Ruby Shimmer (re-write)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Soon after, we had finally left Gramma and Grampa's private suite, but unfortunately, this meant that I was forced to enjoy another delightfully awkward stroll through the mansion with Julian walking slightly ahead of me and leading me to God knows where.

I tried a number of times to break the tension by starting up a conversation or getting any real information on the people I was supposed to be meeting with. But, every time, the only answer I got was stone cold silence as he kept his eyes forward and his mouth shut.

Because of this, after trying and failing for the umpteenth time, I finally gave up and quietly followed him through the lavish halls.

But, since I had nothing else to do, I quickly grew bored and began to study the countless paintings we had been passing by along the way.

I found that most of the paintings themselves were of things you would normally expect. Landscapes. Flowers. And the like. And every so often, we would pass by one that seemed to be a portrait of what I assumed to be a member of the Davenport family. Each subject held an obvious likeness to both Lord Davenport and Julian, but that wasn't all that I noticed about them.

Once I had seen enough, I realized that a fair amount of them had a certain pair of eyes. Eyes that were lit up with kindness with a few smile lines here and there. Eyes that I would recognize anywhere as I had always found solace in them whenever I was sad or hurt.

They were the deep blue eyes of my own grandfather.

This added another notch to the story that Lord Davenport had explained to me. And coming to such a surprising revelation caused my mind to once again race with unease and uncertainty.

I continued to get more and more lost in my own head as we continued to walk until, after what felt like an eternity, we finally came to a stop right outside an old wooden door. One that Julian opened to reveal yet another stone staircase whose bottom of which was lost to the darkness below.

"So your job was just to lead me here?" I asked, my voice laced with far more irritation and venom than I had even realized I was feeling. "And I'm guessing this is supposed to lead us back down to the catacombs?"

"What's the matter, Miss Melanie? Losing your nerve already?" my guide answered me in a mocking tone of voice.

But whether he actually turned out to be family or not, being looked down upon by this obnoxious little weasel proved to be just the kick in the pants I needed to keep going.

So, after taking a few extra seconds to gather my thoughts and emotions, I turned back to him with another wide grin.

"Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's get going." I said in a cheerful and bubbly voice before I pushed my way past him and began to descend the stairs in question.

However, I was almost immediately passed myself as the dark-haired male regained his former lead.

This resulted in me having no other choice but to trail after him all the way down the staircase and further into the surrounding shadows that were only parted by the dim light of the still lit sconces lining the smooth stone walls. And this effectively let me know that I had been right before and we were currently heading back into the underground catacombs.

At this point, I was once again starting to question why I was still going along with this nonsense. Especially since there was still no solid evidence that anything they had told me so far was even true. In fact, even by this time, I remained suspicious that this might be nothing more than an elaborate prank.

However, thoughts like that were eventually pushed aside when we came to a sudden stop, this time in front of a gorgeous set of towering double doors made of thick dark wood, the only adornment on them being a single large black metal door knocker on the right side.

Julian immediately used that same knocker to pound three times on the doors in question before opening them with a loud groan.

And as I stepped across the threshold and into the mystery room's interior, I once more found myself amazed by what I saw.

The entire room was still built out of those same gray stones, however, in this new space, they had been stacked into a towering circular shape, one that was being lit by a new series of sconces just like the outer corridors.

But, what really held my attention was the fact that the same people from the original meeting room were now in front of me with Lord Davenport himself standing at the head of the group.

Other than him and Julian, there were three other middle-aged adults and just as many younger people around my own age. And not just that, but all of them were also wearing the same type of robes as we were but in a variety of different colors.

While every one of them continued to stare at me in total silence, I glanced away in awkward embarrassment, causing me to notice that an oversized banner hung on the wall directly behind them.

The banner itself was adorned with the image of a large gold and crimson flame on a field of solid white surrounded by a circle of elaborate stitchings that appeared to be of a blood-red ruby, a pale purple amethyst, a deep green emerald, and an ocean-blue sapphire.

But, even in my current state of shock and awe, I eventually heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. As such, I forced myself to pay closer attention to my situation, only to realize that Lord Davenport was now giving me an intense and rather serious look.

One that had my mouth going totally dry from nerves.

I tried my best to find and gather the courage to speak, but I felt so anxious and on edge that I felt like I was about to throw up at any minute.

Thankfully, I was saved from making a complete ass out of myself when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Julian step forward, he himself bowing deeply to the group before beginning to address whom I could only assume were his colleagues and superiors.

"Greetings to you, most esteemed High Counsel. I have brought forth the girl as you requested." he spoke in a surprisingly polite and incredibly formal tone of voice that took me by surprise.

"Many thanks to you, Master Julian. You have done well to fulfill your duties and have once again shown a true spirit of loyalty to the League and our cause." Lord Davenport answered him as the older man stepped forward a few steps himself, now staring at me with such intensity that I had to strong-arm myself to stay still and not back away out of fear, even though I could feel my legs shaking beneath my robes.

"Melanie Hawthorn. You have been summoned to appear before this sacred counsel in order for you to prove yourself as the true heir to Lady Victoria Forrester's rank, position, and role within the League of Gem Warriors.

However, there is only one way to know the truth. Do you feel confident enough to perform the One True Test in order to confirm such a powerful claim?"

My nervousness was quickly starting to get the best of me as I felt my knees begin to shake more violently than ever. And because of this, I could only stare back at Lord Davenport with pleading eyes as I willed myself to speak, though it was in a weak and tiny voice.

"Please, sir. I'm really confused about all this and I don't understand what's going on right now. Just what do you expect me to do? And weren't you already convinced about who I was? Isn't that why you let me stay in Gramma and Grampa's private suite? Because you trusted me?"

However, rather than answering my worries like I had hoped, Lord Davenport just continued to stare at me. But even despite that, there was a sympathetic look in his deep blue eyes as he did so.

"I have brought my case before the Counsel. Unfortunately, we have decided that we will require more concrete evidence before making our final conclusion.

Now, I will ask you one more time. Are you confident enough to perform the One True Test?"

Hearing his definite tone, I took a moment to steel myself and weigh my options before I finally looked up and gave all eight pairs of watchful eyes a determined stare in return.

"What do I have to do?"