Walking Between Dreams

Chapter 19

"How did you enter?" snarled one of the horrible smelling guards, "It's heavily protected."

I chided, "Magic."

That was a mistake because one of the guards elbowed me in the gut along with a harsh glare. 

"Magic is banned in these lands," one of the guards declared as we began going down a flight of stairs.

The stench of rotting flesh and filth flooded the claustrophobic stairway, there was barely any light. The brute was roughly shoved in front of me and casted a long shadow. Plainly, he was tall man with tons of kilograms of muscle.

His turquoise and golden eyes pierced right into me like a certain dwarf, but his eyes were dead. He was pushed into an oncoming cell onto a pile of straw as well as I. Metal slammed as I turned around to find him staring at me. 

"Exactly, who are you?" the brute demanded.

I truthfully said hoping not to have issues like the last time, "Ymir and you?"

"Aedion, the White Wolf of the North," he disclosed while avoiding my eyes.

I gently whispered finally recognizing the demi-fae, "I am sorry about your people and everything that has happened to you."

"What do you know?" snapped the White Wolf.

"That you were forced into servitude to the king who burned your home and people," my voice got lost in the stiff, stale air.

Aedion grunted and laid down on the hay, he flinched from something.

"The king wants to see you," declared on of the guards who were standing outside of the cell.

I drawled, "I did not get a chance to redecorate my cell yet."

"Which color do you want?" one of the guard sneered as he grabbed me and led me out of the dungeons.

There were a few people down there; some were chained, others not. No sunlight reached these depths but there were a few torches flickering. I was dragged up and up until we reached a long hallway that lead to a glass castle. The glass shone like the blazing sun, the heat from it radiated off making the insides into a furnace. Servants were darting away from the guard and I as we sauntered to the throne room again.

Inside there was no blood to be see, the dark haired man was gone. Black eyes scanned my face and the king propped his chin onto to his hand.

"Who are you?" demanded the king.

I stated with some defiance, "Ymir Carlilse."

The guard hit the back of my head with the pommel of his sword, "You will address the King of Adarlan as your highness."

"Ymir Carlilse, your highness," I played along.

The king shifted as he studied me, his mind was turning.

The king finally asked, "How did you get in here?"

I admitted while pacing, "That is a fantastic question. One of my friends is a servant here and I wanted to see if the gardens are as gorgeous as she claims."

The king nodded and flicked his wrist, "Take her away."

My wrists were grasped again, still I was not chained which was odd as if they doubted me. Once we turned around a corner outside of the throne room into another passage way, light filtered from the end of it. The guard pinned me against the wall. His breath smelled rotten as he grinned at me, his hands explored a bit too much. 

My fist contacted his abdomen with fury, knocking the wind out of him. I kicked his groin and smashed my elbow onto the back of his head. Then I straddled him on the ground and punched his face creating deep bruises. His wailed in pain, so guards came rushing towards us. I took that as a que to go and sprinted at a window in a glass castle. It was rimmed with brassy edges that were elegantly designed, it shattered easily.

I rolled into damp dirt and a thorn bush that pierced through my clothing. My legs trembled as I stood up and ran as fast as I could. Towering bushes made a fence leaving me no choice but follow it until I discovered a small break in it. Branches snapped as I made my way through to a gravel path. Heavy smells of flowered overwhelmed me as I glanced around to find perfect rows of tulips, violets, and daffodils. From a few feet away I heard orders to capture a prisoner from the other side of a rose bush so I went the opposite direction hoping to run into no one.

As I trotted down a trail I heard the grass being crush and found two heavily armed guards racing towards me. I darted towards a flashy archway that led to a grand doorway. I pried open the thick doors and slammed them shut catching the attention of a maid. I placed my fingers to my lips to silence her, however she screamed for help.

Yet again, I had to race around her to a winding stairway that led to the kitchen. Many cooks of various sizes and skin tones worked away without bothering to see me. The sounds of the kitchen was almost like a song because they lifted plates and put them down all in rhythm. Chopping the vegetables and stirring the stew had it's own melody. 

I crept through observing all of the delicious smelling food that range from duck to sugar coated strawberries that make my mouth water. One of the cooks placed a large plate into my hands that had roasted pig on it, the golden brown reflected back in the cook's pale eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go up and serve it." ordered the cook, "While you are at it get into uniform."

I bobbed my head and scurried up stairs that were on the other side of the kitchen with my head down. It was long trek to a vast dining hall with the king and his wife seated at a decorated table. I handed off the plate to one of the maids who gave a disgusted look and vanished through one of the doorways that lined the room.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps entering the hall to find a set of guards racing towards me. I turned an ran again for my freedom, not wanting to be caught now. But luck would not be on my side because I was cut off my an unseen stationed guard. I struggled with all of my strength and had to be held by two. My feet dragged behind me as I was forced into the dining room.

"I am not surprised to see you again, Miss Carlilse," grimaced the king as stared into my eyes.

Up above the glass chandelier glittered in the sun, white specks laid across the white table cloth. Strangely, from a certain angle words of Give Up were engraved in the brass metal.

So I did and glared at the king, "What will do with me now? I tried to escape that must mean some sort of punishment."

"Yes it does," he explained in deep thought, "We will have you executed tomorrow at dawn to make an example out of you."

"Why?" I inquired as my mind reached for answers.

The king answered with a confused expression, "Do you not know about the quaint rebellion?"

I would have face palmed myself if I wasn't restrained. 

"Now leave us alone," dictated the king.

This time the guards were smart enough to chain my hand together and I pushed back down to the dungeons.