The soft cotton sheets hug me tightly as I move across the bed, the pillows so fluffy I can hardly lift my head in amazement. Blood rushes up my body from the quick movement and pain shoots through my shoulder. Ugh, I almost forgot about that. Where the hell am i? The last thing I remember is arguing with Dawn in my hospital room and now I'm in the most pastel pink room i've ever seen.
The sheets piled around me are all a blush-pink hue, little flowers in varying shades of violet painted across the entire surface, the ridiculous amount of pillows and cushions on my back maintain the color palette and when I run my hand across one of them it's as soft as it looks. There's a huge window on the wall opposite the bed and I can see the sun starting to come out behind the light purple curtains. Moving the divinity of sheets aside I go to the right edge of the bed and put my bare feet on the soft cream carpet and sigh at the soft sensation, all the furniture from the canopy bed to the desk in the left far is painted in a rich cream hue matching the rug.
There's a door almost hidden in the wallpaper that has the same flowers as the bedding, right next to the desk and i assume it's a bathroom or closet, nervously I shuffle across the room and open it letting out a little breath.
The right wall is a glass-fronted closet with the most delicate gold doorknobs floating in the center of the double doors. The clothes I brought are neatly hanging and color-coded, my sneakers, boots and heels lined up precisely in the designated space below, I can even see a small jewelry chest above a drawer space. The left side is a bathroom, a large bathtub in the far corner, facing a large mosaic window the pieces on it assembled to form a lily, normal toilet with cabinet floating above it, and the most beautiful sink made in this pink marble, my overnight bag is on the counter and I attack it like it's the most precious thing in the world, ignoring the restof the room.
Excuse me, but traveling and then being in the clinic for who knows how many days makes a girl feel gross.
The Crown Princess is in my room, Elory, my sister, well half sister is here.
Looking out of the window, her skin glowing, her hair perfect, shoulders back and hands in front of her. A prestine skirt/shirt white professional combo hugging her body and I feel a ball forming in my lower belly. She doesn't look out of place in this room, she belongs here. All perfect and with well polished corners, I don't belong here with my black silk robe and messy hair.
"Guiliana, I think it's appropriate that we use our first names, considering we share a father" She speaks as softly as she moves, slow and precise, approaching me almost as if she's scared of my reaction. But I know better, she is not scared, she's just calculating me, in this space I am a prey and this perfect woman in front of me is a predator "There are things going on that are much bigger than my discontent with father's past mistakes".
"I'm not sure what you are talking about, Elory " the soft smile on her face is a little scary, but I keep going "You well know that I don't want any of this nor I get it, I wanted to stay behind in the shadows and all of you, outed me".
"What did you do, Guiliana? Tell me and I'll let you take it easy, I'll plead for you in court, get you a way out" there's something haunted behind her eyes and i spend so much time staring into the dark brown depth i don't understand when i start to fall but it's too late and i'm screaming trying to hold on to something as the darkness consumes me.
I wake up screaming and cold water moving around me, slipping off the edge of the tub from the sudden movement. Damn, I felt asleep in the lavender water trying to calm my mind, but obviously imagination is still on edge. I quickly dry off with the ridiculously pink towel to my right, and duck into the glass closet looking for an outfit that's warm, but doesn't look like pajamas. I finally decide on a thick black sweater and a pair of gray pants, my black boots will do. I push my hair into a tight ponytail, adjust my glasses and smile at my reflection, I look tired.
There's a polite knock on the door when I return to the room and I stand in the middle unsure of what to do, finally asking whomever is behind the door to come in. Yanine in all her glory stands at my door, that bored look of hers wandering around the room and I sigh internally.
"You are expected to have breakfast in the blue room every day at 9 am, we keep this schedule only in the winter palace, because the sun rises much later on this side of the kingdom..."
And Yanine continues talking about this calendar of social activities that the queen has put together throughout the season, and the important meetings of the king in which I am not included, she talks about Elory and my younger brothers, who I still don't know, Benjamin and Frederic too. Not once did she stop to ask me if I was following her, as she walked through the huge glass-enclosed hallway and talked about schedules and etiquette and stuff... but I let her do, taking as much as I can from the impressive winter castle, just as it appears from the outside this place is a giant greenhouse.
