Cruel Deception (On Hold)

Ch. 2

                The guard “escorted” me to my room on one of the top levels. I was rushed up staircases made of smooth stone, every person we passed seemed to kneel or bow their head respectfully. It made my heart hard. The guard who was “escorting” me seemed to increase his grip on my forearm when every we passed a window or a door, almost like he thought I would fling myself at the nearest exit. I couldn’t blame him though; it must be awful to be the guard who let her highness escape. My feet were sore when we finally reached the room that I had grew up in. He let go of my arm and opened the door and motioned for me to enter my room. Before I went into though he warned me that if he heard any funny business he would come into the room no matter what state I was in. I nodded and headed in, the door closed softly behind me and I was left in my room.

                The room was beautiful, there was no denying it.  I took off my boots and socks and let my feet feel the lovely beige carpet.  The cathedral stone ceiling above my head opened up as I made my way to my bed. It was fit for a queen. The bed was made from a special oak tree found only in the Rein’s Dome, the smallest dome in existence.  I laid my hand on the fine silk sheets that lay onto of this huge bed. Memories already were flooding back from when I was younger. I remember my mother would sometimes sleep here with me if my father was away, which he had been most of the time since being the Ace-High Chair was his main love.  I looked away from the bed to look at my balcony. I rushed over and threw the doors open. I walked onto my smooth stone balcony that looked over the dome kingdom. As far as the eye could see there were cobble streets and stone buildings. I could just make out the strip, and the plaza where Big Mama’s stall was. Would I ever see them again? A strange despair settled over me as I look down on the streets I used to roam. I put my elbows on the strong, cold balcony and stared at the scene. Then my ladies in waiting bussed into the room, pulling me away from the balcony. Saying stupid things like “I’m so glad you back.”, “Everyone had been so scared when you were kidnapped”, “Ratri saved you!”, and “He’s so strong and handsome”.

“Where’s Mari?” I asked the one lady in waiting that was selecting what I would wear for dinner tonight.

“She’s on vacation, she should be back tomorrow, until then I’m your dresser.” She told me with an icy chill to her voice. She obviously didn’t like me, even though she hadn’t even gotten to know me. Like most people did, because everyone assumes here that I’m a rich spoiled brat that likes drawing attention to herself. If she only knew. She pulled from a closest a gown with a beautiful heart shaped neckline made of navy blue and ruby red with a golden braid. It had long, wide double sleeves in a trumpet shape, this allowed the dress to be more flexibility. That’s how I used to like them. Before they put the dress on me they took me to my own bathroom, which was probably about the same size as Wayne’s house. They bathed me and put on silly oils and scented soaps. Through it all I said nothing and just let them do what they must why they gossiped together, unashamed of their girly ways. They threw me into the dress and left me to myself. I looked into a full-length mirror by my balcony.

I saw a young lady, her cresnut brown hair in a loose elegant bun above her head. Her tan face was a mystery, her big brown almond eyes were filled with a strange sadness, and her eyebrows were raised in a fake happiness, if someone hadn’t of known the truth they never would of guessed her sadness was real. She reached out to touch me, the stranger on the other side. I took in the features I hadn’t seen for a month and walked once more out onto my balcony. Guardsmen circled below my balcony as if I would jump from this height. I could have probably made it and still live to tell the tale. I sighed, oh what my life had changed back into. This wasn’t the part I hated the most. It was the pretending, which I would have to deal with at dinner, it was the false smile I would have to put in front of everyone. And the first sight I’d get of my father’s fake happiness. I knew he was furious and I knew he would have the biggest smile in the room because of my “safe return”.