Chapter 4

Brokk cradled me in his arms again and I savored the closeness as he carried me.

The shops along the main street of the city were beginning to close up for the evening. The merchants were all busy pulling their wares inside and they did not seem to notice us as we passed.

I could not help but to be distracted by the weight of the heavy ring that now occupied my left hand. I smiled to myself as I looked down at it and imagined all the possibilities it could mean for my future. I just did not think that my future would be here.

Brokk was great, even if he did kidnap me, but I longed to be back home in Louisiana. Maybe I could convince him to go with me. We could have a normal life, and live in a normal house. I could finish school and see my family again. I would just have to convince the queen that she did not need me here and that I had no intention of taking over.

We neared the end of the street and made our way up several steps and to the front of an enormous palace. It was pristine white, a sharp contrast from the darkness of the rest of the city. On either end was a pointy roofed turret with little rectangular windows on each side. In the center was a grand arched doorway with marble steps that jutted out into a semi-circle. It was beautiful.

The yard surrounding the palace was lush and green, and there was an ornate wrought iron fence encircling it. There were even flowers and shrubs lining the walls. It was actually a pretty odd site considering that the sun never reached this area.

We approached the door and Brokk set me on my feet in front of it. “This is your true home, Callie. This is where you belong.”

“This is it? We are going inside now? I can’t go inside of there looking like this!” I frantically whispered.

“You will be fine Callie. The Fae that work here will take care of you. They will make sure that you get a proper bath, and something to eat before you meet with the queen. You are where you were always meant to be now.” He said these words, but a deep sadness was clearly audible in his voice. He started stepping back down the stairs.

Was he leaving? What was going on?

I glanced back at him. “Does this mean that you are not coming with me?” I asked.

“This is your home, Callie, not mine. You will be fine.” He said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

“This is not my home either Brokk, remember? I do not want to go in there without you.” I hissed.

Ignoring me, he stepped forward and knocked on the door with a huge ornate knocker. A tiny window perched at eye level flew open and a pair of bright green eyes peered out through the opening. It was quickly slammed shut again.

There was a bit of a commotion on the other side of the entrance and finally the large door was opened. A small girl who appeared to be about my age was standing in front of us. She was wearing a simple black dress and her reddish brown hair was pulled up into a loose curly bun on top of her head. She had the same green eyes that I spotted peering through the small window.

“Brokk?” She looked at him in surprise.

“Bree, this is Callie. The queen is expecting her. Callie, I would like you to meet Bree. She lives here too and I know that she will make sure that you have everything that you need.”

He turned back to Bree and said. “Thank you Bree, call on me if you need anything more from me.” Bree nodded and he looked back to me, his eyes seemed to search my face for something.

“I will take my leave now.” He said simply.

“Please, do not leave me here Brokk. Why do you refuse to stay with me? I do not want to go in there without you.” I pleaded with tears in my eyes.

He looked again at Bree and she gestured with her head for him to go, and he did. He turned and ran back down the steps and into the city streets. He never looked back.

I watched him leave until he disappeared behind some buildings. I did not understand why, but my heart felt like it was breaking in two and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I turned back to Bree.

“Well.” She said shaking her head. “That was interesting.”

“Follow me. We need to get you cleaned up before Queen Lilith knows that you are here. We can’t have her seeing you looking like some sort of street urchin.” She said as she breezed through the doorway.

I followed her inside of the house and into a grand sitting area. The floors were a polished white marble and there were cozy cream colored sofas arranged about the room on fuzzy white carpets. Huge paintings adorned the walls and colorful flower arrangements were scattered about on tables.

A large staircase fanned out into the center of the room, and I followed Bree up the stairs and to the left down a long hallway. She stopped in front of a white door that was ornately trimmed in gold.

“This is going to be your room.” She said as she opened the door and walked inside.

I followed her in and my mouth gaped open at the gorgeous interior. There was a large white four poster bed that was draped in beautiful flowing white netting. The bedding and pillows were also white and they were trimmed in a delicate eyelet lace. The comforter looked especially cozy, like big white clouds of fluff.

