Hallowed Damnation [#Wattys2016]

8

"This will be your new room from now on, Salina. I hope you find it comfortable."

Aldus had led Salina through long hallways in the expansive mansion which he had told her was their headquarters and the Orion Family estate. They had come to stop in front of a pair of large iron doors.

He opened up the doors with a flourish and she tentatively stepped in. A gasp escaped her lips at the lavishness that beheld her. The large room was painted in a clean cream color with bursts of warm reds, greens, and golden hues in the furnishings. Large windows framed with white curtains lined one side of the room bathing it with natural light. At the center of the room was a king-sized canopy bed fit for royalty.

The extravagance of the room overwhelmed her. Even the plush carpet on her naked feet was foreign to her. She has never had a room to herself let alone one this luxurious. Aldus watched in quiet amusement as she observed the room while looking almost frightened that she might break something.

"There is a private bathroom connected for your use. Go ahead and wash up while I get some clean clothes and food sent up," Aldus said.

He led her to the door for her bathing chambers and he tried to show her how to use the gold-plated bathtub, but she found it all too excessive. She opted for a shower instead.

Aldus had left her now in the exquisite bathroom. For a few minutes she just stood there staring at the light colored marble floor. She felt like she was drowning and suffocating on this strange land.

The little she saw of the scenery from the windows was beautiful; verdant gardens with flowers in full bloom, large stone fountains, and cobbled walkways. As she expected, the place was magnificent but she did not anticipate its people to be so cold.

She was no stranger to ruthlessness and murder but even when killing was by her own hand and justly deserved, she always felt a pang of sadness for the wasted life. She thought of the families that would lose a loved one and the regret that must have racked the deceased.

These people did not seem to hold any importance for human life. Only Aldus had shown her some mercy. She thought that the people here would be different, happier even, but they all seemed to be bitter and resentful at life. The Armenites seemed to be in a better emotional state than they were.

Salina shook her head to clear it. She peeled off her dirty clothes and stepped into the shower. Her worries temporarily vanished as the warm water soaked her whole body. For the time being she would only focus on cleaning the filth off her.

Aldus was sitting at the small dining table by the windows admiring the gardens outside when she came out wrapped in a fluffy white robe with her wet hair in a tumbled mess. She smiled at him as she sat on the seat across.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Much better. Thank you, Aldus."

"It was no problem, Salina. We should not have put you in the dungeons to begin with."

"It's fine really. I honestly would have done the same thing if I were in your place. Please don't feel bad about it anymore."

She felt a hesitant friendship grow between them. She felt relieved when she saw the shame that was swimming in his eyes disappear and his beautiful face brightened once again.

"Nevertheless, I would like to make it up to you. I would like to start that with a good meal."

He looked almost like an excited child when he stood and pushed toward her a rather long trolley filled with plates covered by silver domes. He lifted each one to reveal the most delectable food she has ever laid her eyes on. The smell wafted to her face and made her mouth water. She could not wait to taste everything.

Aldus beamed at her when he sat back down. He felt a sense of satisfaction when he saw the hungry look on her face. Food was such a simple thing to offer to people and to him it was often overlooked how much joy it could give.

"I wasn't sure what you would like, so I asked the cook to send up a few of her best dishes. Go ahead and dig in," he said.

Salina practically dove for the food. She immediately went for the juicy beef steaks and proceeded to demolish it. Aldus chuckled as he watched her eat like a man starved for weeks. She continued to pile more food on her plate before shoveling it all into her mouth.

"I'm assuming that the food is good?" he teased.

"Are you kidding? This food is amazing! I have never had food like this before," she said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"The chef is truly special here."

"How so?"

Aldus leaned back in his chair and watched her eat. "Look at your wrists."

She raised an eyebrow at him but obliged. Her eyes widened as she saw the welts healing rapidly. They were no longer open and bloody, but were just thin scars. Even the scars seemed to be fading.

"How did this happen?"

"The chef is a healer and one of the rarest kinds. She can infuse her healing abilities into her food. Coupled with your regenerative qualities, your injuries heal quicker and completely."

Salina slowly bit into the fresh strawberry as she looked at Aldus uncertainly. "How do you know I can regenerate?"

He chuckled. "I only noticed that the major injuries you sustained during your battle with us have healed quicker than they should have."

She nodded her acceptance of his explanation. She popped another piece of fruit into her mouth. "I would very much like to meet her, if only to thank her for the wonderful food."

"You will most likely meet her. You are free to wander the mansion as you please, Salina."

Her face suddenly turned sad. "But I am not free to leave, am I?"

Aldus felt something tug at his heart when he saw how miserable she looked. "Do you still want to leave? To go back to Armen?"

"I don't know, Aldus," she said honestly. "On one hand I have nothing to go back to in Armen, but on the other I don't feel like I belong here."

That gave Aldus hope. The fact that she was unsure if she wanted to leave gave him hope that she might be convinced that this was her true home. He decided right there that he would make it his mission to convince her.

He stood up abruptly and smiled widely at her. "Go get dressed. I have something to show you. Come meet me outside your door when you are ready."

With that he left Salina wondering what had gotten him so excited suddenly. In his head he was joyfully planning out how he would finally introduce her to her heritage.