Lady Of The Night

01| a night for duplicity

chapter 01: a night for duplicity

date edited: 01.01.23

Sheets of translucent mist were invading Nalune.

They had come in through the Northern coast. After swallowing Westriche Woods, they hovered over la Nera; peering into her dark churning depths. Like tidal waves, they swept into Tanvir square; past the mansions and ministerial homes, beneath Esteria Canal and into Fespian slums. Whispering through alleyways and onto the roads; they blinded carriage drivers and pedestrians. Heading south, they boldly slithered up the steps of Castle NaLuna.

The moon, as usual, was nowhere in sight.

A girl sat behind one of NaLuna's windows; looking into the mist. A sound had drawn her from her reading; but all she could see were the dark shape of pine trees within a milky grey backdrop. Glancing up at the clouds, she wondered when it would rain. The crack of bright embers at the fireplace brought her back; and she realized the room was too warm. As much as she wanted to open the windows and rid her room of the oppressive heat; she knew that once the cold seeped in, it would never leave.

Besides, she'd have to listen to another one of her Lady Saroy's tiresome lectures on how gently bred women must not keep tombs for rooms. But then, when had she ever cared about what anyone thought of her?

At that, she set her book upon the window seat and reached for the onyx latch. Here, she hesitated. The mist had grown thicker. She could barely see the anything now. The night's weather unsettled her; it looked almost...anticipatory. As though mist had gathered from far and wide to witness some kind of spectacle.

She shook her head; it was probably the book she'd been reading. All the death and suspense were getting to her head. She was pulling the latch downward when a menacing creak from behind her jolted her away. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

She grabbed her book and turned around. When she saw who was at the door, she let her hand fall. It was only Orabelle; darling Ora. "What is it?"

Ora's face was pale, but her eyes bright; "A good book is a powerful tool; it can begin a revolution, or start a war."

The princess closed her book. "Is everyone there?"

"Everyone is everywhere. Confusion awaits it's unleashing." Ora said, tapping the rails at her bed post. When she reached the end, she began the process again.

The princess lifted herself off of the bed and slid her porcelain feet into the silk slippers that had been placed at her bedside. The dark firelight seemed to exude itself in her presence, it's crackling embers like whips against a horse's side. She would have to ask Bertha to put out the fire before she turned in. She walked out the door, Ora following right behind her. Once they were out, she pulled the door shut. Pushing a key into the lock, she twisted it, and on hearing a satisfied click, pulled it out.

She slipped her brass key into a hidden dress pocket.

NaLuna was ancient; built before the Feres War. With lofty turrets, large gilded windows and ancient doors that creaked no matter how many times they'd been oiled; it stood apart from the rest of NaLune. Most rumored the castle haunted by its ancestors. Ora had once claimed she saw Grandpapa Kliev's portrait blink. But then Ora always claimed to have seen outrageous things. Alas, as grand as it was, it was also falling into disrepair. Its walls would have pirouetted right into ruin had it not been for the recent remodeling. Lady Saroyhad been very careful with where the money went. She sold most of the furniture, and kept only statement pieces; like the beds, the dining tables, the chaise lounges. She switched out the drapes for lighter, more solid tones. They'd cemented the walls and wallpapered them instead of demolishing and redoing them. She'd done this and a dozen other things, and somehow at the end, the main wings of the house passed for ostentatious. She did splurge on a few things though; the lantern shades above them for instance. Imported from West Orient, they were painted in rich hues of red, navy and lilac—depending of course on which wing of the castle you were in. The east wing, where Raven and the rest of her family resided, was decorated with beautiful shades of lavender and lilac; decorated with flowers painted by the most talented Oriental artists.