Chereads / Whisper of War / Chapter 4 - Chapter 3~ Regnum Caelorum

Chapter 4 - Chapter 3~ Regnum Caelorum

Amorie's mind was a haze. Her sight was foggy, and she couldn't bring herself to move. From what she could make out of the shapes she saw, she figured she was outside the Et Dracons borders. The trees were thicker than they were at her kingdom, and she'd never seen the plants. A fire warmed her cold, wet skin, and she could hear somebody in the distance.

Clomp clomp comp.

By the sound, she could tell their boots were heavy and made for rough terrain.

Amorie tenses as the stranger approach. Unsure of what they wanted, she shut her eyes and pretended to be still knocked out. She heard him drop some wood on the mossy ground.

"I know you're awake, princess," He grumbles. She opens her eyes and sits up, just now feeling the restraints around her wrists.

"How? How did you know?" She inquiries.

"Your breathing changed," He states like it was obvious. Amorie rolls her eyes and almost makes a comment but holds her tongue. The strange man had his back to her, from the rising smoke she assumed he was making a fire. It was then Amorie realized it was getting dark

/*•*\

The next time she wakes up, she's in a wagon. Looking around, she noticed they were getting farther and farther from her homeland. She was being jostled from the wagon going over loose roads. There was a foul smell coming from one of the baskets near her face. Bile rose in the back of her throat.

/*•*\

Muffled sounds were all she could hear. Her back arched in pain, and her wrist was raw and bleeding from the restraints. Trying her best not to move and make the cuts more profound, she twisted her head towards the sound and opened her eyes. She saw two men deep in conversation: one was short and round with dirty blond hair, she could only see his back, she didn't recognize him, but he looked like a dwarf. The second man was tall and slim with black hair and almost black eyes. This one she recognized as her captor. Amorie noticed he looked like a Tiefling, his horns protruding from his temples and bending back only to turn and come forward. He was wearing the usual Tiefling apparel.

"What do you plan to do with her, Rowlan?" Dwarf asks, gesturing in her direction. The Tiefling shrugged and said something in a language Amorie didn't understand. The Tiefling, Rowlan, shoves the Dwarf aside and takes two strides to reach the wagon. He yanked her up by the arm into a sitting position. He started at her with black eyes meeting emerald ones.

In his gravelly voice, he demands: "How much of our conversation did you hear?"

Amorie stays silent.

"ANSWER ME!" She just looks up at him, eyes shining. His grip on her arm tightened, and his long nails dug into her bare skin where the sleeve of her dress had ripped. A tear rolls down her face. "I. SAID. ANSWER. ME!" He yells through gritted teeth, hand gripping tighter until a few drops of blood were visible.

He let go in anger. Where he had held her, there were crescent moons. Turning to the Dwarf, he shouts something, and then they both get on the wagon, and it moves down the road.

Amorie's heart was beating loud. She could feel her pulse where the ropes were binding her.

Thump thump thump.

/*•*\

Weightlessness, like floating on a cloud. Reaching her hand out, she felt something like silk. Wait, her hand was able to move? Opening her eyes, she sees that the bindings were off, and she sat on a queen-sized bed. Looking around some more, she noticed the pink curtains hovering over her. Parting the silky curtains, and poking her head out to look at the rest of the room. The walls were a faded white with gold trim, and across from the bed was a white vanity, a matching chair with flowers carved into it.

Next, she noticed the closet full of beautiful gowns and shoes. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was wearing a white nightgown with pink lace on the trim. Deciding to get up, she walks over to the closet and picks out a blue gown with a white top, putting it on with a matching pair of heels.

Suddenly there was a banging at the door. Startled, she slowly walks over.

"Yes?" Amorie's voice comes out small and quiet.

"May I come in, princess?" A lady's voice replies.

"Uhm...yes, you may," Amorie says as she backs away from the door to let the woman in. She curtsies with her head bowed to greet Amorie.

"The king wishes to see you, princess. He has asked me to take you to him. Please follow me." She says and starts to go out the door. Curious and confused, Amorie follows.

/*•*\

The doors to the throne room are thrown open by a young man storming out. He bumps into Amorie on his way out, falling to the floor knocking her down with him. When he realizes what just happened, he scrambles to his feet.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going." He says as he helps her up. Brushing off her dress, she replies, "It's alright. I'm okay." It was then that she got a good look at him; Standing tall and slim with bronze skin.

He has knowing hazel eyes, and his short, straight, light brown hair is worn in an asymmetrical style. She moved to go around him and head into the throne room, but he sidestepped and blocked her path.

"Excuse me, I need to see the king." a hint of irritation in her voice as she moved to go around again. He shakes his head. "You don't want to see him now." Amorie rolled her eyes and shoved past him.

"Ah, princess, so nice of you to join me!" the king bellows as she walks in as per custom, she courtesies. "Your majesty, you wanted to see me?" he nods and beckons her closer. Cautiously she walks till she is about a foot away. "I wanted to tell you that my men saved you from Rowland the Tiefling and brought you here to Regnum Caelorum."

Amorie's eyes widen when she hears the name of the Mefoy kingdom; The Kingdom of Heaven.

"I see you're surprised, I had figured someone didn't tell you where you were." He says calmly. She makes eye contact. She nods, confirming what he said.

"No, sir, I was not told I was here or how I got here."