COF 4: The Abject Throne

12 | Airese (I)

Xanthy stirred from her sleep. The lumpy mattress dug into her back as she turned and tucked her arm under her head. Her eyes snapped open, taking in the darkness of the room. What's going on? Why couldn't she sleep?

Something was keeping her awake. But what?

Xanthy exhaled into the darkness and turned to the other side. Cirasa, who was passed out on a nearby mattress, snored lightly. One of his legs was swung off the bed. No. It's not because of him that Xanthy couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the after-effect of her conversation with the Sovereign and seeing a servant girl obey the order to kill herself. Maybe it was...something different.

She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and squinted. In the darkness, she could make out a door beyond the table by her mattress. A fireplace devoid of wood or fire yawned from the wall opposite the beds.

What's going on?

"Oh, to hell with it," Xanthy sighed. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up. She made it to the door without tripping on anything, which was a miracle in itself. Her hands gripped the knob. She knitted her eyebrows. Wait. Why was she going out?

She clamped a hand against the one twisting the knob. Her heart throbbed. This was weird. Why couldn't she stop herself? Queen's stockings, was she getting possessed? Was the Sovereign invading her mind?

Panic dropped a stone in her gut. She tried swinging back to Cirasa or opening her mouth to scream. Nothing happened. Her fingers twisted the knob and an artificial wind pushed her out of the room with her legs cooperating. Rudik's ass.

Without her consent, her legs tramped out of the room and into the wide, Synketrian corridor. Huge arched windows sped by her, their dark railings curving into strange patterns before joining into a large circle by the point of the arch. What those designs meant, Xanthy didn't want to find out. Xanthy squinted at the glass but beyond her reflection, there's...nothing. What's the use of having windows, then?

Doors locked or ajar sped by her as her legs carried her through the complicated twists and turns she did earlier.. The only difference now was that she didn't have a sack on. Xanthy squirmed against her own limbs but they wouldn't obey her. She kept trying until she came to a wide opening with a huge expanse of space ahead. A lone guard dressed in the same tunic and vest, stood unmoving with his arms by his sides. Dark eyes locked on her.

Something moved inside Xanthy's mouth and her lips blurted, "The Sovereign called me on official business. Let me pass."

The guard bowed and stepped aside, motioning at her to continue. Her legs surged forward. Xanthy clenched and unclenched her fists. They still followed her. So why won't her legs? She's a stranger in her own form. Without magic, she couldn't tell what was going on within her.

Was the Sovereign playing a prank on Xanthy? If so, should Xanthy start panicking now or should she just accept her fate?

Just get this over with.