"She's coming to the castle," I froze. Alexandria stood behind me in the hallway, her words placing a pause on my housekeeping. The King and Queen were gone for the week on council business, their daughter stayed behind to manage the kingdom. I, on the other hand, had to keep up on palace maintenance such as managing cleaning of every inch of the building, mucking the stalls, supervising the kitchen, and so on. If everything isn't to the King's standards by the time they return, I'll be flogged. It had been almost a year since I was last punished for anything. Alexandria's voice came out of nowhere, and I couldn't move. Her parent's partially made bed would have to wait.
"W-what… what did you say?" my voice felt small. She began to walk towards me, her soft footsteps stopping just behind me. A rose scent filled my nose and I wondered how I hadn't detected it before. My heart was racing as though it planned to jump out of my chest. Every sound pierced my ears and panic saturated breaths emerged from my throat.
"Kujo," I whipped around at her voice, "I need you to take a breath and calm down,"
"How can I?!" I nearly shouted, "How could you tell them! How could you tell him!" fear filled my mind, causing my teeth and nails to lengthen into sharp points.
"Kujo, you know I can't keep anything from my father, especially while he's on this hunt for your kind," her voice was quiet yet firm.
"Do you know what you father will do to me?!"
"I didn't tell him about your involvement with her," she whispered, "I promise," Alex touched my arm, looking in my eyes. A calm understanding filled her eyes. I took a breath and sat on the bed. Folding my hands and closing my eyes, I breathed deeply, slowing my heart and retracting my nails and teeth.
"I'm sorry, Alex, I didn't mean- "
"Kujo, it's alright," she smiled, "She must really be something if you're that protective of her,"
"I just grew up with her Alex. We were good friends… that's all," I sighed, "Now, if you're going to help me finish your parents' room you can stay, otherwise quit pestering me about her. I'm sure you have work to do," I turned back towards the bed to finish it.
"Alright, but I will be getting more information about her later,"
"Uh-huh, sure you will, princess," she groaned as she left the room. By the time her footsteps disappeared I was finished with the bed yet couldn't find the energy to move on to my next chore. I sunk to the floor.
'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I failed. Indigo, I'm sorry.'
One long day later I was sitting in Alex's room. It was filled with red and gold décor, with white wood furnishings. They hadn't changed since I had come to the palace. The first time I stepped foot in her room I felt more out of place than I already did. My dark presence seemed to pull all the light from the room. At the time I was eleven and she had turned fourteen the day before. The King had sent me to "fetch" her only seconds before, threatening punishment if I was gone for too long. When I knocked on her door, she invited me in. Her voice was soft and gentle, a pleasant sound compared to her father's loud, grating calls. I pushed open the door and my jaw dropped. Her room could have fit my entire house and Indigo's easily. The colors were almost too bright for my eyes, and I had to blink a few times. A gentle scent floated around the room touching my senses. It smelled like flowers.
"It's a rose perfume mother gifted me," her voice startled me.
"Princess," I bowed quickly in her direction, "The King, your father wishes to see you in his room," I felt a hand on my shoulder and rose from my position. I stood nearly a head taller than her at five feet nine inches. Her golden eyes looked at me with mirth.
"Eleven years old and already taller than me. The books were right," she said, curiosity seemed to fill her gaze. I took a step back, fidgeting with my clothes.
"Princ-" she put a hand up and I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut expecting a smack.
"I won't hurt you, I promise," her words were kind and I stared at her, "I wanted to ask you to call me Alexandria, or Alex when you are around me. I don't like being so formal. Though, you should call me princess around my parents." She explained, "Do you understand?"
"Yes, pri- I mean… Alexandria," I remember her smile. It was brighter than a thousand suns and warmer than a fire on an icy night. During days her father, the King, was out of the palace we'd have late nights talking about the day and events coming up. Nights like these were comforting, especially as she was the only one who cared for my kind. The King was out to get us for profit and the people wished us death. Though the Queen didn't hate our kind, she was not permitted to be around me. I was considered a danger to her and others, even the princess, so these nights were kept under wraps. Alex was a perfect shelter midst the torrent of hateful looks and retorts. Except for tonight.
"Come on, Kujo!" she squealed, excitedly jumping around in front of me, "Tell me about this girl!" Her curly hair bounced along with her. I sat leaning against the back of her white desk chair, my arms resting on top.
"I've already told you everything. There's nothing more to tell,"
"Kujo… there is no way you growing up with her and her being your best friend all are all there is," she argued, "What does she look like? What does she like? Was she funny? Mysterious? Annoying? I need to know!" she began pulling on my shirt. If she were stronger, she would have shaken me with each question. I let an exasperated sigh out and moved her hands away from me.
"Alexandria, no. Not tonight." I stood and walked towards her bed. The red covers wrinkled as I sat on the edge.
