A Light After Endless Darkness

Chapter 4

When Elizabeth woke up, the first thing she felt was terror. It took a few moments for her to remember what had happened, and that she was no longer in the Twilight Realm. She slowly sat up, glancing around the room with tired, heavy eyes... and immediately jolting when she realized she wasn't alone.

    A dark skinned girl with curly, black hair gathered into a ponytail was busting about the room, tidying and folding things. She wore a plain, beige peasants dress and an apron smeared with flour. No weapons. Not a monster.

As soon as she saw Elizabeth was awake, she turned and curtseyed. "Good morning, miss. I was assigned by Master Dabir as your personal assistant for the time you take to re-adjust to being in the Dawn Realm. Well, just for your time here in the Twilight Nexus, that is."

The first thing Elizabeth thought was, "this isn't the Dawn Realm?"

    "Well, if you're going to be my personal assistant, I'm going to need a name," Elizabeth said.

"My name is Emma, miss," Emma said.

    "It's nice to meet you, Emma. My name is Elizabeth. But you probably knew that already," Elizabeth added in mildly annoyed undertone.

    Emma smiled shyly. "If it helps, miss, your story is incredibly inspiring. And I must say, I am honored to have been assigned to help you during your stay here."

    "Well, dang. Someone's been practicing her flattery."

    "It's merely the truth, miss," 

    "Okay, Emma, I have to know; how long have stories about me been circulating?" Elizabeth asked, climbing out of the massive canopy bed.

"It was about four years after your unfortunate banishment when the masters found out about you," Emma replied. Elizabeth winced, knowing full well what happened when people had time to ruminate and speculate. She'd never live up to what they expected, and she knew that.

She shook herself out of her stupid self pity when she realized Emma was still talking.

"... anyway, I am really only here to make a quick delivery. Master Dabir is in requiem of me. Here..." Emma said as she handed a box over to Elizabeth. Inside of it was a beautiful, deep blue dress, not unlike what she wore to the ball, but far more comfortable looking. It was only blue at first glance, but after a moment of looking at it, it was easy to see the shimmers and streaks of emerald green buried deep inside the fabric. Kind of like the ocean. Resting on top of the bundle was a gorgeous heart-shaped brooch, half gold and half obsidian. Engraved on it in tiny, etched letters was a simple message;  'Light and Darkness are in balance with one another, to embrace both, and to survive both, is a feat only accomplished in legends.'

    "It's beautiful," Elizabeth breathed in awe as she picked it up and examined it.

"Master Dabir thought it symbolised your story well. That is why the heart is made of both gold and obsidian," Emma explained. She sighed, and clasped her hands. "He does love his symbolism, that man," she said more to herself than to Elizabeth.

    "Thank you," Elizabeth said.

    "Your comfort is my pleasure, miss," Emma said, seeming to remember where she was as she quietly left the room.

Once Emma was gone, Elizabeth reached up and pulled the pin out of her hair, allowing the natural curls of her auburn hair to flow freely down her back. She had forgotten how irritating her bangs had been, so she clipped them back with the silver hair clip from last night and smiled, now feeling prepared... somewhat.

I mean, the dress was pretty, but how was she supposed to carry weapons in it?

A knock at the door startled her out of her musings. "Elizabeth, are you ready?" Called Ana.