Love your Enemy (Ruby Rose fanfic)

TWO (Iselen POV)

I open my eyes and stare at the stunning gothic ceiling of my bedroom, faint light comes through the windows... I think it's too early or maybe it's cloudy and raining again. I sit down on the mattress with caution to avoid pain, I'm feeling better every day but the flight and the long drive was exhausting for me yesterday and the rehab exercises from previous days have left me stiff. That reminds me I should go back to the gym but it won't be today, I need to know my employees better, take a walk around the castle and start to build up a mental map of my surroundings because I don't want to get lost, explore the village and meet some of my farmers maybe, have a meeting with the administrator, take a look at the stables... I've only ridden a horse twice in my life, I don't know what to say to the boys working there... I take a deep breath slowly and try to remember everything I know about yoga and meditation.

"Little by little, Iselen... it can't be more difficult than jumping from a plane at high altitude in the dark taking your enemies off guard. You can do this... Let's go, Captain..." I mumble before getting up and walking into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later I had my shower, I'm wearing jeans and a simple white shirt and my steps echo through the massive corridor every time my boots hit the floor... I'm lost. I left the tower and could've sworn I followed the same route I walked yesterday with Meredith, I'm a soldier for God's sake, I'm used to pass my map reading tests... But I took the wrong turn in a gallery, most likely, and I've been wandering aimlessly for the last ten minutes because I don't know where I am and windows aren't helping me at all, I can only see lawn and a massive forest that surrounds the castle.

"I can't do this..." I growl desperate leaning my shoulder on a column when I realize I'm again in the same room I found five minutes ago by chance. A noise to my left startles me and I open my eyes wide in shock when I spot a maid walking through a door carrying a bucket and a mop. "Thank God, I thought I was going to die of starvation." The girl looks at me like I'm some kind of ghost that came out of nowhere holding its decapitated head with an arm.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace..." she seems completely baffled.

"I'd love to... have breakfast, but I don't know where..." I explain with an awkward smile and the girl nods but she doesn't seem to be making fun of me.

"Don't worry, milady, we all got lost in the castle at least once. You have to keep going straight down the corridor till you find a painting on the wall where a knight wearing a 16th century armour holds the leash of a horrible dog, you have to turn right and open the second door... it's a living room with couches upholstered with burgundy flowers, you have to walk across the room and open the door because it leads to the balcony of the entrance hall. Mr. Fraser is always wandering around the main door and can tell you where the breakfast room is..."

"Breakfast room... it means that there's more than one dining room..." The maid nods solemnly and I decide to follow her instructions instead of flopping down on the floor and burst into tears desperate. Next time I'll bring my compass since I'm pretty sure my GPS won't be able to connect to the satellite through these thick walls. I wave goodbye and focus on finding the knight with the ugly dog... I arrive to the entrance hall five minutes later and sigh relieved, at least now I know where the exit door is in case I want to run away... but escaping isn't an option, unfortunately.

"Your Grace... Good morning, have you slept well?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Fraser, and I've even had time to exercise for half an hour getting lost in the corridors... but I'm starving. Where's the breakfast room?" My butler tries his best to keep a straight face.

"Follow me, milady. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it really quickly..."

"Seriously?" My tone of voice shows my doubts clearly and Calum tilts his head to one side while walking.