Of Winds And Quakes

26. The Makeover

Year of the Lilies
Torrid Season
Somewhere in the Palace
Altsas

Alysia

THOUGH I WON'T BE MEETING with the King till tomorrow (says Namir) I'll undergo a cleansing and makeover today. I stare at him blankly as he said the words. This most be a joke.

Namir led me through various passages and corridors and a dozen flights of stairs to this room. I can hardly remember the way here. He gestures for me to sit on a human-sized cushion, the soft cushion sinks under my weight. I feel like I'm sitting on a cloud. I let my fleeting glance run around the four corners of the room; it is quite big, bigger than our hut back at home, it has a dresser, a cupboard, a ceramic bathtub in the middle of the room, drums of water, a stool with dozens of colourful vials on it.

The room is bathed in soft red. The walls are covered by flowing silk red curtains and the room is lit by a single chandelier with red aromatic candles. I've never seen a place so pretty. It's like a salon for a princess.

Namir nods to the guard, dismissing him. The stoic guard bows low before disappearing. I'm now alone with him.

My heart begins to thump hard and fast in the cavity of my chest, being alone with Namir has made me feel very uneasy and a bit frantic. Namir's brown orbs lands on me and a small smile stretches across his lips. I don't know why a lowly commoner like me is going to be made over in order to meet with the King. I'm sure this is a dream but no matter how many times I pinch myself, I don't wake up.

"Alysia." His warm charismatic voice makes me turn to him,"do you want water or hibiscus tea?" And as if on cue, a middle-aged woman cladded in an apron over an A-line dress walks into the room bearing a silver tray which holds two jars and two silver cups, she places it on the dresser. I have never seen this much silver in one place. I gulp. I do need water badly but I'm supposed to drink from the cups.

"Alysia?" Namir raises a brow at me. When I turn my face away and don't respond, he turns to the woman,"she'll take the hibiscus tea-"

"No." The words are out before I can stop them. Two pairs of eyes turn to me expectantly. I bite my lip,"I'll like some water please in a regular cup if you don't mind."

"You don't like the cups?" Namir asks gently. How can I not like the cups? They seem to be real silver, they are too precious to drink from.

"I do. But-" But the woman is already pouring out water from one of the jugs and into one of the silver cups. The woman places the silver cup on a small sliver saucer I hadn't notice was on the tray and walks over to me, offering me the water. She gives me a warm smile that reaches her eyes and I'm shocked by the kindness of these people.

The cold silver cup sends tingles through my lips and the taste of the cold water on my tongue is stimulating. I can't seem to have enough as I greedily gulp down all the water to the very last drop. The woman kindly pours me a second cup and I gulp it down too.

I sigh in satisfaction and relief, and Namir, seeing that I'm sated nods to the woman, dismissing her. She curtseys lowly and exits the room.

"How are you feeling?" Namir asks, his eyes are searching mine, he'll spot a lie before the snap of a finger.

"Terrible," I say. "Every part of me hurts." The arrow wound on my arm has turned to a dirt yellow colour, it is healing this fast because of the healing herb.

He nods in understanding. "The mob can be really merciless. Tell me, were you born with the... Powers?" He asks me.

"Yes," I reply. "But I only learnt how to use in when I was six. My first demonstration was with air." I don't know why I'm telling him this but there is something about him that makes me want to trust him wholeheartedly. "I made a dust devil, I imagined it in my head after witnessing one. I made it in our hut." I glance at him and I see that he is paying rapt attention to me. "My parents were shocked and I never did it purposefully again. Except times I'll be alone and want to entertain myself."