Runaways Book 3: The Ivorian Princess

A Dreary Day

It had been almost two long days since Rex was discovered. I looked at myself standing in the mirror, wearing the glitzy  black dress Nigel had laid out for me the night before. Today was Rex's funeral, I didn't want to go, I was afraid I would make a scene. After looking at myself for a really long time, I figured the dress was too pretty for a funeral. So I threw it off and put on a simple black dress with a lace neckline. I heard a knock on my door, and in walked Kylie.
She was wearing black jeans, and a black cameo vest. "Hi Brooke...are you ready?" She asked. I nodded. I felt her grab my hand, and I watched her slide into the mirror beside me, and I saw faint traces of tear streaks across her cheeks. I turned away from the mirror. "Let's go." She said. I nodded and followed her out the door, down the hall, and down the stairs. We didn't talk much the whole way, finally the awkwardness dissipated when we walked out to the garden where the funeral was taking place.
There were people everywhere, all dressed in dark colors resembling sadness, and mourning. I could see almost everyone from the village, I could spot Kadir and Zayde wearing nice red and black tuxes. They were both quiet and solemn. I craned my neck for a glimpse of Akir amongst the crowd, but I couldn't find him. I saw a small throng of people crowding around the edge of the pond. I started working my way towards them, and they looked at me with forlorn expressions.
In the that throng of people there was a sandy-haired couple with a little girl. I had never seen them before, then I realized, they were Rex's family! They came all this way, they traveled over land and sea, just to get to their dead son. Rex had never told me anything about his life before he ran away, and I wondered if there was a reason. I excused myself past them, and they let me through. They had all been clustering around a long box of ivory, for sitting atop a bed of purple velvet, was Rex. He looked exactly like he did when he was alive, he could have been sleeping.
His clear gray eyes stared up at the sky, full of life that wasn't there. I couldn't take it, this wasn't supposed to happen, this was all a dream, an illusion, it couldn't actually be happening. I turned on my heel and ran away towards the castle. I slammed into Zayde on my way up. "Whoa your majesty. Are you ok?" I kept on running. "Fine!" I called back. I ran through the double doors, and threw myself through the first door I saw, a birch one on the left. I ran in and threw myself onto a shag rug that lay on the floor, I lay there and cried and cried.
"Miss?" I heard a voice say behind me. I looked up and Luna stood in the doorway. I took a moment and looked at my surroundings for the first time. Towards the right wall was a tiny bed, laced with a patchwork quilt. Against the left wall were cupboards, a stove, and a small counter. On top of the counter was a brewing stand, an array of leaves and flowers, and some cups. I realized this was Luna's room.
"Oh I'm so sorry." I said, as I got to my feet. Luna smiled. "Don't worry, I know you're dealing with a lot right now." I nodded in agreement. "Sit down." She said, gesturing towards the bed. I sat down and stared at the walls around me, I saw a pretty painting of a sunset hanging on the wall next to the cupboards. "Did you paint that?" I asked Luna, she nods but doesn't turn around, she's busy mixing something in one of the brewing stands.
After a few more minutes, she turned around holding a clay cup, with an herbal mixture. "Drink. It's thyme and hot lemon water, it will help with the shock." I nod, and then take the cup from her. It's hot, and the leaves are smooth against my tongue, I immediately feel calmer. "Thank you, Luna." She shrugs as she takes the cup. "No problem, it's what I'm here for." As she goes to clean up the counter there's a question that was burning in my mind.
"Luna?" I ask her. "Hmm?" She says. "Did you order Akir to stay in bed?" Luna turned around and sat down on the bed next to me. "No. I told him that he must go to the funeral, Rex was his favorite student, a very reliable human being, why do you ask?" I turned away from her to control my anger. "Maybe it was too much for him to take, because I didn't see him at the funeral, he was nowhere. All these people came from all over, even Rex's family crossed the ocean! And Akir didn't even walk downstairs and out the door."
Luna was silent. "I-I didn't know Akir didn't go. That's awful!" I nodded and turned back towards Luna. "I want to talk to him Luna." She nodded, and led me out the door, we crossed through the throne room and down a hall, and up a spiral staircase to Akir's chambers. When we walked in a deafening sound of trickling water hung in the air, a small fountain sat on his bedside table, books littered the ground and the desk, his grand bed was hardly seeable through all the books.
I stepped over a few encyclopedias, and craned my neck to see if Akir was lying in his bed. He was gone. "Maybe he's gone down to the funeral." Luna suggested, I shook my head. "I'm going to find out the real way." I bent down on one knee and took a deep breath in. It had been a while since I had done true magic, so I wondered how it would play out. I closed my eyes, and everything became still.
When I opened my eyes, the sound of the fountain was gone, Luna was gone, I was standing in a small room with stoves and cabinets, it looked like a kitchen. I watched Akir walk in and see a red velvet cake sitting on the counter. He made sure no one was watching and he took a handful, and shoved it into his mouth. I gasped at his rudeness. Then, a small freckle-faced boy slid down from a ladder leading to a loft.
He yelled at Akir, but the High Elder just slapped the boy on the wrist, I gasped again. Why was Akir acting like this? I had seen enough. I ripped myself away, and opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the ground, Luna was standing over me, and looking very worried. "Are you alright miss?" She asked as she helped me up. "I'm fine, now, do you know how to get to the kitchens?"