Straightaway I knew I had slept for a long time. For the most part I felt well-rested and the aches from the last time I had been awake were, while still tender, not as bad as they had been.
My eyes flashed open and I sat up, relief filling my body when I found I was no longer bound. A web of tightness spread over my shoulder and I lifted my right hand. My forearm was a mixture of blue and brown bruises, however it no longer ached or hurt. Slowly, I lifted my right hand over my shoulder and gently felt the bandage that had been placed over it. Satisfied, I lifted my head to take in my surroundings, and my mouth dropped open.
I was in a large luxurious bed covered in creamed-coloured sheets. Peach and pink mesh curtains swirled gently in a lazy breeze down the lefthand side of the room where they hung in the middle of three large arches. On the other side, the sun shone vibrantly, glaringly almost, indicating it was somewhere in the middle of the day. Potted plants with large green leaves were set at intervals along the arches.
The room was long, and in the middle, directly opposite to where I sat, plates of food filled a large wooden table. My stomach instantly ached. How long had it been since I had eaten a decent meal?
Along the righthand side of the room, large paintings and murals lined the wall along with shelves filled with books. Two double doors in the middle hinted at a possible entrance where a soft white glow emanated from underneath. I gazed back over the room. It was lavish and unlike anything I had seen since entering this world.
My throat was parched dry. I twisted to my right to see if there was any water and jumped, sending a stab of pain shooting through my shoulder. So, I still had to be careful. I wasn’t completely healed.
A young woman with brown hair and brown eyes similar to my own, was standing beside the bed. She nodded her head slightly and gave me a shy but warm smile. Her olive-brown shoulders were bare but a bright orange dress wrapped around her body to her knees. Thick gold bracelets travelled up both of her arms.
Instantly, I pulled the thin cream sheets covering me up to my chest. It was then that I realized that I was wearing only a thin muslin purple gown that came down to my knees.
“Who – who are you? And why were you watching me sleep?”
“Rajin is my name. In case of the Phalean poison return, Prince Maxim asked me to watch over you. Over the past two days, to ensure infection had not set in, I also assisted Yalek in checking your wound.” Her eyebrows knitted together briefly before a smile instantly hit her lips again.
Did she mention a prince? I stared for a moment, processing the odd construction of her sentences, but I also lifted my hand and reached for my shoulder. “Is it alright?”
She nodded swiftly. “Yes, you’re healing quickly, very quickly in fact.”
I tried to swallow down the dryness in my throat. It did not sit well with me that I had been wearing nothing but this thin gown in Yalek’s presence.
“Who undressed me?”
“Do not fear. I did. Neither Yalek or Prince Maxim wanted to impose on your person when it did not require healing.”
Satisfied, I nodded, but I kept the sheet close to my chest and glanced around the room again. I wondered at her words and the way she spoke. Maybe her original language was different from Prince Maxim’s and Yalek’s and this was how the 4ST translated it. It was then that her other words hit home.
“Two days?! I’ve been asleep for two days?”
Rajin smiled and nodded. “You needed to rest and heal.”
I started to inch to the edge of the bed. Two days was too long. I needed to get back to Arina and speak to Rayon.
I pushed myself up to my feet and swayed unsteadily. Rajin reached out and supported my body.
“Please,” she said, waving one hand towards the table and keeping the other firmly on my arm to steady me. “You slept a long time. Your body requires must eat and drink. Once you have eaten, Prince Maxim will endeavour to help you. He is a kind man. You can see him.”
All I wanted was to walk straight out of this building and find Rayon. I knew I could not be foolish though. I was famished and despite having slept, my body was weak. She was right. I was not going to get far without food in my stomach. My gaze landed on the table with all its food. Before I could eat though, I had to see to my other bodily functions.
“I need to….” I waved my free hand with the vambrace over my body, “see to my personal needs.”
She nodded in understanding and pointed to a space behind her that I had not noticed. An opening in the wall led to another room.
“Thank you,” I said as I hobbled, Rajin still holding onto me. The muscles in my legs had locked up.
“There is no need. While you are in Prince Maxim’s personal apartments, I will see to your every need.”
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“There’s absolutely no need for you to do that,” I said quickly. Prince’s personal apartments?
She guided me to the open doorway and relief hit me to see that it was indeed a bathroom of sorts with amenities for me to see to my personal needs. Ten minutes later, Rajin guided me back to the main room and towards the table. I didn’t want to think about how I had required her to help me, but at least I felt more refreshed after splashing some water over my face.
My eyes went straight to the table and my stomach gave an embarrassingly loud rumble. I swore Rajin suppressed a giggle.
“Please,” she said, waving towards the table. “Eat.”
Muscles aching, I eased myself into the chair and gazed at all the food. I reached for a plate with what looked like round sticky buns. Taking a large bite, I was delighted to find a warm meaty filling, the juice trickling down my chin. My whole body seemed to tingle from the pleasure of having food enter my system. I took another bite as my gaze wandered over what I should try next.