I definitely could not wait to sleep in that glorious bed, especially after the last few nights that I had.

The walls were painted a beautiful blue, like the color of the sky. Ornate French doors led out onto a large marble balcony that overlooked the city. I turned to see Bree emerge from a large walk-in closet carrying a long flowing coral colored gown.

“Come on lets get you into the tub.” She said as she walked through yet another door and into a beautiful private bath with a large tub built into the wall.

Once again, everything appeared to be made of shiny white marble. The only difference is that in my bathroom everything was trimmed in pink. There were fuzzy pink carpets scattered about the floor, pink towels, and even a vase a fragrant pink roses on the counter of the long sink.

Bree ran the water and filled the tub with bubbles that smelled like fresh lilacs and then she turned to me. “Well come on, climb in.”

“You are not leaving?” I asked as I hugged my arms across my ragged t-shirt.

“No Callie, my job is to take care of you.” She huffed. “If you insist on being shy, I will turn my back until you can get undressed and into the tub.” She turned to face the wall.

Okay, so apparently she was not going budge on this so I quickly slipped out of my torn and tattered pajamas and slid into the water. The bath felt heavenly after being in the cold dank tunnels for nearly two days. I think it was days, or maybe it was nights. I was losing track of the time here without being able to see the sun.

Bree turned around and gathered up my discarded garments. “I am sending these out to be burned.” She said as she tossed them into a small trash bin.

I laid back in the bath and felt the warmth of the water washing away all of my stress and fatigue, but only for a moment. As soon as I got comfortable, Bree came over to the tub. She took my arm and began to scrub me from head to toe.

“Bree!” I tried to protest, but she just shook her head and gave me a stern look.

“I have to be sure that you are perfectly clean or I have to answer to the queen, so just sit back and let me do my job Callie!” She was starting to sound exasperated.

Believe me when I say that Bree took her job very seriously. I was beginning to wonder if I would have any skin left at all by the time that she was through with me.

When she was satisfied that my skin was squeaky clean, she moved on to thoroughly shampooing my hair. She clipped and trimmed my fingernails and then my toe nails too.

She helped me to dry off, completely disregarding my protests. When she was finally finished, I had my long blonde hair arranged around my head in ringlets, and just a touch of pretty make up on my face that made my skin seem to shimmer. She applied dark mascara that made my soft brown eyes stand out against my glowing tan skin.

She helped me slip into the gown that she had picked out and slid a pair of matching little slippers onto my feet that reminded me of when I was a little girl in ballet class. That memory hit me hard. How could I have been in ballet class as a little girl when I was supposed to have lived here?

“There,” she said snapping me out of my reverie. She gave me a once over and nodded her final approval. “Now you are presentable enough to go and meet the queen.”

“Right now?” I had no idea that I would have to meet her so soon. My palms started to sweat and I could barely contain my nerves.

“Callie, pull yourself together!” Bree hissed.

“I am trying.” I grumbled.

Bree grabbed me by the hand and led me from my room. We walked back down the stairs and past the sitting area, into a formal dining room.

The walls were painted in an elaborate gold design. Large framed paintings of sunny meadows and other landscape scenes were meticulously placed about the walls. A long crystal chandelier hung suspended from the ceiling by a thick gold chain.

There was a long table that must have seated at least twenty people. It was made of a dark wood that had been polished until it shined like glass. In the center of the table was an enormous flower arrangement that had to be at least four feet long and three feet high. It was loaded with colorful spring flowers and roses of nearly every shade imaginable.

Sitting at the far end of the table was a tall slender woman, with sharp blue eyes and a sharp nose to match. Her coal black hair was pulled up in a tight twist. She attempted to smile at me but her smile never quite made the upward curve.

“Your highness.” Bree said with a bow. “I present to you Miss Calliope Rose.”

I did sort of a half bow, half curtsey kind of thing. I had no idea what the appropriate gesture should be. The queen signaled for me sit down into one of the cushioned high back chairs at the table. Once I was seated, Bree disappeared and I was left sitting there alone with the queen eyeing me up like I was some sort of criminal.

