𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛

9

. . .
M

I was comfortable. I was safe, calm and comfortable. However within my waves of soft and lovely dreaming, I came before a tall and grand castle, one to be described in a fairytale.

The vision became clearer as my surroundings focused themselves more. Where even was I? This place had an air for familiarity, but I could tell that I've never seen this place before in my life. Tall, misty pine trees surrounded the mossy stone entrance that I was fixed in front of. It was the entrance to a grand but intimidating palace or castle, I didn't know the word. It was cool, and a slgihtly breeze shook me and the trees ever so slightly to were it was almost creepy to be here. I turned to the rotting wood door, and found that it was cracked open. I touched it, and the most horrible creak echoed from the door and seemed to ring for an eternity through the forest. I thought I squeaked, as the motion was familiar but no sound escaped. However because the only sounds that seemed to make themselves known were from the other objects, surely it couldn't hurt to slip myself through the entrance.

When I emerged through the door, I entered a long dim hallway, only lit by the small sun rays that came through the tall windows. I thought it was going to be a royal courtyard like how I thought castles had. I gazed forward, tilting my head side to side to see if I could make out anything that rested in the room ahead of me. A long gray hallway carpet ran down to the stone entrance to the wider room ahead, and I thought because I was just outside, that it would be courteous to not walk on the clean fur. It seemed like I only took three steps before I got to the room. It was fuzzy when I first got to it, but then the room cleared, revealing a big circular table with two very elegant women and a dark intimidating man seated at very separate points of the circle. There were another three women standing behind the three seated. My first thought looking at the white haired, white silked woman almost next to me was that she looked like Shiro but more calm and kind looking. The sun from the other tall windows surrounding each of them looked like they were smiling more on her than anyone else. The girl or woman standing respectively behind her with her tan hands held at her core, was also very pretty, but didn't have the same aura of kindness that almost Shiro had. Her hair was a deep blue, but faded in and out of a vibrant yellow, and small glimmers shone through like stars scattered within a galaxy. Ram horns adorned her head, and bangs covered her eyes. Because they could see me if they turned their heads slightly, I hid behind the small lip of the wall.

I looked to the next woman sitting, her figure facing the center so I couldn't see her face. However her hair on the left was pitch black, and on the right was a beautiful golden, with half of each part strung up into two neat buns with small gold and silver hair pieces to decorate. She had on a long royal looking coat, and sat almost angry at the other two. Her assistant had a veil on, so all I could pick from them was that they were a tall flowy blue mass. And finally the man that was seated, looked like the tall man from Torain's shop the other day, with his black hair that was pulled down into a braid and the sides were shaven. "Is this a weird convention or something..?" I mouthed. I thought I put enough air behind my words, but not even my vocal cords vibrated.

The woman standing behind him, placed herself firmly in the shadows of the room. From what I could see, she was beautiful in such a sad and terrifying way. Her dark brown hair was thrown into a crude and matted bun that was near to fall off of her head. Her pale but dead looking green-gray eyes were fixed down, like she was too ashamed to look at anyone else present. Her skin matched her eyes, gray and dark. She wore ropes and rags and long thin furs to cover herself, only her shoulders, face, and fingers showcased her skin. But the reason she was so terrifying but upsetting, was because her mouth was sewn or fused shut, and she tried to hide it with small ribbons and bandages. It hurt to see her. She looked too ashamed of herself, and she was holding herself in such a doubtful and reflective manner. I wanted to walk around all of these important people just to hug her. I felt so much empathy for her and I had no clue as to why.