Of magic and blood

Chapter Seventeen

"You can do this." Alexia murmured to me, holding more confidence than I ever could.

"I can do this." I repeated back, though it was more of a meek whisper than a confident statement.

Today, I wore a dress of pale jade with evergreen embroidery and a scoop neckline coupled with a natural waist, my hair pinned up with yellow rosettes. I was to take tea with the ladies of both courts out in the gardens again. My stomach was curled up in knots, making me feel nauseous. The last picnic tea hadn't gone well.

Alexia patted my shoulders, "Tea will be served at three o' clock. I suggest you find some way to calm your nerves." Her eyes flicked to where my nervous fingers knotted themselves in the tulle. I hadn't even realized I was doing it.

I nodded shakily, "Yes, I... I think I'll do just that."

Alexia gave me a reassuring smile, "You'll do fine."

It was hard to believe with knots in my stomach and shaking hands. Alexia left the chamber, giving me one last smile before slipping through the servant's stairwell.

If I had the patience, I would've sat and read in Lilac's anti-chamber, but I couldn't stand to sit still. I found myself wandering the palace, a shawl draped over my arms. I was drawn to the alcoves and gullies of the palace, places that had been forgotten and neglected over time.

There were two towers in the palace, the east and north tower. When I passed the door leading to the north tower, it was obvious that it was a place that had not seen visitors in many years.

Curious, I pulled the rusted clasp, the old iron squealing in protest, and quietly slipped inside the rotting door. It was gloomy along the spiraling stairs, the walls and hand railing thick with spiderwebs. My skirts whispered as I carefully went up, my slippers making no noise on the wood.

Up and up I went, passing small slits in the tower that let in a little light. When I finally reached the top, my breath was taken away.

The room was full of spiderwebs and broken furniture, and the whole place had an air of neglect. The wall facing the north was broken, giving a spectacular view of Alaric's land. Far in the distance were the Skeleton Mountains, the Dark Forest a dark scar at their feet.

A gentle breeze blew my shawl and skirts back, a breeze that spoke of the colder weather to come with autumn. I stood right at the edge of the broken wall, breathing in the fresh air, and leaned against the still-intact part of that wall.

Then, after a few moments, I took a deep breath.

Once a lass met a lad,
You're a gentle one, said she
In my heart I'd be glad,
If you loved me for me

You say your love is true,
And I hope that it will be
I'd be sure, if I knew
that you loved me for me

Could I be the one you're seeking?
Will I be the one you choose?
Can you hear my heart is speaking?
My eyes will give you clues

Someone else was singing, a rich baritone:

What you see may be deceiving, truth lies underneath the skin.

I turned as I sang the next line, trying to find the voice:

Hope will blossom by believing.

True to the original duet, we sang the next lines together:

The heart that lies within.

Then it was him again, and I could tell that he was singing from the bottom of the steps:

I'll be yours,
Together we shall always be as one
If you love me for me

We sang together for the last couple lines, our voices harmonizing beautifully together:

I'll be yours / who can say where we'll go,
Together we shall always / who can promise who we'll be
Be as one / but I'll stay by your side

If you love me for me,
If you love me for me

I hurried down the steps, hoping that I'd find him there, but he was gone by the time I made it to the bottom door.

I leaned against the doorframe, defeated.

Who had been singing with me?