“Miss Rose, how delighted we are to have you here.” The queen said with much sarcasm and an icy glare.

“T-thank you,” I stammered. Why was she acting so cold if she is the one who sent for me to begin with? This whole thing just was not making any sense.

“I take it your parents are doing well?” She asked, but still with a smirk on her face.

“Yes, they are fine, thank you.” I said. “How do you know my parents?”

“We are old friends.” She said as she waved off my question as if it was of no importance.

A man dressed in a dark suit brought two bowls of creamy looking soup on a tray and set one bowl in front of each of us. I waited until the queen tasted hers and then my stomach could not stand it any longer and I started to eat mine too. It was delicious and I savored every bite until the man returned and collected our bowls.

We went on that way through several more courses. The next dish that came out was a salad of mixed leafy greens and cucumbers. Then a plate filled with roasted chicken and vegetables. At least I hoped that it was chicken. I wondered where they got all of the food and flowers. I had not seen any farms, and without sunlight how would anything grow? Very strange.

We mostly ate in silence. Occasionally, I would look up to see the queen glaring at me. I would always look away again quickly. She was really beginning to rattle my nerves.

Halfway through the dessert, which put me in mind of a rich and yummy key lime pie, the queen turned and looked at me sternly. “I hope that you do not think that you are going to just come sauntering back into Petrona and take over my rein, because prophecy or no prophecy, I am still the queen.”

I dropped my fork and looked up to meet her eyes. “I did not ask to come here. You sent for me. You sent Brokk to search for me and you had him snatch me from my home in the middle of the night to bring me here. If you did not want me here, then why didn’t you just leave me where I was?”

“The people of Petrona were starting to get restless.” She explained as she lifted her chin. “They started asking for Queen Faylinn and talking about all of the stuff that the foolish old woman told your mother. I brought you here to show my subjects that I am willing to listen to their requests. So that they may be appeased, but you will not get in my way, is that understood?”

I nodded. I had no idea what to say. I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought that she could do with herself, but then I thought better of it.

“You will be presented to the people of Petrona. There will be a ball in your honor, and you will make a few visits to town here and there, for appearances only. You will not speak unless spoken to, and you will keep those conversations to a minimum. Other than that, I do not want you anywhere in sight. Theirs or mine. Is that clear?”

I just stared at her in shock.

“I said is that clear?” She growled and I flinched.

“Y-yes, your majesty. I understand.” I managed to get out.

“Good.” She replied. “Now get out of here. I do not want to see you again unless I call for you.” She rolled her eyes slightly and turned away.

I stood up from the table on very shaky legs and Bree hurried in to get me. We barely made out into the sitting area before I started to cry. I could not help it. They stress of the last few days just came crashing down on my shoulders.

“Come on.” Bree urged. “We need to get you to your room before she hears you.”

Bree rushed me up the stairs and into my room. I fell onto the bed, buried my face into the comforter, and sobbed as she shut and locked the door.

“Callie, everything is going to be okay. You will just do what she asks and we will try to keep you out of sight when she is around.”

I turned to face her and sat up. “I did not ask to come here Bree! I did not want any of this! Now I am just supposed to forget about my life and my family to sit here locked away in this room until she wants to use me as her little puppet! It is just not fair! I will not do it! I am leaving as soon as I can find Brokk and get him to take home.” I sobbed.

“Callie.” Bree said gently. “Brokk is a guard for the queen. If he goes against her wishes, she will kill him.”

I definitely was not looking to get anyone killed, especially Brokk. There was something about him that I just could not wrap my mind around. I looked down at the deep blue stone that hung from my finger. It reminded me of his eyes and I found myself wishing that I were with him right then.

I knew that I had to stay, especially if the queen would hurt Brokk. I would do what I had to in order to protect him. Despite the whole kidnapping thing, he had always been very sweet to me and I could not deny the feelings that I was having for him.

“I just don’t know what else to do.” I said.

“You just do what she asks until we can figure something else out.” Bree said.