𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅

chapter eleven

Emriana

"You're already up?" Dana's voice startled me, pulling me away from my sketchbook. Drawing was, for me, a way to escape reality. I could create any universe I wanted with a simple pencil stroke.

"Mmm... I've been up for a while, I'm still getting used to all this," I replied, putting my pencil down. She nodded, sitting up and letting out a yawn.

"I know this is going to sound insane, but in all my life, I've always been outside. Back home, I was always in the forest doing something. It feels weird to be always inside here. I feel sort of...trapped?" I added, playing with the hem of my dress.

I had barely been outside since I arrived in Ekudal. If I was, it was in the streets of Ekudal rather than in a forest. Growing up surrounded by nature made me almost crave it. It was a part of who I was, it was all I had ever known, and going from being always surrounded by it to staying in a building constantly was a big adjustment. I felt lost in some sense.

"Emri, it's fine to feel this way,"

"You think?"

"Of course, you'll get used to it. I'm not from the forest like you, but I still found it hard to be here the first few days. I felt homesick, but I eventually adjusted to this lifestyle," she explained, and I nodded.

"You're right, I'm probably a little homesick," she smiled.

"Go take a walk in the garden after breakfast, maybe it could help," she suggested, and I nodded.

"That's a good idea, I'll do that," I said, turning to look at myself in the mirror to finish getting ready as she did the same. My hair was still wavy from the braid last night, so I decided to tie the front strands at the back with a pale purple bow ribbon.

I left the desk and leaned down over the bed to see if Akira was still sleeping. I caressed his stomach a few times, and he growled, blinking at me. I chuckled, ruffling his fur before turning to Dana, who was already done. She wore a beautiful blue dress with delicate white lace at the hem of her sleeve.

"Ready for breakfast?" She asked me while pinning her hair in place.

"Yep," I motioned Akira to follow, and we started heading down to the maid's dining hall. It was very different than yesterday, as only a few workers were walking in the hallways.

I thought about the weird encounter I had with a guard last night. I never really understood what happened. I saw him coming my way with a decisive pace, and before he could reach me, Akira scratched him, biting into his legs. He scrambled away from him, running back in the direction he came from. I wanted to apologize, I felt very guilty about his injury.

"What were you drawing, by the way?" Dana asked as she pushed the doors of the dining hall.

"The ballroom, I got to see it last night, and it was absolutely beautiful," I told her as I took a seat across from her at the wooden table. The room was spacious enough to hold a dozen different tables. Being on the main floor, the window gave a direct view of the garden, and I felt excited to explore them later.

"That's right! I totally forgot about that. How was it?" She squealed, clapping her hands together. I chuckled, my cheeks heating up as a few people sent us curious stares. We went to grab a plate and I started telling her everything that happened last night.

"I think you should consider the job," she said, and I sighed.

"I know, I'm thinking about it, but I don't know how I feel about leaving everything behind. It's my home, you know?" I said, and she nodded.