Demand

Chapter 1 (Incomplete)

Writer's Note: English is not my native language and forgive me if I have any spelling mistakes. This world will be set with DND (Dungeons and Dragons) logic. All magic and creatures would mostly be based on creatures set by what has already been published by the game with a few tweaks (just like homebrewing!). I do hope you enjoy my piece since it is my first time writing something like this.

          There she stood, alone and afraid, among the howling winds. She ran through the forest, hoping for a saviour. Screeches and terror reigned, haunting the forest.

          "MOTHER!" the young girl screamed and ran, blood trickling down her arm.

          She sat down on a stump lightly charred by the flames, gazing upon her village burned down and destroyed.

          The young girl cried and wailed for her mother, the sound echoing through the burnt town. Then, she heard a loud explosion. Suddenly, she woke up from her bed, her heart pounding.

          I looked around only to find Mutiara, my companion and lady-in-waiting, with a worried expression.

          "Lady Rinjani, are you well?" she asked.

          I sighed and gave her a reassuring smile, "All is fine, I just had a nightmare."

          She replied, "Should you need anything, I am right here, always at your side."

          "Of course. Now, what is it that you inquire?"

          "My lady, it is truly in your best interest to prepare. Today is of utmost importance."

          My eyebrow raised, and curiosity filled my face. "What could be of such importance that you had to awaken me at this hour?"

          "Today is the day you will meet your 'fiancé,' is it not?" She chuckled, reminding me of the event.

          I almost forgot about the whole thing. The thought of meeting HIM after all these years is chilling. Even if we have been exchanging letters, I truly do not know if what he says is true. I truly scorn the idea of meeting him.

          "Yes, I do recall such an event happening." I infact, did not.

          "Just so you know, he's arriving in less than an hour."

          I quickly got up from my bed, "Why didn't you wake me sooner?!"

          Mutiara let out a soft chuckle and smiled, "I was merely telling a fib." She picked up the hairbrush on top of the vanity.

           "Come, my lady, let me brush your hair. Then, I shall set up your bath."

           "You're insufferable." I gave her an annoyed look as I sat down in front of her, examining my reflection in the vanity.

          "I know you love me." She took the hairbrush and began to comb my hair in a gentle, repeating motion.

          As she gently untangled my hair, I was left with my thoughts. I could hear her hum a gentle tune. Her voice truly was a gem, a melody that brought pure bliss to the back of my mind. She probably thought I couldn't hear her sweet nothings, and I was sure that if I were to tell her, she would be too embarrassed to continue. So, I remained silent as she entranced me.

          After a few moments, she spoke, "There, now when the maids do the same after your bath, it won't be as bad."

          "Are you not going to do that?"

          "I have to finish up a few errands and then pick up your loverman from the docks."

          I gave her a look of what could only be described as disappointment, "But you are my lady-in-waiting. Why must you wait on a buffoon?"

          "My lady, is that really any way to speak of the man you are to wed?" She raised an eyebrow, judging me.

          "...Will you be back soon?"

          "As if time stopped itself for us to meet in a moment."

          I needed her with me when I stepped out of my chambers. I didn't think I could stand my aunt if she wasn't there to advise me. She was my peace.

          I replied hesitantly, "Then you are excused."

          She placed the brush on the vanity desk and curtsied before leaving my chambers. I took a deep sigh and stood up to make my way to the bathing room.

           An hour passed, and the maids surrounded me, making me look presentable. My body adorned with only the richest of fabrics. A necklace made from the purest of gold.

          I walked out of my chambers to see Mutiara. I let out a giant sigh of relief at the sight of her before I face the storm.

          She looked at me and opened the door, "Are you ready?"

          "No," I said with a self-conscious tone.

          "Do not fret too much. I shall be two steps behind you." She reassured me.

          "Promise?"

          "Always."

          My heart continued to race. But knew I couldn't turn and run now. So, I walked with pride as I stepped out of the doors that shielded me from the world.

          As I stepped into the main hall, the walls were tall, and the windows shone rays of sun into the room. The carpet was made of velvet. There, I saw my aunt conversing with my "fiancé," Indra.

          My aunt's countenance remained etched in its usual stern and frigid expression, a facade of unyielding composure. The glare she bestowed upon me seemed to emanate from a wellspring of long-standing resentment. Her posture, as always, exuded an air of lofty pride, an unmistakable testament to her standing in society. Draped in the finest fabrics, some conspicuously imported, she was adorned with a symphony of gold jewelry, a manifestation of her opulent existence.

          "Astria." my aunt's voice sliced through the air.

          Caught momentarily adrift in my thoughts, my attention was diverted by another presence, another figure that seized my focus—Indra. His stance held an aura of unassailable confidence, his tall frame exuding an unmistakable pride. His chestnut hair was meticulously swept back, not a single strand daring to defy its ordained place. Chiseled features defined his countenance, a portrait of what society might deem a paragon of masculine perfection.

          "Astria." my aunt's voice crescendoed, infused with a commanding tone.

          "My apologies." I hastily replied, snapping back to reality. "My mind had momentarily wandered."

          "Daydreaming, my dear, is a pastime unfitting for ladies of our stature. Composure befits us in all moments," she admonished with a swift glance.