The War (All Chapters + Synopsis)

Chapter 3.1 - Amalia

I expect to be led to a cell, not to the luxurious rooms to which the guards bring me. I can't help but notice the lack of red, black, and gold. I find it strange that they wouldn't dress the room in the colors of the Conclamatas, but the pale colors of spring instead.

I turn to a white door as it opens, and an elderly woman comes through.

"Ms. Crestman, if you would like to clean up before supper we must hurry," says the woman with burnished gold eyes and liquid black hair, with a few grey hairs showing her immense age. Her golden skin is smooth as a stone, the mark of makraz immortality.

"Who are you?" I demand.

"My name is Filia Yipir, His Royal Majesty asked me to look after you during your stay here," the woman explains in a warm voice. "This evening, he has invited you to dine at the high table with himself and his Royal Council. So I ask again, would you like to clean up before supper?"

"No, I'm not here to be the Royal Pet. You understand that I'm the King's mortal enemy right?" I question the servant.

"Of course I do, but right now you are his guest and it would not do for you to arrive to supper in tattered rags."

"Fine," I mumble reluctantly, I don't want to be wearing my filthy clothes in front of his whole court.

She guides me into a washroom that is off to the side of the bedchamber. I follow her hesitantly into the humid room, telling her that I won't get into the bath unless she leaves the room. When she's gone, I strip off my ruined clothes and hesitantly step into the warm water of the bath.

A cloud of grime billows into the cleansing water as the blood and dirt collected during that last battle wash off. When I finally feel clean again, or as clean as I can feel in the Demon King's castle, I step out of the water and wrap a fluffy white towel around my body. When I re-enter the bedroom, I look first for any signs of movement, finding none, I walk quickly to the bed.

A clean set of clothes are laid out on the silky duvet, I pick them up and slip behind the dressing screen in the corner of the room. I drop the towel, and pull on the soft white underthings that were with the clothes, and then the clothes themselves. The clothes feel like wisps of air as I pull on black pants and a white dress-shirt along with a black vest with silver and blue detailing.

There is also a midnight blue dress coat with silver designs along the hem-lines. I pull on the coat, surprised to find that all the clothes fits perfectly. I smile, despite myself, at the coloring, at least the king of Feralis isn't forcing me into his precious red and gold.

I walk up to the doors of my chambers and crack them open. When I do, Filia widens the crack and walks in, telling me that she now has to do my hair. I guess my tangled honey colored nest would offend His Royal Evilness. I sit down in front of the chamber's makeup table and frown into the silver mirror.

Filia picks up a wooden comb and runs it gently through my hair. I wince as the comb snags on a tangle, Filia swiftly undoes the tangle, and runs the comb through that strand again to undo any stray knots. Slowly Filia works the comb around my hair until she can run it through without any tangles stopping the comb. She asks me how I want my hair done, so I tell her to braid it.

She leaves the room when finished, telling me that some guards will come to escort me to supper in an hour. Until then I have the freedom to explore the confines of my rooms. I find a pair of white socks and some supple leather boots, in the darkest of blues, at the foot of the bed and pull them on.

I decide to spend my time by the window and look out at this kingdom that I've only seen from the battlefield. A kingdom I always thought of as the darkest place in the world. I never thought that a kingdom so known for ruthless leaders and it's dangerous mountain ranges, could be anything but terrible. So when I open the curtains all the way and golden streaks of light come shining through, it feels strange, because there is almost no difference between here and at home.

There's a large courtyard just below my window. Low marble walls covered in vines form the boundaries of the courtyard, and cobbled paths surround large grassy fields. On one side of a particularly large field is a large podium made of wood. A raised dais atop the podium holds a wooden throne complete with red cushions and gold detailing. More chairs are lined up on both sides, one for each member of the king's retinue, the throne for Lues himself. Above the chairs is a red canvas roof, to keep the possible rain away from the fancy chairs.

A tournament score board is standing to the side, and servants are pulling a flag covered rope across a line in the sandy strip that serves as a tilt yard for jousting. Flags are waving from poles at the corners of the field, and servants tie strings of flags between the poles. It's for a festival I realize, but why are they having a festival now, in the middle of a war?

I turn away from the tournament setup, and look out a window that faces a different direction, this one out towards land a bit more. The city below, Moor, with it's stone roofs and cobbled streets, looks so similar to Aura it makes my heart ache for the home that I lost along with my parents. There are flags covering every flag-post and free space.

I wonder if they are ordered to hang those flags, like we are at home, or if they chose to support their king and country freely, probably the former. I see a town square, marked by the colorful tents of a market out of the corner of my eye.

People mill about town, mere specks of color from this distance. I see none of the dark alleys so common to cities, no people huddled for warmth, no beggars begging for food. Maybe they're in prison, or maybe they've all been killed, but maybe they're being taken care of and fed and clothed. Maybe this kingdom isn't the sludge pit that my mother told me about, maybe the people here are happy and everything I've ever known has been a lie, but can that really be true?

I shake that treasonous thought from my mind, this must all be a farce. A play put on by that monster to make me doubt myself and those I serve. I don't know how he could put on such a large scale act, but I cannot possibly believe that this is the truth.

I try to see as my mother taught me, to find the hidden crack in this joyful mask, but I can't. All I see are people dancing, and colorful banners waving in the wind, and for the first time in a long time, I doubt what I've been fighting for.

I notice abruptly that my thoughts have carried me into the multicolored light of twilight. The sun sinks below colored clouds, and glittering stars fill the darkening sky. As Filia promised, the guards come to take me to their Supreme Commander, to their king, as the last streaks of light fade from the sky.