The Fates

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Celia's whole body shook badly from tierdness when they finally reached their destination.

She had lived her whole life without leaving the small, poor village that she had been born in. Celia had found beauty in simple things, things like the smell of a newly scrubbed floor or the colorful hollyhocks that grew alongside the brown walls of the cottage or watching the birds fly around outside from their kitchen window.

Looking around she could find nothing simple in what she saw. Once they were past the high, gray walls that surrounded and hid the entire estate her jaw had dropped at the sight.

A huge carefully planted garden encircled a grand house, she counted the levels of the windows and there seemed to be five levels. She had never seen a house such as this, when she was little her mother used to tell her a bedtime story about a castle and thought that that is what this house must be- a castle.

The stone walls almost seemed to reach up and into the sky and when she looked up, sure enough, she saw a bird fly around the highest point before landing on top of one of the towers.

Taurus came to a stop in front of the main entrance and Rhale dismounted just as the double doors flew open and an older man came almost sprinting down the stairs.
“Rhale! It’s been too long!” The man said and the two men embraced each other in a manly manner.

The older man's gray hair sat thinly upon his elongated head and his sunken eyes lit up when he smiled.
“What brings you here?” The older man said.
“I am afraid that I have a favor to ask. '' Rhale answered and turned around to look at her, the man beside him noticed her and his posture instantly changed, his back turned stiff as he watched her.

Celia wanted to melt right into Taurus at his stare and she let her hair fall in front of her face as he looked her up and down.
Why would Rhale take her to such a fine place? She didn’t belong in a place like this. Not even under normal circumstances but now that she was bloody, dirty and completely disheveled, she felt unworthy to even be on the grounds.

“Blessed be The Fates, let’s get her inside at once.” The older man said and her eyes widened, his voice did not sound angry that she was here but she could not quite place the tone.
Rhale came in front her and put his hands out, when she hesitated he gave her a small smile "Let me help you down"

Celia slowly moved her upper body to him and he carefully lifted her down and she hid a grimace at the pain she was feeling.
Her body hurt so badly that no matter how much she tried she could not take a proper step without wobbling and she soon found herself in the arms of Rhale again, being carried up the big stairs and inside the marvelous foyer.

“Welcome to my home, I am Lord Amos of Byrion. Prunella here will show you to a room.” Amos gestured to a plum, short woman that stood in front of a line of servers.

She pushed at Rhale's chest slightly, showing him that he needed to put her down so that she could properly introduce herself.

He ignored her completely and only held on to her more tightly. She desperately tried to wiggle herself out of his arms, it was embarrassing to be carried in such a way in front of others.

“This is Celia and as you can see she is hurt, I will come and speak with you when I have carried her to her room and made sure that she is cared for.” Rhale  looked at her sternly as he said the word carried and she immediately stopped struggling, there was no use and she was only hurting herself more.

“But of course, Prunella please see to it that our guests are well tended to.”
“Yes my Lord” she curtseyed “If you will follow me”

The staircase seemed to go on forever but Rhale walked on like he wasn’t carrying another human being in his arms. As they entered the room that was supposed to be hers she thought that they must have made a mistake, perhaps Prunella had accidently taken them to Rhale’s room.