Death's Dance

Chapter 10: It Follows Us All

      Lieve and Yeona welcome the morning and Lettie brings my breakfast.

      I ate breakfast and pondered over my dream. While the others worked.

      Ophir, Ophir, that name sounds familiar.

      I continue to ponder over my unusual dream while Lieve, Yeona, and Lettie get me ready for the day.

      They scamper around the room. Pulling out dress after dress. Doing my hair a dozen different ways. Putting on and taking of more jewels and accessories than I can count.

      "I think we're ready," Lettie declares bouncing on the balls of her feet.

      Ximena produces a full length mirror from the hidden door in the wall.

      My dress is an unusual shape. It is snug until just below my knees when it flares out. The neck is high and tight. The sleeves, which were made of a sheer material, ballooned out and came back tightly around my wrists. Other than the sleeves and flared bit of the skirt the dress was completely bedazzled in silver crystals.

      My hair was done in a low bun and decorated with a rose made of sapphires. My earrings were also roses made of sapphires although much smaller that the one in my hair. I wore no necklace for the jewels on the dress and the high neck sufficed. I did however wear my butterfly tiara and shoes.

      "You look wonderful they will adore you," Lieve assured me.

      Yeona squeezed my hand and Ximena helped me out the door while Lettie and Lieve began to clean up.

      I ran into Kallistê, Nesta, and Lyssa in the hall on my down stairs. They were also dressed up.

      Kallistê's dress was black lace over a blood red base, it the traditional style. Her jewels and tiara were all adorned with rubies and set in a shiny black metal.

      Nesta's dress ended just past her knees and was made of a velvet in the same red and style as her sister wore. Nesta too wore jewels and a tiara made of this black metal and rubies, although, her jewels were not as in your face as her sister's. Nesta's shoes were nearly flat and made of black leather. Her hair was simply pulled back and tied with a black ribbon.

      Lyssa's dress however was split in three parts. The top piece was form fitting and ended just above her waist. The bottom was fitted at the top beginning right before her belly button. Her skirt looked more like my sleeves than any skirt I had seen. They ballooned and then came tight at her ankles. Both the top and bottom were of a plain black material. The third piece looked to be the same material as Nesta's dress that was just draped across her shoulder. Lyssa wore no jewels and her shoes were plain black with an unusually thick heel. Her hair was done up in a knot with a stick that looked to have been made of this unusual black metal.

      We acknowledged each other's positions and continued down the hall.

      The boys were waiting for us at the end of the stairs.

       Drazhan was dressed as he was the day we arrived, although without the cape.

      Laurent too wore a military jacket his however was in blood red, like his sisters wore. His trousers and shoes were black. Laurent's crown was a simple ring made of the black metal. Like Drazhan, Laurent wore a ring with his family's crest engraved in a precious gem, a ruby set in the black metal. However, unlike Drazhan, Laurent had several medals pinned to his jacket. Three read valor.

      "There you are. We where wondering when you all would finish whatever it is do you up there," Laurent jests.

      "Ladies," is all Drazhan manages to say.

      Again we acknowledge each other's positions. From then on Drazhan keeps his eyes fixed forward.

      He walks with Kallistê. Lyssa walks with Nesta; one behind each of Kallistê's shoulders. Before I can figure out where I should stand Laurent puts me between him and Drazhan.

      As we head out to the grounds Laurent starts up a conversation.

      "I have read so much about Sylvain's history. It was under your house that it concurred the Garren was it not," there is a hint of enthusiasm in his cool tone.

      "It was under the house Aurelia that the Sylvain Empire battled the Garren. My line took over after the death of Emperor Ohir; when the empire fell apart, and the Garren were not concurred: their Kelaya married Emperor Ohir."

      That was where I remembered his name from. He was the last emperor of Sylvain.

      "What is a Kelaya?"

      "She is like a princess, I suppose."

      "Then, why not call her that."

      "The Garren were a nomadic tribe and did not follow our way of doing things."

      "I suppose we cannot expect Itinerant Mooch to be as respectable as us."

      I guess Laurent doesn't know that much of our history. Or his own country's.

      "After joining with them Sylvain fell from an empire to a kingdom."

      "To bad. You could have inherited an Empire."

      "Enough people died already."

      Laurent looked puzzled and did not respond.

      "Yes, the war was hard on all of us," Drazhan butts in saving me.

      "I did not know Sylvain fought in the war," Laurent says directed at me.

      Drazhan lies for me,"Yes, I fought with Her Majesty's brother at the Annihilation of Vale."

      "That would have been on your doorstep would it not," Laurent says to me.

      "Yes, we were just outside Aranav Ayla," Drazhan continues to lie for me.

      There is a dramatic change in Laurent's expression as if he has realized something he should have realized sooner.

      "Did he make it home?"

      Laurent's tone has shifted. He sounds genuinely concerned.

      "Not for long," I answer with a half truth before Drazhan can lie for me again.

      "I am sorry," Laurent says with genuine remorse.

      For just a moment, gone are is Laurent's cool even tone and sly jests. I see the look of death in his eyes. He too, at least, believes himself responsible for the loss of numerous lives.

      I can't help but look back at his medals and wonder who he could not save.