Witch of Iria

Sex and chocolate

My feet touch cobbles which surround the beautiful houses of blue district. I breathe in the air, clear and empty. I think that all rich dwellings like these must smell of nothing. Perhaps a faint hint of lavender or jasmine but nothing rich. Nothing that resembles the vibrancy of life. The roofs of the lovely villas of white marble are sky blue.

"It's how they distinguish themselves," Naomi informs me. She looks out of place on the street and the few passers-by are giving her strange looks. "There's blue district which is the where the rich and fabulous dwell. It sits in a ring surrounding Castle Ròs." She rolls her eyes and shudders. "I much prefer red district."

"Is that where you stay?" I ask. The guards skulk around us in a loose formation. They weren't happy when I demanded to explore the city. Only a letter to Finn and an irritated response made them relent.

Naomi gestures to a street leading right. It's silent and vacant but pristine. In the distance a golden spire gleams.

"The cathedral is down that road. It's where the nobles are married and things like that. Us commoners aren't allowed in."

I frown at that. Class seems to be very important here. The fae have a hierarchy too but it's more fluid. Power and savagery couldn't always be measured in status.

As we walk, the homes begin to look less stately. My mind jumps to the stadium I saw on my way to the castle.

"What about that big stadium?"

Naomi purses her lips.

"The stadium is in red district. So everyone can get a glimpse of the games. But the nobles go there too. They can't help themselves." She sounds off but as the roofs of the houses abruptly turn red she smiles.

One of the guards glances at her and his cheeks flush. I chuckle under my breath. Someone has a crush.

The homes here feel more lived in. Children play in the streets, their clothes clean but plain. Two boys kick a ball around and one crows in triumph as he wins. Some glance at me in my crimson dress but they soon lose interest.

"My house is just down that street." She points to a street filled with medium sized homes of grey stone. They seem warm and comfortable. I make to go down the street but she grabs my arm and directs me down the main street.

"Red district circles blue as well. It's for the merchants, the normal people and the markets. You'll smell them soon enough."

It hits me just like before. On horseback with Finn I had been too overwhelmed to appreciate it properly. Scents waft like heavenly smoke and strike me. Cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, chilli...they make war and I feel awake. The guards are tightening their formation.

"Get ready." Naomi warns, grinning.

Then we enter a large square and are battered by a wave of people. I gape and the guards grimly force people away from us. Stalls with covers like multi-coloured sails assault my eyes and the conversations of hundreds of humans chatter around me. My senses are overloading, my powers scrambling in my veins to stamp out the unseen threat. Too many...

"Are you okay?" Naomi shouts in my ear. "Don't worry. It's market square in the afternoon. Just go with it."

We ride the current of people and I see raggedy beggars and rough-hewn men as I flow past. I see pretty young women and elderly traders bartering goods. I see strange sculptures and hear beautiful accents. I think I see a whole other world and wonder why I never came before. It's a different world, Gwyneth. I see what you mean, mother. I relish it and a laugh escapes me. It's wild and I'm free in the rush of the crowd.