceiling was seemingly as tall as the tip our house roof and the windows that lined the corridor had to stretch to harrowing heights for it to fit. How was anyone even supposed to clean them? Then as I went deeper came rooms that eclipsed even the circus tents that would set up in the spring.
A veritable giant’s maze. When I emerged into the throne room, it was at least the size of the city cathedral. Here was finally some space to spread my wings and disappear into the rafters. I quickly jump and flapped to higher ground on the window sills. Someone could have seen by then, but horror struck my eyes and everything faded away. The three dresses that had been stolen were displayed front and center where the throne would have been. Each was in a glass case whose frame mimicked the color and design of its exhibit.
Like caged animals many who were coming into the room were there to gawk and ogle at the hard work that had been poured into them, a steady stream of talentless judges. It was a mockery to what my dad would have stood for. There was a reason they were in boxes at the store. Beauty from the heart was something to be kept close, brought out to dazzle when the world would see you the most, and tucked back away as to not lose its luster.
What could father have wanted so much that he would even come here in the first place?
Then it was the first time I saw the queen. She seemed to be leading a posse of women, maids, and girls. Dolled up in a white puffy dress with gold gaudy lacing, she didn’t even seem to spare a glance at bounty she had plundered form our home. Instead, briskly walking through, making her troupe keep up. The onlookers who were already there bowed with various degrees of respect, making a path that the queen cut through.
Where was she going in such a hurry? If the rumors about her were true, I can’t imagine that there would have been something important in store for her other than another toy to play with. Why wasn’t she was dad? Why wasn’t he with her?
The queen went through the corridor I just left and I had to follow. There was an open glass panel near me, slightly too small, but I managed to squeeze through. A row of trees was directly outside that I jumped onto. As the queen walked, I continued to hop from branch to tree to branch until she disappeared up a stairwell.
There was quite a gap now between the tree line and the castle roof, but I could see another window to peek in. I jumped without thinking. From what I could tell there wasn’t much of a difference when I readied myself or impulsively moved. A stretch, a few flap, and my feet skid on the red tiles yet didn’t betray my landing. Perhaps I was getting good at this. Seconds after my eye came see inside however the queen was already passing by, climbing higher.
No problem. I jumped and flapped once gain to another level, there was a number of decorative platforms on the windows and outer wall that made it quite easy. Here I landed with a little of balance and spun around before catching myself. The view from here was breath taking, the entire city sprawled out into its grids, with roads and landmarks easily pointed out, ringed by the walls that kept us safe and the grassy green plains surrounding even that.
I couldn’t appreciate it though. I had never had a fear of heights before. Even when my bedroom window could still open, poking my head out or when Phinion and Chris had made me climb a tree that one time, there was never an issue. Now though, the world seemed to spin and slowly I inched back from the edge before turning around.
This new window seemed to peer into a small bedroom, it must have been small by the castle standards, yet to me it was lavish with carpet, a shelf full of books, knick-knacks and dolls on another, and a bed that someone was sleeping in. Thankfully they were faced away. It seemed to me though to be a dead end in following the queen. I couldn’t well enter with the door being closed, perhaps there was another way-
The door unlocked and in stepped the queen now somehow holding onto a tray with a silver bowl on top. She was smiling, almost shouting her declaration, “Princess Trix! Snack time has arrived.”
What kind of princess lazes around- The princess bolted up from her sleep but her eyes were trained onto me instead of the queen. Wide with fear and ice blue, its wouldn’t have been that bad had her hair not been distorted to look like a nest of snakes and her skin almost bleached of color. Worst of all thought was the feeling that overwhelmed me when our eyes connected. She saw me.
I jumped back, falling to the ground. Panic overcame me and my wings started flapping uncontrollably. Tossing around in the air, it seemed that I was actually falling faster to the ground. The world was actually spinning now, a haze of color and movement, the earth hurtling straight to my face. I barely missed the roofs edge and with a last flap of my quickly exhausted wings I drove myself accidentally into a tree. It caught my fall with a dozen pointy branches and let me down harshly with a thump on my back, leaves falling beside me. The sun was shining through the leaves in bright rays and was still moving in a circle to me. I folded my wings in and decided to not move anymore until that was over.
OW. This was going to leave a bruise for sure. There were a lot of questions I had for the what just happened, but there was one thing I did knew something. This was dads fault.
And as if the world was intent on making the worst happen, a hand wrapped around tightly around me. My eyes shot open and I saw a familiar blonde and beefy face. The hunter that had chased me yesterday had a big fat smile plastered on, “Thought you could hide from me forever? Did’ya?”