I opened my eyes to see Alcuin starring out of the window of the red, white and gold carriage. She seemed to be in her own world rather than admiring the passing scenery.
Alcuin was quiet in almost every way. When she was not decorated in her array of bangles, anklets and necklaces, she moved silently. She even breathed silently. Her usual attire of neutral coloured simple dresses made her blend even more into the background. Most would not assume that she was the housekeeper of the, apparently, famed Aeternum palace. I would probably presume it was Serina if I didn't know better myself.
It always fascinated me how completely different the auntie niece pair were; in both looks and personality. Marigold was a chipper, talkative girl with golden curls and fair skin. Whereas Alcuin was a silent, calming woman with dark skin and white hair. Even the way they usually dressed were strikingly different.
Although, Marigold was the result of Alcuins' sister-in-law's affair, which would explain some of the more obvious differences.
With a slight tug of her finger, Alcuin came back to reality and gave me an almost unnoticeable smile. With the same finger, she lightly drew what felt like a word onto my head. It felt... warm. Like only the word scribed onto my head was dipped into a soothing bath after playing in the snow for hours.
'What the fuck was that?'
That is what I wanted to say but that was far out of reach for this houseplant. However, one of the three guards accompanying us in the carriage piped up to ask my question.
"I beg your forgiveness, my lady," he asserted. He was perhaps the same age as Alcuin herself, based on his voice alone. I only saw three guards as I was carried in here, but now I can't see any of them due to my position. Alcuin didn't even bother to look at the man. "However, it is my duty to ask what you just did to her royal highness."
As always, the woman said nothing for a moment before speaking in her usual whisper. "A sign that is used amongst my family... A sign of care for the receiver." Her body rung as the carriage ran over a small bump in the path. "Gratitude, fortune, for good health, love. The list continues."
Another guard was the next to chime in. "Yes. My father was an old friend of Sir Cyril Sortis and received it once when they both attended my uncles funeral last summer." This guard seemed also similar in age to the previous yet less assertive.
The white-haired woman simply nodded, looked at me once and then returned to staring out of the window. The carriage naturally fell silent once again.
After minutes of silence, I felt the mark again. This time it was searing pain. It felt as though something had sunk its claws into my mind and was trying to rip the mark out of it, but its claws could never sink far enough. It was scratching the surface.
Holy shit.
Before I knew it, Alcuin was cradling me gently in one arm and had pressed the palm of her hand onto the top of my head. I was screaming. The surface of my mind never gave in but the claws were now frantically trying to get past it. Trying to get to the mark. They were desperate now, perhaps running out of time as the attacks became less coordinated.
Then it stopped so I stopped screaming. Only small whines could be heard now and I opened my eyes that I had squeezed shut so tight that I had given myself a headache. The pain from the claws had dissipated entirely and only this headache remained.
There it was, an expression I had never seen Alcuin make before. The Alcuin who had the temperament of an ancient tree. The Alcuin who only made one, neutral facial expression. The Alcuin was now looking at me with the rage of a mother bear that had found the fresh corpse of her cub.
She withdrew her hand, wiped away the tears from my cheeks and went back to looking out of the window.
Excuse me, but what in the ever-loving fuck was that? I could not have imagined the pain, could I? Yet, I can't even feel after mere seconds of the attack stopping. Surely I would have felt the pain even after the claws retracted, right?
Right?
Not a single one of the guards asked about the cause of the commotion. They all probably assumed it was just because it's what babies do. Cry, eat and sleep. Well, no, you bitch as motherfuckers, I was getting mentally attacked by some invisible lion and y'all just sat there like fucking snowcones. Who's the real houseplant now?
"What one were you gifting her royal highness, if I may ask?" Instead, the first guard asked some unrelated nonsense and not, 'hey, what was that just now when the fragile baby we are supposed to be protecting sounded like she was being brutally murdered by rusty grass clippers for the past ten minutes?' But no! He only asks what sweet, amazing Alcuin was doing when she touched my head for a second and a half.
I will turn you inside out, old man!
"I suppose I will just have to settle on good fortune." This is why I love Alcuin. Look at her, being the beautiful, kind goddess she is! That's what I like to see.
The second man leaned over so that he could see my face quickly. He had bright red hair to match his eye, as one of his eyes were covered by a white eyepatch. "Is her royal highness okay?" It seemed like genuine concern in his voice as he looked over me once again before sitting back up. You are asking the real questions here, my dude? Was I okay?
Nobody answered the question. I think nobody really knew the answer.
An unfamiliar voice spoke this time. The third guard. He was sitting in front of both me and Alcuin so I could see his entire face. He was a slightly tanned man in his late twenties with short brown hair. His white and gold uniform was decorated with a myriad of medals. Unlike the red-headed guard, he wore a white and gold cap with an emblem of a golden dragon being contained by silver chains. "We have arrived."
The carriage slowed to a halt as he stood and opened the door. Once on the ground, turned back to offer Alcuin his hand. Like the fucking queen she is, she did not take it and calmly walked up the steps to the entrance of the grand palace without waiting for the rest of the guards.
We waited for the overly large double doors to open as all of the soldiers and guards from the caravan of carriages with us rushed to stand in place behind her. The tanned guard stood beside us.
With a voice that will definitely make me deaf by the time I'm three, he shouted at the thirty or so soldiers and guards standing in rank behind us. "Squadron will salute to the front!" Not a single person moved. The door began to whine open behind me as I watched the group. The sound of the doors hitting their stoppers rang out, the man shouted again. "Salute!"
Each person stamped simultaneously before pulling their arms up to a salute. The show was so in sync that it was mesmerising. I unintentionally giggled and decided to roll with it as I clapped my hands. "Agen! Agen!"
A man chuckled from behind me so I twisted to see who had joined. Standing in front of rows of servents and other housekeeping staff was a young man. With dark blue eyes and, somehow, dark blue hair, the man was dressed in a black and grey suit. He bowed in a grand gesture towards me and as he stood he grinned.
"Welcome to Semper palace, your royal highness, Princess Aria Saint Lomare." His voice was somehow smooth and gentle. "His majesty awaits you."