Death's Dance

Chapter 3: The Prince's Palace

      When I awoke no one is there. I got up to get dressed and noticed that the door was shut. Once I had finished dressing I opened the door carefully so I wouldn't almost nock Islwyn down the stairs again, but when I exited the attic room there was no one there.

      I head down stairs and look around the pub. The next think I know I am grabbed from behind and pulled into the back room. I start to panic and fight back and the person that grabbed me lets go.

      "Thana it's just me. I think some people are after you," I can't see his face, but I recognize the prince by his voice,

      "Where are the others?"

      "Islwyn is trying to get us some supplies so we can start the journey to my kingdom, and the others went ahead of us."

      We sneak out the back door of the pub after the prince decided that the coast was clear.

      It is so dark out that I can hardly see the prince right in front of me.

      He holds my wrist as we dash through the sleeping village, so that I don't fall behind and get lost. Suddenly he stops and I realize that there is a stable in front of us.

      If it weren't for the smell of horses I don't think I would even know that this building was here. He wasn't lying about living here, he knows this place so well. Why would a prince have grown up in a village?

      "Islwyn," the prince shouted at a whisper.

      "Over hear you majesty," Islwyn returns the shout like whisper.

      Islwyn has prepared their horses and gathered some pervasions. We walk the horses past all of the houses as quietly as possible. Once we exit the village we mount and begin our journey.

*   *   *

      After traveling the country side for a few days we meet a white carriage, trimmed with silver, and embellished with sapphires. On the inside the cushioned seats, curtains, and even walls are lined with royal blue velvet. The handles, curtain rods, and embellishments are all made of silver. The foot man hands the guards our two cases. The cases are full of our court clothes.

      After enlisting the help of two of a noble woman's lady's maids and a room in an inn we get dressed.

      At last I can take a bath.

      It was a lot of work to try to erase crawling around in ash and debris, riding horse back for a week, lying in the dirt, and sleeping just about every were for two weeks. After all that has happened the last two weeks I had almost forgotten what a clean shift felt like.

      Everything in this case seems to be new.

      I didn't miss breaking in a new corset though. On top of that there are the layers and layers of under skirts. Each ruffle is trimmed with lace and everything is whiter than freshly fallen snow.

      I knew that the kingdom to the north of us was wealthy, but they make my kingdom look like a fishing village.

      My court dress is made of royal blue satin with tiny silver butterflies and silver crystals. The top makes a heart. The sleeves are off the shoulder and ripple down my arms. Then, the shoes; they are made of royal blue satin like the dress and the heals are a large silver butterfly.

      The maids do my hair in the latest court fashion and then they finish with the jewels. Sapphire drop earrings embedded in silver. A necklace with the largest Sapphire I have ever seen also embedded in silver. To top it all of there is a tiara that looks like a bunch of butterflies; made of a hundred tiny sapphires again embedded in silver.