The Chronicles of Guertanna: The Sword of Light and Shadow

Chapter XXIV

There were no cheers, no people, no rewards that welcomed them. Only Alice and her satisfactory smile. How long it had been since they entered? Time in portals ran different that in the real world, and it was impossible to understand it. However, they both saw the dusk across the windows when getting out, and it was confusing, because it can either pass one day or three. Without any other comment or question, both carriers went to their beds, overwhelmed in tiredness and cold. Weird, because in the portal they were barely waking up from their sleep at night.

Rinna took a warm bath; she still felt shivers from removing her wet clothes and boots. She didn't like cold at all, but she enjoyed the wonderful view of the snowy mountains and woods. After a relaxing bath, she put on her nightgown and went right under the sheets of her bed, closing her eyes and absorbing all the information of that day. She breathed slowly, processing the feeling of sealing her first Dandelion.

A couple days passed after having sealed the second Dandelion, every day returning to be more dangerous and risky as the Empress seemed to be losing strength in her magic. Rinna fell into a deep and relieving sleep, woken up by a knock at the door. She moaned inaudible words, but the door opened anyways. Trish appeared in the door frame and walked across the room. She opened the curtains, letting the sunlight slam into the room and making Rinna open her eyes startled.

"Good morning, Lady Lakum," She answered, emotionless, neutral. Jeez, there were still thoughts in Rinna that maybe she was an alien. "You must go to have breakfast now; the Empress organized a tea party today."

Rinna gaped, her eyes narrowed in the shine of the window's light. She processed the words of her maid. Tea party? For some reason the idea was thrilling, but she couldn't remember any bad experience concerning tea. Well, actually she couldn't remember a lot of things in her sleepy state of mind. She rubbed her eyes yawning, feeling every inch of her body starting to wake up. Then she looked at the ticking clock next to her bed. Seven thirty-eight. Her eyes widened and her body shut down into sleepy mood again.

She collapsed in the bed, "It's too early!" She pulled the sheets all the way over her head and shut her eyes, begging for her mind to go sleep.

Trish looked down at her coldly. Her eyes blinking in admiration over the girl's laziness. She sighs, "This are orders from the Empress, you must go down now for breakfast." She darts out of the room.

Rinna uncovers her face, with a long sigh she takes courage to slide out of the bed and go out still in her night gown. If she was going to have breakfast that early, she preferred doing it on her gown. Slowly as her feet and pace wanted to, she went through the hallways until she ended up in the Dining room. Some Gulders were there, those days they mostly stayed out in the city, ready for whenever the Empress was again fainted and released the power of the Shadowland. Kenor was there too, giving the impression that Rinna wasn't the only one woken up against her will, looking at his already-messy hair even more unarranged, with marked circles under his eyes and it was obvious that he didn't even look at his clothes when putting them on.

Rinna smiled and hid a giggle. "Good morning," She said in yawn sitting in her place next to Alice.

"Good morning, Rinna!" Dia said all full of energy, with big shining smile, eating enthusiastically to her favorite cheesecake. Rinna concerned about the cheesecake, jeez, since when she is awake?

The food was brought in front of her and she started eating. It was a little odd that she was that hungry for not wanting to get up from bed. "What?" Kenor said, when she looked up to him she saw his smirk, "Did a swirling of sand came and dragged you out of bed?" He smiled.