"Why not?" she whined, dragging her feet as she walked to me. A small pout formed on her lips. You would never think her coronation was in a couple years. Her twenty-third birthday had passed nearly a month ago and, unlike other kingdoms' firstborn, she had yet to have her crowning ceremony. All other kingdoms announced their crowned princes and princesses after their eighteenth birthday. The kingdom of Windermere, however, did not participate in any crowning until after the twenty-fifth birthday. When this happened for Alexandria, she would be considered the crown princess and would inherit her father's throne when he passed. Her weight on the bed pulled my attention to her. She sprawled on top of it spread eagle, her red nightgown barely covering her legs.
"How is it you're older than me, yet you act like a child," I yanked her nightgown down over her knees, "Keep that thing down while I'm in here, gods,"
She sat against the pillows and tugged her nightgown over her legs as they folded against her chest, "You are avoiding my question, Kujo,"
"From what you told me she's coming in a week, why-"
"She'll be here in two days," my eyes grew wide as she nodded, "The summons was sent this morning. My father is not one to wait, as you are well aware." I let myself fall back as a knowing groan slid from my throat. Her crimson comforter engulfed me in its soft cotton. She wasn't wrong. As far as I could remember, he never hesitated when it came to new information that could provide him with some sort of benefit or advantage. Especially when it concerned my kind.
"You couldn't have told me earlier?" I said with a sigh.
"I didn't know until this morning. You only told me about her a week ago, and I told my father three days ago. His letter came in about an hour before I told you and the summons went out thirty minutes before that. There was no other time to warn you," I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands. Indi was going to be in the palace. My breathing began to pick up speed as both fear and excitement filled my veins. Excitement towards seeing her again and the possibility of working alongside her. And fear for what the King may do to her, to me if he learns of our past. Fear that she may not remember me.
"-jo! Kujo!" a sudden painful pressure pulled me back to the present, where Alex's toes were poking my side.
"Ow! Alexandria!" I cried, in both pain and annoyance, "How many times have I told you to trim those things!" I rubbed my sore side.
"Many times, but that's not the point of this conversation," I glared at her and her smug grin. After a minute I shook my head and rose from the bed.
"I don't want to talk about her tonight," I grabbed my black hooded shirt from where it lay on the desk. I slipped it over my head, pulling the shirt down and the hood up. The hood came down just above my eyes and the sleeves fell past my wrists. Alex sighed at my back.
"Alright," she said, "See you in the morning," I could hear her snuggling into her pillows and blankets, soft snores emanating as soon as I closed her door. I couldn't help but chuckle as I walked down the hallway towards my chambers. Footsteps echoed softly through the dim halls. Moonlight shone through the tall windows, mingling with the fading torch lights lining the walls. The gray stone reflected the soft, cool lighting as it seemed to dance with shadows of swaying tree branches. I walked through the winding halls and stairways till I came to the bridge that separated the servant quarters from the main palace.
A gentle wind tugged at my hood and I pulled it off. I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair. My ears flicked at the motion. The merlons of the battlements came just under my chest, the crenel was low coming to my hips. I stopped near the middle of the bridge and leaned against a merlon, folding my arms on its flat top. The clear sky was filled with stars and shining stardust, wind rustled the leaves below and drew my attention to the courtyard. Though the lighting was dim, I could clearly see the benches and pathways to different entryways of the palace. Maple and pine trees were scattered throughout making it seem more like a garden than a courtyard, shrubbery dispersed throughout the yard, filling it with soft, gentle colors under the moonlight. A small garden of flowers was nestled near the physician's office, swaying peacefully in the breeze. Red Cardinals fluttered around the garden, occasionally landing and pecking at the dirt. Blue Jays flew from tree to tree calling each other in a way that remined me of a rusted door. They were free.
Pushing off the battlement I sighed and headed toward my quarters. The servants building was once a guard tower. Servants that lived here longer told me of when they used to live in the village below. Some years before I had arrived, the King's advisers suggested the old guard tower be remodeled for the servants who were required to work long hours at the palace, particularly the chefs and those servants of the royal family. He had agreed, and work was begun immediately. Small rooms were designed and finished within the year. Those who served the royal family were given the rooms closest to the bridge. I was the closest to the bridge of all the servants since I was the King's. All others were given whatever was available.
I walked into my room and fell face-down on the mattress. Normally there were a few of the Queen's and Alexandria's servants awake, but with the King and Queen gone this past week they had gone home. I was left with an entire floor to myself. My eyelids began to feel heavy and I struggled to stay awake long enough to ease my tail out of my pant leg. If I didn't let it relax in my sleep, I'd wake up to a world of pain. As soon as it was resting beside me my mind shut down and was out before I hit the pillow.