The High Lady's Call

Viella didn't know that traveling with a portal could cause an unpleasant side effect until she reached the other side, with Marie landing right on top of her, pressing on her already upset stomach.

The younger girl groaned, just as affected as Viella, but she beat her to it. She pushed Marie aside, just in time to throw up in a patch of unfamiliar red flowers—one that smelled like honey and tea. Luckily, her stomach was empty, so much so that there was almost nothing but bitter liquid that came out of her.

Next to her, Marie only gagged, sounding as if someone was strangling her, but she did not throw up as harshly as Viella did.

"Are you alright, Marie?" Viella asked, turning to check on her.

The other girl just lifted a thumbs-up before dropping her hand to her side, once again paralyzed.

Viella mustered a smile, only then looking up to see where they had landed and who was coming for them.

Five men, who Viella guessed were knights, just from the beautiful yet strong frame of their armor. Their hands rested on the hilts of their swords as they came running at full speed.

Viella pulled Marie to her, her eyes wildly searching for clues about their surroundings. They were in a garden—an imperial court garden.

She could recognize it from the meticulous planning that had gone into it, and her heart sank at how beautiful it was.

The garden sprawled with arranged pathways flanked by vibrant, geometric flowerbeds and ancient, towering trees that provided both grandeur and shade.

Central fountains and ornate sculptures punctuated the landscape, reminding Viella of a time long forgotten.

"You! Where did you come from?" one soldier yelled once they reached them. Their feet were agile and quick as they surrounded the two girls.

Marie looked around, leaning against Viella as if she knew this was not a situation she could protect her from.

"How did you get in here?" another one asked, his voice harsh and authoritative.

Viella swallowed. "We were sent here by General Aaron! He gave me his seal and some letters to prove it!" she declared.

The men glanced at each other as if she were sure she was lying. But before they could ask her for proof, she had already taken the letters, sealed them with Aaron's mark, and showed them to the men.

The soldiers lowered their swords at the sight of the papers. One of them stepped closer and looked at one of the open, yet sealed papers. His face turned into a deep frown.

"You're from Illion?" he asked. The mask of a soldier slipped from his face. The other soldiers came closer, dropping their decorum.

"Yes, that's where I met General Aaron," Viella answered, although unsure whether it was true or not. She never found out where exactly she had landed.

"My brother was sent to that war..." the soldier said. Now, with his formal mask off, Viella noticed the deep brown of his eyes and sandy copper hair.

"Please don't ask me if I've met him or know whether he's alright or not... it's a big army, and I didn't get acquainted with any of them," Viella said, boldly guessing what the soldier would ask next.

It seemed to hit the nail on the head, as his expression dropped—disappointed and ashamed at the same time.

"Forgive me," he said. The four other men felt his disappointment and dispersed, leaving Viella and Marie alone with him. She guessed there was no need for five men to escort two girls.

"I was given these other two letters. Can you please lead me in the right direction?" Viella asked, offering the other letters for him to look at.

The knighted soldier took them and looked at them one by one. There was no writing to indicate to whom they were for, only that the wax seals were different in size.

"I know where you need to go. Follow me," he said. Marie stood up first and helped Viella to her feet. The two of them walked down the white pebbled path in a hurry, trying to keep up with the long strides of the tall knight ahead of them.

Viella and Marie followed the knight past the towering entrance doors of the palace, the heavy smooth wood wide open.

Some men and women, dressed in beautifully adorned clothes, followed them with curious eyes.

But Viella couldn't care less; her breath caught as her gaze swept over the grand hall. She had never seen anything like it before.

The walls were made of smooth stone, cut and polished to such perfection that they seemed to shimmer faintly in the light.

Intricate carvings adorned the columns, depicting scenes of warriors defeating dragons, crushed at the bottom.

Her eyes were then drawn to the rich fabrics draped across the room—velvets and silks in deep reds, golds, and blues, their patterns unlike anything she had ever encountered.

Even the air smelled different, tinged with the faint scent of lavender and something metallic.

