Chapter 13

"No! No! No!", I scream as I watch them run deeper into the already burning forest, men in armours with the Royal family insignia are in hot pursuit of them.

A woman with an arrow stuck in her leg, keeps running with a child which she carries firmly. I watch as flings of arrows lighted with fire are directed at them. The soldiers run past me which makes it seem that I'm invincible.

Chaos is visible with arrows swooshing in the air, houses and forests on fire and people running in different directions. Shouts and cries are heard from adults and children.

The woman holding the child earlier gives up falling to the ground, but she urges the little one to run.

"Run! Run!" She says as the child watches her, she makes a move to push him to join the rest, soon a swooshing sound is heard, as an arrow passes through her back to stick out at her chest, splattering blood on the child's face and clothes.

The child makes a move to hold her but is swiftly carried away by a man in a crimson cloak.

He carries the child to a border where the rest are and chants some incomprehensible words, taking out a silver knife from his cloak, he cuts his wrist.

Soon a bubble which is white, purple and blue in colour appears, it surrounds the whole border where the rest are. A deafening lightening sound is heard which is accompanied by a heavy downpour.

He keeps shouting, "Go and be the future of the Gilmorsh. Long live the goddess! Long live the Venine goddess! She who will come and fight our cause. Long live my goddess!" As he finishes the last sentence, a sword is pierced through him.

Even in the face of death, he's calm and immediately looks at me smiling. He slumps to the ground still smiling at me and bids the world farewell.

A soldier rushes to go into the bubble, but as he approaches it, he's struck by a lightening that renders him motionless.

Seeing this, the other guards retreat shouting some words to the others.

"No! No! No!" I scream again as I wake up with my chest heaving heavily.

Aidan is beside me enveloping me in a hug, patting while whispering in my ears, "It's just a dream, shhhh. It's not real, it's just a dream."

I calm down as I look at him, realising that I'm crying, but the tears doesn't stop flowing.

"It was very bad Aidan. They killed her, they killed him, they killed them. It was vivid before me. Aidan, they killed them, children lost their parents and siblings."

I say as my voice is choked with tears.

Afraid, I grip his sleeves as I stare into the empty space.

He continues patting me then makes a move to get up, but I grip him more tightly refusing to let him go. He kisses my forehead.

"I'm going over to the drawer there. I'm not leaving you alone." He says in a low soft voice.

I loosen my grip on him and he gets up, walks to the open drawer, starts rummaging through it and stands before it with his back facing me.

After a while, he walks back to the bed and I grip him again. He opens a bottle and makes me drink it's content.It has a pleasant taste and I gulp down everything, to which he chuckles.

After a while, my eyelids becomes heavy and I drift into sleep.

THE ROYAL MANSION

LATE AFTERNOON.

I groan as the sun peaks through the curtain to pierce at my eyelids, making me feel uncomfortable.

I roll in the bed for a few more seconds before finally getting up. Immediately I open my eyes, pain shoots through my forehead and eyelids which shows it's been long I've been sleeping.

I sit on the bed looking over to see Aidan and a much older woman discussing in low voices. I shift my gaze to the mannequin in the room to gasp, it holds a large ball gown. It looks absolutely amazing.

The older woman walks over to the mannequin, removes some pins from the dress and straightens out the flays, before picking up her box and leaves the room.

Adrian glances at me and walks over, he holds my hand in his and pecks my lips.

"How're you feeling now?" He asks.

"Uncomfortable!" I reply with a groan.

He gives a hearty laugh, "Expected. You slept for so many hours. I expected you to have a sip and you gulped down everything." He says.

I sigh and hold my forehead, "What was that drink?" I ask.

He chuckles and pulls me out from the bed pulling me over to the mannequin.

"You'll get dressed after having a bath." he says.

I look at him confused and asks, "why should I get dressed in such a lavish dress, is there an occasion?"

Aidan gives me a look, "I told you earlier this week about an event that'll take place today, the signing of the truce and it's grand celebration. I did, didn't I?"

I face palm, "Goodness gracious!"

Adrian chuckles, "You forgot, didn't you?" He asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" I say rolling my eyes.

"Please can I be exempted from the event's attendance, please?" I plead.

"No, you have an appearance to make beside me." He says in a serious voice.

"Which is?" I ask folding my arms.

He hugs me from behind and whispers against my neck, "you'll find out."

A knock is heard twice and a maid comes in with a bowed head. Embarrassed I release Aidan's hands from me. He smiles.

"She'll be here to help you with your bath, dressing, hair and the rest." He says

I nod, too embarrassed to say anything before the maid, due to the position she saw Aidan and I in when she came in.

Aidan picks up a coat, swiftly gives me a peck and leaves.

I stand before the mirror finding it weird, uncomfortable and embarrassing to undress before her or even let her touch my bare skin.

Minutes later, I undress and step into the bath tub. She kneels beside me, takes a jar of milk with rose petals flowing on it, and pours it magnanimously all over me.

I feel shivers all over my body as she gently scrubs my bare body. I almost stop her but refrain myself.

She washes my body and hair thoroughly and rinses them.

Stepping out of the tub with a white towel wrapped around me, I walk into the room and sit. She gently dries my hair and body. After which she walks to a box she came in with, opens it, brings out a bottle filled with oil and petals, then applies it generously on my skin and hair.

It smells totally nice, better than perfume.

Then she packs my hair into a bun, holding it firmly with a gel like substance and silver pins.

She brings out two small locks of hair on my forehead and she packs the rest till no strands are left out.

She applies some oil on the two locks on my forehead and curls them till they are slightly thin.

The two small curls that cascade from my forehead to my face gives my face an oval and cute look.

After that, I put on some undergarments while she carefully removes the gown off the mannequin.

She helps me put it on and I gasp at the beauty of the gown.

It's an off shoulder scarlet ball gown which reveals my collar bone, with lace like sleeves. It has a V- neck design that graciously reveals my cleavage, but the design is covered with a thin white lace, making my cleavage look more alluring and seductive but less visible with the lace.

The gown fits perfectly to the navel to form a huge princess ball, layers of laces upon layers that flows around whenever I move.

It has huge rose floral designs at the end of the gown.

I look at the mirror and I find no difference between myself and a princess.

The maid gapes at my dress but schools her expression. She makes me sit with the heavy gown, and applies generously a colourless lip gloss on my lips.

She applies the rest of my makeup which is simple and some oil perfumes on my neck.

I slid my legs into the shoes, which is not visible due to the large gown.

By the time she's through, it's already late evening. I walk to the window and see the palace bubbling with activities. Carriages has already started arriving with several important guests dressed in fashionable and expensive attires.

Although it's evening and dark already, the bright lights and activities around the palace makes it seem otherwise.

The maid asks if I need anything else to which I answer in the negative. Taking a bow, she leaves the room.