Chapter Six
Eternity
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary…
The Rainy Day - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The main hall of the Spring Palace was silent. Only Lysander and Rain remained; the servants and assistants had gone to their bed chambers. Lysander lovingly stroked the buck, keeping her eyes fixed on the doors of the Great Hall. She waited. And waited.
The moonlight seeped through the tall windows and spilled across the floor. It cast shadows on the stone and fell on the heavy oak doors, as if it were a spotlight, waiting for the star of the show.
A noise stood out in the silence. Carriage wheels and horseshoes crunched on the stone path. Lysander recognized it immediately and rose to her feet. The doors swung open and in walked the “star”, her faithful wolf on her heels. Devodie was here.
Lysander ran to her sister and hugged her close. Devodie smiled and returned the embrace, her cold demeanor gone at the sight of her best friend.
“Devi, you’re here, you’re here!” Lysander sang. Devodie laughed.
“Yes, dear, I am.” The two sisters pulled apart and got a good look at each other. Devodie gasped. “Sander look at you! You’re withering away!” The Winter Queen remarked.
“Hush,” Lysander said and playfully slapped her sister’s hand away from her thin frame, “I’m perfectly fine. Besides, it’s late, and you are my guest, so I believe its time I show you to your room.”
She looped her arm through Devodie’s and led her up the stairs. Lysander called to a servant to bring her sister’s things up. They stopped on the second floor of the palace.
“Here is your room dear. Make sure you’re up bright and early tomorrow so we can walk along the meadows.” Lysander said.
Devodie and Sorrow Star walked into the grand room. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said the Winter Queen.
Lysander smiled. “Goodnight.”
Devodie smiled back. “Goodnight, sweet dreams.”
Only Devodie and Sorrow Star remained in the room. She crawled into the big, luxurious bed. The wind seeped through the window and snuffed out the candle, making everything dark. But Devodie was already asleep.
♦•♦•♦
Bright sunshine streamed through the windows of one of the Autumn Palace’s many dressing rooms. Sable stood atop the wooden stool, her arms spread wide. Blood red fabric spilled onto the floor, elegantly wrapped around her small frame. She sighed and stretched. Her curly auburn locks bounced as she turned her head.
“Kimber, how much longer do I have to stand up here?” The impatient queen asked, her brown eyes twinkling with amusement. The seamstress looked up from the hem of the beautiful gown.
“I’m sorry your highness, I am almost finished. Just a few more stitches…alright, that’s it.” Kimber stood and stretched. She looked at the queen with awe. “Your highness, you look…magnificent,” she breathed.
Sable’s eyes grew wide. “Really? Reveal the mirror, please; I’d like to see for myself.”
Kimber turned the floor length mirror to face the queen. Sable gasped.
It was true-she did look magnificent. The crimson silk was pulled taught at the waist, accentuating her curvy frame. It was sleeveless and low cut, but still modest and gorgeous. The fabric fell far past her ankles, its train creating a red carpet. She turned and curtseyed to her reflection, giggling. Her fair cheeks burned red with happy embarrassment.
“Thank you Kimber. Hopefully I will still be able to attend the Seasons Ball, as long as this talk of war doesn’t get it cancelled.” Sable shook her head in disgust. “The only time every region comes together as one and they will ruin it for all of us.” She sighed and stepped off of the stool. “Be a dear and help me out of this please, Kimber.”
Dressed back in her usual attire, Sable ambled down the dim South Hall of the palace. Her study was at the end of this hall, her haven when she was feeling stressed. Sable turned left to the study door and stopped abruptly when she collided with Ariux. Her assistant blocked the doorway, a sad and frantic look on her face.
“Rux! You scared me half to death. Whatever is the matter? Don’t tell me my sisters have gone and declared war on each other,” Sable said.
Rux’s eyes grew dark. “Worse, your highness.”
“What could possibly be worse than…” Sable trailed off as Rux handed her an envelope, sealed with a wax snow-laden pine branch emblem. She recognized the blue pine branch as Decca’s seal. Sable knew something must be horribly wrong. Devodie only wrote to her sisters when there was a major problem. Rux sidestepped the queen and curtseyed before hurrying down the torch-lit hall. Sable shook her head, confused, and stepped into the study.
She slit the envelope open and revealed a letter. She recognized Devodie’s slanted cursive as she scanned the parchment.
Sable,
I’m afraid I have some horrible news to share to share with you and Tamsin. I have been visiting with Lysander these past few days and every morning we have been taking strolls across Marcha’s meadows. Early this morning, Lysander suddenly collapsed as we were walking and I could not wake her. She is alive, but barely. We believe she is unconscious. The cause of her ailment is still unknown, but I would like to meet with you both at Grayeveire Manor to discuss this tragedy. We are moving Lysander there for recovery. Please pass this news onto Tamsin and ask her to meet us there as well. Don’t worry- things will remain civil. Thank you, sister.
Devodie
Sable collapsed onto the settee, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. Her sister was sick, her fragile sister. Lysander had always been frail and small, but her endless energy and happiness made up for it. Sable sobbed silently. Lysander could be dying, or even dead. Who knew how long it had taken the mail to arrive?
She was wasting time. Sable had to get to Grayeveire Manor now, and find out what was really happening. She felt numb as the thought registered.
She was returning to her childhood home.
♦•♦•♦
“Come on Devi, you walk so slowly.” Lysander teased as we walked arm in arm. I laughed.
“You walk too fast,” I retorted and continued my lazy stroll. “It’s still early-I’m tired.” I said.
“Excuses, excuses,” Lysander chastised. She picked up her pace. “Look at those sweet peas! They’re absolutely gorgeous!” She slipped out of my grasp and ran ahead.
“Where?” I asked, shielding my eyes from the rising sun. But Lysander was gone. “Sander?”
No answer. I looked all around, but her white-blond head was nowhere in sight.
“Sander!”
No reply. I ran ahead, searching, and almost tripped on something beneath me. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Lysander lay before me, face down in the tall grass. I knelt down and shook her over and over, trying to wake her. I stood quickly when there was no response. “Help! Someone, please, help-“
Devodie shot up in bed, early morning sun twinkling on the stone floor. Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest and her knee length black hair was sticking to her neck. She sighed and got out of bed, stepping on to the familiar cold floor of the Winter Palace.
Devodie had been dreaming of Lysander every night since she had returned home. It was horrible, but she didn’t know how to stop it. She sighed shakily and shuffled to her dressing room. She dressed in her favorite gown, a gray and ice blue 17th-century dress, with lace, quarter sleeves, and a corset across the front. She wanted to look nice when she arrived at Grayeveire.
“Ellesis, help me with my bags please. The carriage will be here any moment now,” Devodie called to her assistant. Ellesis grabbed the black trunk and started down the stairs, Devodie carrying the rest behind her.
“How long will you be at Grayeveire your highness?” Ellesis asked.
“A few days, maybe a week,” Devodie replied. “I might have to stay longer if Lysander’s condition worsens” They arrived at the front of the grand castle. “Goodbye Ellesis.” She jutted out her hand awkwardly. Ellesis ignored it and wrapped her in a hug. Devodie stood motionless, stunned, but softened and returned the hug.
“Goodbye your highness,” Ellesis said and released the queen. Devodie smiled (a rare occasion when she wasn’t with Lysander) and waved, walking down the path that led to the horse drawn carriage. She placed her things inside and climbed in after them.
Devodie turned to look at the grand, marble castle. Her heart ached. She didn’t know what was worse; she was going to have to spend a week with a sister that hated her, or that she was afraid to return to her own home, the home where her mother disappeared.