The Mountains Blade

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen- To be or not to be

Elwyn Greywater stared at the door that Evander Kane had walked out hours ago. The air in the room was clammy as the rain had died down into darkness. The night air was crisp and cold as it trickled in through the open balcony door. 

Elwyn sat on the end of the plush bed trying to come up with some kind of plan. 

She had determined that Evander was not going to be an ally in getting her home. Neither was any other person that she had met thus far. Elwyn swung the fire poker in her hands back and forth. 

A terrible thought sprung into her head and she imagined smashing the delicate figurines. 

Elwyn jaw ticked and she rubbed her tongue over her teeth, taking deep heavy breaths.

"Stay calm," she told herself. 

It was incredibly difficult as she replayed Evanders sentence. He was a conniving little snake, acting as if he cared when she was injured and locking her up like some princess in a tower. 

Elwyn glanced at the doorknob, realizing she hadn't actually checked the door. 

The warrior took her makeshift weapon and held it up like a blade stalking to the door. She listened for any sound on the other side and reached for the door handle. 

It flung open knocking the poker from her hands. It had fallen beneath the feet of the intruder. 

The intruder was a cheery blonde haired girl. She had twinkling blue eyes and a large, round smile. Her skin was paper white and her blue veins highlighted the paleness. The girl was no older than Elwyn. She wore dangling diamond teardrop earrings, a small quaint diamond tooth, rested on her bosom and her hands sparkled in silver, diamonds. 

She was beaming at Elwyn. 

She launched herself at Elwyn, the dark ruby dress she wore, hugging her as well. 

Elwyn stumbled backwards and made to punch the woman. 

The blonde haired girl caught her hand with unwavering speed and held it, snatching the other as she raised it. Elwyn wondered how obvious her fear was as her hands were lowered between them. To anyone else it would look like two friends holding hands and talking of old times. 

Elwyn had been trained how to take down any supernatural, but she was beginning to think that she wasn't really taught how to fight but rather defend. 

"Elwyn, please do not get physical."

"You're the one holding my hands hostage." Elwyn snapped back. 

The girls lips curled upwards as if she thought Elwyn was funny. 

"I am going to let you go but then you must not try to hit me." 

Elwyn pursed her lips and thought to just reach down and bite this woman's hand.

"Fine." She grumbled. 

"Good." The girl dropped her hands gently and elegantly flung herself onto the nearest sofa. "Gosh, Evanders room is always ten times more comfortable than mine." She moaned, melting into the cushions. 

Elwyn blinked at the sudden irritation at this girls comments. "Anywho, I am Marlowe Kane. I am here to assist you in getting ready for dinner with my older, annoying brother." Marlowe added the last three words with a hint of attitude. 

Elwyn was silent. She did not know what to say, she had never heard of the Kane brothers having a sister. As she studied the girls features, she realized how much, aside from the dark blonde hair, she looked like Evander. Her eyes were the same twilight colored, hints of blue, grey and silver swimming around her iris. Her facial structure was the same, sharper than the edge of a blade. Her frame, however was hourglass like, and when she stood, she was nearly half a foot taller than Elwyn. 

Elwyn crossed her arms unimpressed. Although on the inside, a prickling feeling of embarrassment was coursing through her at the state she was in. 

Marlowe did not seem to mind, she still looked at her with a blinding smile, despite her own expression. 

"Funny, I've never heard of you." She said, looking at her nails as if the conversation didn't interest her. 

Marlowe aired out a light laugh. "Of course not!" She said as if it were the most expected answer. 

Elwyn turned her attention back to Marlowe, puzzled. 

"Why not?" She asked. 

"Oh, my brother is protective like that." Marlowe laughed, flinging herself up from the couch and to the door, seconds before a knock sounded. 

"Its here." She squealed, launching herself at the door and yanking a black box, wrapped in equally black ribbon into the room.

"Open it!" she exclaimed, pushing the box into her hands. Elwyn stumbled, taken aback by the gesture. 

"Oh, why?" She asked. 

"Because my brother has a ball set up for you to meet some of the nobles of our kingdom." 

Elwyn blinked. "A ball? You're younger brother kidnapped me." 

Marlowes sweet expression was replaced with one of disgust. "Aldric is not my brother." she snarled. 

Elwyn dropped the black box onto the couch nonchalantly. "I don't care. I'm not going and I'm not wearing anything from either of them."

Marlowes face contorted into a frown. "I got it for you, I picked it out specifically for you. I promise its not tainted with poison or anything."

Elwyns face paled. 

Marlowe opened the box pulling out the dress before she could object further. 

Elwyn could not deny its beauty. 

The dress was magnificent. Marlowe handed the heavy fabric to her and she was astounded by how light weight it felt. "If you agree to change, I'll help you get Evander alone to answer some of your questions."

Elwyn looked up at Marlowe, she had such pleading eyes. 

"Fine, but it better not be a trick." She warned. 

Marlowe rolled her eyes, unfazed. "Its not."

~

Elwyn looked herself over in the mirror for what must have been the hundreth time. The dress she wore made her look like a queen. It was more magnificent than even her sisters ballgowns. A pang of sadness settled in her chest at the thought of her sister but she quickly brushed it away. She couldn't focus on that right now, she had to find Evander and convince him to let her go. 

She tilted her head to the side, sizing herself up. With the dress, she wore, it would not be difficult. 

It was a light gold color, black glittering beads that shone at the bottom. It reflected her kingdom more than it did Evanders. Elwyn grinned. She could not wait to rub in all of their faces, who she was truly loyal to. 

Her dress billowed out and behind her, a deep satin cape, hung from her shoulders, glittering. Marlowe had shooed away any maids and did her makeup and hair herself. Her eyes were a shimmering gold, black liner making her grey eyes more apparent. Her cheeks and lips were painted with gold glitter, her hair was let down in waves, gold strands of glitter streaming through them. Her earrings were long golden moons, a single oval white gem placed in its middle. Her sleeves stretched down to her wrists, flowing outwards, a metal ring that attached from the fabric to her finger, dramatizing them. 

Elwyn felt like a queen, she looked like a queen but she was not a queen. She reminded herself this as Marlowe gave her gold colored heels. She again told herself this as she stepped out of the door with shaking limbs. 

As she followed Marlowe down the dark candle lit hallways, and down the winding staircase, she reminded herself again and again. 

She was not a queen, she was not a queen. 

She was not a queen and she needed to get home to her sister, the rightful queen to Goldmoon;  who she was raised to protect.