Collaterals

A Princess of Aradia

Leila was quick to forget her fatigue as she moved to the hallway, the door shut behind her once more. Captain only frowned, following her through the hall wordlessly, deeper into her wing of the castle. If memory served, there would be a relatively secluded study somewhere here. Guards— undergoing their rotations, by the looks of it— straightened as she moved through the halls. Leila sighed as they turned a corner. It was a room on the right. Leila was almost certain.

She opened a door and popped her head into what looked like a guest room. Leila sighed shutting the door and moving back to the hallway.

"Is there somewhere you're taking us or are we just discovering your wing of the palace?" To say Captain sounded irritated would be an understatement.

Leila didn't answer, only looking forward as they approached another door. She stood in front of it, memory bubbling to the surface.

The door to her study was not as large as she remembered it. Certainly, she'd forgotten just how beautiful the colored engravings on it were, polished and dusted so the paint glistened. She ran a hand over the embellishments before resting it on the knob and turning it before pushing forward. The door didn't budge. Leila groaned, pushing once more.

"Shall I fetch a servant, then? Or perhaps a guard? Or maybe even a battering ram?!"

Leila rolled her eyes, putting her weight into her next shove. The door relented, and Leila stood in place, letting go and watching it creak open. The air that puffed out the room was stale, and the smell of dust tickled her nose. The light of the hallway lit just a part of the room so Leila could see the particles of dust, swimming through the air. 

"Is your highness...going to remain in the hall?"

Leila wrinkled her nose, "It's dusty."

The Captain remained silent. Leila turned to look at him. His face was deadpanned. Upon meeting her eyes, though, the Captain sighed and moved past her. Leila watched as he placed the items on the nearest chair and went to the curtains. He pulled them away, sunlight pouring into the room. Then, suddenly, he paused. Leila watched as he sneezed: once, twice. He took a breath, shaking his head as he opened the balcony doors, letting some air in. Then, he moved to the other doors, repeating the process. 

Most rooms were like this, with a balcony that encompassed the length of the wall, three sets of glass double doors. This room looked out to the sea: the mountain that the palace rested upon fell to a steep incline, past which was the sandy shore. The mountain made it so that it was enclosed from the rest of the city, the Royal family using it as a sort of private beach. It was where Leila had learned to swim. She squinted against the memory, shocked at just how far away it felt.

Slowly, Leila entered the room. It was...as though she'd died. White sheets covered the furniture, shielding it from the years of dust. She would come here, as a child, when her siblings would take the lessons she could not. Leila frowned at the cloth, moving to where the largest desk was. 

She put her hand out, clutching the fabric.

"Perhaps I should fetch a servant after all," the Captain sighed against the dust. 

Leila glanced at him before she folded the cloth into itself, trying to lessen the spread of the dust as much she could. Then, she let it fall onto itself, on the ground. Her brows raised: the room truly was untouched. Leila put her hands atop a child's drawing , squinting as she picked it up. It seemed to be...a girl and a boy, fire in their hands. Leila creased her brows: she had never had lessons on how to control her fire, how to summon it. And Haitham could not call to fire. Which meant the two in the drawing were likely Ali and Zarqa. Leila put the drawing down, discarded atop items of her childhood, still present where she'd last left them.