Cadha (#wattys2016)

Airdiere

"I want to believe you, but I don't know if I can right now."

"That's okay. You'll see eventually that I truly do care for you. Now knock on that door already. I don't much more patience left in me."

I grinned at his excitement. I hoped I could learn trust him, and maybe he really did love me. I'd just have to find out, just like I'd have to find out if I was truly the lost princess.. I knocked on the door and then stood back, waiting for someone to answer it.

A shorter, middle aged woman opened one of the gigantic doors and came out to greet us. She looked Reid and I up and down, then said, "You must be here to present yourself as the lost princess. Come on in. It's late and I don't know if many of the innkeepers would be willing to let you in at this time on night."

We hurried inside behind the woman and she closed the door behind us. The inside of the palace looked just much grander than the exterior. We passed many open rooms decorated mostly in the colors red or dark purple, each of them unique in their own way. The walls were twelve feet high and most of them held paintings or tapestries of some sort. There were chandeliers hanging every 50 yards and they gave just enough light to see your way through the halls.

We ended up going down a myriad of halls, which were probably different, but to me they all looked the same. I had no idea how the house-lady leading us knew where she was going, but we somehow made it to the part of the palace that housed bedrooms.

"I assume you two are brother and sister?" the woman asked.

"No, " I replied quickly. "But this fine young man offered to chaperone me here. If you would kindly give him a room of his own I would be ever so grateful."

"Yes Madame," she said.

"Oh, please. Don't call me Madame; I don't like that too much. Just call me Cadha."

"I will remember to do so," the woman asked.

"Thank you very much. And what, may I ask, is your name?"

"My name is Ann. I am the head house keeper. Here is your room... Cadha. I hope it will be comfortable for you," she said sweetly. She opened the door for me with a small key and handed it to me. "If you ever leave the room make sure you take the key with you or else you will be locked out."

"Thank you Ann,"

"You are very welcome. Good night."

"Good night," I called out to her as she led Reid down the hallway to his room. "And good night to you too Reid," I called to Reid before they slipped around a corner.

Reid turned around and waved at me while saying, "Good night, my dear."

Once he had turned the corner I opened the door and went inside. Apparently she had sent a servant ahead to light the fireplace in my room, because it was already a roaring blaze. There were also a few candles lit around the room so that there were no dark corners. The room was so large that I couldn't imagine sleeping in here by myself. The bed itself took up almost a quarter of the room. It was twice as tall as me and covered in an assortment of pillows. I went straight for it. I couldn't care less what was in the rest of the room. I had walked on a long road all day and my legs and feet were aching from it.

As I got closer to the bed I saw that there was a clean night gown and a pair of slippers for me to wear. I was glad of something to change into; the dress Reid had bought me was too beautiful to sleep in. I quickly took off the skirt and untied the corset. The latter took some time to get out of, because it was so tight, but it finally came off. I set both pieces of the dress on a large dresser against one of the walls and slipped into the night gown. It was thin and breathable compared to the dress, but the room I was staying in was pretty cold.