Erisa

chapter 3

Chapter 3

The king paced in his room; briefly pausing ever so often to watch through his large window as the sun slowly peeked over the hills on the horizon. He felt uneasy, having been reminded of the one rebel he never wanted to meet again. He was sure that she had died by now, locked in a tower for, what, thirteen years? It didn't matter. She was no longer a threat, dead or alive. He peered out at his gardens, lost in thought. Though she had never given information to any torturer, he felt that her capture was his biggest success. Still, he had seen almost a spitting image of her yesterday; while he watched from the tall windows his rooms as the new slaves entered the gates of Capria. It frightened him. The girl looked so like that rebel leader that he had jumped out of his chair by the window and pulled out his hidden dagger. Even after he had affirmed to himself that she was obviously not the same person, his heart had still raced. He had dreamt of the rebel that night, and he could still vividly remember the day they first met. Their conversation had been short. She had told him he was like the moon, and he had taken it as a compliment until he watched the sunrise two days later. She was hinting all along that someone much greater would come and destroy his rule.

Back in the present, his eyelids fell shut, but in his mind an image of her swelled and he saw her eyes, gray as the clouds, flashing angrily between him and his spies. He saw her fair face, surrounded by long dark hair, and that look of disgust she had had when they first met. He remembered how she had killed two of his five greatest bodyguards with bare hands in a mad attempt for his life. He shivered, and opened his eyes wide in fright. She was the one person he had ever feared, his greatest adversary. Though he was sure it would never come, he still dreaded the day that they would meet again.

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Erisa woke up, and for a few sweet seconds she lay there, halfway awake. Recalling the entire list of things she might have to do, she got up quickly and began to heat water for the four of them to bathe in. The sun was barely up, which gave the four girls about two hours to get ready. While Erisa waited for the water to warm up, she let her sleepy mind wander. She absentmindedly began to finger her necklace. It was the only thing she had that connected her to her real mother; she had disappeared right after Erisa turned two. The pendant was in the shape of a shield, with quite a few precious gems in it. She had hidden it from the Red Hands when they came to Anasia, not willing to lose it along with her father, brother and her home.

As the sun rose, the other girls began to wake and talk. Cala and Teris found something to giggle about, most likely they were making fun of someone. Samanthia walked over to Erisa, rubbing her eyes.

"Sleep well?" Erisa asked.

"Sort of." Samanthia yawned as she helped Erisa carry the water to the bathtub. Both girls backed away and let Cala and Teris argue over who was going first. Cala won, but only after she managed to shove Teris out and lock the door. Samanthia smiled knowingly at Erisa while pulling out one of her servant's dresses that Hope had provided from the closet by her bed. Walking over, she picked one for Erisa, too. They waited patiently on Erisa's bed while Cala and Teris bathed, not speaking. It took the two girls an hour to get ready, but eventually, Erisa and Samanthia had their turns. Thirty minutes after the four girls had finally finished, Hope knocked on the door to their room and asked if they were ready. Before leading them out the door, however, she stopped and said,

"It is a huge, beautiful court, but remember: evil is born there. Do not look anyone in the eye, and speak only if spoken to. Make sure to call nobles by their title 'my lord', and the king with 'excellency'. If you don't, there may be severe punishments. Obey any command without question, but understand that the king's word outranks anyone else's. I tell you this because if you are not prepared, it could kill you. Oh, and don't whisper. Mistrust may lead to rumor, and then you are subject to punishment yet again. Understand?"