Lion Heart

Chapter 9

I woke up with a start, my shaking hands gripped to the bed sheets.  Wait, bed sheets? I looked down to see not only was I on a bed, I was in a room I had never seen before.  It boasted high vaulted ceilings, displaying intricate paintings of cherubs and naked women on its surface.  The bed I was sitting in was a deep mahogany with a canopy frame, ornately carved with laurels and roses.  Scattered across the room were touches of gold and luxury, from the dresser to the marble floor.  Despite the bourgeois comfort I was currently experiencing, I felt a deep guttural sense of dread. What the hell happened yesterday? Where am I? What happened to Alphonse?

I tentatively slid off the top high bed and stepped onto the cold floor.  Wincing at the sudden change in temperature, I tiptoed toward the enormous vanity by the window. As I peered into its gold framed mirror, I noticed the new white nightgown I was wearing. First of all, this gown is definitely not mine. It felt like it costed more than my rent and was not yellow or tattered from years of wear and tear. Second of all, who the hell put me in this nightgown, this room, and wherever this room is.

Suddenly the my last conscious memories hit me in the face and I face planted against the absurdly large mirror, my hands gripping its frame. WHAT THE HELL MAGS? I help one person and this is what I get? Kidnapped and probably labeled a threat to the crown. God, I am dead. I am so so dead. Also, WHO THE HELL IS "HE"?! That is the most vague and creepy thing to whisper in someone's ear as you kidnap them. Who the hell is this psycho?! I swear to God if I'm going to die here I might-

"You know it's seven years bad luck if you break a mirror, right?"

My curiosity paused my well deserved nervous break down. I looked behind me, trying to locate the owner of the voice.

She looked like a porcelain doll. Her curly auburn hair cascaded down her back in defined coils and her soft brown eyes stared at me expectantly under thick eyelashes.  She wore an emerald gown embroidered with ivy leaves and white flowered dotted along the puffed sleeves and skirt.

When I didn't respond, mesmerized by her appearance, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ok, never mind then." She held out her hand towards me. "The name's Odessa. What's yours?"

"W-what?"  Odessa sighed again.

"Your name?"

"Oh yeah." I slowly backed away from the vanity. "My name's Nadia."

"Well then, Nadia," she said, "It's nice to meet you."

I shook her hand and found my eyes drifting to her other hand, which was carrying a bundle of clothes.  Noticing my gaze, Odessa promptly said,

"I have been sent to give you this change of clothes, courtesy of his majesty. And there's no need to worry, I was the one who changed you after the hag brought you in."

"His majesty?"

"Ah, well not the one you're thinking about," she chuckled at my question, "I mean if it was that bastard you probably wouldn't be sitting pretty here-"

"Wait, so we're at Alines headquarters,l right now?"  I cut her off, my voice full of hardly concealed anxiousness.

"Yes-"

"And by 'the hag' you mean Mags, right?"

"Yes-"

"Mags is an Aline?!"

"Yes, she-"

"But what the hell did she kidnap me for?! I'm pretty sure didn't do anything to get kidnapped by the Alines. What are you people going to do to me?! Did Mags see what happened to my friend? He's a pretty average height, dark skin, red hair, and green eyes. Has nervous tendencies? Can be a pain in the-"

"WILL YOU LET ME SPEAK?"

Odessa huffed loudly, cradling her head in the palm of her hand.

"Ok, let's get you dressed and I can take you to someone who will explain everything to you." She raised her eyebrow at me, annoyed. "Okay?"

"Alright..."

After she placed the bundle of clothing, I stared at her waiting for her to leave. But she didn't and only stared back with the same expectant glare.

"So are you going to leave?"

"Not unless you can put a corset on all by yourself." Odessa replied matter of factly.

"I don't think a corset with be necessary." To be honest, I'd never tried on a corset, even before the colony. It just wasn't something I did. Plus after seeing plenty of "fashion forward" women faint in town square and the endeavor to pry their corsets off their bodies, I had been pretty discouraged from even entertaining the idea wearing a corset.

"You have too! Anyone who doesn't dress their best for a meeting with his majesty is immediately disrespectful. Now, come on!" She pushed my towards the bed post and wrapped the corset over my shift with impressive speed.

Before I could even protest, Odessa started pulling. Despite how petite she was, she had an insane amount of strength. As my ribs were being broken and guts were being squeezed up my throat, I started to run over how exactly I got to this situation. I'm so stupid. First, you nearly get yourself killed by staying out after dark. Then you yell at Coronas for beating up an "innocent" old lady. And guess where that got you? Here, getting gut strangled by some psycho doll after getting kidnapped by that same old lady. Nadia, how are you not dead? How are you still alive? What am I thinking? What am I going to do? What am I going to do?

"Ok and now we're done!" Odessa stepped back grinning triumphantly, hands on her hips. "See, it wasn't that bad."

"For you it wasn't..." I breathed out, trying to adjust to the added pressure around my abdomen.

"Well now for the fun part!" She said completely ignoring my words. Odessa then picked up a long scarlet gown, with a dazzling smile. She was really enjoying this, wasn't she...

After tying up the last lace ribbons along the gown in little neat bows, Odessa carried me back towards the vanity to show off her handiwork.

"You look gorgeous. I knew color would compliment your skin perfectly."

I hate to admit it, but she was right. The shade of red paired well with my tan skin and dark hair. I did like the dress with its golden embellishments; it was nothing like I'd ever worn before.

Odessa quickly replaced my regular plait with a much more complicated bun and ushered me out of the room.  She led me down a dark regal hall.  Oil lamps radiated a soft yellow glow, which reflected off the varnished portraits of men and women in expensive clothes with expressionless faces.  As we padded down the long intricately woven carpet, Odessa spoke not a word. She looked excited and walked speedily as if our destination were the greatest place on earth.

Finally, she stopped at a pair of imposing double doors, displaying a family crest. The crest depicted a lion and a serpent locked in a ferocious battle, twisting against on an another.  The lion was armed with a scepter and wore a crown atop his mane, while the serpent had coiled the end of its tail around a curved sacrificial dagger. Above this picture was a banner bearing the words, "by skill and by valor".

Odessa raised her hand to the door and knocked twice before a voice beckoned,

"Come in."

And the doors slowly opened.