When Angels Fall

Chapter 25 - An Unexpected Visitor

Hilda

The Black Islands - Kassarath (The Eastern Kingdom)

Lingering snow still covered the high peaks of The Great Black Mountain lining the horizon. Yet the warm breeze that teased her face did not fail to confirm the approach of summer. Hilda stretched and sighed as she stood at her window, indulging in the scenic beauty of the Black Islands stretching before her, vibrant with every shade of color that was anything but black. Clear blue skies hung above the Kingdom, while azure lakes and silver springs sparkled within lush green valleys. Red rooftops and purple wisterias decorated the city, glowing beneath the blazing sun and the shining gold of the castle walls.

Knowing she would likely stand here all day, getting lost in the scenery before her, Hilda forced herself to turn away from the window. She needed to catch up on some reading in the grand library before it was time for lunch.

She quickly changed into a traditional Eastern dress, a long robe with straight wide sleeves. It was made of wine red velvet embellished in black florals, and secured at the waist by a black silk sash. She styled her plain brown hair up into a bun to meet the latest Eastern fashion, before she lined her brown eyes in deep black. Satisfied by her reflection in the mirror, Hilda smiled before she hopped outside her room, heading off to the grand library.

Riki was already there, a new friend she had made soon after her father had left with Bernard and the others. He sat at his usual spot in the middle of the library, deeply absorbed in a large volume before him. He wore a fitting sky blue robe that complimented his tall willowy form, with delicate paintings of silver cranes decorating the shiny soft silk. His long straight ebony hair curtained his fair face, falling past his shoulders and down to his waist. 

Hilda almost smiled at the beautiful sight, before her eyes fell on the thick bruise that collared Riki's neck in different shades of red and blue. A bruise that could only be a result of being either strangled or hanged.

Being King Serenus's lover definitely wasn't an easy thing. She had concluded that the King was quite the sadist when it came to sex, but it seemed that he had gone quite a bit too far with Riki last night. Fury engulfed her. Despite being a few years younger than herself, Riki had become her best friend in this place. First of all, he shared her deep passion for reading, spending days and nights with her whether in this library, or in her chamber, or in hot springs, doing nothing but reading and discussing books, histories, and theories. And despite being nothing more than a sex toy for King Serenus, the boy was exceptionally smart. Smart, and witty, and funny...

"Hildy!" Riki greeted, having noticed Hilda at the entrance, and he flashed her a radiant smile that reached his dark brown eyes.

"Hey there, handsome," she responded with a wink, trying to avoid looking at the bruise around his neck, let alone asking him about it. It wasn't something anyone could speak of in this castle, if they wanted to keep their heads.

Hilda went and sat right next to Riki, snatching away his book to check its contents. It took her only one look, before her eyebrows furrowed at the unfamiliar words before her.

"What's that?" She asked in confusion. Riki had taught her the Eastern tongue, and Hilda could read any Kassarathi book as easily as any average Kassarathi could. But these writings were something she had never seen before.

"It's an ancient book, written in old Eastern. Even I struggle to understand it sometimes," he said.

"What is it about?" she asked curiously as she handed the book back to him.

"Some ancient spells. Like really, really ancient spells," he chuckled. "I doubt most of them are real anyway. Look at this one..." he flipped through the pages, until he reached a certain illustration followed by a long passage of old Eastern. "This is a soul connecting spell..."