Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

32: Exposed

7/14/3028

I forced myself up into a sitting position on the ground with everyone huddled around me. My veil was on the floor beside me.

"Liene, are you alright?" It was Keiran who finally helped me stand up.

I shook my head. No, I was not alright.

"What... is... this?" Udi fumed. For a moment, I thought I saw his eyes glaze over red. "Outrageous!" Udi made a sweeping gesture with his hand and looked up toward the ceiling. "You bring an impostor to pose as Sye-Liene Anmyn, and not just any impostor— Ruhamun Ekkain!"

"Ruhamun Ekkain! Merciful Oul!" Rit and his advisor shook their heads in disgust.

"She is not an imposter, I—" Keiran was interrupted with just a lift of a hand from Dunek. Dunek had yet to say a word but I could feel his fury. He was angry at me, at Keiran, and at the whole unraveling of the situation.

"Dunek Anmus, if this is not a sham, how could you earnestly believe that she is Sye-Liene?" Rit asked. "Can you tell us that you honestly believe that is Sye-Liene?"

Dunek looked very hard at Keiran for a moment before answering. "Yes."

"Dunek Anmus, I must say that her appearance has come to us all as quite a shock." Rit held his furry paw up to his heart.

"Describing it as a shock is kind. This is nothing short of an insult to use the Ruhamun Ekkain for a substitute. There is nothing left for me to see here," Udi said before turning and leaving the room with his advisor who slammed the door behind them.

"We cannot proceed without a proper dahii. I will need confirmation on this... girl's identity before I can consider signing any agreement. Have a pleasant evening, Anmians," Rit said with a forced civility, then left with his advisor in tow. He and his advisor didn't bother to express the palm-to-palm grace gesture.

I was shaking as I stood there with my hands firmly clenched into fists. My eyes brimmed up with tears as I wrestled with my emotions and tried to keep it under control. The fear and rejection I felt was nearly too much for me to bear, and it took everything within me to keep my tears from spilling over. I'd been demoted to less than human, and although I didn't know the history behind the Ruhamun, I could sense the repulsion that came with the name.

Suddenly, Stanjah slammed her hands down on the table. She turned to me. "You have completely confounded me with your outrageous antics. I expect questionable behavior from you, but never did I think you would do something as nonsensical as that!"

"It isn't an antic," I said. "I fell by accident. The leg of your chair was—"

"After this stunt, I have no idea who you are. Sye-Liene Anmyn had a bountiful supply of common sense. You seem to have none."

"Stanjah, you have taken it too far now," Keiran said, firmly.

"Oh, have I?" she retorted.

Before she could continue, Dunek gave her a stern glare and she was silenced. "Stanjah, take her and leave my presence so that I may speak to my son in private. After you have seen the girl to her room, you will return here immediately. If a dahii is what is needed, then we must meet this condition to their satisfaction."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Stanjah bowed.

She led me to my room, not saying a word to me the whole way. Once I stepped into my room, she gave me a glare that could have turned a boiling pot of water to ice. Then, she shut the door behind her.