Would he be in the dinning room? Huge golden coloured double doors appeared in their line of sight, with two guards dressed in armours standing on both sides of it, holding sheilds and Seraphina could see swords strapped to their waists. Maybe she was in a palace of some sorts. If the maids and guards weren't enough proof, then she didn't know what.
She would have mistaken the guards standing on the both sides of the dining hall for statutes if they hadn't bowed to them....or Cinthia to be precise.
"Lady Cinthia." They both said bowing before moving and pushing the double doors open. The doors looked so heavy and Seraphina was sure that if she tried to open them alone, she'd fail. Miserably.
Cinthia moved with a grace only she could possess, leading Seraphina through the doors, to reveal a large dinning hall. It was really beautiful and the huge table in the center approximately could accommodate about thirty people but the look of awe on her face quickly disappeared when she realized that every eye present there was on her. Cinthia walked further into the room and took a seat beside a woman, but not before greeting everyone on the table with a slight bow of her head, leaving Seraphina by herself to feel even more awkward.
All fifteen pairs of intimidating eyes which were mostly red stared intensely at her, making her shift awkwardly on her feet. Her eyes darted around, trying to keep her mind occupied with the thoughts of horses.....if only horses could fly.
Everybody in the room seemed intimidating and rather unwelcoming of her.
There were about five men and the others were women. They all looked really beautiful and elegant like royals. Her eyes caught sight of the woman who had come to her room the day before. Her green eyes stayed trained on Seraphina with a spec of curiosity in them.
"Come." Seraphina's eyes snapped to the direction the voice came from, and she immediately felt a chill run down her spine. Who was he? He was sat at the far end on the head of the table. He exuded so much power and authority, which made Seraphina shiver slightly in fear by just having his attention on her. His dirty blonde hair was in order, and a crown sat on his head rather elegantly. Who was he? King? Obviously a king. Of what?
The woman from the day before was sitting beside him, with her eyes still fixed on Seraphina who stood as still as a statute. It was as if she was scared that if she moved, she was going to be eaten by wolves. Thankfully, Ian was nowhere in sight if not, she would have passed out from nerves a long time ago.
"Join us." The man stated, gesturing to the table.
Red eyes with golden flecks in them stared at her unblinkingly. Seraphina moved hesitantly but slowly towards the table. She sat herself next to Cinthia because whether she liked it or not, Cinthia was the one she trusted even if it was just a bit. At least Cinthia didn't look like she'd kill her any minute like almost every other person in the room looked.
Most of them held looks of disgust on their faces as they regarded her.
"Does she really have to sit with us? She'd be better off sitting on the ground beside my chair as she eats the remains I would throw down for her." A lady with bright blonde curly hair spat with so much venom and irritation in her eyes as she regarded Seraphina who flinched at the amount of hatred the woman seemed to have for her.
Did she do something awful to the woman that she didn't know about? She let her eyes stay trained on the table, not wanting to meet eyes with anyone in order not to offend them more than they already appeared to be.
It seemed like she wasn't on Ian's bad book only.
"Enough of all that, Elizabeth. Let the poor girl be." A voice which Seraphina recognized as the voice of the woman from the day before stated with a nonchalant tone to it.
"Don't tell me that you have a soft spot for this...curse, Tara. The you that I know would have gotten rid of her a long time ago." Elizabeth sneered at Seraphina, but Seraphina remained unresponsive. Curse? Her thoughts were in a chaos. Did she just call her a curse?
Firstly, Ian, now Elizabeth. Curse? Was she really a curse? Maybe she was.
"Elizabeth." The king's voice was firm, and she didn't need to be told twice to shut it.
Maids soon breezed in to serve food, and they dished food to everyone's plate, their eyes on the work at hand the whole time. They didn't dare look at anyone in the eye and speak without being spoken to. They poured out a red liquid in glass cups for each person present there except her. She wondered what it was but didn't think twice of it. She didn't want it anyway.
As it got to Seraphina's turn, the maid hesitated not knowing if she was to serve her food too.
"What are you waiting for?" Tara's voice was as cold as ice as she glared at the maid. The maid visible shook with fear, as she ducked her head lower and dished food into Seraphina's plate.
"Thank you." Seraphina who felt bad for the maid, flashed her a small smile, but the irritated look on the maid's face had her smile disappearing. She looked down to her food, mindlessly caressing the bandage wrapped around her injured arm.
"Eat." Cinthia leaned into her and whispered. Seraphina spared a look at everyone, and they all were busy with their food. Even at that, she could still see how displeased and uncomfortable they were by her presence, and it somehow made her sad. She started eating, taking small bites as she thought about the Gaiters. There had never been a dull moment with them even in the dinning room. Sam had always made sure she was comfortable, although Mr Gaiter hadn't really been a fan of her, but she knew he had cared about her in his own strange way. Chloe always made her day, her smile always lit Seraphina's mood. And now they were dead because of her. She indeed was a curse. She got them killed, slaughtered like sacrificial lambs.