There was a large pot with what looked like a grain soup but smelled of berries. I spooned an amount into a bowl watching its thick texture slop into its bottom, reminding me of porridge. I brought the bowl to my lips not seeing any utensils and took a sip. Rich fruity flavours rushed over my tongue and I gulped down another few mouthfuls. Another small plate caught my attention. Slowly, I reached out and picked up a small white ball the size of a marble. It had no smell when I brought it up to my nose. After gulping down more of the porridge mixture, I brought the small ball to my mouth. I bit into it, and a perfumed scent similar to aniseed covered the surface of my tongue.
I glanced at Rajin who was standing by my side. I must have looked like a ravenous pig. “I’m sorry,” I said, “for eating so quickly.”
She smiled and nodded; her hands folded neatly in front of her.
“You’re not going to have any?” I asked, holding a piece of sticky rolled bread with a purple dust sprinkled over its top towards her. When she shook her head, I brought it to my mouth and bit into it. Its inside was also filled with a thick paste that reminded me of something similar to taro.
The sudden food in my stomach seemed to fuel my brain and a surge of questions started to form. “Can I leave this place?” I asked, looking around. “This building. Where am I anyway? You mentioned Prince Maxim’s personal apartments. Who is Prince Maxim?”
Her eyes widened in surprise as if that was information that I should know. “Next in line to the throne, Prince Maxim is son of the Glatline Kingdom. His father sent him here to help govern this city.” Rajin looked around the room. “This room is part of a wing in his palace. His personal apartments as I mentioned earlier.” I stopped chewing. “If you decide to leave, Prince Maxim would strongly appreciate you talking with him first.”
I glanced around the room and gazed out of the arches. I was in a palace? The mesh curtains hindered my view of the city that lay beyond, but there off in the distance, I spied the same high stone city wall. At least I was still in the same city as Arina, Shane and Nate. “When can I see him, the Prince? What about Yalek? Where is he?”
“You have many questions. Ones that are not my duty to answer. Once you have finished eating, I will take you to see speak with Prince Maxim.”
Satisfied, I turned back to the table. I was quickly becoming full. If I ate anymore, I was sure to be sick, my stomach had gone too long without eating. I finished off a sweet purple pastry, took a long drink of water and brushed off my fingers. Placing my hands on the table, I pushed myself up.
“Thank you for the lovely food. I can help you clear the table?” I motioned towards the many plates, bowls and pots. “Then we can go see this Prince Maxim right now.”
Rajin looked at the table and frowned. “The palace servants will clear it.”
“Palace servants?”
Feeling guilty, I stared once more at the table’s surface. It was filled with so much I hadn’t touched.
“You will need to put some suitable attire on before you meet His Highness,” Rajin said.
I glanced down at my clothing. She was right. The makeshift garment was adequate for sleeping in, but I would never wear it out of my house back home, let alone to see a person with the title of ‘prince’. I nodded and tried not to panic. Who was this Prince and why had Yalek brought me to see him? Was I a prisoner? I glanced around the elaborate room. Maybe?
Rajin untied the thin strings at my back and the purple material fell away. Naked, I tried to cover my body. She moved methodically, unbothered by my indisposed stance and assisted me to step into a similar garment as her own. It was low at the back and I realised it had been chosen on purpose. It would not rub or annoy my wound. Rajin brought a brown comb to my hair and slowly untangled my knots. It was odd having someone attend to me in such a manner.
Once Rajin had fixed several combs to my hair, she picked up a long brown arm band. She nodded towards my left arm. “For your protection, we need to cover the vambrace.”
For my protection? I nodded, and my stomach swirled with nerves, unsettling the food I had eaten.
The material was loose and I saw that it had several clips to allow it to tighten over the vambrace. It went down over the back of my hand and looped over my thumb, leaving my fingers exposed but covering the vambrace perfectly.
When she was done, she looked me over and seemingly satisfied, nodded. “If you would follow me,” Rajin said.
Before I could answer, she started towards the double doors.
The light was blinding on the other side and it took my eyes a moment to focus after she opened the doors. We had stepped out into an open wide hallway lined with arches similar to the ones in my room. Sunlight filled the path but tall potted trees lined the way providing shade as we walked. Vines also creeped along the wall and ceiling. Two men, tall and with brown and blonde hair, fell into step behind us. Startled, I staggered backwards and towards Rajin, gawking up at their weapons, expecting them to attack after what I had been through, but they merely stopped.
A gentle hand rested on my forearm. “They are to stay. They are to protect Prince Maxim. You are his most esteemed guest so do not fear.”
“R-really? I doubt that?” Why was I here? I had never met a Prince before. Why had Yalek brought me here?
“Come, let’s go meet with His Royal Highness.”
I didn’t have time to answer for we came to a stop at the end of the long corridor. Two more guards, in similar attire as to the ones behind me, stood outside a pair of large wooden doors. Without asking our business, they turned and opened the doors allowing for Rajin to enter. I stayed by her side and the two guards who had been standing outside of my room, followed.
The room on the other side was similar to the one I had woken up in with one wall completely consumed with arches opening up to a large balcony. It was becoming clear, that the prince liked open rooms to allow for plenty of breeze, not surprising with the way the city was positioned on the edge of a desert. There wasn’t a bed in this room however, and from the tables and chairs, I guessed this was some kind of personal meeting room of the prince.
“Prince Maxim,” Rajin said, with surprising confidence into the room. “Your guest is awake.”