ARIELLE:
I awaken to a bright, sunny morning. Birds are singing, the sky is a brilliant blue, it's almost disgustingly cheerful. I sit up in bed, blinking against the sunlight, and look around. Nothing. No black smoke, no screaming, no dramatic pronouncements about peace and war. Just my familiar bedchamber, bathed in golden light.
I'm not dangling off a cliff anymore! Thank goodness. I find myself absurdly excited about the prospect of a peaceful day. Maybe I'll finally try that new lavender facial.
It was a dream, then. A very, very bad dream. Though, I can't shake the lingering unease. It feels… too real.
I throw back the covers and pad out onto the balcony, drawing a deep breath of fresh air. The sight of my kingdom always manages to lift my spirits. Dragons flare street, the Aphrodite Garden, the local school bustling with activity, and women laughing in the marketplace. Khavena truly is a gift, a sanctuary granted to us by the Creator itself, as thanks for saving the Deities from… well, I can't quite recall the details of that part, but it was certainly a momentous occasion.
As I gaze down, something catches my eye. A group of… awkward creatures is making its way along Golden Street, heading towards the castle. They're rather pale, dressed in dark, ill-fitting clothes. And one in particular…
It's built like a statue chiseled from diamond! Its face, all angles and sharp lines, is unlike anything I've ever seen. This is a land of women. I have never laid eyes on anyone even resembling this creature, or any of its companions. It has a rather… huge chest, and… no breasts. What is that? My brow furrows in confusion and a tiny bit of disgust.
Its friend nudges it, gesturing towards me. It looks up.
And then… Then I see its eyes. Deep blue, like the ocean but infinitely more profound and breathtaking. Dark eyes, smoldering with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. A pool of something akin to fear my fear, I realize. A pair of utterly dreamy eyes.
Its lips are… red. Thick, and shaped in a way that… well, they're very distracting. Its face is undeniably handsome, and its skin has a warm, tawny brown hue. I have no idea where this creature comes from. It might look… somewhat humane, but I highly doubt it is.
It doesn't take its eyes off me. And the longer it stares, the more flustered I become. What does it want? What are they? I probably should call the guards. This could very well be an invasion.
"Mi' lady. Its time for your bath at the temple," the maid says from behind me.
"Okay. Here I come," I reply, tearing my gaze away from it down on the street. A bath sounds lovely, but the thought of those… creatures… keeps swirling in my mind. What are they doing here? And why can't I stop staring?
I turn from the balcony and approach the maid. Honestly, this whole situation is incredibly inconvenient. "Lead the way," I instruct, and she dutifully leads me downstairs. I find my mother already there with Mariana and Hazel.
"Dear Arielle. You are finally awake," she says, her voice a mix of relief and something I can't quite place.
"Yes, I am," I reply. Though, awake and alert are two very different things at the moment. My brain is still trying to process whatever that was I saw on the street.
"Go ahead for your bath at the temple and return quickly, okay?"
"Yes, Mother." A bath will undoubtedly be relaxing, but the directive to "return quickly" sets off alarm bells in my head. "But what is going on?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. There's something amiss, and I intend to find out what it is.