The Dark Sun

Chapter 11: Going Home

     Flowers covered the walls. Massive ropes of leaves and flowers hung from chandeliers. People talked and laughed. Glasses of wine clinked together. Even through the closed door, I could hear it all. I stood there, breathing in silence. My ladies stepped around the corner. I turned my head and smiled. Raising my hand, the guard standing at the door pulled on the handle.

It opened. The room was filled with silence.

"Her Majesty, Queen Cassiopeia!" announced the guard.

I stepped into the room, followed by my ladies. We stopped moving as Lilith and Apollo stood from their bedazzled seats at the end of the hall. Atlas' seat was empty. Everyone else in the room followed their king and queen in standing. It was still silent.

"Good evening, Queen Cassiopeia," Lilith spoke. It echoed around the room. "Thank you, for joining us tonight."

My ladies and I bowed slightly and nodded. "Thank you for having me, Queen Lilith," I responded.

"As we are all well aware, your mother, Queen Aurora, has fallen ill. To show our support of your reign, you will be taking my seat up here."

I felt my eyes widen, "Lilith, you can't be serious!"

"Oh but I am. You are a queen, so you will sit in a queen's chair."

I hesitated. I can't argue with a queen in a room filled with her nobles. I scolded myself. Bowing again, I spoke. "Thank you, Queen Lilith. Where will my ladies sit?"

Lilith looked around for a moment before pointing to 3 empty seats beside her ladies, Penelope, Violet, and Helen. My ladies bowed to Lilith again and looked at me. I nodded in the direction of their seats and they ran off. I made my way up to Lilith's seat, my forest green dress whisking centimeters from the floor.

As I approached, Apollo moved from his seat on the right of Lilith's to Atlas' seat on the left while Lilith moved from her seat to Apollo's. I sluggishly walked up the few steps and around the table. Standing in front of Lilith's chair, I paused for a moment before sitting. Lilith and Apollo sat down after me, followed by the Adruvalonian nobility. Sighing, I glanced from Lilith to Apollo, before noticing that Atlas was still unaccounted for. He'll be here in his own time. I told myself, although I knew that was not true.

After finishing packing my bags, I called for the guards to take them down to the carriage. As they removed them from my chambers, I moved through the castle. Walking through hallway after hallway and staircase after staircase, I eventually found myself in the North Wing of the castle.

The North Wing was the largest and most luxurious wing in the castle or surrounding lands. Unlike the South Wing, which was the guest wing, the only chambers in the North Wing belonged to the king and queen. There were dozens of other rooms, of course, being as the North Wing was the largest and most decorative. These rooms included 2 of the 7 ballrooms on the estate, a private dining hall for the royals, 1 of the 3 grand libraries, as well as the Royal Chapel.

Only a select few people are allowed in the massive, 6 story North Wing of the castle. All royal persons, unless publicly announced by the king or queen, are allowed in, along with a max of 30 servants, and the personal ladies to the queen.

Wandering the halls of the wing, I must have passed at least 4 dozen doors before finding the room I wished to enter. Standing at the massive arch in front of me, I grinned softly. Walking into the room, I looked around at the mass amount of books that surrounded me. It was the only room in the entire castle that wasn't enclosed in stone. The walls were made of wood and lined with shelves, the floors were, instead of tiled, covered in wood planks that were shined to a glint.