A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 13 Freya

Her cheeks cramped from smiling. Not because she was enjoying the company, but because she was outside of the Castle. Lord Escars Estate was large, bombastic. The main house was a two storey building, white stone, red roses in the garden and up the walls. A traditional Spring Court home for a Lord, a Lord like Escar.

They sat in a grand salon, all furniture in rose wood, masterfully created and detailed. Beautiful. The moment Escar showed her his house, that word had come to her mind. A word to describe this place. But it was not a home. Nothing looked lived in, nothing felt like it was organic. Not a wrinkle in the perfect silk curtains, not a dust particle in the air. Not one scratch on the chairs. It looked so dead. Beautiful, but dead.

Then it was the other guests. Freya held back the instinct to roll her eyes as one of them started to talk. A high pitched voice belonging to a brown haired female from the Autumn Court, married to one of Lord Escars closer friends. Or allies.

"When is the ceremony then? Now in autumn? Winter? You can't wait too long." She said, lifting her drink. The ember liquid looked so tempting to Freya, but her own glass only held water.

"We are waiting for her father to give his blessing." Lord Escar answered, his hand gripped her knee over her dress. A dark green silk ensemble. "He is very traditional." Freya held on to her smile, forcing it to say to not show the lie. Her father was the one who had asked to hold the wedding until she was of age. But the moment her sheets would be red the invitations would go out.

"I see, who is he?" The female asked, leaning forward. Her own dark red dress looked to me made out of wine .

"You will know once the day comes." Lord Escar chuckled, "I needed to sneak her out for this night, but I saw that it was of interest to show her to you, my closest friends." Freya wondered if anything beyond that fact that he had smuggled her out form the castle, was true? Could a male like him have close friends? "The food is soon ready, we can move to the dining room." He got up, giving Freya his hand like a gentlemale, but the grip was far from friendly or gentle.

"Is it so?" The male friend mirrored Escars gesture, Freya looked away. Trying to look natural as her smile became less and less so.

"Yes, I have asked my chefs to make the best for tonight." Lord Escar spoke, it was all so formal, so boring. Freya liked the versions in her own books, of friends talking openly, informal conversations about everything. "Deer, tender and marinated for a day especially for today." It did sound tasteful, but Freya knew that most foods tasted like ash to her. So this amazing meal to them was a waste for her, but what could she do about that? Curse out the Cauldron again?

She closed her fits, scared that thought would call that strange sand she had seen a few weeks ago.

I am sorry! Please don't punish me for my thoughts. Judge me for my actions instead! She let out a breath, scared to look down on her hands. But nothing looked to have changed.

"Yes, Now, Freya, my beautiful fiancee." He pulled out a chair for her. "Take a seat."

In theory Lord Escar was a perfect male. Ritch, competent, had good manners. Outly. Freya followed his lead and sat down. Making sure her dress was placed right. No unnecessary folds or wrinkles in the silk.

"It sounds delicious." The male friend said and did the same for his own wife. The red head looked up at him and the smile she gave him made Freya's heart scream in pain. That was the loving look she had read so much about. So far from the forced one she gave Lord Escar.

"It will be." He sat down next to her, and once again his hand landed over her knee, squeezing hard. "Now, let's eat." The food appeared at the table in an instant, and the smells made her stomach growl, had she ever smelled food this good?