The corridors are like a giant bird cage, you can see glass interwoven with finely reinforced iron to look like vines full of flowers. There is not much decoration, but there are plants everywhere. The glass is mainly kept to the roof and exterior walls, rooms like mine or any other seem to keep the common wooden structure. And when we finally enter the blue drawing room I am pleasantly surprised to find an informal dining room, a large oval table is the focal point of the room and my father sits next to the queen on the edge facing the door.
My relief at seeing him so alive and generally fine is so strong that I lean to the side. A warm hand touches my side and Will's voice fills the room "Good morning, Your Royal Highnesses".
Yanine walks into the room first, obviously done with me, and sits on the sofas in the back, I can see papers and pens on the coffee table in front of her, there's even a plate of fruit waiting for her.
Not quite sure what to do with myself, I let Will's hand pull me toward the table and we take a seat on the far edge of my father and the queen. For the first time I notice the children at the table, the chairs taller than them covered my vision, because they are sitting on the side facing away from the entrance. One of them seems to be closer to adolescence than childhood and the other must be a first grader.
"Good morning, Your Royal Highnesses" I say curtly, while placing the napkin on my lap. Father smiles and the queen nod, I get woman, you don't like.
"The introductions haven't been done yet I guess, because of this little hiccup we had along the way" father says "Benjamin here is the oldest of your two younger brothers. He is twelve years old, but he is already being educated in his magic and his people, in addition to the corresponding basic education. Frédéric being the youngest of all and being only 6 years old has not yet touched his magic, but his tutors say he is very good with simple multiplications".
My heart aches to hear him speak with such love and pride about the children he has been there for since the day they were born, but I swallow the feeling, it wasn't entirely his fault. My mother is a complicated piece and she kept me away...
The conversation continues for a few more moments and I take in every little detail I can about the room, the boys, father, and even the queen.
Benjamin has a soft voice that breaks a couple of times when he speaks, the hormones already affecting his vocal cords, Frédéric has this mischievous smile that reveals the missing tooth in his little mouth. They are both eating full plates with pancakes, fruit and some kind of meat.
While the queen has a plate of granola and fruit salad in front of her, her blonde hair looks almost silver in the morning sun and the smile she gives my dad when she talks to him, she loves him. There is always a current going through them and i feel like an outsider seeing them exist.
Elory finally joins the table and a knot forms in my stomach, my dream of her this morning still creeping on my skin. And I can't help it, because the hard, but courteous gaze she directs in my direction only solidifies my discomfort at being an intruder at this table. The polite, but dispassionate way she speaks to me has nothing to do with the friendly tone directed at Will, the younger ones don't seem to notice the tension, but as I stab a piece of strawberry on my plate I finally snap.
"Forgive me, but I'm not feeling very well. My shoulder still hurts, I think I need... ah, um, something to" Will dives into the conversation like a professional swimmer and saves me.
"Poor little thing, you're still recovering and we're putting pressure on you, let's go to your room so you can lie down and I'll get you something for the pain, okay?" A hand on my good arm, pulling me with him as he stands up "You're going to have to excuse us for today, Your Royal Highnesses. Everything has been perfect, thank you".
We're out the door in no time.
"The queen was upset that you two left breakfast like the devil was at you heels, William. It's not correct, it's not part of the protocol and you make us look like we follow all the unjustified demands of..." He's at it again, talking trash about me, but not really doing it. The handsome motherfucker looks good today, a navy blue suit hugging is body, but don't pay attention to me, I'm high on pain-killers.
My high self appreciates the fineness of a man like Dawn, with those intense blue eyes and the harsh jaw line, the annoyed blush on his cheeks. Hair perfectly groomed to highlight his everything.
"My god, dawn. Don't be that way, please" Will smooths an imaginary wrinkle in the sleeve of his jacket "I'm trying to help everyone here and you know it, you put yourself in a difficult situation too".
Well that's some news, perfect little Dawn did something wrong
"Excuse me?" Shit, did I said that aloud? I can't take this pills again. Dawn is now positively mad advancing in my direction, trying to sit and falling I just lay there like an idiot, looking up at him when he walks around the loveseat on my guest bedroom at the winter palace.
"So, tell me what did you do little Dawn to be put in time out?" That's me? Jesuuuuus, shut up girl.