Hi everyone,
I hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry to keep you in suspense for a little longer but I feel that, (for those of you feeling impatient,) if you read back through some of the chapters, you may find that some clues to your questions have already been revealed ;)
Happy reading,
Love Daisy x
__________________________
Chapter Five | The Garden
*
'Well fed devils
behave better than
famished
saints.'
- D. L. Smith
*
The next morning, Iris woke before sunrise.
Her room was cold – her open window and the temperature drop during the night attributing to the chill.
She rose silently out of bed and padded over to the window, curious as to what the city would look like in the early morning haze. She was half disappointed however – a thick fog had rolled in during the night, and now it lay like a soft blanket over the city, concealing everything that sat below the first floor of the palace.
Iris rested on the window frame, yawning as she peered out at the surreal cloudscape. When it looked like this, she could imagine for a moment what the Air Kingdom Palaces might be like.
Her gaze lingered on the place below the mist, where she knew the glasshouse to be hidden. Her plans from last night had not changed with her night's rest, if anything her curiosity had grown, and now she was certain – that enchanting structure would be the first place she investigated this morning.
She pushed away from the view, rifling through the drawers in her room as she searched for clothes. Her bags had not yet arrived – she would need to ask Arlo about that later – but it seemed as though she would not be left wanting.
The drawers, and indeed the wardrobe, already contained neat sets of clothing in her size, it's shape, colour, and fit, more than familiar to Iris. She held up a pair of trousers that were suspiciously similar to a pair she knew she owned and dismissed the idea of someone having already unpack for her.
Surely it was just coincidence, clothing in the Earth Kingdom did not vary so greatly and Arlo had always brought her clothing for her.
Now that she thought about it, it was not so unreasonable to assume that Arlo may have actually brought her clothing from the Jade City itself. After all, the city was not that far away from Iris's original home and – unless Arlo was keeping more secrets – Iris highly doubted that another city of such size was nearby.
He certainly wouldn't have gone to a human settlement to buy clothing for her – apparently human woman confined themselves to dresses with corsets and heavy skirts. Upon learning this, Iris had wrinkled her nose at the mere thought of the inconvenience. How tiresome, to be lugging such an amount of useless material around all day for the sake of fashion. Humans really were fascinating creatures.
She continued through the drawers, pulling on a pair of pants with renewed gratefulness, as well as a loose shirt. She rummaged through the bottom of the wardrobe to find a pair of soft leather shoes that slipped perfectly on her feet.
Iris was then required to feel the hypocrisy of her earlier words as she noticed that the other clothes in the wardrobe were in fact dresses that far surpassed anything Iris had ever seen before, and she fervently hoped that they were not intended for her.
There was, however, a linen bag, hanging on a hook on the back of her door, and Iris snagged it, stuffing the book on botany she had found, inside.
She stepped through into the living room, cautiously surveying the space, but it seemed that she really had been left to her own devices, and there was no sign that anyone else had been there.
Confident, she hurried through to the dining area, seeming to remember seeing a bowl of fruit on the table when she had passed through yesterday.
Her memory served correct and she scooped three apples from the generous bowl, sliding two into her bag and biting into the third with a crunch. They were no where near as good as the one's she had been growing at home, she noticed with a sort of smug satisfaction, as she slipped out the door and into the hallway beyond, but she supposed that could be forgiven.
She paused in the hallway for a moment, considering the exit at the end of the passage, while also looking at the door she knew concealed a stairway that led downwards. Would it perhaps be faster to explore that on the off chance it provided a shortcut to her destination?
She decided yes.
Yanking the door open, she hurried down the steps, two at a time. They twisted down, down, down, into the bowels of the palace, the air becoming warmer the deeper she went. When she was eventually spat out into a thin hallway at the other end, it became apparent she had ended up in the servant's quarters and she sniffed the air, scenting the good smells that seemed to hang in the air like a fine mist. The kitchens must be located down here as well.
Turning her nose towards the direction that suggested fresh air, Iris hurried onwards through the halls. The lack of people above, was compensated below it seemed, as workers bustled past her, intent on their morning duties and seeming to pay her no mind. She did feel a few curious glances land on her, as she rushed swiftly past, but by the time they had turned around to question her she had already disappeared.
Sneaking past an especially busy room, Iris finally found an exit that seemed to lead to outside. She opened the door and stepped swiftly out into the cool morning air with a sigh of relief.
Out here too, the fine mist lingered, and it stuck to Iris's face, dampening the exposed skin lightly. She made her way down a cobblestoned path that twisted around the side of the palace and disappeared into the greenery on either side.
