Remnant of Power

Chapter Twenty-six

Yavenna

After several hours dutifully giving Aunt Breanna and Lady Rassten her opinions about the type of flowers she wanted in her bouquet, and her choice of music for the celebration after the wedding, Yavenna followed the two of them into the dining hall. She held food to her mouth, but she could barely force herself to eat; she still couldn't get the smell of her blood out of her nostrils. And she was no nearer to finding out why her pendant was heating up, or why the King needed to excavate Tarhasta. There were too many secrets in this castle, secrets that involved her, and she had no way of finding out the answers.

As they finished dessert, a messenger arrived to tell Breanna there had been an important delivery. Clambering to her feet, the old woman told Yavenna to follow her upstairs, immediately. Breanna huffed up the stairs to the Princess's suite, then opened the door with one push.

Yavenna hadn't realized what would be waiting for her.

Acid burnt her stomach as she stood in the doorway, and a sharp pain stabbed above her right eye as she looked at the dress she least wanted to see. Ever. Yavenna's wedding dress, sent from her seamstress in Tarhasta. Breathe. Breathe, she told herself, filling her lungs, you won't have to wear it. There must be some way of escaping.

The seamstress had sent the gown on a wooden frame, and Sharva had positioned it exactly in the centre of the living room. The light was dimming outside and the maid had lit all the candles in the room, so the dress sparkled as if it was covered in a million tiny stars.

There was a gasp as Aunt Breanna puffed up to it.

"By the plague, that's the most beautiful dress I've seen for fifty years or more! Look at the diamonds!" She turned to the Princess. "My goodness, Princess Yavenna, you really are the most fortunate of women. His Majesty will think you are truly stunning in that lovely dress. You know, you'll be able to wrap him around your little finger!"

Yavenna smiled falsely at the old woman. "I am fortunate, aren't I? I'll be so happy when I marry His Majesty," she lied. By the day of the wedding, she'd be miles away from here. Somehow. She couldn't stop her face tightening into a frown so she turned away to hide her expression from Aunt Breanna. Wrap him around her finger! Urgh, even if she wanted to, she had no idea how to do that. The only thing she'd like to wrap the foul man around would be the gallows. Why was the silly woman still here anyway? She wanted to talk to Sharva alone. At least she could let out some of her feelings in front of her.

"Go on then, my dear, put it on!" Aunt Breanna had started to untie the back of the dress, trying to get it off the frame. Sharva rushed to help her. "I should think you're desperate to put it on, aren't you? The King won't be able to take his eyes off you." She tutted. "Well as long as the Rassten woman stays out of the way." She shook her head. She helped Sharva to lift the dress up, and then the two of them passed it to Yavenna.

But as Yavenna touched the cloth she dropped it on the floor like it was a hot plate. Urgh! She couldn't bear the feel of it. She rubbed her hands together trying to dry the clamminess.

"Not to worry, Your Highness," said Sharva picking it up straight away and brushing it down. Carrying it over her arm, she gently turned Yavenna around and started to untie the back of her dress. "It will be alright, Mistress, don't worry, you've just got to get used to the idea. Everything will be alright."

"Everything will be wonderful for you, my dear," agreed Aunt Breanna, "You're marrying a very powerful man. However, I am surprised at the speed of the wedding. What's the reason for that my dear? Surely, you're not with child already? I didn't think you'd met him until a few days ago." A rush of nausea rose in Yavenna's gut, but it washed away the horror she'd felt when she saw the dress. She suddenly remembered one of the things she'd been burning to find out ever since she read the scroll. Surely Aunt Breanna or Sharva would know - who was Zorad?

"Erm, no Aunt Breanna, that's against the law in Tarhasta, and I thought it was against the law here in Arvad too. It's also against my religion."

Aunt Breanna cackled loudly, "Ha! The King makes his own laws, my dear. That's one of the best bits of being King..."

Yavenna carried on, she was determined to ask her question... "I'm sure the King has a very good reason for the haste. He seems like a very organized man, as well as being very powerful." She lifted her arms up to allow Sharva to slide the wedding dress over her head. "But I must say, I think it's going to take me an awfully long time to learn the names of everyone here at court. I heard someone talking about a man called Zorad, but I don't remember meeting him at all. I'm worried I'm going to call everyone by the wrong name."

Aunt Breanna's head snapped up as Yavenna spoke. She gave an almost imperceptible shiver before chuckling loudly. "Well, Your Highness, you won't need to worry about calling anyone at court Zorad. There's only one Zorad I've ever heard of, and he's the King of Menendreth."

Yavenna's mouth fell open. The King of Menendreth? Didn't Sharva say the other day that he was the most powerful man in the world? What on earth did he have to do with anything? Yavenna blinked. Surely it was enough that she had to try and escape from a powerful wicked King, a King who had a mage at his disposal, a King with soldiers everywhere? To find out now that the most powerful man in the world was concerned about her and wanted her married to Ulric! Oh, it was just too much. She turned away from Sharva and Aunt Breanna. She walked towards the balcony and pushed the glass doors open. The sky was nearly dark now and a sprinkling of stars twinkled above. But they reminded her of the dreadful dress. She grabbed it and hoisted it over her head. Filthy, filthy thing! She slammed it down on the balcony and stamped on it, deliberately making sure she didn't look into the gardens below. The mage was the last person she could bear to see right now. She stared out over the dark plain and a sob burst out of her aching chest. She was so alone. She had no one who truly cared, no one to look out for her. No one just to be a true friend. Was there anyone out there who felt like she did at this moment? A gentle breeze stroked her cheeks, and she felt the wetness on them. Gazing up at the dark sky her heart begged, if there is anyone who cares about me in this world, anyone who can help me escape, please, please help me.