"Come, women! Do not fall one step behind me! These floors are not for the likes of you!" the knight said under his breath, harsh and strong.

As hard as she tried, Viella struggled to follow, but her eyes continued to wander.

There were the lights.

Small, glowing bulbs dotted the ceiling, suspended from ornate chandeliers. Viella stared at them in awe, their steady illumination so unlike the flickering flames of candles she was used to.

How could something so small produce so much light? She wanted to stop and examine them, to take in every detail of this strange, magical world, but the knight tugged her forward, this time less gently, breaking her trance.

"Do you want to be executed?" He whispered in her ear.

Viella shook her head, pulling Marie, who was equally amazed, closer to her. She couldn't explain to him the stark contrast between this place and the simple, familiar world she had left behind. It was almost impossible.

"Viel, look at that!" Marie said, pointing at a painting that was so detailed, it might as well have been alive.

The knight looked over his shoulder with a disapproving look. But Viella didn't reprimand Marie, only put her hand to lower the little girl's pointing finger.

"She's just a child," Viella said. She realized then that her words reminded her so much of what Queen Joanna used as an excuse, and she hated it. Marie was a good child.

"Wait here," the knight said, as they entered a doorless room.

A sitting area was arranged so nicely that Viella couldn't even compare it to the Crown Princess's room.

The knight knocked and was let inside. Soon, another man appeared. The knight behind him bowed his head slightly, then left.

However, not once did the man who stepped out acknowledge the knight.

He was an older man, strangely built. Viella did everything she could to ignore his plump body, wondering what he could have eaten to get so big.

Instead, she bowed, or curtseyed, the way she was taught back home. Marie, next to her, copied what Viella did.

The man, who was at least fifty, had a thin gray beard, small beady eyes, and a large, beak-like nose. His thick eyebrows raised over his black eyes, staring at Viella.

"You must have traveled from a place far from the dominion," he said, rubbing his thin beard. "I've never seen anyone curtsy like that before."

Viella swallowed, remembering what General Aaron had said, then bowed her head. "I'm sorry, sir, we don't know anything about proper decorum. I thought that was the proper way," Viella said, feigning ignorance.

The man seemed to take it as an understandable and viable explanation because he nodded, one hand behind his back, eyes closed.

"I see. So you're a village girl. But it is my understanding that General Aaron has sent you to meet with the High Lady of the Empire. Am I correct?" he asked, his eyes laying heavily on her. Viella moved uncomfortably, trying to get his eyes off of her.

"Yes, sir," Viella replied.

"You will acknowledge me as Grand Arbiter Dorian Veymar," Dorian said, his eyelids narrowing with disdain. Obviously, he didn't see her fit to meet the High Lady of the Empire.

"Yes, Grand Arbiter Dorian Veymar," Viella replied, despite her thoughts.

"Considering it was the General himself who sent you here, I have no reason to oppose or question his decision. You might not know decorum, but I expect you to at least know basic etiquette," he said, his words dragged and heavy.

Viella felt as if she were being told again by Queen Joanna. However, he was far more pleasant.

"Yes, Grand Arbiter Dorian Veymar," Viella replied, almost forgetting his title.

"I expect you can keep your sibling under control, at least I assume she is," Dorian said, glancing over Marie, who was half hiding behind Viella.

Even she could feel the strange energy coming off the man.

"Yes, Grand Arbiter Dorian Veymar," Viella answered again.

"May I add as well... if you fail to show a good reason or be of any use to the High Lady of the Empire, I will make sure you regret coming here... for the rest of your life," he said, his words slowly dropping an octave as he leaned in closer to them.

Viella felt her heart drop, her body signaling for her to run. But regardless, she stayed put.

"Do you understand?" Dorian asked, his yellow teeth showing under his thin pink lips.

"Yes... Grand Arbiter Dorian Veymar," Viella answered one last time. The official turned on his heel and beckoned for them to follow without looking back.

Marie looked up, concern on her face.

Viella could only smile as the two then followed Dorian in silence.