Cold Light

CHAPTER 2 Shackles

Uncomfortably bright light shined upon Kateryna, causing her to stir. She groaned and lifted her arm to block her eyes, but her hand was weighed down, falling back to her side with a clink of metal. She came to her senses and opened her eyes slowly, lifting her throbbing head to see her wrists in shackles.

The strangest thing, however, was the fact that she was laying on a luxurious bed in a large, rich looking room.

The room had high ceilings, refined and polished furniture probably made of expensive wood, and tall windows. The windows' velvet curtains were pulled back, so that sunlight poured in, bathing Kateryna in warmth, or so it should have been.

Despite the sunshine, the room was chilly and gloomy. The light felt cold, making her shiver.

Suddenly remembering the accident, she sat up abruptly, only to gasp in pain and be pushed back onto the soft bed she was laying on, by gentle hands. A blonde girl with grey eyes about Kateryna's age, maybe older, seventeen or eighteen, had come out of the shadows when Kateryna awakened. She was dressed plainly in a black uniform, long hair pulled up into a high ponytail, a blank expression on her face, and Kateryna had a feeling she was a servant.

Kateryna looked down at her healed shoulder, and her eyes widened. Gingerly touching her head, she felt no bump or blood where her wound had been. She vaguely recalled the windshield of her car shattering, its shards cutting her, a branch poking through and stabbing her through the abdomen, and her head slamming against the side window. She winced at the memory. Lifting the white silk pajamas the servant seemed to have given her, slightly, she saw no blemish on her stomach. She pulled her shirt back down, and stared at her seemingly unharmed arms. There was no physical indication that the accident ever happened, and Kateryna would have believed it was a dream if she did not feel the ache where her wounds were.

She looked back at the girl by her side, who was waiting politely. The girl held out a beautiful and elegant, yet simple, emerald colored ball gown.

"The prince requested you wear this when you have dinner with him. I will escort you there when you have washed and changed."

Never had a request sounded more like an order.

Kateryna hesitated, then took the gown from her, before remembering her wrists were shackled. She pouted in frustration.

The servant let out a short laugh, and Kateryna glanced up at her, an eyebrow raised, she had expected the servant to be expressionless.

"Here, I'll help you, miss."

"Thank you, uh..."

"Payne."

"Thank you, Payne. I'm Kateryna."

Somehow, Kateryna felt she could trust Payne.

Payne took the gown from her and set it on the bed. Taking a small key from her pocket, she unlocked Kateryna's shackles. "I'm not supposed to take your shackles off, but you won't be able to wash and change with these. They can be very inconsiderate some times."

Kateryna wanted to ask who were "they" but instead thanked Payne again. Payne showed Kateryna the large bathroom connected to the bedroom, and prepared the bath.

As Kateryna reclined in the bubbles and petals, she wondered where all this was going. The best explanation was that it was a dream, but everything was seemed too real, too vivid, for a dream. All she could really do was go with the flow, and see what was going on.

When she finished, Payne helped her into the ball gown. The emerald color went well with Kateryna's hair, which was mostly a brown strawberry blonde color. Payne put her hair up into an elegant chignon, letting a few wavy stray strands fall out. When Payne began to put some makeup on, Kateryna protested, she was never a girl to care too much about looks, but gave in at Payne's pleading expression.