The King of Saminu

Chapter 13

On the nineteenth of December, I left the dining room after breakfast to find a small pile of brand new clothing lying on my bed. The smile that seemed almost permanent on my face made another appearance, and I couldn't help but giddily get dressed in my very own pair of trousers. The mirror in the washroom was of perfect use to me now. A burgundy button up fit me perfectly, which was a shock. I was awkwardly shaped, and all of the clothes that I had previously owned - given they were hand me downs - had always needed to be rolled up at the sleeves and tucked into my shorts at times. Pants were generally not even an option for me, as a pair of shorts from my taller family members tended to work well enough to cover me. It was strange to have sleeves that cut off at my wrists, my stark white hands actually visible. Not only that, but the tanned trousers that had appeared in my room also fit me, cutting off right at the ankle like they were supposed to. I didn't even need to tie a string around my hips to keep them from falling down.

In the mirror, I was able to find that my stomach was slightly swollen, compared to the sunken-in state it was normally in. My nose scrunched up from the happy expression I gave the mirror, knowing that I was finally gaining weight after so many years of starvation. Today, I was going into my third full day of knowing Brann, and I had probably eaten more meals than I had the rest of December combined. Breakfast was a strange and new meal, as was lunch. Normally, Slifnians would eat right when they woke up, and would have a smaller snack during the day if they were lucky. My family would eat small meals right when we woke up, and if we didn't have enough food, the youngest would always eat first. Luckily for me, I had the gift of healing, so any damage from not eating would easily be cured. However, nothing could be done about my weight. Fat stores couldn't be created from healing an injury.

Finally, I pulled away from the mirror, smiling slightly to myself as I went back into the bedroom. Laying on the bed, underneath what had been the pile of clothes, I found a note. I couldn't tell whose writing it was, but the messenger had offered up the idea of my exploring the rest of the royal wing. It was a fair plan, and considering I was dressed and ready for the day, I rushed on. The guards at the grand entrance to the bedrooms let me out easily, as they were now accustomed to my face and were used to me leaving to go to the dining room, which was the only place I had ever really been in this far into my stay in the Spennian castle.

To entertain myself the best that I could, I allowed myself to amble around the halls, waiting until a door called to me before I opened one. The first room I entered was one of the libraries. It was magnificent, matching perfectly with the majority of Spennian architecture. The ceiling was high, maybe an extra story of space left for the tall bookshelves that lined the walls. Those beasts had to be heavy, made completely of marble as I would expect from Spenn now. But, what shocked me the most was the fire blazing in the middle of the room. Fear got caught in my throat, and before I could explore any of the library, I was leaving.

"There's a fire in the library!" I called once I felt safe enough, but no one seemed to be around to hear me. Instead, I rushed as quickly down the halls as I could, my bare feet making an interesting slapping sound against the stone floors. I opened the next door I could hear people talking in, and looked at them with what must have been a terrified expression.
"There's a fire in the library!" I announced, and Joneko looked back at me as if I were crazy. She stopped her conversation with Þura, and gave me a smile full of pity.
"I'd hope so. There's always a fire in the library. But don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough," Joneko smiled sweetly, and my cheeks felt warmer than the fire I had been yelling about.
"Oh," I mumbled, looking down at the marble.
"What are you doing today?" Þura asked, looking genuine in her reasoning for her question. I shrugged.

"Someone, probably Brann, left a note on my bed stating that I should explore the royal wing of the castle," The girls nodded and soon stood from their seats, walking over to me. I took my time to look about the room, which didn't take very long. It was mostly different seating arrangements and tables.
"What is this room for?" I questioned, and the girls looked around.
"It's our break room. If we don't have anything to do for a certain amount of time, we come in here. Joneko and I hang out in here for most of the day. His Highness rarely needs us,"
"What are your jobs exactly? I know you helped me out the first night, but I rarely ever see you. Probably because you're in here," I laughed, as did Þura and Joneko.