True Colors

Part 4

I heard the sounds of boots on the ground coming towards the back of the wagon, where the two doors were. It would probably be wise to wait and see what they want from me. But that was not going to happen. I would escape. They could not keep me docile despite the days i had been in this wagon. How long had i been in here anyway? Possibly a week at the most.

Time seemed to stretch out and expand before me. The crunch of boots came closer. I sat on my heels, bracing my muscles for the impact. The hinges on the doors squeaked in protest to the movement but the doors continued to open. Light spilled in through the crack and swept through the space of the wagon. I pulled my cloak over my head, hiding my hair and my eyes. The doors were almost open all the way, the light slowly inching towards me; i got ready to move. The doors were fully opened now and the light ran over my hunched form. I moved.

The guards blinked, showing their surprise at my outburst. But they were too late. I was already out of the wagon and running. To where? I had no idea. Just out. But... But there was no exit. Where was the exit. I ran frantically around the small courtyard, searching and searching. I grabbed my hood to keep it from flying back. There. The door was partially hidden between two trees that had leaves draping down towards the ground.

I reached the door but was forced to put a hand against it for a second to catch my breath. My lips were parched, my tongue dry and heavy where it sat in my mouth. I grasped the handle and swung to the door. I took a step. Shouting and yelling guards raced up behind me and i took another step forward through the doorway. Although when i looked up to where i was headed, i realized i was trapped. Guards now ran at me from both directions. I was hopelessly trapped with no way out.

Guards grabbed at my arms and pulled me back into the courtyard. Two of them held me between them, my feet rendered useless. I did not fight them. I was not getting out of this anytime soon. Obviously i was important to this king that he would assign so many guards to ensure i arrived. When we stopped, i looked up but it was too late. Somebody's fist made contact with my face and pain radiated through my face. Tears welled up in my eyes but i held them back. I would not give the satisfactory of them seeing that they had hurt me.

I braced myself for another punch but none came. I looked up and met the eyes of a guard. No, not a guard. A captain. The different color of his uniform marked him as a captain. Instead of dark blue, he wore black and a sword hung at his side. The captain squinted at me. I realized he could not see my face with my hood covering my features. He glanced at a guard to my left and i felt my hood jerked back.

HIs eyes widened as he at last met my gaze. He moved his mouth as if to say "a color" but no sound came out. His eyes lingered on my silver hair and eyes before he turned.

"Take her to her room", he ordered.

We started moving again, back through the door i had tried to go through before. An entourage of guards followed behind. I was taken through countless passages and hallways filled with what must have been priceless antiques. Chandeliers hung every so often, bathing the palace in light. I had not had a chance to take in the view of the palace, being as i was, and trying to escape. How wonderful that had turned out. I had never been in a palace before, until now. I gaped at the beautiful floors. I had never seen so much wealth in one place.

After a while of moving through the halls, we stopped at one of the door lining the hall. One of the guards knocked and the door opened, showing a servant. She had light brown hair and brown eyes. She had an unforgiving and no tolerance face. She must be experienced then. She took in the guards and then held out her hand towards me. The guards handed me over to her and she placed her hand on my back, guiding me into the room.

"How dirty you are", she exclaimed, "those guards have no sense of personal hygiene, those animals."

Despite myself, i felt a smile creeping up on me. I frowned to cover it up. The servant pushed me into the bathing room onto the side before i could really take in the grand room behind her. She closed the door behind me. I scanned the room. There was a tub filled with steaming water. A towel was slung across the back of a chair. I should not indulge in the riches of these people but i could not help myself.

I silently strode of the bathing room. I had wrapped the towel around myself and my hair was spread across my shoulder. I shivered, my cold hair making it worse. But all i was clean. How marvelous it was to feel clean for the first time in, well, a while now. The servant immediately got up from a chair she had been sitting here. Had she been in here all this time, waiting for me? She did not even glance at my silver hair. She merely pointed at another door in the room.

This time, i managed to get a look of the main room in the suite of rooms. It had a grand, four poster bed and there were two windows. But the windows had bars on them, of course. There was also a dresser on the far wall, opposite the bed. Overall, the room was huge. There was so much empty space spanning the middle that i felt as if this single room could be an entire house in itself. Then i was shoved through the doorway by a stern hand. I stumbled into the room but caught my balance before i fell.

The servant must have noticed my stumbling because she gave me a look that said she disapproved. How strange this lady servant was. There was nothing in her eyes as she went to the row of clothes on all sides of the closet. She picked out a few things and laid them on a chair that was in a corner. When i went over to the chair, it was a nightgown. It looked soft, i decided it was silk after i laid my fingers atop the material.

With the nightgown on, my hair behind my back, i went to back to the main room where the servant woman must have gone.

"Come child", i heard from the bed.

I turned to find her perched on the edge of the bed. I was shocked at her speaking to me since she had not said anything since my arrival here. She patted the bed beside her and i sat down. She placed her hands on either shoulder and turned me to the side so that my back was facing her. I felt her tug at my hair a little and i panicked before i realized what she was doing. When she was done, my once waist long hair was now in a braid that hung down to the middle of my back.

"Now sleep, child. You have a big day tomorrow", i did not ask her what would happen tomorrow, i would find out soon enough. I was still caught up in her braiding my hair. My mother used to do that.

The bed was impossibly soft. It was also warm but not too warm. Once settled into the nest of pillows, i felt a wave of fatigue. The servant got up, went around the room to blow out all of the lanterns, and went to leave.

"Wait", i said, my first words upon being captured, or really, since i could even remember saying. She paused but did not turn around.

"What is your name?", i asked her.

"If you need my attendance, just ask for Rosalind", she went as if to leave again.

"Wait", i said again, she turned around this time.

"Thank you", i found myself saying. Rosalind gave a slight smile before leaving. She did not come back but i heard the click of a lock going into place.

Alone with my thoughts, i tried to sleep but my mind kept nagging me. I tossed and turned from one side to the other in the overly giant bed. Although i was careful not to let my braid come undone. Rosalind was the kind of person who would probably freak out about that kind of thing. I finally fell asleep at last to the muffled sounds of palace life.