Iris was initially worried that she would have no chance of locating the glasshouse, having lost all sense of direction during her journey down from her room, but she did not have to worry too long as, at the next turn, she spied the glass rooftop she had looked down on from her room, the tall glass spier hovering above the maze of hedging.
Keeping it in her sights, she continued down the pathway. After another five minutes of walking and losing sight of the glasshouse at yet another bend, she ducked through a rose covered trellis impatiently and came face to face with a glass door that could only belong to the evasive building she had been in pursuit of.
The glass of the door was murky, its edges crowded with moss, and she reached out for the ornate silver handle a little hesitantly, unsure of what she would find with the outside door in this condition.
Would it live up to her imagination? Or was this merely another forgotten corner of the unkempt, and slightly wild tangle of a garden she had seen so far.
She pressed down on the handle and the door opened smoothly inward, much to her surprise. A rush of air escaped, warmer than the outside, and bringing with it the scent of earth.
With tentative footsteps, Iris left the still morning in her wake and stepped through the door, shutting it quietly behind her.
She was immediately enveloped in the abundant, lush greenery that filled every portion of the glass house and prevented her from seeing how large the structure actually was. The broad-leafed plants towered above her, even obstructing her vision of the glass roof.
But, although the growth was chaotic, the path beneath Iris's feet was neat and maintained, and she could see that the path continued onwards through the tropical foliage ahead.
Similar to outside, there was a light mist that clouded the air, but it was accompanied by a thick heat that Iris could taste on her tongue. Somewhere, she could hear the trickle of running water and when a soft warble of birdsong echoed suddenly, her curiosity peaked, and she started down the path.
As she walked, she noticed that there were in-fact, raised gardens that were nestled amongst the larger plants. It was just that their contents were flourishing so abundantly that most of the wooden box had been concealed beneath the growth.
Noticing a vaguely familiar flower, Iris paused to rifle through her bag, pulling out the book on botany she had borrowed.
With a furrowed brow, she flicked through the pages she had read last night, pausing finally on a page with an illustration of a small purple flower. Glancing up from the pages, she eyed its real-life counterpart, sitting innocently in the soil in front of her.
It was a herb, commonly used for healing. Noticing that the plant was not alone in this particular part of the garden, she crouched down as she slowly identified the other plants that accompanied it in the soil.
All of them she found in the healing section of the book.
Musing to herself, she continued forward, now pausing at each planter box she came across to identify the plants within. To start with, most were healing plants, and then gradually these gave way to plants that were used for other medicinal purposes. Stomach pain, headache, fevers, childbirth prevention, pain relief – lot's for pain relief, Iris realised.
And then further down, there was a collection of more sinister plants. Plants that Iris knew from consulting her book, were in fact poisonous.
Although Lycan's could not be killed by poison, in a strong enough dose, poison still have a debilitating effect on a Lycan's physical and mental health.
And yet, even with such a toxic mix, Iris never once saw a label to identify any of the growth, which meant that someone did maintain the glasshouse – and it was someone who was able to identify many different plants at a glance.
Iris amused herself with imagining such a person as she continued to walk, still yet to find the other end of the expansive structure. At some point, the path she was on had begun to curve, so perhaps she was merely walking in a circle. Either way, Iris didn't really mind. She was in no rush.
The soft sound of trickling water that Iris had first noticed upon entering the haven, was steadily growing louder. Yet as Iris continued around the path she could not seem to find the source, even though the sound indicated the stream should be somewhere close by.
A thought occurred to her suddenly, and she turned to double back down the path a short way.
Sure enough, after scouring the edges of the walkway carefully, Iris spied a smaller path that led off the main one, hidden by a particularly large tropical plant that she could not name. She tentatively reached out to push the broad, heart shaped leaf back, ducking behind it and letting it swing back into place.
Through the curtain of green, Iris could now make out the tell-tale shine of water beyond, and she continued confidently down the hidden path, feeling rather pleased with herself.
Humming cheerfully, Iris reached out to push aside the leaves of yet another massive plant, stepping out into the small nook that was concealed beyond.
There was indeed a water source here – Iris had not been mistaken. But she had not expected the large natural spring that was revealed to her, the clouds of steam billowing upwards from the surface indicating that the water beneath was warm least and hot at most.
And she had certainly not expected to see another set of eyes staring lazily back at her from across the water, the gaze calm and calculating as though they had been aware of her presence all along and were merely waiting for her to step into view.
A ... lion?! Iris thought incredulously, as she froze in place, her limbs taunt, her breath caught in her throat.
Because the beast opposite her, with its golden hide shining in the damp, steam filled air, and one front paw dragging idly in the warm water, was undoubtedly a lion.
Iris inadvertently thought of the lion preserved in the stained-glass windows of the palace above, as well as the jade lions guarding the entrance to Aether, and to the Jade Palace. Gabriel's words entered her mind.
