Silence Reigns

Chapter 4

"It suits you," Lydia said, gazing fondly at the girl in the mirror.

Erielle crinkled her brow at her reflection in disdain for the puckering of the bodice of her new dress. "It's all"—she gestured vaguely at her bodice—"wrinkly."

"Nonsense," her maid tsked, sweeping invisible dirt particles off the sleeves. "You look stunning, as a queen-to-be should be."

The princess stared at her handmaid. "Queen-to-be? What can you mean?"

"Why, don't be ridiculous, my lady. You're to be married!"

"Married!" she said in alarm. "Since when?"

"Now really, Erielle," Lydia said sternly, "you must cut the joshing."

Indignation rose in her chest as she said irately, "I have no recollection of ever agreeing to marriage!"

Lydia ceased her brushing and turned to her. "Your father declared that you would be engaged to Edom of Landoness."

"What?" Erielle felt a blow to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. "Who?"

"Edom. You know, that handsome, rich son of Lord Landoness. My lady, are you alright?"

"No—no, I'm not alright. You are certain that it was Edom?"

"Yes, my lady. Fine choice, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you, Lydia." Erielle winced at the cutting edge of the remark. "I apologize. I should not have spoken to you that way."

"No offense taken. What is your objection to Sir Edom, if you do not mind my asking?"

Erielle paused. Where should she start? "He is a dishonest liar."

Lydia laughed softly. "My lady, there are far more heartless men in the world than liars. I think you know that in the royal world, you cannot find much of an improvement."

"When is the wedding?"

"In five days, you will be married to Edom of Landoness. Is it not exciting?"

Erielle gasped for air as if surfacing in a lake. Her body shook beneath her quilt. It felt real, though her mind knew it was a dream. Tears blinded her, and she curled her body into a ball and clutched her hands to her chest. Her hands felt cold; she found herself wishing for Ransom's warm one to wrap around her fingers and dispel all the fear she felt.

Foolishness.

Fearing that madness would overwhelm her, she threw the sheets to the floor, wrapped a nightgown around her shoulders, and stealthily opened her bedchamber door. As she passed the shelf by the door, she stopped, something having caught her eye. On the shelf was her horse statuette named Hollyroad. She plucked him off the shelf and stared at his black coat, remembering the dream she'd had in the Landoness Manor. She couldn't forget the haunting vanishing and reappearance of her childhood toy in the dream; it would always plague her. With a deft movement, she hurled the statuette at the wall and watched it shatter into a hundred black pieces against the stone. Then she left her bedchamber.

The nights had run together; she could not remember the last time she had slept longer than an hour or two. Her hurried steps echoed through the passageways as she wound down the stairs to the infirmary. The stones on the walls and floors turned darker and slightly rougher the farther down she went, indicating a lack of regular use by people of the castle.

Her knock on the oaken door was light, so as to keep the echo minimal. "Ermias," she called softly. "It is Erielle."

The door opened a crack, revealing one heavily-browed eye. "My lady? Erielle?"