Beyond The Walls

Chapter 4. Castle

Wifty (adj)

Eccentric, scatter brained, or silly

Cherie's POV

My eye's blink open, adjusting to the light shining through my window.

The furs that I had covering the opening have somehow fallen, letting the freezing morning air into the house.

Looking around, I notice Keely is gone. It must've been her who accidentally knocked the furs off my window. She probably had to get back before her father woke up to prevent yet another reason to set him off.

I pray for her all the time, I hope God will give her justice because I can't do it myself.

Today, things change.

With sleep still in my eyes, I tug on my gorgeous white dress and wrap myself in a warm fox fur, already knowing the chill isn't to be played with today. It will give you hypothermia if you aren't careful.

I wash my face in the basin that is filled with freezing cold water, just to make sure I look the utmost presentable. Being around the king and queen looking like a vagabond is something nobody tries to do. Maybe it's because they always look so clean and perfect all the time. I've never seen queen Sarris with dirt under her nails or knots in her ivory silken hair.

A note sits on my chest of clothes.

Dear Cherie,

Congratulations on your big day. I just know Sachi and I can't wait to hear about it. Try to meet us tonight at the tavern. If you can't come, one of us will meet you at work tomorrow.

With love, Keely.

My heart warms as I read her letter. She's not usually the type to do anything lovey dovey so this means that she's worried about me and even though she doesn't pray, she hopes everything will go okay.

I tuck the letter into my chest of clothes my dad will send me once the king picks out our house.

Everyone sits down to breakfast like everything is normal, except I'm in a white dress and I'm getting married off today.

Dad lets a tear slip as we eat oatmeal around the table.

"It's going to be okay, dad." I try to comfort him.

He gives me a tight smile, "I know, you're just my baby girl. I don't know how time went by so fast. It feels like yesterday that I was swinging you around by your arms to make you feel like you were flying. You're much too big for that now, I suppose."

The memory of the old times warm me up inside, I miss that. I'll miss this.

"Cherie will be safe, dad. I can beat him up." Amias shows off the tiny flexed muscle on his toddler arm.

"My knight in shining armor right here." I giggle as his smile grows wide.

Momma and dad keep looking at me like they will never see me again, which worries me. Will they never see me again. Do they know something I don't know?

A few hours later, after I help momma with the dishes and snuggle with dad and Amias by the fire, a knock at our door interrupts us.

Dad opens it to see people usually dressed like him.