[ON HOLD] The Empress

XXXIV. Fire and Blood

"And over there we can have tables...maybe even break down that wall and make it a bathing chamber..."

The Sídhe Princess was listing off all the things she could imagine in the large building but stopped. Her eyes fell upon one of the Sentinals, one who was quite tall, with lightly tanned skin, and vivid green eyes. Zilyana didn't know his name, but she knew he wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, this Sentinal's eyes were on Fiyona, watching the handmaiden with rapt attention as she smelled a wildflower.

"Something catch your eye?" Zilyana whispered.

The Sentinal jumped with a gasp, his armor clanking as he struggled to calm his pounding heart. "I... what, Your Highness?"

Zilyana nodded to Fiyona. "You have your eyes and ear on something else, it seems."

The Sentinal's face flushed red, his eyes lowered. "I...I do not know what you mean, Your Highness."

Zilyana smirked. "I'm sure you don't...and is your name?"

"Titus, Your Highness."

"Well then Titus, just so that you know, Fiyona loves sticky pecan buns, and jasmine flowers," Zilyana commented casually as if they were speaking of the weather. "She also prefers satin over silk and..."

The sound of a horn in the distance made Zilyana look up.

"What's that?" Zilyana asked.

Fiyona's head jerked at the sound, the blood draining from her face. "We have to go."

"What?" Zilyana said, confused. "What's going on?"

Around the two women, the Sentinals began to tighten formation, their hands on their swords.

"That's the alarm horn," Fiyona explained, grabbing Zilyana's hand. "We have to go! Now!"

Zilyana frowned and looked in the distance. Using her superior vision, the Sídhe could see small figures moving rapidly over the hills. Zilyana could hear their shouts, their laughing, the thunder of their horse's hooves as they charged toward the city gates on their horses. All of them were heavily armed, all wearing heavy swords at their sides.

"We're under attack..." Zilyana gasped.

Not wasting a moment, Zilyana gripped Fiyona tight and ran to their waiting horses. One of the Sentinels, Titus, helped Fiyona onto his horse, while the Sídhe Princess quickly climbed onto her own.

"We have to get back to the palace," Zilyana commanded. "Now!"

The Sentinel nodded and held Fiyona close, their horses charging down the roads. Behind them, Zilyana could hear screaming, shouting, wood cracking, and breaking. She pulled her horse to a stop and turned around, her eyes widening at the sight of hundreds of men reaching the city gates.

"Your Highness come on!" Titus shouted. "Please, we have to go!"

Zilyana bit her lip but nodded.

The guards were closing the palace gates by the time Zilyana and her group returned. As the thick wood was bolted behind them, the screams and shouting grew louder. Dark plumes of smoke rose from over the gates, telling the Sídhe that fire had begun.

"This way, Your Highness, this way!"

Zilyana was directed into the palace, where the guards were assembling themselves to defend it.

Noblemen and women were all shouting and fleeing, their small children in their arms or being carried by servants. In the middle of the chaos, Zilyana saw the Grandmatron and Marleina, both deep in fighting within.