Leora - hidden light

Chapter six

As I'm walking down the hall with my head down, following Laylea, I think about my brother. I was so deluded that I forgot about my brother. Maybe Adonis was right. I was so stupid, fantasizing about this place.

"There she is..." Her voice is clear and is calming to listen to. Her black hair is tied into a huge bun over her head and adorned with jewels and crystals. Her attire is so much better than Laylea or any other dresses I've seen here. Certainty better than mine. Her deep red velvet gown probably weighs a ton due to the stones hedged at the bottom and top. Her crown is perched on head, which glistens under the lamps above. Her smile gives away the feeling of coldness, as if she is actually not smiling and I'm imagining it.

"There's our princess." She says as she stares right into my eyes.

"Settling in good, sweetheart?" Her tone doesn't deceive me. She's cruel and evil. I've heard about the Queen of Kodurk. Daliya Helmus Blagden. Dark and mysterious. Cold and distant is how I imagined her.

"Where's my brother?" I ask her calmly. I don't need to fight. I don't need to fight. I just dont.

"Straight to the point, are we? Hmm let's see. I talked to your brother, he was standing right where you were. He had a small pocket knife that he called Vernier and threatened to kill me."

Vernier isn't a pocket knife. Its a whole dagger.

"So yeah, and then the guards shoved him into that dark hallway over there. So my guess, probably in the dungeons. Oh, did I mention the dragons there?"

My knees can't hold me anymore. Tears blur my eyes as I close my fists in an attempt to not lose balance and fall face first.

"I want to see him."

"The dragons?" She asks me as if to mock me.

"I'm only joking. Haha give it a laugh. Gervic, instruct Tellia to take her down there. Oh and Leora, I'm getting late for the ball. You are as well. Come meet me after your meeting with your brother. And advice him to keep his pocket knife in his little pocket the next time, sweetheart."

I'm blindfolded as I reach the dungeon. And I could smell the stench of the other wordly creature. Dragons. I've never seen one and have always thought it to be mythical. But now I know better. The blindfold is removed by Tellia and I spot my brother. He sits behind the iron bars of a huge cell.

"Boy was playin' with Daliya. Its nothin'. It's a joke. Don't worry, sweetheart." Says Tellia whom I've come to like in this seven minute walk with her.This sweetheart talk is getting me in a bad way.

"LORI, oh my lords. They've trapped me here. Are you okay? What did they do to you?"

His face is patched with dirt and soil. He probably refused to get in the bath and change.

"Luci I'm fine. Are you okay? We need to talk to the Queen for any more information. You can't just keep disobeying forever." I search his eyes for the answer I'm looking for.

"Leora, how can they? We're strong. Father will come ge-"

"Lucian, stop. Stop relying on father to do ALL. STOP. Just stop. He doesn't care about you. Or for you. Just get dressed and come to the ball."

"A ball? What's that? " he asks me as I leave.