Fallen Illusions Ch 2

The time between your stand and your arrival at the castle gates had felt even longer than the journey itself.  You hadn't been able to calm your heart in the slightest; if anything it had managed to pound even harder and louder once the carriage passed through the enormous archway.  It was a wonder nobody else seemed to hear it.

Suddenly the carriage came to a stop, and you found yourself hard pressed to maintain the royal composure you'd been keeping.  But somehow you managed, reminding yourself what would happen if you didn't pull this off.  The carriage door opened, and you stepped out as gracefully as you possibly could.  As you approached the castle entrance, your mind began playing tricks on you.

First the huge doors turned into a dead tree full of hanged skeletons dangling like morbid fruit, then a pillory with a rusty ax and blood soaked basket full of what could only be heads.  An Iron Maiden.  The Rack.  The Water Wheel.  With every step you took, a new form of death appeared before your minds eye.  But you were careful to make sure that none of the fear you felt showed on your face.  The servants all bowed or curtsied to you as your party passed, and you gave them all a kind smile in return.  You forced yourself to focus on your steps as you walked through the doors into the main hall.

As you walked along the plush red carpet towards the throne room, you had to fight to keep your eyes forward instead of looking around in awe.  You had never seen anything like it!  From the ceiling hung beautiful crystal chandeliers that sparkled as you moved onward.  Various statues were displayed proudly on some of the pedestals lining the crimson path, and every wall boasted some kind of painting or tapestry.  A few appeared to be the portraits of what you assumed to be past royalty, others depicted all kinds of scenery.  You would have loved to stop and look at everything, but you pushed yourself forward.

'Maybe if things go well, I'll have the chance to look at them later.' you reassured yourself.

As you approached the thrones, you saw that there were three; the Queen occupied the center one, but the two on either side of her were empty.  The largest you figured must have belonged to the late king, so it made sense for it to be empty.  The smallest therefore must have belonged to the crown prince, your betrothed.  For it to be empty seemed very strange; shouldn't he be here to meet you?

The Queen was a beautiful woman, with gorgeous caramel colored red hair, and eyes that shone like enchanted emeralds.  Even the strangely large dark eyebrows seemed to suit her.

"I am Queen Alvina, and I graciously welcome you to my Kingdom." she greeted you regally.

"Your Majesty." you greeted cordially, performing a delicate curtsy.  Going through those harsh etiquette lessons had been a terrible ordeal, but you were determined to make them pay off.

"I am Princess (fake name) of the Kingdom of Sorilia."

"I must apologize for my sons absence.  Some very pressing matters came up at the last minute that he had to attend to, but you'll be able to meet him at dinner tonight.  You must be very tired after such a long journey, my servants will escort you to your room.  If you would like, there will be time for you to bathe and take a tour of the grounds before the evening meal."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace." you replied with another curtsy.

"This way, my lady." one of the maids came up to you.

The walk along the corridors to your room seemed painfully silent to you.  You could feel the eyes of your group glaring at you, silently warning you that you would pay for your earlier actions.  The maid leading the way seemed oblivious to any tension.

"Here we are.  I hope you find it acceptable." she opened the door to reveal the interior.

The room was larger than some houses you'd seen, with a gigantic canopy bed with white sheets and matching curtains.  Beside it was a nightstand made of varnished cherry wood with painstakingly carved designs, which matched the wardrobe, chest of drawers, as well as a small table and chair.  A pair of glass doors led out to a balcony; even from the door you could tell it showed a stunning view of the grounds.  The floor was covered with a huge soft rug made up of designs in red, white, and blue; the colors of the royal coat of arms.

"If Your Highness would like, I can show you to the bathing room now while your servants put away your luggage." the maid offered.

"Actually I think I'd like to be left alone for a short time." you replied, to the surprise of everyone.

"But my lady-" one of your ladies in waiting started, but you interrupted her.

"It's been a very long trip.  I haven't been afforded the luxury of being in my own company for quite some time."

"Understood.  When you are ready, please summon us." the maid curtsied.

"But-" one of the men began.

"Just leave the bags there, you can put them away later.  Now leave!" you ordered pointing at the door.  They glared heatedly at you, but still bowed and curtsied with a chorus of 'Yes, Your Highness' before following the castle maid out the door.

After the heavy door shut behind them, you waited a few minutes to make sure they wouldn't be coming back, then took the opportunity to explore the room.  You knew you were pushing your luck by flaunting your new found authority like this.  That sooner or later at least one of them would find away to get you alone in order to punish you.  But you were exhausted, in every sense of the word, and you were worried what might have happened if you hadn't grabbed this chance at brief freedom when you could.

Out of curiosity you began searching through the furniture once you were done admiring the gleaming wood.  You'd expected them to be totally empty, but at the bottom of the wardrobe you were surprised to find a small plain handkerchief.  You picked it up to look it over, but there was nothing spectacular about it; it was just an old scrap of cloth.

Almost in a daze, you took it with you as you went over to sit on the bed.  For a minute or two you just sat there, staring dumbly down at the fabric in your hands.  Then suddenly you buried your face in it, and for the first time since the night this whole mess started, you began to bawl.  You just sat and sobbed all of your frustrations and misery into that discarded scrap material.