Time for the Truth: a story of a sleeping beauty

part 12: A Ball

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The "ball" as my sisters were calling it, was coming soon, and they still wanted to know all about the Morijdian castle.

"The whole thing is built into a mountain, so it is nearly impenetrable. There are these gardens that have beautiful windows that let the sunlight stream in. Anytime the kitchens cook dessert, the whole castle smells sweet! it's like a maze, and they have such different practices than us. I don't know nearly as much of their language as I should. Their queen had just died, so everyone was in mourning." I faltered, realizing that had been Rior's mother that had died. No wonder he had been so melancholy sometimes. Perhaps the lies he had told had also been an escape for him.

"Tell me more!" Parisa pleaded, too tired to prop her head up.

"Tomorrow, when we get ready for your first ball." I smiled at her, and Tarana and I moved away to talk quietly.

Parisa turned to settle down, and I found myself wishing I could show them both the castle. Oddly, I wondered when I had started considering it as a second home, and I didn't want to think about if that meant I wanted to live there forever.

I found myself wondering if Rior was missing me.

"Tarana, I'm so confused. I know it is my choice to make, but I don't know if I can reasonably make it." the words burst out of me. My younger sister tended to be wise beyond her years, and I knew she would work to understand where I was coming from. 

"Why ever not? Do you love him?"

"I met him, not knowing that he was the prince. Everyone was kept hidden and away from me, and I had to hide any feelings I might have developed because I didn't know. He betrayed my trust."

"But perhaps he did it for a reason." Is there a good enough reason to lie?

"He did, Rior's father told him to do it, but he still should have told me!"

"How long were you sick?" Since the summer months when I left here, and it had been winter for some time. 

"I've only just gotten fully better. It would go in cycles, get worse, then better, than even worse. But now, it seems as though it's completely gone."

"Perhaps he needed you to trust him as a friend before you were betrothed, perhaps he needed to make sure he wouldn't hate you. He was rescuing you after all, and..." She was so good. 

"You're already on his side." She laughed.

"only because I can tell you have feelings for him, even just in the way you said his name. There was love in it." I hugged her, feeling the truth in her words, but maybe more confused than ever. We changed into our nightgowns and settled down to sleep in the same bed, a sleepover. I didn't want to admit that the nightmares were terrible since I had gotten back, and I was scared to sleep alone.

"So, is he handsome?"

"yes, very."

"Have you kissed him?"

"Tarana!"

"I've kissed someone."

"Tarana? Who?" I sat up, tossing a pillow at her and her smug expression that I could see, even in the dark.

"Lord Ignatius. He is a very good kisser."

"Did he?"

"No, I was the one to kiss him, he was very respectful about it, and I think he thinks he doesn't want to lead me in the wrong direction."

"Then the army has changed him."

"yes."

"You're too pretty for your own good, he won't be able to resist you." I felt light and happy in my soul, even though I did feel protective of her over something as little as a kiss.