The Tributes (Sable)

End of the Path

The other girls in the group had mostly walked around them while the three of them had been stuck in one place on the stone bridge. So now, they mostly brought up the end of the line – along with the few stragglers behind them.

And the two maids herding them from behind, of course.

The maids closed the door to the tower once they were all inside. And the wooden door, closing with a heavy ominous thud, blocked off a good amount of light in the process.

If it weren't for the many windows along the walls letting light in, Sable's impression of being locked in would have been complete.

As it was, they were in a long but somewhat narrow hallway, the space almost crammed with the Black Queen's tributes.

"Listen here!" came My Lady's shrill voice suddenly, hushing the murmur of voices that Sable hadn't quite realized was there.

Sable looked up to see My Lady facing them at the front.

Oh. She could see her pretty well too. Despite being right at the back. How was that possible? A spell? Did they intentionally make it impossible to just hide in the crowd here?

"Beyond this door is where you will sleep," My Lady snapped, as though they were interlopers who'd barged in without an invitation and were now demanding lodging. She then matched action to words by opening a large metal door right behind her and sailing in.

They, like a gaggle of geese, blindly followed in order to not lose their only guide.

The door My Lady had opened was kind of strange, Sable noticed as she passed. For, while it sounded like metal, it was immaculately painted so that it would blend perfectly into the wall. And beyond that door was a wider hallway, and much brighter than Sable would have expected, given the gloomy decor so far.

The windows were larger here, and at a much more reachable height. Mirrors were attached regularly along the walls as well. And at marked intervals were doors that might lead to their rooms.

But what suddenly fascinated Sable were the yellow lamps that added even more light to the room: For, they didn't flicker or diminish in any way.

She'd heard of such lights before. Lights that weren't made of fire. The capital was apparently full of such things, but her dingy little village had never seen them. She didn't know what kind of magic it was, but, for once, it made her wish that she could do magic like that...

"Each of you will have a room of your own," My Lady continued, her snappy voice echoing throughout the room. "The stragglers at the back will get the rooms at the end. And the ones in the front, who bothered moving at a respectable pace, will get their rooms first. Your rooms will not change." She swept them all with a glare, then added, "You will each have a maid of your own as well. They will arrive within the hour. Any questions or needs you have from here on out, you may put to them. Reasonably. Your luggage, for those of you who had the common sense to bring it, will be brought up within the hour as well. Now," My Lady gestured, and the two maids, who had made their way to her side during her little speech, opened the first pair of doors on either wall. "Come forward two by two and get inside."