Rats In The Kitchen

"Namita, bring us some tea." She nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ancille stood next to the doors as I sat down on the couch in front of my bed. 

"Sister, is all of this yours?"

Leviah ran around my room from place to place, exploring my wardrobe, vanity, and bathroom. I forgot what she was like as a child. The excited look in her big blue eyes, blonde hair bouncing behind her. 

" Yes. Your room will be like mine since you're going to be a princess too. You don't have any dresses yet do you?"

"No. Only the ones I brought with me. My mother said that I would get more dresses in a few days. "

"You can have some of mine. I have too many and it'll be my welcome gift to you." 

An excited gasp escaped her lips as she ran over and tackled me into a big hug.

"Thank you Eirwenn!" The air squeezed out of my lungs at her tight grasp. I held onto her just as tight and smiled at her.

"You're welcome, Leviah. Let's go pick some out. "

I was dragged over to the wardrobe and opened it up for her. 

" Ancille, can you help us?"

Leviah pointed at the yellow monstrosity before and a few other fluffy, jewel-laden atrocities. Each of them had different colored jewels adording the bodices as belts, sashes, encrusted, on the sleeves, and in the skirt. I pulled out a more simple powder blue dress and laid it next to the more extravagant version sitting in her pile of dresses. My dress had long lace sleeves with aquamarines at the hem. The skirt would fall to my ankles, hemmed simply and made with the same silk as the rest of the dress. Her's had a thick belt of aquamarine with the jewels fading to the silk underneath as they go farther down the skirt. A nice straight neckline covered in the same colored lace.  

" We can match for dinner if you want? I want us to stay close no matter what."

" Okay Eirwenn."

Namita walked into the room with a teapot and steaming cups carried on a silver tray. She placed it down gently and walked over to us. 

"Lady Leviah, your maids are outside. Your mother has requested your presence. "

Leviah grabbed the dress she picked and started walking towards the door. I looked at Namita and pointed at the rest of the clothes. She nodded and gathered up the rest of her dresses, following her out the door. Hearing Ancille closing the wardrobe, I smiled and pulled her over to the tea.

"You and Namita can have it. I'm going to take a walk in the garden."

"Are you sure that it's alright your highness?"

"Absolutely. Enjoy yourselves and don't get caught."

I hurriedly left the room, ducking into an empty corridor. 

"Briar rose on the vine, help me claim what is mine."

A bright light emanated from the glass as I put my hand in and pulled out the corset. I put it carefully over my clothes. 

"Corset of pure white, hide me in plain sight."

I imagined myself as one of the maids working in the kitchen, checking my appearance in a nearby window. My long black hair was changed to a short blonde bob and my dress was now a maid's uniform. 

" Thank you Cessair. " 

Cautiously rushing through the palace, I made my way to the library. The foreboding heavy oak doors stood between me and the book I needed. I pushed one open and slipped inside. The bookkeeper glanced up and went back to the book he was studying. Our royal library is the collection of hundreds of years of science and magic gathered over the expansion from a small insignificant kingdom to an empire never seen in the world. When my father got sick before, I holed myself up here, studying and experimenting with medicine and healing magic. Useless against the poison gifted by a fairy but useful when I eventually went to live with the dwarves. Drumming my fingers against the spines on the shelf, they stopped on a thick book. I pulled it out carefully, taking it to a secluded table and gently looking through the pages. The weathered paper under my fingertips was collected a couple hundred years ago by a grandmother of mine who was the daughter of a fairy and her human lover. It was a guide to the celestial, terran, and ancient fairies. Stopping on a picture of a pale fairy with long blue hair and silver eyes, I smiled to myself. 

"Aesyne. Celestial fairy of the moon and queen of all aquatic fairies. Known for her cold demeanor and ability to manipulate any trace of water. Can only be summoned on a full moon with the Dance of Moonlit Sky. Offer pure water and sugared rolls made of the finest ingredients."

It doesn't seem too difficult. But I know as soon as I start, Feya will be watching me. I'll have to do this carefully. 

" A warning to all, angering her can end in death or the Curse of Winter upon your land. "

Grabbing a small paper from the middle of the desk, I copied down the page. Flipping slowly, I found the small section on Alceme and put it down. 

" Daughter of the moon.  Summoned with a spell, pure water, and the full moon of the warmest month. " 

I folded up the paper and slipped it into my pocket, carefully putting the book back on it's shelf.  Rushing out of the library, I headed down to the garden. The subtle smells of flowers and grass hit me as the gentle sounds of the fountain hit my ears. I ducked behind a bush and put the corset back in its place, pushing the bracelet back on my wrist. I felt the cool breeze against my skin as I headed back into the palace towards my mother's old room. The room Feya took for herself after my father died. She sold off all of my mother's jewelry and dresses the day after his funeral. The hall to her chambers was still dark. Black curtains draped the hall furniture and darkened the windows, dust covering every surface. Her room door stood at the very end. My father had it custom made along with the rest of her furniture. All of it made with dark wood to match her hair and emeralds to match her eyes. Pulling a pin from hair, I slipped it into the keyhole and slowly worked it open at the click of the lock. The curtains were closed and the room was dark. The intricately carved furniture showed how much my father really loved her. Her section of the palace was second only to the main ballroom and entrance, both built before my father's great grandfather was born.  I went to her bookcase and ran my fingers over the books before settling on one and pulling out down, muttering under my breath. 

