Otherworld

The Ten Princes Of The Court

After I kicked Aleck, there was silence. "That," I breathed, "was for this morning."

Aleck was down for the count. The first sound that came out of anyone's mouth was from Slique. "Holy crap, did you just drop kick Aleck?"

I turned around and spoke. "Who changed my clothes?"

They looked surprised. Glasses spoke. "Your first Lady in waiting," he said. "Why?"

I looked at Aleck, a little guilty now. "Who let him in the same bed as me?" They looked at each other, uncomfortable expressions plastered on their faces. Except Kheelan, because he was too busy smiling at me to care what was going on.

"Milady," Gal said. "Didn't you want him in your bed?"

"Do I look like a floozy to you? There's no way I'd like it when I share a bed with a stranger."

There was silence. Then Glasses approached Aleck, and kicked him in the head, hard. Aleck jumped, and regained consciousness.

"Ow," he said. "What the hell hit me?"

"Milady, I sincerely apologize for his idiocy. We didn't know, and we were under the impression that you had requested his comfort in your chambers."

"You're excused," I said begrudgingly. "Nice kick by the way."

"I should say the same to you." He smiled, and a hot waves rolled leishurly down my spine. I guess this is what the girls in books mean when they say a guy has 'A Million Watt Smile'. He pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat.

"Please continue to follow me," he said. He began walking, ignoring the grumpy Aleck who was rubbing his face, blushing. I walked by too, and everyone else followed. Kheelan began to hang all over me, literally.

He placed his hand genlty on my head and we half hugged, half walked. After hearing what everyone had to say about Kheelan, I was kind of too scared to pull away. Glasses lead us to a large room, with really comfortable looking swishy chairs around a large oak table, a sharp symbol burned into it-a scythe crossed with a crescant moon.

"Wait," I said. They all stopped walking and turned to me. "That makes no sense." I pointed to the symbol, or better yet, the crest.

"That's the crest of The Ten Princes of the Court. The knights that serve and court the Princeses of Prophet." Gal.

"No, that's not what I meant. If the Blade Elves were created by Athena and Ares, why is there a moon and scythe? Aren't those, like, the basic symbols of Artemis and Kronos?"

They looked at each other. "Well, yeah. However, each royal family is blessed by one god of the Great Twelve. Come," Glasses said. "Sit. We'll explain. Slique, run out and get the rest."

I sat in the softest looking chair because Kheelan sat me down there. If I had the choice, I honestly would've picked the rickety old chair in the corner. Kheelan chose the spot right next to me and rolled his chair closer to mine. Gal and Glasses gingerly sat in the seats closest to me.

The room was large and cold. The only heat came from a giant bonfire-like hearth next to the table. The decore was silver, and the walls didn't look painted. It looked like the same obsidian as the outside castle did. The floor was silky soft too, a rug that didn't seem at all human manufactured, however reminded me of my bed at home and how soft I'd thought my sheets were when I was so tired I couldn't even see.

"So, before you begin to explain, what's your name? I don't think I ever caught it."

Glasses looked at me, surprised to have forgotten that bit of information. "It's Brandon. Not so incidentally, I hail from the darkest parts of this dimension."