Belford's Heart

Chapter 32: Gift

Evelyn floated on the silk sheets of the bed she rested upon. Lady Kressida had asked that she rest while the feast was being prepared. Upon arriving at her place within the Eternal Peak, everything appeared as if it were pulled from fairy tales of beautiful castles and the beautiful possessions of those within them. She was bathed in water warmed by the everlasting flame itself. The water rested within a pool of obsidian, and the soaps smelled of bountiful fields of flowers and honey. Her hair flowed behind her atop the silk sheets in shining waves of perfect-white. Her leather clothes had been taken from her. She now wore a tight-fitting dress made from similar silk as the bedsheets. Gems were stitched into the waist and at the shoulders, and it wrapped her figure exactly to every curve of her waist and legs. Normally she would not have liked to wear something like that dress, but it was so comfortable that she did not wish to question Kressida when she gave it to her. Her eyes glowed brightly in a vibrant violet, and her heart shined along with them as she stared at the ornate light fixture above her. It was a chandelier carrying flames floating upon small platforms. Each was a different shade and brightness of orange and yellow light, and it painted the room with comfort as she breathed deeply to enjoy the rest she had not had since leaving Maligwa's plane.

A pair of slow footsteps approached her. She straightened herself into a sitting position, moving her untied hair fully behind her, feeling it rest just above the small of her back as two servants emerged into the large room. "Lady Kressida has asked for you. May I ask that you follow me?"

"Certainly," Evelyn said. Her body was in such a state of peace that even as she stood she felt as though the world was actually just beneath her feet as she floated above it. "I'd like to see her very much."

The servants bowed, turning as Evelyn approached them to lead her forward into the curved hall outside of her room. The walls were slanted and made of stone as she walked. The center was straighter, and within its cylinder held the bellowing everlasting flame. Its heat could be felt from behind it, and it was yet another wonderful comfort of the place Evelyn found herself within. They led her to a path that emerged to the right, walking the entire length of the corridor until it emerged into the outside air that had just begun to darken for the night that would soon welcome the full moons in the sky. Kresside stood staring at the city far beneath them. The servants waved her forward before turning back to leave them, and Evelyn joined Kressida in staring at the city below.

Torches had been lit along every street, the most of which were planted in the direct center of everything as both halves of the city met at the center. There was a large fire at the center, and thousands of bodies scurried about the streets in preparation for the ceremony. Looking further toward the gate, she watched as the Westworm crashed once again into the barrier with its beautiful lights shining into the sky. The platform came up to her waist, and she rested her hands upon it to lean forward in her stare of the beautiful city. She felt Lady Kressida's hand trace her back, ending on the space between her shoulders. Her touch was so calming, somehow adding to the calm and beauty of her presence alone.

"Look at all who have gathered for you, my child," Kressida said, smiling as she looked down at her. Her face was adorned with new markings; swirling black tendrils that accentuated her lovely smile. Her ears were fitted with new piercings, the main of which were large rings hanging from her earlobes. She wore a similar dress as she had on the road, but this one matched the deep purple color of Evelyn's. The silk was similar in texture, and her body was beautifully wrapped within it. "You are truly a gift to us, Evelyn. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you here with me."

"I have not felt so...clear in all my life." Evelyn thought back to her days living with Maligwa. Even in the tranquil halls of her home, the peaceful light of her fields, and the love she felt for her peppers, she never felt anything like the euphoric calmness she held within her. "Should I be nervous for this feast?"