" Create a room where I'm at peace, a private space of stress relief."

The bookcase glowed a dull green as it turned into a simple door. I smiled to myself, entering the room. A room that only my mother and myself knew of. White flames appeared on the walls, illuminating the simple stone room. A floor-length mirror and rows of potions and herbs lined the farthest wall of the square room.  A plush chair in front of a stately table was tucked in front of a mirror latticed as a window, a small cauldron and a grand bookcase finished off the room.  The study gifted to me by my mother that I never got a chance to use. Opening one of the drawers in the desk,  I pulled out a small notebook and held it close to my chest. Closing up the drawer and the secret door, I started on my way back to my bedroom. I slipped the book into my pocket as I walked through the corridor. The servants that passed me bowed respectfully, whispering amongst themselves. It wasn't unusual for an emperor to remarry but my father was an exception to that. Promising to love my mother even after death doesn't match well with him fawning over the witch sharing the bed with him. 

"Eirwenn. I'm glad I was able to catch you."

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Feya strolled down the hall towards me, followed by a small group of attendants. Her light blue dress was changed to a much nicer dark blue embedded with sapphires around the neck and a belt cinching her small waist, flaring out from the edge of the belt and over the carefully hidden bell shaped crinoline. A fake smile was spread across her lips as she looked down at me. I fixed my face and smiled innocently at her. 

"You're my new stepmother right?"

She stopped in front of me and grabbed my hands, crouching to my level.

"I know I could never replace your mother but I really hope that we'll get along. I know you were upset earlier but I promise, I'm not here to take your father from you. "

The familiar words rolled off her tongue with ease. Lies sugared so sweet that anyone's heart would pull towards her. The first of many broken promises from this woman. 

"I believe you. I hope we can get along too. Stepmother. " 

I wrapped her into a hug. I could feel her attendants staring at the loving scene in front of them not knowing the knives we held to each other's backs. 

"Can I come back to your room with you Stepmother? "

She pulled away from me and nodded, grabbing one of my hands. 

"Of course. I was on my way there anyway."

Leaning into her body as we walked, I smiled to myself at the thought of seeing Cessair again. 

"I gave Leviah some of my dresses. I didn't want them anymore and I didn't know if she had any for court with her.  Your luggage wasn't very large. I guess you don't have any court dresses either. Maybe Father will let you borrow some of the empress's."

Her smile twitched in displeasure as she looked down at me with a dark look on her face that I pretended not to notice. 

"We have plenty of dresses. I appreciate your concern, Eirwenn."

"You're a Lady right?"

"Countess. Countess Feya Mork. "

" My mama was a Duchess before she got married and became Empress. The Artesian duchy of the South. Whenever Father has a meeting with the nobility, I get to see my uncles and grandfather. I have an aunt but Mama said that she wasn't worth meeting because she was a disgrace to the Artesian name. She never told me what she did though."

Feya's smiled dropped completely and her grip on my hand tightened. She looked murderous with the ugly look adorning her features. 

"I'm sure your mother was just exaggerating. Maybe they just didn't get along."

"I don't know. Mama said that my aunt would never sleep in her bed and wandered to other ones all the time. I'm not really sure what she meant by that."

She dropped my hand, clenching her fists tightly. The cracks in her motherly mask shattered it. 

"Your mother was a gossip who could never keep her mouth shut. Clearly that part never changed after getting married."

The attendants behind her gasped quietly, a couple servants within earshot staring at Feya in surprise. 

Tsk tsk tsk Stepmother. Where is your self control? 

"Did you know her? Were you close?"

She regained her composure and cleared her throat, looking towards me. 

" We ran in the same circles before our marriages. I mean no disrespect.  I spoke out of turn. I apologize. "

One of her maids rushed over to her and tapped her shoulder gingerly. 

"Milady, you have to apologize to her as you would the Emperor. Until your marriage, she is second only to him."

Her face turned red in embarrassment as she grabbed the sides of her skirt and bowed deeply.

"Morning Star of the Empire, please grant this subject mercy for my transgression. "

I relished in the sight of the proud, snakelike woman bowing at my feet. A sight I'd never witnessed in my past life. 

"Stepmother, you don't have to do all that. It's okay. "

She looked up at me and rose, humiliation clear on her face. The other servants staring at the scene started to disperse. 

" Thank you. "