Death's Priestess

Chapter 9-Aurelentia's King

We passed through the towering castle walls, guards stationed every couple of feet. They wore shining armor that reflected the sunlight, carried sharpened spears and curved bows. The walls were built sturdy and looked as if not even a dragon could destroy them.

"Blackstone," Letifer whispered.

"What?" I questioned, unsure if I heard him correctly.

"The walls were constructed using Blackstone, hardened volcanic rock from the Monacistive region,'' he explained.

"Volcanic rock?" I said confusion spreading across my face.

"I'll explain at a later date Cassie," he reassured. He gave me a small smile and a slight ruffle of my hair. As we rounded a corner I smashed face-first into someone, knocking me to the ground. I stared at the floor and rubbed my now aching nose.

"I'm sorry," I said. The person's shoes were of high-quality leather decorated with gems. Fancy but unnecessary.

"Get up and apologize to my face girl," the man growled. I stood up, my legs shaking, and brushed off my pants. Standing firmly I placed my hands together and gave the man a small bow.

"I am very sorry, My Lord," I apologize once again. I straightened my body and looked him in the eyes. He had a pudgy face and smelled foul. Clothed in velvet and leather he looked at me with disgust.

"What on earth happened to your face," he gasped. I had thought I got used to the looks and remarks of people who saw my face. I had thought Lady Priscilla's was the worst reaction but hers couldn't hold a candle to this one. His nose was scrunched up as if he had just smelled something foul. His eyes narrowed as he took a giant step back. Alessia hid behind Letifer and growled softly.

"My apologies," I mumbled.

"Cursed creature," he said venomously. I wanted to slap his ugly, fat face. Make him regret what he just said. I was tired of the way people looked at me. Lady Priscilla had pushed me off the edge, I couldn't take it. I was tired of apologizing for what Alfred did to me. They will all regret this. I clenched my fist ready to swing with all the strength I had when Letifer grabbed my wrist and squeezed it gently.

"Let me bite him, Momma, he deserves it," Alessia hissed.

"We must go now My Lord. Please excuse us," Letifer said hatefully.

"To the kitchens, I hope, where no one can see that face of hers," the man grunted. From off into the distance I could hear metal clanking together and saw the source as a knight rounded the corner.

"My Lord, the king was informed of your arrival and has requested you see him immediately," the knight huffed.

"Finally I've been waiting hours for this meeting," the fat man said, turning around.

"Not you My Lord," the knight said.

"What!" He yelled.

"My Lord, My Lady please follow me. I will guide you to his Majesty," the knight said with a small bow.

" Lead the way sir," Letifer smiled. Before I followed them I turned to the rude noble and gave him a cruel grin and stuck my tongue out at him. Childish yes, but cursing him to the god of torture silently was not. With a sarcastic curtsey, I turned around to catch up to Letifer and the knight. Letifer looked at me and sighed heavily, he could only guess why I didn't follow immediately.

"Right in here," the knight said, stopping. The door in front of us was huge, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Golden spirals decorated the dark maple wood.

"That's a really big door," I gasped. Why would anyone need a door that big? The handles themselves were almost as big as my head. The two men guarding the door struggled to pull it open, it went slowly with a loud creak. The room inside was just as extravagant, wine red curtains covered dozens of stained glass windows. Each panel tells a story of the past, the floor was a polished marble and the king's throne sat at the end of the room. Letifer took the first step into the room while I staggered behind. Not even the Ackford duchy was this fancy.

"Momma, this room is huge, can I fly around?" Alessia asked.

"Not now my love," I whispered.

"Letifer, my old friend, welcome back to Aurelentia," the man sitting on top of the throne smiled. The closer we walked the more features I could see. He had long dark grey hair with specks of white mixed in from age. Large round glasses perched on his nose covered his soft purple eyes, looking almost like a jewel of some kind. His outfit was simple, more befitting a simple priest than a king. The golden crown sat slightly angled on his head. The noble from earlier wore more extravagant attire. His face looked tired and worn, yet youthful and happy.

"Your Majesty Raylyn, it's so wonderful to see you once again," Letifer bowed. Realizing that I messed up I quickly curtsied the best I could without falling over. It was awkward to do without a skirt to hold on to, I just hoped I didn't look like a headless chicken flailing around.

"And who is this?" Raylyn questioned.

"Oh, Cassandra Brown Ack..." I trailed off. Despite freeing myself from his physical clutches my name was still held captive. "Just Cassandra, Your Majesty." I was not going to let him have the satisfaction of stealing my own name from me.

"Cassandra then," the king smiled, "What brings you both here."

"Safe haven to rest and prepare," Letifer answered.

"Prepare for what may I ask?" Raylyn asked.

"Cassandra," Letifer said, looking at me. I took in a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.

"I ran from my noble husband who is now hunting me down, the only way I could escape was to flee the country," I started.

"You came from Terrunini correct?" he questioned.

"Yes, I found knowledge that my husband would prefer to keep under wraps," I finished. The kind looked at me puzzled before turning to Letifer for an explanation.

"The Church of Aurelia in Terrunini has become corrupted, they are functioning more like a black market these days," Letifer explained.

"Ah yes, I've been hearing rumors about that," the king replied.

"I want to return to my home without fearing death, if the answer is killing my husband then so be it," I said determinedly.

"It seems our interests collide, I want Terrunini's church of Aurelia to be cleansed, and it seems your husband is very closely tied to it," the king said.

"What are you saying," I said.

"I'll help you if you help me," he explained. I looked at him puzzled, how was I going to help him.

"He wants our help to take down the church," Letifer whispered.

"How am I supposed to help you," I wondered, "I'm a country girl who was chased out of her own home."

"Do you want to save your homeland and get revenge or lose your home forever while chasing revenge," Raylyn said. His words hit me hard, it was up to me to save my home, my whole country. It was a lot of pressure to put on someone, but I knew my answer almost immediately.

"Let's save Terrunini and bring down Alfred Ackford," I grinned, bringing my head up to face the king.