'The Lion is the Greyson families crest you know ...'
But surely this King wasn't so eccentric as to keep a lion for a pet? Iris surveyed the beast cautiously.
The lion was still looking at her, its rich golden eyes seeming far too intelligent for Iris's liking. Its long body lay indolently on the large round rocks that lined the pool, and as it continued to assess Iris, it raised its wet muzzle into the air and huffed out a puff of steam, its black lip curling back to expose rows of curved white teeth. The sneer transformed into a mighty yawn, the lion's pink tongue curling out to lick its lips as its jaws snapped closed.
And then it languidly climbed to its feet. Its shoulders moved first, back legs following as it heaved its massive body to standing, pausing only to stretch, its sharp claws scratching against the grey rock and making Iris's ears prickle.
With its eyes trained only on Iris, the lion slowly began to approach, slinking forward slothfully, its tail flicking from side to side as it advanced.
Iris's breathing hitched. Such an event was unprecedented, and she had no idea how to react. Her mind was blank, her heart thundering in her chest, the muscles in her legs spasming slightly as though begging her to start running.
But she was conflicted. Surely running would only speed up her demise. Lion's were hunters, and if she ran, she might as well stick the word 'prey' above her head. However, standing still and waiting to be eaten didn't sound that appealing either.
She could fight, but she knew that fighting a wild beast was far different from fighting another Lycan. She could shift and hope that the sheer size of her Lycan form would be enough to intimidate the lion – but then she would be at risk of destroying the glasshouse, and she did not think that such a first impression would go down well with the King. And if this lion was indeed a pet and she attacked it, then her first impression would be made even worse.
The lion was still advancing, and Iris took a slow step backwards, and then another, panic beginning to flutter in her chest.
And then abruptly, she felt the presence of someone behind her.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she made to turn, but before she could a hand shot out to hold her in place, curling around the front of her to grasp her wrist and pull her backwards into a hard chest, another hand rising to cover her mouth, silencing her cry of shock.
"Don't move."
Iris stilled before she even realised she was obeying, the undercurrent of power in the deep voice impossible to deny. For words that held such strength, the manner in which they were delivered was incomparably lazy, as though the speaker had no doubt as to whether or not she would obey.
Unable to turn, her eyes instead remained fixed on the lion, who had coincidentally, stopped as soon as the voice had spoken.
When the beast confirmed that Iris was indeed immobile, it continued to prowl forwards, eventually pausing directly in front of her and stretching its nose out to sniff at her shirt.
Iris could not help but tremble.
Behind her, the chest sighed and the sound of a tongue clicking with vague annoyance could be heard from above her head.
"You interrupted him first, of course he is curious. Just hold still. He will be finished in a moment."
Despite the words of the speaker, Iris could not help but shrink backwards as the lion's muzzle lifted higher to sniff at her hair. Iris was by no means short, only seeming that way when she stood alongside Arlo, yet this beast ... Iris did not think it was exaggeration to say the creature was massive, it's head easily reaching to just above her shoulder. She was sure that the size of it was abnormal.
She scrunched her eyes shut, feeling the heated breath huff over her face for longer than she would have liked. Something wet touched the tip of her nose, and then the sense of having her space invaded vanished and she tentatively opened her eyes.
She would have shrieked, if it weren't for the hand still covering her mouth – the lion was sitting directly in front of her, its golden eyes scrutinizing her face. Its nose wrinkled – a prelude to another massive yawn, that allowed Iris a front row view of its cavernous mouth and shockingly large teeth.
"There, that wasn't so bad was it?" The speaker removed his hand from her mouth, his tone jaded.
She made to turn again, but his grip on her tightened lightly and she found that she could not move at all.
Any other day, Iris might have attempted to fight this stranger who had suddenly appeared from nowhere. But her heart was still a thundering mess from her encounter with the lion, and although the beast in front of her seemed to be placated for now, Iris still felt as though it was quietly assessing her. Instinct warned her that it would be extremely foolish to fight in a situation where she was so clearly outnumbered.
"Who are you?" she settled on asking instead. Embarrassingly, her throat was a little hoarse, and her words came out more nervously than she had intended.
The hand that gripped her wrist loosened slightly, shifting higher to hold onto her forearm, forcibly curling the limb into her chest and immobilizing her more securely.
The chest that pressed into her back vibrated as its owner hummed noncommittedly. "Does it matter?"
Without anywhere else to look, Iris's eyes remained fixed on the lion. It had begun to wash its paws, the pink tongue licking out to clean the remaining spring water from the honey-coloured fur.
"How can you say that? A stranger appears behind me, refusing to show his face – of course it matters." This time her voice was stronger, her tone a little more resolute.
