Shyshaker Princess

Chapter Twenty-One - Hallows' Eve Plans

Part Two: Temperatures Rise

Chapter Twenty-One

Hallows' Eve Plans

POV - Athlaya Hawmere

Athlaya teetered through the castle corridors, the weight of the six heavy boxes in her arms threatening to topple her. She could not see and had hit a suit of armour more than once. The boxes had been delivered this morning and were all addressed to the princess.

Her shackles made the ordeal all the more torturous as she struggled to maintain a balance on the marble staircase. Ordinarily, she would have taken the servant's entrance, but they were simply too narrow for her to make it through.

In the kitchen, the dark-skinned baker and cook, Katja had smiled despite herself as Athlaya stumbled backward.

She had nearly made it to the Princess's rooms when a passing handmaiden had told her that the Princess was now with Leo. In the weeks that had passed since Caseryia's discovery of Athlaya's identity, little had changed.

She supposed this was a good sign as Leo had not deteriorated further nor had Caseryia gone to her father about Athlaya or Vay. Still, she and Vay had strayed into the Woods less frequently ever since.

With instructions to find her immediately with the boxes, she made her way to the Prince's chambers. She doubted he would mind, as in recent weeks she and the Prince had struck what she was tentative to call friendship.

She tried to knock on the Prince's bedroom door but failed, resorting to kicking it lightly with a shackled ankle.

"Who dares enter?" Drawled Caseryia. At the sight of Athlaya laden down with boxes, she positively squealed. The Prince's dog, Liath, gave a loud bark and leap.

"Set them down here!" She said and began tearing open the boxes immediately as Athlaya tried hard to catch her breath.

"What did you buy now?" Leo asked, bemused from where he sat propped in his chair by the window. Athlaya massaged her arms.

Caseryia grinned like a mountain cat as she rounded on her, shoving a black, gauzy material into her hands.

"What is this?" Athlaya asked, frowning.

It was a gown. Crimson and black with a tulle skirt and black pearls beaded around the bodice. Whorls of crimson somehow familiar symbols covered the skirt. Athlaya spied a matching set of slippers and a spiked tiara in the box behind Caseryia.

"It's for you, for the Hallows' Eve ball!" Her eyes were dancing with excitement now and Leo was silently laughing, watching Athlaya's horrified expression.

"Is this from...?" She gestured to the symbols. For once, this was not a strictly Windhart custom or fable nor was it an Ellesmere tale. The Deck of Trials was a fortune-telling card game from Swells Down, the large cluster of Isles west of the continent. There was always a good amount of intrigue surrounding the deck as it involved the magic of fortunes.

"Yes. You are to be the Queen of Fortunes," Caseryia was beaming.

"No," Athlaya said blankly. Fortune magic hadn't been on the continent in generations yet the Ellesmere people still spoke of it harshly.

"Yes. It's only fun. The theme of the ball is Swells Down horrors," Caseryia explained as if this made things any better. Swells Down traded in mystery and secrets like Windhart traded in Empaths and fortitude.

"I'm a handmaiden. I can't go."

Caseryia gave her a disparaging look and Athlaya knew she had lost. Leo laughed again. None here in the room believed her to be a handmaiden anymore.