Vermillion & Silver

Chapter Two || Old Foes

The early morning light was dulled by the heavy fog that hung all over the sanctuary. Selene sat by her bedroom window drawing patterns on the condensation with her finger. It'd been a sleepless night, like the many that had followed the last attack on the temple. Unease was all she could breathe. She knew in her heart that the worst was yet to come but she didn't feel ready to face the trials a head.

The house was starting to come alive. She could hear soft footsteps on the corridors and she was sure the morning bell would sound at any minute, signaling the beginning of a long-established routine. But Selene had lost her taste for the everyday life of the temple. It was becoming increasingly difficult to look at her sisters in the eye knowing she was the cause of the misfortune that had descended on the once peaceful sanctuary.

The bell rang but Selene made no effort to move, she thought it best to wait until everyone had started their daily chores to sneak into the kitchen for some food. She knew she couldn't hide forever but she just couldn't bear sitting at the table with everyone as if nothing had happened, her shame ran too deep for that.

In an effort to keep some sort of normalcy, she'd decided to focus on her lessons. Sister Penelope had made it clear that under no circumstance would she be allowed to neglect her duties, particularly her studies. So she picked up the well-loved copy of 'History and Politics of Lycan Kingdoms' and began to read. History was her favorite subject, in a way, learning about the kings and queens of old made her feel closer to the family she could barely remember. Time had been unforgiving towards her childhood memories, and it was becoming a struggle to picture her mother's face or her father's smile.

When the halls grew silent, Selene put down her book and got ready to leave the safe walls of her bedroom. She had to tend to the garden and supervise the youngest girls writing assignments. But her daily chores were put on hold when she was heading downstairs towards the kitchen.

"Sister Selene," one of the novices called for her. "Mother Helena asked me to fetch you, Duke Hadrianen is here."

Selene's stomach dropped at the other girl's words. Gabriel Hadrianen was the last man she wanted to see, but she couldn't afford to insult him. He'd come to their rescue and now he was collecting his reward.

"I'll be there in a minute."

She hurried back to her room to change into her best day dress, a simple white flowy garment. It would not do to show up wearing her old gardening clothes. For the likes of Duke Hadrianen, appearances were important, expensive clothes and decadent perfumes were symbols of status, and they loved flaunting their riches. Their power was stolen and they'd only kept it through money.

Inside the walls of the sanctuary, Selene was just another sister, everyone knew where she'd come from and what she was but she had no privileges. In the eyes of The Moon all her children were equal. But the outside world thought she lived like a real royal, getting special treatment and ordering the sisters around. And for reasons Selene didn't quite understand, Mother Helena had encouraged that notion.

Her heart was pounding hard as she walked towards Mother Helena's office on the other side of the sanctuary. It wasn't that she was afraid of Gabriel Hadrianen, she knew him well enough to know how to deal with him, the trouble was, she absolutely despised him and she hated having to pretend otherwise. It was infuriating having to share a room with the man whose betrayal had sunk a dagger in the back of the entire royal family, effectively killing them all. But she had to keep calm, whether she liked it or not he was a powerful man and she was at his mercy.

When she entered the office she found the two figures sitting by the big window, drinking tea and chatting like old friends. Selene knew for a fact that Mother Helena wasn't fond of the Duke, but she was a master at diplomacy and could charm anyone. Even though Selene didn't always look eye to eye with her she admired the older woman, she was a nourishing but firm presence that kept the busy temple functioning through every trouble they faced. Her strength was something Selene wished she could emulate.