𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 ; 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒏𝒆 | (being rewritten, on hold)

𝓢𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

♔ ♛ ♔

HARPER was exhausted, to say the least.

She just finished her lengthy tour around the capital with Amara, and saying she was "tired" was an understatement. She was drained of all the energy she had leftover from that afternoon.

Afternoon. Harper still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that it had only been that long since she was in the comfort of her own home. Mom must be worried sick. Harper was so caught up in her problems that she hadn't even given her own family a second thought. Her mother was overprotective with her ever since her father's disappearance. Her hand instinctively touched her bare wrist, failing to feel the familiar rusted metal of her watch. She let out a sigh in frustration, silently deciding that she should take a breather. She needed one dearly.

Amara had given her a spare bedroom in the palace, claiming that nobody usually passed around here. Harper was wary of her offer but accepted it anyway. It wasn't like she had anywhere better to go, and with Charlie searching for a way home, she figured she'd be here for a while. Besides, she felt that she deserved to learn more about Draydon.

Her room was surprisingly large. It was bold of Harper to assume that she would get another dark basement to stay in. It was a room fit for a princess, with large floor to ceiling windows on the back wall, decorated with light, satin curtains. The walls were a colored pearl white, which complemented the fluffy carpet Harper had dug her toes in for warmth. A vanity fit for royalty stood on her left, though Harper promised herself that she wouldn't need to use it anytime soon. There was a door next to the vanity that led into a large closet. She didn't feel comfortable enough to change her clothes yet. It sounded childish, but without her watch, her worn clothing were the only things she had left that reminded her of home.

Harper moved toward the vanity to grab a black cloak that hung from the edge. Amara said to wear it whenever she left her room, to keep safe from wandering eyes. She draped it over her shoulders, adjusting it to cover her whole body, and tightened the strings that held both sides together. Throwing the hood over her head, Harper slipped on her boots and left the room.

The palace was nearly impossible to navigate without a map of sorts. To Harper, it was like a maze, only with amenities inside. Luckily, she paid attention to Amara earlier when she led her down here.

Go down this hallway. A left. Another left. Right. Through the double doors. The back exit to the courtyards is on the right.

Tugging the hood closer to her face, Harper hurried through the courtyards of the palace, avoiding others who passed by. Everyone was wearing similar clothing, royal blue tunics, and coats, with some going as far as wearing a full dress, corset and all. She felt as if she was in a fantasy video game or some surreal dream. Harper already pinched herself too many times to know that she was most definitely not dreaming. Unfortunately.

The castle was breathtaking. The gardens and courtyards were beautiful.

But Aerdon? Harper considered it a heaven on earth.

Amara had not exaggerated when she was boasting about the city. Intricately designed architecture. Carefully fashioned gardens and landscaping. Bustling streets, and vibrant culture. It was too good to be true.

And that was why Harper wasn't sold on this so-called paradise.

Nobody noticed her—nobody cared to, at least. It surprised Harper a bit since she was the only one there who was wearing combat boots and ripped jeans. Although she figured her cloak had a part to play in that. It fell stubbornly past her shoes, so she had to be extra careful when she walked to avoid tripping. Then again, it was her clumsiness that brought her and Charlie here in the first place.