"On the contrary, you are the only stranger present," the deep voice sounded mildly amused by her demanding words, "I should be asking you the questions, don't you think?"
Goosebumps rose on the skin of Iris's arms. The speaker's words were light, but as Iris stared at the lion in front of her, she suddenly had the fleeting thought that the real hunter was the one who stood poised behind her.
"I am a guest of the King," she had no choice but to divulge the information as confidently as she could, hoping that the status would help her, instead of hindering her, "I arrived at Aether yesterday and am staying in the Jade Palace. I had nothing to do this morning, so thought I would talk a walk through the gardens. I did not expect to find such a place here. Naturally, I was curious." The white lie slipped easily from her lips and she hoped he would not see through it. Although, she did not really think it mattered whether or not she had intentionally sought out the glasshouse.
"Oh?" The speaker sounded unimpressed with her spiel, "Haven't you heard the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat?' You are brave, disclosing such detail to a stranger. What if I had been an assassin?"
The thought only just occurred to Iris and she stiffened. "I-
There was a deep chuckle, "Only just thinking of that now? It is fortunate Princess, that I am neither an assassin, nor another with ill intentions towards you. But you would benefit from being more cautious from here on out. Least you find your naivety becoming a burden to those around you."
Iris flushed, the reprimanding words striking her right where it hurt. In hindsight, it did now seem that she had not truly thought through her actions. She was so used to moving independently back at home that it was rare for her to check in with Arlo before leaving the house.
But she was not at home anymore, and if Arlo went to her quarters now and found her missing, what would he think? She had not left a note, or a message to explain her absence, but surely he would not think ...
Her chest tightened uncomfortably, and she swallowed, her eyes closing briefly as she scolded herself. She was an idiot. Of course, with no way of knowing her intentions, it was possible for her guardian to imagine any number of scenarios.
"I should return," she whispered, suddenly feeling incomparably guilty.
"If you have realised yourself, then that is best," the deep voice echoed in her ear, as the speaker lowered his head slightly, his grip tightening as he turned them both around. Iris was now looking back the way she had come, the main path only slightly visible through the thick green foliage.
"You should go now. Azrael will guide you back to the door." Here the tone of the speaker suddenly changed, although the shift was almost imperceivable. To Iris, it felt as though a door had been shut in her face, smoothly, and without hesitation. This person, whoever he was, was now finished with their conversation. His words left no room for doubt.
His fingers slowly uncurled their grip, his arms withdrawing, and he spoke one final sentence. An order that rang with the power she had felt earlier.
"Do not look back."
She felt his warmth disappear completely, and then she was suddenly standing on her own. There was a moment of silence, and then the lion appeared from behind her, brushing up against her side, its thick tail whipping up to tap against her back lightly as though urging her forwards.
She stared after it dumbly, willing herself to turn around, to look back for the stranger who had, until that moment, been holding her captive. But no matter how hard she tried; she could not seem to turn her head. Instead, she lurched forward, her feet following after the thick golden hide of the lion without her permission.
Ahead of her, the lion huffed – as though escorting her was some great inconvenience. The whole scenario was so absurd that Iris had the ridiculous urge to laugh out loud.
The odd pair of lion and girl, exited the tropical bush to re-join the main path and after a moment of stumbling after the beast in front of her, Iris regained her senses with a jolt.
"I can find my own way out from here," she hurried to say, before falling silent as she abruptly realised she had just spoken to the lion as though she expected it to understand English.
Was she going mad?
Infront of her the lion paused, only to swing its massive head around and send her a glare that clearly said, 'do you really think I trust you?' before turning back around and continuing to slope down the path.
Iris stared after it in disbelief. She was definitely going mad.
Shaking her head, she trotted forward to keep up with the beast, her thoughts in turmoil. The sound of trickling water was still present, and Iris was unsure what hand of fate descended to persuade her to turn her head at that exact moment.
But turn she did.
And she glanced into the thick vegetation that, at that exact spot, thinned just enough for her glimpse a sliver of the silver water hidden beyond, and the vague outline of a figure lounging in the pool, his hair as golden as the hide of the lion that walked ahead of her.
It wasn't until later, when Iris had left the lion at the door to the glasshouse, and was hurrying up the path towards the palace, that she realised that the stranger had referred to her as 'Princess'. She had not noticed at the time, so used to hearing the endearment from Arlo's lips, but now it struck her as odd. Did that mean the stranger was someone who knew of her true identity in the palace? Or had it just coincidence?
She shook her head. There was no point in wondering now. Whoever it was, if they did indeed know her status, she would most likely meet them eventually. And if it had been mere happenstance, Iris had more important things to concern herself with.
*