Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

003

As it turned out, King Wooyoung did in fact get to make that choice for me; I was his champion for The Trials of The Eight Mountains whether I liked it or not. I didn't.

I had been shown to my room my two handmaidens clad in beautiful flowy white gowns who had appeared from one of the doorways I had stormed past after I had left the throne room. They had introduced themselves as Nari and Jinae, their warm and welcoming smiles so bright that I couldn't bear to refuse them despite their midnight black hair and brown eyes easily giving away their identities.

They were servants of the King of Autumn, but despite the dislike that I had so quickly come to bear against King Wooyoung, they didn't deserve to be treated with anything less than kindness.

And so, I had let them fuss about me, my clothes, my makeup, and my hair for the evening when I was to join the other contestants and kings for dinner the entire way; up endless winding staircases, through narrow corridors of glass and crystal, immense galleries, overflowing libraries, and neverending hallways lined by intricately sculpted columns until we finally reached a set of white double doors.

The two handmaidens had pushed them open with excited smiles, and I almost felt ashamed by the fact that my jaw literally went slack at the sight of what was to be my room for the next six months.

A huge space of polished wooden floors stretched out in front of me, the ceiling looming high above from where a heavy chandelier hung from the middle, bearing the weight of hundreds, if not thousands, of crystals and lit candles that flickered softly in an invisible breeze.

The room consisted of two floors, the second one accessible through two winding stairways that snaked their way down to the doors where Nari, Jinae, and I were currently standing, the latter of which told me that I would find my own bathroom, training room, and bedroom on the second floor whilst the lounge and library would be on the first.

I nodded numbly, letting my eyes travel over the ancient bookcases along the walls and the floor-to-ceiling windows above them on the second floor, letting in natural light in warm rays that created beautiful patterns in the air.

The walls were covered in intricate gilded designs that shone warmly in the light from the chandelier and other lamps, and I took a shaky step forward as I noticed how the room opened up into an enormous rounded window at the other end where a series of couches, chairs, and lounges had been arranged near the window.

The glass looked almost like a dome as it sloped over the seating area, encasing it, making it seem as if I would be able to sit there and look out at Martell outside. As if I could once again be part of the real world.

As if this wasn't just a beautifully crafted prison decorated with expensive details and gold to hide the true horrors underneath.

I thanked the handmaidens nonetheless, barely noticing them shut the door behind them as I ventured further into the room, keeping my distance from the glass dome at the other end and opting to climb the stairs instead, sliding my hand over the smooth railing along the steps before once again letting go as I made it to the top.

The Palace of Atlas was truly nothing I had ever seen before, I once again thought to myself, venturing further into the room to find my bedroom.

A rounded bed, no doubt bigger than a king, stood surrounded by more of the intricately sculpted columns that had lined the hallways through the palace, reaching toward the ceiling where they rounded at the top, meeting each other and forming a circle, heavy curtains hanging along their sides, making me able to shut out the world and create my own if I pleased.